Complete Mac keyboard shortcuts reference — 193 shortcuts across 5 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for macOS.
macOS shortcuts follow a single rule that makes the long table below manageable: Cmd does what Ctrl does on Windows, Option modifies the action to work on a larger unit (word instead of character, all windows instead of one), and Shift extends or reverses it. Apple's own list is long because it includes Finder, text editing and accessibility; the notes here pick out what a new Mac user should learn in the first week.
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Cmd + X | Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard | Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard. |
| Cmd + C | Copy the selected item to the Clipboard | Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder. |
| Cmd + V | Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app | Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder. |
| Cmd + Z | Undo the previous command | Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands. |
| Cmd + A | Select All items | Select All items. |
| Cmd + F | Find items in a document or open a Find window | Find items in a document or open a Find window. |
| Cmd + G | Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found | Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G. |
| Cmd + H | Hide the windows of the front app | Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H. |
| Cmd + M | Minimize the front window to the Dock | Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M. |
| Cmd + O | Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open | Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open. |
| Cmd + P | Open a print dialog so that you can print the current document | Open a print dialog so that you can print the current document. |
| Cmd + Q | Quit the current app | Quit the current app. |
| Cmd + S | Save the current document | Save the current document. |
| Cmd + T | Open a new tab | Open a new tab. |
| Cmd + W | Close the front window | Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W. |
| Option + Cmd + Esc | Force quit an app | Force quit an app. |
| Cmd + Space | Show or hide the Spotlight search field | Show or hide the Spotlight search field. If Siri AI (Beta) is turned on, you can also start a conversation with Siri from the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Option–Command–Space bar .... |
| Ctrl + Cmd + Space or Fn + E | Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols | Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols . |
| Ctrl + Cmd + F | Use or stop using the app in full screen, if supported by the app | Use or stop using the app in full screen, if supported by the app. |
| Space | Use Quick Look to preview the selected item | Use Quick Look to preview the selected item. |
| Cmd + Tab | Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps | Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps. |
| Cmd + Grave accent (`) | Switch between the windows of the app you're using | Switch between the windows of the app you're using. (The character on the second key varies by keyboard. It's generally the key above the Tab key and to the left of the number 1.) |
| Shift + Cmd + 5 | In macOS Mojave or later , take a screenshot or make a screen recording | In macOS Mojave or later , take a screenshot or make a screen recording. Or use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for screenshots. Learn more about screenshots . |
| Shift + Cmd + N | Create a new empty folder in the Finder | Create a new empty folder in the Finder. |
| Ctrl + Cmd + N | Create a new folder that contains the currently selected items | Create a new folder that contains the currently selected items. |
| Cmd + Comma (,) | Open settings (preferences) for the front app | Open settings (preferences) for the front app. |
| Fn + Q | Create a Quick Note | Create a Quick Note . |
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Power button | Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep | Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold to force your Mac to turn off, such as when your Mac isn’t responding and you can’t choose Shut Down from the Apple menu . On keyboards with Touch ID, press to lock your... |
| Ctrl + Shift + Power button | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, put your displays to sleep | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, put your displays to sleep. |
| Ctrl + Power button | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, show a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, show a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down. |
| Ctrl + Cmd + Power button | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and... | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents. |
| Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Power button | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, quit all apps, then shut down your Mac | On built-in keyboards without Touch ID, quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them. This is equivalent to choosing restart from the Apple menu . |
| Ctrl + Cmd + Q | Lock your screen | Lock your screen. |
| Shift + Cmd + Q | Log out of your macOS user account | Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q. |
| Option key while choosing Log Out, Shut Down, or Restart from the Apple menu | Complete the action without showing a confirmation dialog | Complete the action without showing a confirmation dialog. |
