What macOS version does this page cover?

Where a shortcut is version-dependent, the description says so.

Can I remap keys on a Mac?

Yes — modifier keys (Caps Lock, Ctrl, Option, Cmd) can be swapped natively in System Settings → Keyboard → Modifier Keys. Many switchers map Caps Lock to Ctrl or Esc. For deeper remapping, the free tool Karabiner-Elements is the community standard.

What's the fastest way to memorize Mac shortcuts?

macOS shows shortcuts next to every menu item — before clicking a menu command, glance at the shortcut listed beside it and use that instead next time. Two weeks of that habit teaches more than any list.

Browse all keyboard shortcut cheat sheets

macOS Sonoma Keyboard Shortcuts - Printable Cheat Sheet (2026)

Mac keyboard shortcuts for Finder, Spotlight, Mission Control, screenshots, text editing, and everyday macOS navigation.

149 shortcuts across 11 categories

Mac keyboard shortcuts for Finder, Spotlight, Mission Control, screenshots, text editing, and everyday macOS navigation.

Official documentation

Official source: Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Official source: Apple: Take a screenshot on Mac

Editing

Action	Shortcut	Description
Cut	`Cmd` + `X`	Cut the selected item to the clipboard Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Copy	`Cmd` + `C`	Copy the selected item to the clipboard Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Paste	`Cmd` + `V`	Paste the clipboard contents at the cursor Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Paste and Match Style	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste and match the formatting of the surrounding text Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Undo	`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo the last action Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Redo	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo the previously undone action Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Select All	`Cmd` + `A`	Select all items or text in the current context Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Delete (Backward)	`Delete`	Delete the character to the left of the cursor (Backspace)
Delete (Forward)	`Fn` + `Delete`	Delete the character to the right of the cursor Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Delete Word Left	`Option` + `Delete`	Delete the word to the left of the cursor Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Bold	`Cmd` + `B`	Toggle bold formatting on selected text Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Italic	`Cmd` + `I`	Toggle italic formatting on selected text Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Underline	`Cmd` + `U`	Toggle underline formatting on selected text Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts

File Management

Action	Shortcut	Description
Save	`Cmd` + `S`	Save the current document Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Save As	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `S`	Save the document with a new name or location
Open File	`Cmd` + `O`	Open an existing file Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
New File / Window	`Cmd` + `N`	Create a new file or open a new window
Close Window	`Cmd` + `W`	Close the current window Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Close All Windows	`Cmd` + `Option` + `W`	Close all windows of the current app
Quit Application	`Cmd` + `Q`	Quit the active application
Force Quit	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Esc`	Open the Force Quit dialog to close unresponsive apps
Print	`Cmd` + `P`	Print the current document or page
Move to Trash	`Cmd` + `Delete`	Move the selected file or folder to the Trash
Empty Trash	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Delete`	Empty the Trash (requires confirmation)
New Folder	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `N`	Create a new folder in Finder
Get Info	`Cmd` + `I`	Open the Get Info panel for the selected item
Duplicate	`Cmd` + `D`	Duplicate the selected item in Finder

Navigation

Action	Shortcut	Description
Spotlight Search	`Cmd` + `Space`	Open Spotlight to search your Mac, the web, and apps Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Find in App	`Cmd` + `F`	Open the Find bar in the current app
Find Next	`Cmd` + `G`	Jump to the next search result
Find Previous	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `G`	Jump to the previous search result
Switch Apps	`Cmd` + `Tab`	Cycle through open applications Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Switch Windows (same app)	`Cmd` + `	Cycle through windows of the current application
Switch Tabs	`Ctrl` + `Tab`	Move to the next tab
Go Back	`Cmd` + `[`	Navigate back in Finder or browser
Go Forward	`Cmd` + `]`	Navigate forward in Finder or browser
Mission Control	`Ctrl` + `Up`	Show all open windows across all apps
App Expose	`Ctrl` + `Down`	Show all windows of the current app
Move to Next Space	`Ctrl` + `Right`	Switch to the next Space (virtual desktop)
Move to Previous Space	`Ctrl` + `Left`	Switch to the previous Space
Show Desktop	`Fn` + `F11`	Move all windows aside to reveal the desktop

