If you are looking for some useful keyboard shortcuts on Mac, then you’ll love this page.

We’ve included all the basic Mac OS keyboard shortcuts you are likely to need.

And you can look through the list to find the shortcut you are looking for.

Check them out:

A Quick Tip: If you’re coming from a Windows environment, you may be used to the Windows shortcuts such as Control + C, Control + V, etc. For any Windows shortcut you know, simply substitute Control for Command (⌘) on the Mac and the chances are the shortcut will work!

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts: The Basic Shortcuts

Copy (text, image, etc.)	⌘ + C
Paste	⌘ + V
Cut (delete)	⌘ + X
Undo last action	⌘ + Z
Print	⌘ + P
Open doc, folder, etc.	⌘ + O
Save	⌘ + S
Save as	Option + ⌘ + S
Repeat an action	⌘ + Y
Select all	⌘ + A

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts: Finder Shortcuts

Accessibility Options	⌘ + Option + F5
Add Selected Item to Sidebar	⌘ + T
Close All Windows	⌘ + Option + W
Close Window	⌘ + W
Connect to server	⌘ + K
Copy Item	⌘ + C
Cut	⌘ + X
Dashboard	F12 (fn + F12 on laptops)
Dictation	Tap Function key twice
Display the Restart/Sleep/Shut Down confirmation dialog box	Control + Eject
Duplicate	⌘ + D
Eject selected volume	⌘ + E
Empty Trash	⌘ + Shift + Delete
Find	⌘ + F
Force Empty Trash	⌘ + Shift + Option + Delete
Force Quit	⌘ + Option + escape
Get Info	⌘ + I
Go Back	⌘ + [
Go Forward	⌘ + ]
Go to All My Files	⌘ + Shift + F
Go to Applications Folder	⌘ + Shift + A
Go to Computer Folder	⌘ + Shift + C
Go to Desktop	⌘ + Shift + D
Go to Enclosing Folder	⌘ + ↑
Go to Folder	⌘ + Shift + G
Go to Home Folder	⌘ + Shift + H
Go to Network Folder	⌘ + Shift + K
Go to Utilities Folder	⌘ + Shift + U
Help	⌘ + Shift + ?
Hide Current Application	⌘ + H
Hide Finder	⌘ + H
Hide Toolbar	⌘ + Option + T
Log Out (with confirmation)	⌘ + Shift + Q
Log Out (without confirmation)	⌘ + Option + Shift + Q
Log Out Current User	⌘ + Shift + Q
Mac Help	⌘ + ?
Make Alias	⌘ + L
Minimize All	⌘ + Option + M
Minimize Window	⌘ + M
Mission Control: All Windows	Control + ⌘ (F3 on Apple keyboards)
Mission Control: Show Desktop	F11 (fn + F11 on laptops) (→ + F3 on Apple keyboards)
Move to Trash	⌘ + Delete
New Finder Window	⌘ + N
New Folder	⌘ + Shift + N
New Smart Folder	⌘ + Option + N
Next Window	⌘ + `
Open	⌘ + O
Open Applications folder	⌘ + Shift + A
Open Computer folder	⌘ + Shift + C
Open enclosing folder	⌘ + ↑
Open Inspector	⌘ + Option + I
Paste	⌘ + V
Power options dialog	Control + Eject
Preferences	⌘ + ,
Quick Look	⌘ + Y or spacebar or tap trackpad 3 times
Restart	⌘ + Control + Eject
Restart (without confirmation, but you can save changes in open documents)	⌘ + Control + Eject
Save As	Hold down Option in Find menu
Select All	⌘ + A
Show Inspector	⌘ + Option + I
Show Original (of selected alias)	⌘ + R
Show View Options	⌘ + J
Show/Hide Dock	⌘ + Option + D
Show/Hide Sidebar	⌘ + Option + S
Show/Hide Status Bar	⌘ + /
Shut Down (without confirmation, but you can save changes in open documents)	⌘ + Control + Option + Eject
Sleep	⌘ + Option + Eject
Sleep (without confirmation)	⌘ + Option + Eject
Sleep display	Shift + Control + Eject
Spotlight menu	⌘ + spacebar
Spotlight window	⌘ + Option + spacebar
Turn VoiceOver On/Off	⌘ + F5 (fn + F5 on laptops)
Turn Zoom On/Off	⌘ + Option + 8
Undo	⌘ + Z
View Window as Columns	⌘ + 3
View Window as Cover Flow	⌘ + 4
View Window as Icons	⌘ + 1
View Window as List	⌘ + 2