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Cmd + D | Duplicate the selected files | Duplicate the selected files. |
| Cmd + E | Eject the selected disk or volume | Eject the selected disk or volume. |
| Cmd + F | Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window | Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window. |
| Cmd + I | Show the Get Info window for a selected file | Show the Get Info window for a selected file. |
| Cmd + R | (1) When an alias is selected in the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias | (1) When an alias is selected in the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias. (2) In some apps, such as Calendar or Safari, refresh or reload the page. (3) In Software Update, check for software updates again. |
| Shift + Cmd + C | Open the Computer window | Open the Computer window. |
| Shift + Cmd + D | Open the desktop folder | Open the desktop folder. |
| Shift + Cmd + F | Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently | Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently. |
| Shift + Cmd + G | Open a Go to Folder window | Open a Go to Folder window. |
| Shift + Cmd + H | Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account | Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account. |
| Shift + Cmd + I | Open iCloud Drive | Open iCloud Drive. |
| Shift + Cmd + K | Open the Network window | Open the Network window. |
| Option + Cmd + L | Open the Downloads folder | Open the Downloads folder. |
| Shift + Cmd + N | Create a new folder | Create a new folder. |
| Shift + Cmd + O | Open the Documents folder | Open the Documents folder. |
| Shift + Cmd + P | Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows | Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows. |
| Shift + Cmd + R | Open the AirDrop window | Open the AirDrop window. |
| Shift + Cmd + T | Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows | Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Cmd + T | Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later) | Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later). |
| Ctrl + Shift | Press and hold while accessing the Dock to use or stop using Dock magnification | Press and hold while accessing the Dock to use or stop using Dock magnification. |
| Shift + Cmd + U | Open the Utilities folder | Open the Utilities folder. |
| Option + Cmd + D | Show or hide the Dock | Show or hide the Dock. |
| Ctrl + Cmd + T | Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later) | Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later). |
| Option + Cmd + P | Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows | Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows. |
| Option + Cmd + S | Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows | Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows. |
| Cmd + Slash (/) | Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows | Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows. |
| Cmd + J | Show View Options | Show View Options. |
| Cmd + K | Open the Connect to Server window | Open the Connect to Server window. |
| Ctrl + Cmd + A | Make an alias of the selected item | Make an alias of the selected item. |
| Cmd + N | Open a new Finder window | Open a new Finder window. |
| Option + Cmd + N | Create a new Smart Folder | Create a new Smart Folder. |
| Cmd + T | Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window | Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window. |
| Option + Cmd + T | Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window | Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window. |
| Option + Cmd + V | Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location | Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location. |
| Cmd + Y | Use Quick Look to preview the selected files | Use Quick Look to preview the selected files. |
| Option + Cmd + Y | View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files | View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files. |
| Cmd + 1 | View the items in the Finder window as icons | View the items in the Finder window as icons. |
| Cmd + 2 | View the items in a Finder window as a list | View the items in a Finder window as a list. |
| Cmd + 3 | View the items in a Finder window in columns | View the items in a Finder window in columns. |
| Cmd + 4 | View the items in a Finder window in a gallery | View the items in a Finder window in a gallery. |
| Cmd + Left Bracket ([) | Go to the previous folder | Go to the previous folder. |
| Cmd + Right Bracket (]) | Go to the next folder | Go to the next folder. |
| Cmd + Up Arrow | Open the folder that contains the current folder | Open the folder that contains the current folder. |
| Ctrl + Cmd + Up Arrow | Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window | Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window. |
| Cmd + Down Arrow | Open the selected item | Open the selected item. |
| Right Arrow | Open the selected folder | Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view. |
| Left Arrow | Close the selected folder | Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view. |
| Cmd + Delete | Move the selected item to the Trash | Move the selected item to the Trash. |
| Shift + Cmd + Delete | Empty the Trash | Empty the Trash. |
| Option + Shift + Cmd + Delete | Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog | Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog. |
| Cmd + Brightness Down | Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display | Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display. |