System & Display

Action	Shortcut	Description
Screenshot (Full Screen)	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `3`	Save a screenshot of the entire screen to the Desktop Apple: Take a screenshot on Mac
Screenshot (Selection)	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `4`	Drag to select an area and save it as a screenshot Apple: Take a screenshot on Mac
Screenshot (Window)	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `4` then `Space`	Click a window to capture and save it as a screenshot
Screenshot Tool	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `5`	Open the screenshot and screen recording toolbar Apple: Take a screenshot on Mac
Screenshot to Clipboard	`Cmd` + `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `3`	Copy full-screen screenshot to clipboard instead of saving
Full Screen	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `F`	Use or stop using the app in full screen, if supported by the app Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Lock Screen	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Q`	Lock your Mac and show the login screen immediately
Sleep Display	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Power`	Put the display to sleep without locking the session
Show Notification Center	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Ctrl` + `Space`	Show the Notification Center sidebar
Do Not Disturb	`Option` + `Click (menu bar)`	Option-click the Focus menu to toggle Do Not Disturb
Open Preferences	`Cmd` + `,`	Open the preferences/settings of the current app Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Minimize Window	`Cmd` + `M`	Minimize the current window to the Dock
Hide App	`Cmd` + `H`	Hide all windows of the current application
Hide Others	`Cmd` + `Option` + `H`	Hide all other application windows
Zoom / Maximize	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `F`	Toggle full screen for the current window
Character Viewer	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Space`	Open the Character Viewer to insert emoji and symbols

Text Cursor & Selection

Action	Shortcut	Description
Move Word Left	`Option` + `Left`	Move the cursor one word to the left
Move Word Right	`Option` + `Right`	Move the cursor one word to the right
Move to Line Start	`Cmd` + `Left`	Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line
Move to Line End	`Cmd` + `Right`	Move the cursor to the end of the current line
Move to Document Start	`Cmd` + `Up`	Move the cursor to the very beginning of the document
Move to Document End	`Cmd` + `Down`	Move the cursor to the very end of the document
Select Word Left	`Option` + `Shift` + `Left`	Extend selection one word to the left
Select Word Right	`Option` + `Shift` + `Right`	Extend selection one word to the right
Select to Line Start	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Left`	Extend selection to the beginning of the line
Select to Line End	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Right`	Extend selection to the end of the line
Select to Document Start	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Up`	Extend selection to the top of the document
Select to Document End	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Down`	Extend selection to the bottom of the document
Select Paragraph Up	`Option` + `Shift` + `Up`	Extend selection to the start of the paragraph
Select Paragraph Down	`Option` + `Shift` + `Down`	Extend selection to the end of the paragraph

Finder

Action	Shortcut	Description
Open Selected Item	`Cmd` + `O`	Open the selected file or folder
Quick Look	`Space`	Preview a file without opening its app
Get Info	`Cmd` + `I`	Open the Info panel showing file details
Show Path Bar	`Cmd` + `Option` + `P`	Toggle the path bar at the bottom of Finder
Show/Hide Sidebar	`Cmd` + `Option` + `S`	Toggle the Finder sidebar
Show/Hide Toolbar	`Cmd` + `Option` + `T`	Toggle the Finder toolbar
Go to Home Folder	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `H`	Navigate to your Home folder
Go to Desktop	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `D`	Navigate to the Desktop folder
Go to Downloads	`Cmd` + `Option` + `L`	Navigate to the Downloads folder
Go to Applications	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `A`	Navigate to the Applications folder
Connect to Server	`Cmd` + `K`	Connect to a network server or file share
Eject	`Cmd` + `E`	Eject the selected disk or drive
Create Alias	`Cmd` + `L`	Create an alias (shortcut) of the selected item
Show Original	`Cmd` + `R`	Show the original file that an alias points to
Sort by Name	`Ctrl` + `Option` + `1`	Sort Finder window contents by name
Icon View	`Cmd` + `1`	Switch to Icon view in Finder
List View	`Cmd` + `2`	Switch to List view in Finder
Column View	`Cmd` + `3`	Switch to Column view in Finder
Gallery View	`Cmd` + `4`	Switch to Gallery view in Finder

Terminal (macOS)