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts for Text Editing

Go to the start/end of the line	⌘ + ← / ⌘ + →
Go to the start/end of the document	⌘ + ↑ / ⌘↓
Go to the previous/next word	Option ← / Option →
Go to the previous/next paragraph	Option ↑ / Option ↓
With selection: web search/sticky note	⌘ + Shift + L / ⌘ + Shift + Y
Cut/Copy/Paste	⌘ + X / ⌘ + C / ⌘ + V
Select All	⌘ + A

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Mission Control

View Mission Control	Control + ↑
Show app’s windows	Control + ↓
Show Desktop	F11
Show Dashboard	F12
Move between Desktops	Control + ← / Control + →
Show windows for next app after Control ↓	Tab
Enlarge window under cursor after Control ↑	Spacebar

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Switching apps and windows

Advance to next app	⌘ + Tab
Next window in current app	⌘ + `
Hide/Show Dock	⌘ + Option + D

Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Accessibility Controls

Toggle zoom feature (turn on to use zoom)	⌘ + Option + 8
Zoom in/out (also Control and mouse scroll)	Option + ⌘ + =/Option + ⌘ + –
Show Accessibility Controls	⌘ + Option + F5

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Application Commands

New window	⌘ + N
App preferences	⌘ + ,
Open file	⌘ + O
Hide app	⌘ + H
Close window	⌘ + W
Hide others	⌘ + Option + H
Save	⌘ + S
Save As	⌘ + Shift + S
Show fonts panel	⌘ + T
Show colors panel	⌘ + Shift + C
Print	⌘ + P
Quit	⌘ + Q
Full Screen Mode	⌘ + Control + F
Help	⌘ + Shift + /

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Safari

Preferences	⌘ + ,
Block Pop-Up Windows	⌘ + Shift + K
Empty Cache	⌘ + Option + E
New Window	⌘ + N
New Tab	⌘ + T
Open File	⌘ + O
Open Location	⌘ + L
Close Window	⌘ + W
Close All Windows	⌘ + Option + W
Save As	⌘ + S
Mail Contents of This Page	⌘ + I
Mail Link to This Page	⌘ + Shift + I
AutoFill Form	⌘ + Shift + A
Show/Hide Bookmarks Bar	⌘ + Shift + B
Show/Hide Tab Bar	⌘ + Shift + T
Show/Hide Status Bar	⌘ + /
Show/Hide Reader	Shift + Option + R
Show/Hide Reading List	Shift + Option + L
Stop	⌘ + .
Reload Page	⌘ + R
Make Text Normal Size	⌘ + 0
Make Text Bigger	⌘ + +
Make Text Smaller	⌘ + –
View Source	⌘ + Option + U
Back	⌘ + [
Forward	⌘ + ]
Home	⌘ + Shift + H
Search Results SnapBack	⌘ + Option + S
Show All Bookmarks	⌘ + Option + B
Add Bookmark	⌘ + D
Add Bookmark Folder	⌘ + Shift + N
Add to Reading List	⌘ + Shift + D
Select Previous Item in Reading List	⌘ + Option + Up arrow
Select Next Item in Reading List	⌘ + Option + Down arrow
Select Previous Tab	⌘ + Shift + Tab
Select Next Tab	⌘ + Tab
Downloads	⌘ + Option + L
Activity	⌘ + Option + A
Safari Help	⌘ + ?

