(Command key) - On some Apple keyboards, this key also has an Apple logo ( )
(Control key)
(Option key) - "Alt" may also appear on this key
(Shift key)
(Caps Lock) - Toggles Caps Lock on or off
fn (Function key)
Startup keyboard shortcuts
Press the key or key combination until the expected function occurs/appears (for example, hold Option
during startup until Startup Manager appears, or Shift until "Safe Boot" appears). Tip: If a startup
function doesn't work and you use a third-party keyboard, connect an Apple keyboard and try again.
Key or key combination What it does
Option Display all bootable volumes (Startup Manager)
Shift Perform Safe Boot (start up in Safe Mode)
C Start from a bootable disc (DVD, CD)
T Start in FireWire target disk mode
N Start from NetBoot server
X Force Mac OS X startup (if non-Mac OS X startup volumes are present)
Command-V Start in Verbose Mode
Command-S Start in Single User Mode
Finder keyboard shortcuts
Key combination What it does
Command-A Select all items in the front Finder window (or
desktop if no window is open)
Option-Command-A Deselect all items
Shift-Command-A Open the Applications folder
Command-C Copy selected item/text to the Clipboard
Shift-Command-C Open the Computer window
Command-D Duplicate selected item
Shift-Command-D Open desktop folder
Command-E Eject
Command-F Find any matching Spotlight attribute
Shift-Command-F Find Spotlight file name matches
Option-Command-F Navigate to the search field in an already-open
Spotlight window
Shift-Command-G Go to Folder
Shift-Command-H Open the Home folder of the currently logged-in
user account
Command-I Get Info
Option-Command-I Show Inspector
Control-Command-I Get Summary Info
Shift-Command-I Open iDisk
Command-J Show View Options
Command-K Connect to Server
Shift-Command-K Open Network window
Command-L Make alias of the selected item
Command-M Minimize window
Option-Command-M Minimize all windows
Command-N New Finder window
Shift-Command-N New folder
Option-Command-N New Smart Folder
Command-O Open selected item
Shift-Command-Q Log Out
Option-Shift-Command-Q Log Out immediately
Command-R Show original (of alias)
Command-T Add to Sidebar
Shift-Command-T Add to Favorites
Option-Command-T Hide Toolbar / Show Toolbar in Finder windows
Shift-Command-U Open Utilities folder
Command-V Paste
Command-W Close window
Option-Command-W Close all windows
Command-X Cut
Option-Command-Y Slideshow (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)
Command-Z Undo / Redo
Command-1 View as Icon
Command-2 View as List
Command-3 View as Columns
Command-4 View as Cover Flow (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)
Command-, (Command and the comma key) Open Finder preferences
Command-` (the Grave accent key--above Cycle through open Finder windows
Tab key on a US English keyboard layout)
Command-Shift-? Open Mac Help
Option-Shift-Command-Esc (hold for three Force Quit front-most application
seconds) - Mac OS X v10.5, v10.6 or later
only
Command-[ Back
Command-] Forward
Command-Up Arrow Open enclosed folder
Control-Command-Up Arrow Open enclosed folder in a new window
Command-Down Arrow Open highlighted item
Command-Tab Switch application--cycle forward
Shift-Command-Tab Switch application--cycle backward
Command-Delete Move to Trash
Shift-Command-Delete Empty Trash
Option-Shift-Command-Delete Empty Trash without confirmation dialog
Spacebar (or Command-Y) Quick Look (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)
Command key while dragging Move dragged item to other volume/location
(pointer icon changes while key is held--see this
article)
Option key while dragging Copy dragged item (pointer icon changes while key
is held--see this article)
Option-Command key combination while Make alias of dragged item (pointer icon changes
dragging while key is held--see this article)
Application and other Mac OS X keyboard commands
Note: Some applications may not support all of the below application key combinations.
Key combination What it does
Command-Space Show or hide the Spotlight search field (if multiple languages are installed,
may rotate through enabled script systems)
Control-A Move to beginning of line/paragraph
Control-B Move one character backward
Control-D Delete the character in front of the cursor
Control-E Move to end of line/paragraph
Control-F Move one character forward
Control-H Delete the character behind the cursor
Control-K Delete from the character in front of the cursor to the end of the
line/paragraph
Control-L Center the cursor/selection in the visible area
Control-N Move down one line
Control-O Insert a new line after the cursor
Control-P Move up one line
Control-T Transpose the character behind the cursor and the character in front of the
cursor
Control-V Move down one page
Option-Command- Show the Spotlight search results window (if multiple languages are
Space installed, may rotate through keyboard layouts and input methods within a
script)
Command-Tab Move forward to the next most recently used application in a list of open
applications
Shift-Command-Tab Move backward through a list of open applications (sorted by recent use)
Shift-Tab Navigate through controls in a reverse direction
Control-Tab Move focus to the next grouping of controls in a dialog or the next table
(when Tab moves to the next cell)
Shift-Control-Tab Move focus to the previous grouping of controls
Command-esc Open Front Row (if installed)
Option-Eject Eject from secondary optical media drive (if one is installed)
Control-Eject Show shutdown dialog
Option-Command- Put the computer to sleep
Eject
Control-Command- Quit all applications (after giving you a chance to save changes to open
Eject documents), then restart the computer
Control Option- Quit all applications (after giving you a chance to save changes to open
Command-Eject documents), then shut down the computer
fn-Delete Forward Delete (on portable Macs' built-in keyboard)
Control-F1 Toggle full keyboard access on or off
Control-F2 Move focus to the menu bar
Control-F3 Move focus to the Dock
Control-F4 Move focus to the active (or next) window
Shift-Control-F4 Move focus to the previously active window
Control-F5 Move focus to the toolbar.
