Apple Basics - Keyboard Shortcuts

Mac Shortcuts: For almost every shortcut you used on Windows, simply swap the Ctrl key for the Mac Command (⌘) key!

The Daily Drivers

• Copy
  Command (⌘) + C

• Paste
  Command (⌘) + V

• Cut
  Command (⌘) + X

• Undo
  Command (⌘) + Z

• Select All
  Command (⌘) + A

• Find
  Command (⌘) + F

• Save
  Command (⌘) + S

• Print
  Command (⌘) + P

Managing Apps & Windows

• Close Window
  Command (⌘) + W (Closes the current window, but leaves the app running)

• Switch Apps
  Command (⌘) + Tab (Keep holding Command and tap Tab to cycle through open apps. This is your new Alt+Tab)

• Force Quit
  Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + Escape (This is your new Ctrl+Alt+Delete! Use it if an app freezes)

Navigation & Search

• Spotlight Search
  Command (⌘) + Spacebar (Instantly find apps, documents, or search the web)

• Open Application folder
  Command (⌘) + Shift + A (When you are on the Desktop/Finder)

• Open Desktop folder
  Command (⌘) + Shift + D (When you are on the Desktop/Finder)

• Show/Hide Dock
  Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + D

Screenshots & Quick Looks

• Quick Look
  Spacebar (Highlight any file and press the Spacebar to preview it without opening the full application)

• Capture Whole Screen
  Command (⌘) + Shift + 3

• Capture Part of Screen: Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 (Your cursor will turn into a crosshair so you can click and drag over what you want to capture).

  • Note: Screenshots save directly to your Desktop by default

Learn More

Want to master every shortcut? macOS has hundreds of keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow. To view the complete list, check out Apple's official guide: View Apple's Official Keyboard Shortcuts Guide