| Option + Brightness Up | Open Displays settings | Open Displays settings. This works with either Brightness key. |
| Ctrl + Brightness Up or Ctrl + Brightness Down | Change the brightness of your external display, if supported by your display | Change the brightness of your external display, if supported by your display. |
| Option + Shift + Brightness Up or Option + Shift + Brightness Down | Adjust the display brightness in smaller steps | Adjust the display brightness in smaller steps. Add the Control key to this shortcut to make the adjustment on your external display, if supported by your display. |
| Option + Mission Ctrl | Open Mission Control settings | Open Mission Control settings. |
| Cmd + Mission Ctrl or Fn + H or Fn + F11 | Show the desktop | Show the desktop. |
| Ctrl + Up Arrow | Open Mission Control | Open Mission Control. |
| Ctrl + Down Arrow | Show all windows of the front app | Show all windows of the front app. |
| Option + Volume Up | Open Sound settings | Open Sound settings. This works with any of the volume keys. |
| Option + Shift + Volume Up or Option + Shift + Volume Down | Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps | Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps. |
| Option + Keyboard Brightness Up | Open Keyboard settings | Open Keyboard settings. This works with either Keyboard Brightness key. |
| Option + Shift + Keyboard Brightness Up or Option + Shift + Keyboard Brightness Down | Adjust the keyboard brightness in smaller steps | Adjust the keyboard brightness in smaller steps. |
| Option key while double + clicking | Open the item in a separate window, then close the original window | Open the item in a separate window, then close the original window. |
| Cmd key while double + clicking | Open a folder in a separate tab or window | Open a folder in a separate tab or window. |
| Cmd key while dragging to another volume | Move the dragged item to the other volume, instead of copying it | Move the dragged item to the other volume, instead of copying it. |
| Option key while dragging | Copy the dragged item | Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item. |
| Option + Cmd while dragging | Make an alias of the dragged item | Make an alias of the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item. |
| Option + click a disclosure triangle | Open all folders within the selected folder | Open all folders within the selected folder. This works only when in list view. |
| Cmd + click a window title | See the folders that contain the current folder | See the folders that contain the current folder. |
| Cmd or Shift while selecting an item | Select multiple items in the Finder | Select multiple items in the Finder . |
| Fn + A | Show or hide the Dock | Show or hide the Dock. |
| Fn + C | Show or hide Control Center | Show or hide Control Center. |
| Fn + D | Start or stop dictation | Start or stop dictation. You may be able to set a different dictation shortcut in Keyboard settings . |
| Fn + N | Show or hide Notification Center | Show or hide Notification Center. |
| Fn + Shift + A | Show or hide Apps (macOS Tahoe 26 or later) or Launchpad (earlier versions of macOS) | Show or hide Apps (macOS Tahoe 26 or later) or Launchpad (earlier versions of macOS). |
| Fn + Fn | Open the Character Viewer | Open the Character Viewer. |
| Cmd + Cmd (press twice) | Open or close Type to Siri (Siri Classic) | Open or close Type to Siri (Siri Classic). |
| Shift + Cmd + 6 | In macOS 27 Golden Gate or later with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, ask Siri about the selected area | In macOS 27 Golden Gate or later with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, ask Siri about the selected area. |
| Shift + Cmd + Space | In macOS 27 Golden Gate or later with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, ask Siri about the active window | In macOS 27 Golden Gate or later with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, ask Siri about the active window. |
| Ctrl + Space and Ctrl + Option + Space | Select the previous or next input source, if you use multiple input sources to type in different languages | Select the previous or next input source, if you use multiple input sources to type in different languages. 2 |
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Cmd + B | Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off | Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off. |
| Cmd + I | Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off | Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off. |
| Cmd + K | Add a web link | Add a web link. |
| Cmd + U | Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off | Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off. |
| Cmd + T | Show or hide the Fonts window | Show or hide the Fonts window. |
| Cmd + D | Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog | Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog. |
| Ctrl + Cmd + D | Show or hide the definition of the selected word | Show or hide the definition of the selected word. |
| Shift + Cmd + Colon ( | ) : Show the Spelling and Grammar window | ) : Show the Spelling and Grammar window. |
| Cmd + Semicolon (;) | Find misspelled words in the document | Find misspelled words in the document. |
| Option + Delete | Delete the word to the left of the insertion point | Delete the word to the left of the insertion point. |
| Ctrl + H | Delete the character to the left of the insertion point | Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete. |
