When I first started using an iMac all the way back in 2008, the operating system was a revelation compared to the Windows PCs I used in school and at the library. Everything seemed more intuitive and simpler.
In the years since, I’ve learned a lot of tips for the Mac, and one of the most critical are the MacOS keyboard shortcuts — they make a huge difference in my daily workflow. I can copy and paste URLs, recover a tab I accidentally closed, capture screenshots and more — all without taking my hand off the keyboard. It’s become a simple matter of muscle memory.
Maybe you just got a new MacBook Neo, and this is your first time using a Mac. Maybe you’ve been using Apple devices since the days of the G3 iMac or the original Macintosh. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert Mac user, you’ll be sure to find this Mac keyboard shortcut reference useful.
If you think you already know them all, read on. You might be surprised.
Basic Mac keyboard shortcuts
If you’re coming from a PC, your first instinct might be to look for the Control key. However, on a Mac, you’ll typically use the Command key instead of the shortcut key. You can use the Command key on either side of the spacebar–.
- Command + C: Copy the selected/highlighted item or text.
- Command + X: Cut the selected/highlighted item or text.
- Command + V: Paste the selected or highlighted item or text.
- Command + Z: Undo the previous action.
- Shift + Command + Z: Redo the previous action. (This will perform the opposite action of Command + Z.)
- Command + A: Select all items.
Screenshot and video Mac shortcuts
You have a few options for not only capturing screenshots but also recording a video of your screen.
- Command + Shift + 3: Capture a screenshot of the entire screen.
- Command + Shift + 4: Capture the selected portion of your screen. Your pointer will become a crosshair icon, which you can use to click and drag over the area you want to screenshot.
- Command + Shift + 5: See additional options for taking screenshots, such as setting a timer and choosing where you want to save your screenshots. You can also choose to record a video of your entire screen, a selected window or a selected portion of your screen (To end the recording, press Command + Shift + 5 again, and hit the pause button.)
Mac keyboard shortcuts for typing
Need a tilde or an umlaut? Here’s the quickest way to type one out.
- Option + E: Type the acute [´] accent mark.
- Option + I: Type the caret [ˆ] symbol/accent mark.
- Option + N: Type the tilde [˜] accent mark.
- Option + U: Type the umlaut [¨] accent mark.
- Option + O: Type the letter [ø].
Mac keyboard shortcuts for web browsing
These shortcuts will work in Safari, Chrome or your web browser of choice.
- Command + T: Open a new tab.
- Command + W: Close the current tab.
- Command + Q: Close the current application.
- Command + L: Select the address/search bar in your browser. This is useful when you want to search in your current tab without reaching for your mouse or trackpad.
- Command + N: Open a new Finder or browser window.
- Command + Shift + T: Reopen your last closed tab.
- Command + R: Refresh the current page in your browser.
- Command + 1-9: Switch between the tabs of your current browser window.
- Command + ~: Switch between the open windows of your current browser.
- Command + + (plus sign): Zoom in.
- Command + – (minus sign): Zoom out.
Mac keyboard shortcuts for symbols
There are a few different ways to create accents and symbols in text on a Mac, and keyboard shortcuts are one of the easiest (if you can remember them).
There are basically two different sorts of symbol keyboard shortcuts in MacOS — shortcuts that place an accent over any letter; and shortcuts that are dedicated to specific symbols or accented characters.
Four diacritical marks — acute accent, circumflex, tilde and umlaut — can be placed over any alphabet letter by first hitting the Option key plus the letters E, I, N and U, respectively. For example, to add a circumflex to the letter “O,” first type Option + I, then hit the “O” key, which will create the character Ô.
Shortcuts for adding accents
| Key | Option + Key | Shift + Option + Key |
|---|---|---|
| E | Acute accent | ´ |
| I | Circumflex accent | ˆ |
| N | Tilde | ˜ |
| U | Umlaut | ¨ |
Along with those four keys for adding diacritical marks to any letter, the other letters, numbers and punctuation symbols on your Mac keyboard create specific symbols when used with the Option key or Option and Shift keys together. You can even make a little Apple symbol () by hitting Option+Shift+K.
Shortcuts for specific symbols
| Key | Option + Key | Shift + Option + Key |
|---|---|---|
| A | å | Å |
| B | ∫ | ı |
| C | ç | Ç |
| D | ∂ | Î |
| F | ƒ | Ï |
| G | © | ˝ |
| H | ˙ | Ó |
| J | ∆ | Ô |
| K | ˚ | |
| L | ¬ | Ò |
| M | µ | Â |
| O | ø | Ø |
| P | π | ∏ |
| Q | œ | Œ |
| R | ® | ‰ |
| S | ß | Í |
| T | † | ˇ |
| V | √ | ◊ |
| W | ∑ | „ |
| X | ≈ | ˛ |
| Y | ¥ | Á |
| Z | Ω | ¸ |
| 1 | ¡ | ⁄ |
| 2 | ™ | € |
| 3 | £ | ‹ |
| 4 | ¢ | › |
| 5 | ∞ | fi |
| 6 | § | fl |
| 7 | ¶ | ‡ |
| 8 | • | ° |
| 9 | ª | · |
| 0 | º | ‚ |
| . | ≥ | ˘ |
| , | ≤ | ¯ |
| = | ≠ | ± |
| – | – (en-dash) | — (em-dash) |
| « | » | |
| / | ÷ | ¿ |
| ; | … | Ú |
| ‘ | æ | Æ |
While these are some of the most common Mac keyboard shortcuts, this isn’t a complete list. If you’re looking for another shortcut, you can browse the options on Apple’s support website.
Finally, you can customize your shortcuts by going to Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts. Double-click the key combination, then press your preferred keys. Or, if there are any shortcuts that you don’t want to trigger by accident, you can click the checkbox to disable them.
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