Action	Shortcut	Description
New Terminal Tab	`Cmd` + `T`	Open a new tab in Terminal
New Terminal Window	`Cmd` + `N`	Open a new Terminal window
Close Tab	`Cmd` + `W`	Close the current Terminal tab
Clear Screen	`Cmd` + `K`	Clear the terminal display
Previous Command	`Up`	Recall the previous command from history
Search Command History	`Ctrl` + `R`	Interactively search through command history
Interrupt / Cancel	`Ctrl` + `C`	Stop the currently running command
End of File / Logout	`Ctrl` + `D`	Send EOF — exits a shell or closes the current tab
Autocomplete	`Tab`	Autocomplete commands, paths, and filenames
Move to Start of Line	`Ctrl` + `A`	Move cursor to the beginning of the command line
Move to End of Line	`Ctrl` + `E`	Move cursor to the end of the command line
Delete to Start of Line	`Ctrl` + `U`	Delete everything from cursor to the start of the line
Delete to End of Line	`Ctrl` + `K`	Delete everything from cursor to the end of the line
Delete Word Left	`Ctrl` + `W`	Delete the word to the left of the cursor
Split View	`Cmd` + `D`	Split the current window horizontally (in iTerm2)

Accessibility

Action	Shortcut	Description
Toggle VoiceOver	`Cmd` + `F5`	Turn VoiceOver screen reader on or off
VoiceOver Rotor	`Ctrl` + `Option` + `U`	Open the VoiceOver Rotor to navigate by headings, links, etc.
Zoom In	`Option` + `Cmd` + `=`	Zoom in on the screen (Full Screen Zoom must be enabled)
Zoom Out	`Option` + `Cmd` + `-`	Zoom out on the screen
Toggle Zoom	`Option` + `Cmd` + `8`	Toggle full-screen zoom on/off
Increase Contrast	`Ctrl` + `Option` + `Cmd` + `.`	Increase display contrast
Decrease Contrast	`Ctrl` + `Option` + `Cmd` + `,`	Decrease display contrast
Invert Colors	`Ctrl` + `Option` + `Cmd` + `8`	Toggle classic color inversion for the display
Toggle Slow Keys	`Option (hold 5s)`	Hold Option for 5 seconds to toggle Slow Keys
Dictation	`Fn` + `Fn`	Press Fn twice to start Dictation (speak to type)

Browser Controls

Action	Shortcut	Description
New Tab	`Cmd` + `T`	Open a new tab in Safari or Chrome
Close Tab	`Cmd` + `W`	Close the current browser tab
Reopen Closed Tab	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `T`	Reopen the most recently closed tab
New Window	`Cmd` + `N`	Open a new browser window
New Private Window	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `N`	Open a new Private Browsing window (Safari) or Incognito window (Chrome)
Focus Address Bar	`Cmd` + `L`	Select the address bar to type a URL or search
Find on Page	`Cmd` + `F`	Open the in-page search bar
Go Back	`Cmd` + `[`	Navigate to the previous page in history
Go Forward	`Cmd` + `]`	Navigate to the next page in history
Reload Page	`Cmd` + `R`	Reload the current page
Hard Reload (bypass cache)	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `R`	Reload and bypass the browser cache
Bookmark This Page	`Cmd` + `D`	Add the current page to your bookmarks
Open Bookmarks (Safari)	`Cmd` + `Option` + `B`	Show the Bookmarks sidebar in Safari
Open History	`Cmd` + `Y`	View your full browsing history
Open Downloads (Safari)	`Option` + `Cmd` + `L`	Show the downloads list in Safari
Jump to Tab (1–8)	`Cmd` + `1-8`	Switch directly to the tab at that position
Jump to Last Tab	`Cmd` + `9`	Switch to the rightmost open tab
Zoom In	`Cmd` + `+`	Increase the page zoom level
Zoom Out	`Cmd` + `-`	Decrease the page zoom level
Reset Zoom	`Cmd` + `0`	Reset the page zoom to 100%
Developer Tools	`Cmd` + `Option` + `I`	Open browser Developer Tools / Web Inspector
Reader View (Safari)	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `R`	Toggle Safari Reader to view a distraction-free version of an article
Pin Tab (Safari)	`Right-click tab` + `Pin Tab`	Pin the current tab so it stays visible and loads automatically on launch

Clipboard

Action	Shortcut	Description
Copy	`Cmd` + `C`	Copy the selected text or item to the clipboard Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Cut	`Cmd` + `X`	Cut the selected text or item to the clipboard Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Paste	`Cmd` + `V`	Paste the most recent clipboard item at the cursor Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Paste and Match Style	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste without formatting, matching the surrounding text style Apple Support — Mac keyboard shortcuts
Show Clipboard (Finder)	`Edit menu → Show Clipboard`	View the current contents of the clipboard in a Finder window
Universal Clipboard (copy)	`Cmd` + `C`	With Handoff enabled: anything copied on your Mac is instantly available to paste on your nearby iPhone or iPad
Character Viewer (symbols)	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Space`	Insert special characters, emoji, or symbols directly from the keyboard
Dictate to Clipboard	`Fn` + `Fn`	Press Fn twice to start Dictation — dictated text is entered and can then be cut/copied