| Ctrl + D | Delete the character to the right of the insertion point | Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use Fn-Delete. |
| Fn + Delete | Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key | Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key. Or use Control-D. |
| Ctrl + K | Cut the selected text, or the text between the insertion point and the end of the paragraph, and copy it... | Cut the selected text, or the text between the insertion point and the end of the paragraph, and copy it to a clipboard that is available only to the app from which it was cut. You can then use Control-Y to paste the content of this... |
| Fn + Up Arrow | Page Up: Scroll up one page | Page Up: Scroll up one page. |
| Fn + Down Arrow | Page Down: Scroll down one page | Page Down: Scroll down one page. |
| Fn + Left Arrow | Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document | Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document. |
| Fn + Right Arrow | End: Scroll to the end of a document | End: Scroll to the end of a document. |
| Cmd + Up Arrow | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document. |
| Cmd + Down Arrow | Move the insertion point to the end of the document | Move the insertion point to the end of the document. |
| Cmd + Left Arrow | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line. |
| Cmd + Right Arrow | Move the insertion point to the end of the current line | Move the insertion point to the end of the current line. |
| Option + Left Arrow | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. |
| Option + Right Arrow | Move the insertion point to the end of the next word | Move the insertion point to the end of the next word. |
| Shift + Cmd + Up Arrow | Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document | Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document. |
| Shift + Cmd + Down Arrow | Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document | Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document. |
| Shift + Cmd + Left Arrow | Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line | Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line. |
| Shift + Cmd + Right Arrow | Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line | Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line. |
| Shift + Up Arrow | Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above | Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above. |
| Shift + Down Arrow | Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below | Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below. |
| Shift + Left Arrow | Extend text selection one character to the left | Extend text selection one character to the left. |
| Shift + Right Arrow | Extend text selection one character to the right | Extend text selection one character to the right. |
| Option + Shift + Up Arrow | Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following... | Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again. |
| Option + Shift + Down Arrow | Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if... | Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again. |
| Option + Shift + Left Arrow | Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if... | Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again. |
| Option + Shift + Right Arrow | Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again | Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again. |
| Ctrl + A | Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph | Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph. |
| Ctrl + E | Move to the end of a line or paragraph | Move to the end of a line or paragraph. |
| Ctrl + F | Move one character forward | Move one character forward. |
| Ctrl + B | Move one character backward | Move one character backward. |
| Ctrl + L | Center the cursor or selection in the visible area | Center the cursor or selection in the visible area. |
| Ctrl + P | Move up one line | Move up one line. |
| Ctrl + N | Move down one line | Move down one line. |
| Ctrl + O | Insert a new line after the insertion point | Insert a new line after the insertion point. |
| Ctrl + T | Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point | Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point. |
| Cmd + Left Curly Bracket ({) | Left align | Left align. |
| Cmd + Right Curly Bracket (}) | Right align | Right align. |
| Shift + Cmd + Vertical bar (|) | Center align | Center align. |
| Option + Cmd + F | Go to the search field | Go to the search field. |
| Option + Cmd + T | Show or hide a toolbar in the app | Show or hide a toolbar in the app. |
| Option + Cmd + C | Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard | Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard. |
| Option + Cmd + V | Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item | Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item. |
| Option + Shift + Cmd + V | Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content | Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content. |
| Option + Cmd + I | Show or hide the inspector window | Show or hide the inspector window. |
| Shift + Cmd + P | Page setup: Show a window for selecting document settings | Page setup: Show a window for selecting document settings. |
| Shift + Cmd + S | Show the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document | Show the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document. |
| Shift + Cmd + Minus sign ( + ) | Decrease the size of the selected item | Decrease the size of the selected item. |