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Apple Mail

Attach File	⌘ + Shift + A
New Message	⌘ + N
New Note	⌘ + Control + N
Open Message	⌘ + O
New Viewer Window	⌘ + Option + N
Save As	⌘ + Shift + S
Save	⌘ + S
Append Selected Messages	⌘ + Option + I
Find	⌘ + F
Find Next	⌘ + G
Find Previous	⌘ + Shift + G
Paste as Quotation	⌘ + Shift + V
Paste and Match Style	⌘ + Option + Shift + V
Show Spelling and Grammar	⌘ + :
Check Spelling	⌘ + ;
Jump to Selection	⌘ + J
Use Selection for Find	⌘ + E
Mailbox Search	⌘ + Option + F
Reply/To Address Field	⌘ + Option + R
Bcc Address Field	⌘ + Option + B
Show/Hide Deleted Messages	⌘ + L
Hide/Show Mailbox List	⌘ + Shift + M
All Headers	⌘ + Shift + H
Raw Source	⌘ + Option + U
Plain Text Alternative	⌘ + Option + P
Select All Messages in This Conversation	⌘ + Shift + K
Erase Deleted Items	⌘ + Shift + Delete
Erase Junk Mail	⌘ + Option + J
Get All New Mail	⌘ + Shift + N
Go to Inbox	⌘ + 1
Go to Outbox	⌘ + 2
Go to Drafts	⌘ + 3
Flag (red)	⌘ + Shift + L
Mark as Junk Mail	⌘ + Shift + J
Mark as Unread/Mark as Read	⌘ + Shift + U
Add Sender to Address Book	⌘ + Shift + Y
Apply Rules	⌘ + Option + L
Reply	⌘ + R
Reply All	⌘ + Shift + R
Forward	⌘ + Shift + F
Redirect	⌘ + Shift + E
Reply with iChat	⌘ + Shift + I
Send Again	⌘ + Shift + D
Bigger	⌘ + +
Smaller	⌘ + –
Copy Style	⌘ + Option + C
Show Colors	⌘ + Shift + C
Show Fonts	⌘ + T
Increase Quote Level	⌘ + ’
Decrease Quote Level	⌘ + Option + ’
Make Rich/Plain Text	⌘ + Shift + T
Address Panel	⌘ + Option + A

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Startup

Choose boot volume	Option
Reset PRAM	⌘ + Option + PR
Single user mode boot	⌘ + S
Disk Utility and Internet recovery	⌘ + R
Go into Target disk mode	T

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Dock

Turn hiding off or on	⌘ + Option + D
Move to the next open application	⌘ + Tab
Move to the previous open application	⌘ + Shift + Tab
Minimize a window	⌘ + M
Highlight/unhighlight the Dock	Control + F3
Move among Dock items when it is highlighted	Left/right arrow keys

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts For Screenshots

Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it as a file on the Desktop	⌘ + Shift + 3
Take a screenshot of an area and save it as a file on the Desktop	⌘ + Shift + 4, then select an area
Take a screenshot of a window and save it as a file on the Desktop	⌘ + Shift + 4, then space, then click a window
Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it to the clipboard	⌘ + Control + Shift + 3
Take a screenshot of an area and save it to the clipboard	⌘ + Control + Shift + 4, then select an area
Take a screenshot of a window and save it to the clipboard	⌘ + Control + Shift + 4, then space, then click a window

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts: Startup Key Combinations

Start up in Apple Hardware Test	Press D during startup
Reset NVRAM	Press Option + ⌘ + P + R until you hear startup sound a second time
Start up in Startup Manager, where you can select an OS X volume to start from. Note: Press N to make the first bootable Network volume appear as well	Press Option during startup
Ejects any removable media, such as an optical disc	Press Eject, F12, or hold the mouse or trackpad button
Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot)	Press N during startup
Start up in Target Disk Mode	Press T during startup
Start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items	Press Shift during startup
Start up in Verbose mode	Press ⌘ + V during startup
Startup in Single-User mode	Press ⌘ + S during startup
Start from a NetBoot server using the default boot image	Press Option + N during startup
Start from Recovery partition	Press ⌘ + R during startup

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Conclusion

Before the mouse were used, computer users relied entirely on keyboard commands. Today we love to control our Macs using the mouse. But you can speed up your workflow if you use keystrokes for common actions.

This page lists most of the shortcuts you are ever likely to need. Spend time and learn some of the basic ones and you will stop relying on the mouse for common tasks.

I hope it helps.

Cheers.