Control-F6 Move focus to the first (or next) panel
Shift-Control-F6 Move focus to the previous panel
Control-F7 Temporarily override the current keyboard access mode in windows and
dialogs
F9 Tile or untile all open windows
F10 Tile or untile all open windows in the currently active application
F11 Hide or show all open windows
F12 Hide or display Dashboard
Command-` Activate the next open window in the frontmost application
Shift-Command-` Activate the previous open window in the frontmost application
Option-Command-` Move focus to the window drawer
Command- - (minus) Decrease the size of the selected item
Command-{ Left-align a selection
Command-} Right-align a selection
Command-| Center-align a selection
Command-: Display the Spelling window
Command-; Find misspelled words in the document
Command-, Open the front application's preferences window (if it supports this
keyboard shortcut)
Option-Control- Decrease screen contrast
Command-,
Option-Control- Increase screen contrast
Command-.
Command-? Open the application's help in Help Viewer
Option-Command-/ Turn font smoothing on or off
Shift-Command-= Increase the size of the selected item
Shift-Command-3 Capture the screen to a file
Shift-Control- Capture the screen to the Clipboard
Command-3
Shift-Command-4 Capture a selection to a file
Shift-Control- Capture a selection to the Clipboard
Command-4
Command-A Highlight every item in a document or window, or all characters in a text
field
Command-B Boldface the selected text or toggle boldfaced text on and off
Command-C Copy the selected data to the Clipboard
Shift-Command-C Display the Colors window
Option-Command-C Copy the style of the selected text
Control-Command-C Copy the formatting settings of the selected item and store on the Clipboard
Option-Command-D Show or hide the Dock
Command-Control D Display the definition of the selected word in the Dictionary application
Command-E Use the selection for a find
Command-F Open a Find window
Option-Command-F Move to the search field control
Command-G Find the next occurrence of the selection
Shift-Command-G Find the previous occurrence of the selection
Command-H Hide the windows of the currently running application
Option-Command-H Hide the windows of all other running applications
Command-I Italicize the selected text or toggle italic text on or off
Option-Command-I Display an inspector window
Command-J Scroll to a selection
Command-M Minimize the active window to the Dock
Option-Command-M Minimize all windows of the active application to the Dock
Command-N Create a new document in the frontmost application
Command-O Display a dialog for choosing a document to open in the frontmost
application
Command-P Display the Print dialog
Shift-Command-P Display a dialog for specifying printing parameters (Page Setup)
Command-Q Quit the frontmost application
Command-S Save the active document
Shift-Command-S Display the Save As dialog
Command-T Display the Fonts window
Option-Command-T Show or hide a toolbar
Command-U Underline the selected text or turn underlining on or off
Command-V Paste the Clipboard contents at the insertion point
Option-Command-V Apply the style of one object to the selected object (Paste Style)
Option-Shift- Apply the style of the surrounding text to the inserted object (Paste and
Command-V Match Style)
Control-Command-V Apply formatting settings to the selected object (Paste Ruler Command)
Command-W Close the frontmost window
Shift-Command-W Close a file and its associated windows
Option-Command-W Close all windows in the application without quitting it
Command-X Remove the selection and store in the Clipboard
Command-Z Undo previous command (some applications allow for multiple Undos)
Shift-Command-Z Redo previous command (some applications allow for multiple Redos)
Control-Right Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table
Control-Left Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table
Control-Down Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table
Arrow
Control-Up Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table
Command-Right Move the text insertion point to the end of the current line
Arrow
Command-Left Move the text insertion point to the beginning of the current line
Arrow
Command-Down Move the text insertion point to the end of the document
Arrow
Command-Up Arrow Move the text insertion point to the beginning of the document
Shift-Command- Select text between the insertion point and the end of the current line (*)
Right Arrow
Shift-Command-Left Select text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line
Arrow (*)
Shift-Right Arrow Extend text selection one character to the right (*)
Shift-Left Arrow Extend text selection one character to the left (*)
Shift-Command-Up Select text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document
Arrow (*)
Shift-Command- Select text between the insertion point and the end of the document (*)
Down Arrow
Shift-Up Arrow Extend text selection to the line above, to the nearest character boundary at
the same horizontal location (*)
Shift-Down Arrow Extend text selection to the line below, to the nearest character boundary at
the same horizontal location (*)
Shift-Option-Right Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the
Arrow following word if pressed again (*)
Shift-Option-Left Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the
Arrow beginning of the following word if pressed again (*)
Shift-Option-Down Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of
Arrow the following paragraph if pressed again (*)
Shift-Option-Up Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the
Arrow beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again (*)
Control-Space Toggle between the current and previous input sources
Option-Control- Toggle through all enabled input sources
Space
Option-Command- Force Quit
esc
(*) Note: If no text is selected, the extension begins at the insertion point. If text is selected by
dragging, then the extension begins at the selection boundary. Reversing the direction of the selection
deselects the appropriate unit.