| Shift + Cmd + Plus sign (+) | Increase the size of the selected item | Increase the size of the selected item. Command–Equal sign (=) performs the same function. |
| Shift + Cmd + Question mark (?) | Open the Help menu | Open the Help menu. |
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + Option + Cmd + 8 | Invert colors | Invert colors. |
| Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Comma (,) and Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Period (.) | Reduce contrast and increase contrast | Reduce contrast and increase contrast. |
| Ctrl + F2 or Fn + Ctrl + F2 | Move focus to the menu bar | Move focus to the menu bar. You can then use the arrow keys to navigate the menu, press Return to open a selected menu or choose a selected menu item, or type the menu item's name to jump to that item in the selected menu. |
| Ctrl + F3 or Fn + Ctrl + F3 | Move focus to the Dock | Move focus to the Dock. |
| Ctrl + F4 or Fn + Ctrl + F4 | Move focus to the active window or next window | Move focus to the active window or next window. |
| Ctrl + F5 or Fn + Ctrl + F5 | Move focus to the window toolbar | Move focus to the window toolbar. |
| Ctrl + F6 or Fn + Ctrl + F6 | Move focus to the floating window | Move focus to the floating window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + F6 | Move focus to the previous panel | Move focus to the previous panel. |
| Ctrl + F7 or Fn + Ctrl + F7 | Change the way Tab moves focus—between navigation of all controls on the screen, or only text boxes and lists | Change the way Tab moves focus—between navigation of all controls on the screen, or only text boxes and lists. |
| Ctrl + F8 or Fn + Ctrl + F8 | Move focus to the status menu in the menu bar | Move focus to the status menu in the menu bar. |
| Cmd + Grave accent (`) | Activate the next open window in the front app | Activate the next open window in the front app. |
| Shift + Cmd + Grave accent (`) | Activate the previous open window in the front app | Activate the previous open window in the front app. |
| Option + Cmd + Grave accent (`) | Move the focus to the window drawer | Move the focus to the window drawer. |
| Tab and Shift + Tab | Move to next control, move to previous control | Move to next control, move to previous control. |
| Ctrl + Tab | Move to the next control when a text field is selected | Move to the next control when a text field is selected. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Move to the previous grouping of controls | Move to the previous grouping of controls. |
| Arrow keys | Move to the adjacent item in a list, tab group, or menu, or move sliders and adjusters (Up Arrow to... | Move to the adjacent item in a list, tab group, or menu, or move sliders and adjusters (Up Arrow to increase values, Down Arrow to decrease values) |
| Ctrl + Arrow keys | Move to a control adjacent to the text field | Move to a control adjacent to the text field. |
| Option + Cmd + F5 or triple-press Touch ID | Show the Accessibility Shortcuts panel | Show the Accessibility Shortcuts panel . |
Cmd + Space opens Spotlight, which launches apps, opens files and does arithmetic and unit conversions; most Mac users never open Launchpad again after learning it. Cmd + Tab switches applications — not windows — and Cmd + ` cycles the windows of the current application, which is the distinction that confuses people arriving from Windows. Cmd + Q quits an application, while Cmd + W only closes its window and leaves it running in the Dock. Cmd + Option + Esc opens Force Quit when an application stops responding.
Cmd + Shift + 3 captures the whole screen and Cmd + Shift + 4 turns the pointer into a crosshair for an area; pressing Space after that — Cmd + Shift + 4 + Space — switches to capturing a single window with its shadow. Cmd + Shift + 5 opens the screenshot toolbar with recording options and a setting for where captures are saved. Holding Control with any of these copies the image to the clipboard instead of writing a file to the desktop.
Cmd + Shift + . toggles hidden files and folders anywhere in Finder and in open/save dialogs, which is how you reach dotfiles in your home directory. Cmd + Shift + G opens a "Go to Folder" field that accepts paths such as ~/Library, and Cmd + Up steps to the parent folder. Space on a selected file opens Quick Look, a preview that handles PDFs, images, video and code without launching an app. Cmd + Delete moves the selection to the Trash and Cmd + Shift + Delete empties it.
Because macOS text fields share one text engine, Option + Delete deletes a word and Cmd + Delete deletes to the start of the line in Safari, Mail, Notes and most third-party apps alike. The Emacs-style bindings — Ctrl + K to delete to end of line, and the Ctrl + A / Ctrl + E pair for line start and end listed under text editing — also work in every standard text field, which surprises people who assume they are terminal-only.
It combines a curated set of the most used shortcuts with Apple's full support list, which repeats some actions under different headings and spells modifiers differently (Alt vs Option). Both refer to the same keys.
Cmd + W closes the current window; the app keeps running. Cmd + Q quits the app entirely.
Press Cmd + Shift + 4, then Space; the pointer becomes a camera and clicking a window captures it. Hold Option while clicking to omit the shadow.
Cmd + Shift + . toggles them on and off. It also works inside open and save dialogs.
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"