Printing

Action	Shortcut	Description
Print	`Cmd` + `P`	Open the print dialog for the current document
Print Preview	`Cmd` + `P`	macOS print dialog includes a built-in PDF preview button
Save as PDF	`Cmd` + `P`	In the print dialog, click the PDF dropdown and choose 'Save as PDF'

macOS Tips & Tricks

Spotlight is a Superpower: Cmd + Space opens Spotlight, which can search files, launch apps, do math calculations, convert units, look up dictionary definitions, and search the web — all without opening a browser.
Spaces (Virtual Desktops): Open Mission Control (Ctrl + Up) and drag windows to the top to create new Spaces. Assign specific apps to specific Spaces in System Settings > Desktop & Dock so they always open there.
Quick Look: Select a file in Finder and press Space to instantly preview it — images, PDFs, videos, documents — without opening the app. Add Option to open it full screen.
Clipboard Manager: macOS does not have built-in clipboard history. Consider third-party tools like Maccy (free) or Paste for full clipboard history with search.
Hot Corners: Go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners to assign actions (Mission Control, sleep display, Lock Screen, Launchpad) to any corner of the screen.
AirDrop Everything: Use AirDrop (Finder sidebar or Share sheet) to instantly transfer files, photos, links, and more between nearby Apple devices over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — no cables or accounts needed.
Universal Clipboard: With Handoff enabled, copy something on your iPhone and paste it on your Mac (and vice versa) within a few seconds — the clipboard is shared across your Apple devices automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions — macOS

What macOS version does this page cover?: Where a shortcut is version-dependent, the description says so.
Can I remap keys on a Mac?: Yes — modifier keys (Caps Lock, Ctrl, Option, Cmd) can be swapped natively in System Settings → Keyboard → Modifier Keys. Many switchers map Caps Lock to Ctrl or Esc. For deeper remapping, the free tool Karabiner-Elements is the community standard.
What's the fastest way to memorize Mac shortcuts?: macOS shows shortcuts next to every menu item — before clicking a menu command, glance at the shortcut listed beside it and use that instead next time. Two weeks of that habit teaches more than any list.

If you only learn ten, learn these

Cmd + Space (Spotlight) — the center of fast Mac use. Launch apps, do math, convert units, find files — all without touching the Dock.
Cmd + Tab — switch between open apps. Keep holding Cmd and tap Tab to cycle; press Q while holding Cmd to quit the highlighted app.
Cmd + Shift + 4 — screenshot a selected region. Add Space afterward to capture a whole window with its shadow.
Cmd + W vs Cmd + Q — close the window vs quit the app. Learning the difference explains half of "why is my Mac slow" complaints: closed windows don't quit apps.
Cmd + , (Comma) — open Preferences/Settings in virtually any Mac app. Wonderfully consistent across the whole platform.
Cmd + Shift + . (Period) — show hidden files in Finder and open/save dialogs. Essential the first time you need to find a dotfile.
Cmd + Option + Esc — Force Quit dialog, the Mac's answer to Ctrl+Alt+Del.
Cmd + ` (Backtick) — switch between windows of the same app, the thing Cmd+Tab doesn't do.
Cmd + Delete — move selected file to Trash. Add Shift+Cmd+Delete to empty the Trash.
Ctrl + Cmd + Space — emoji and symbol picker anywhere you can type.

Coming from Windows? Read this first

The mental translation is mostly one rule: Cmd does what Ctrl did. Cmd+C, Cmd+V, Cmd+S, Cmd+F all behave as expected. The traps are elsewhere: there's no Cut for files (use Cmd+C then Cmd+Option+V to move), Home/End jump to the start/end of the document rather than the line (use Cmd+Left/Right for line movement), and Alt is called Option and behaves differently in text editing (Option+Left/Right jumps by word). We keep a full Mac for Windows users translation guide if you're mid-switch.

Common problems and fixes

Function keys doing brightness/volume instead of F1–F12? That's the default. Hold Fn for the raw F-keys, or flip the behavior in System Settings → Keyboard → "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys."
A shortcut on this page doesn't work in one specific app? Apps can override system shortcuts. Check the app's own menus — and note you can change any menu shortcut system-wide in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts.
Screenshots not saving to the Desktop? Since macOS Mojave the destination is configurable: press Cmd+Shift+5 and check the Options menu.