Mac keyboard shortcuts: the most useful ones

What ⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ mean and where these keys are

Menus show shortcuts with symbols instead of key names. On an Apple keyboard the modifier keys sit in the bottom row:

• ⌘ Command (Cmd): on both sides of the Space bar. Most shortcuts use it.
• ⌥ Option (Alt): next to Command, on both sides.
• ⌃ Control (Ctrl): on the left, between Fn and Option.
• ⇧ Shift: above Control, on both sides.
• Fn or the Globe key: the bottom-left corner. It turns the top row into F1, F2 and the other function keys.

Coming from Windows: most Ctrl shortcuts become Command shortcuts (Ctrl-C is Command-C), and Alt is Option. If you plug a Windows keyboard into a Mac, Apple’s advice is to press Alt instead of Option, and Ctrl or the Windows logo key instead of Command.

Copy, paste, undo and other everyday shortcuts

• Command-C: copy. Command-X: cut. Command-V: paste. More in how to cut and paste on Mac.
• Command-Z: undo. Shift-Command-Z: redo. See how to undo on Mac.
• Command-A: select all.
• Command-F: find. Command-G: find the next match.
• Command-S: save. Command-P: print. Command-O: open.
• Command-N: new window or document. Command-T: new tab.

Shortcuts for apps and windows

• Command-Tab: switch to the last app you used. Keep Command held and press Tab again to go further.
• Command-` (the key above Tab, left of 1): switch between windows of the same app. See how to switch between windows.
• Command-W: close the window. Command-Q: quit the app.
• Command-M: minimize the window to the Dock. Command-H: hide the app.
• Control-Command-F: full screen on or off, in apps that support it.
• Control-Up Arrow: Mission Control. Control-Down Arrow: all windows of the front app.
• Option-Command-Esc: the Force Quit window, the Mac’s Ctrl-Alt-Delete. See how to force quit.

Finder shortcuts

• Shift-Command-N: new folder.
• Command-D: duplicate the selected files. Command-I: Get Info.
• Command-Delete: move to the Trash. Shift-Command-Delete: empty the Trash. It asks before deleting.
• Space bar: Quick Look, a preview of the selected file without opening it.
• Command-Up Arrow: the folder that holds the current one.
• Shift-Command-G: Go to Folder. Option-Command-L: Downloads. Shift-Command-D: Desktop. Shift-Command-H: your home folder.

Text editing shortcuts

• Command-B, Command-I, Command-U: bold, italic, underline.
• Command-Left Arrow and Command-Right Arrow: the start and the end of the line.
• Option-Left Arrow: the start of the previous word.
• Option-Delete: delete the word to the left.
• Fn-Delete: delete the character to the right, on keyboards without a Forward Delete key.
• Command-Up Arrow: the start of the document.

Screenshots, search, emoji and lock screen

• Shift-Command-3: a screenshot of the whole screen. Shift-Command-4: of the part you select. Shift-Command-5: the Screenshot toolbar with screen recording. See how to take a screenshot.
• Command-Space: Spotlight, to find an app or a file.
• Control-Command-Space: emoji and symbols. See how to type emoji.
• Control-Command-Q: lock the screen. Shift-Command-Q: log out, after a confirmation.

Any app shows its own shortcuts next to the commands in its menus. The system ones are listed, and can be changed, in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts.