xxx keyboard shortcuts Mac users need to know

This drove of keyboard shortcuts for macOS can aid users become the virtually from their iMacs, MacBook Pro and MacBook laptops.

Apple, OS X, Mac, Macintosh, tips
Leif Johnson

I'g certain most Mac users know Command-C means copy and Command-V ways paste, but there's a host of other useful shortcuts that make a Mac user's life much easier. I've assembled this short collection to illustrate this truth:

Esc

Never underestimate the power of the Esc key to get you out of trouble. Say you're taking a screen shot and managed to select office of your screen for that shot, only to detect it'southward the wrong role – tap Esc and y'all won't need to worry about information technology. That'southward basically the principle of Esc. Use it to abolish a previous control. Some other example: Web page won't load and is sucking up your system resources?

Tap Esc....

Control-W

Closes the active window you are currently in. Use Option-Command-Westward to shut all currently active app windows.

Command-Y

A lot of people use QuickLook to preview items they're looking for. To apply QuickLook, select an item in Finder, press the Space bar and a preview will appear. There's also a keyboard shortcut — select an item (you lot can even use the Up and Downwards arrows to navigate to it in Finder view) and then press Command-Y.

Control – Comma (,)

This is one of the to the lowest degree-known keyboard commands on a Mac, only it's super useful. It works similar this: You are working in an app, and y'all want to open the application'south Preferences. You can navigate to the Menu bar if you lot like and curlicue through to access the Preferences. Or yous tin merely press Command-, (comma) to get to them in the fastest possible time.

Command-Yard

I'one thousand sure you utilise Command-F to find items, such every bit words in a document or on a webpage. Command-G is its lesser-known relative. Use it to navigate through each case of the item you lot want to find. This ways that if you use Control-F to find all the mentions of 'Command' on this page, and so tap Command-G, you'll exist able to navigate through each one. Oh, and you can also press Shift-Command-G to motility dorsum to the previous mention.

Control-M

Printing this combination to minimize the front app window to Dock, or press Command-Option-M to minimize all the windows belonging to the forepart app.

Command and Option

If y'all can't encounter your desktop for all the open applications, just hold Command and Option downwards and click anywhere on your desktop. You may just want to get to all the open windows for a specific app, in which case concur down the same keys and click on any bachelor window for that app.

Command-Shift-A

Select this combination when in Finder/Desktop view to get to your Applications folder, or replace the A with U to open your Utilities binder in a new Finder window (or D for Desktop, H for Home or I to admission iCloud Drive).

Command-Space

The combination that can modify your life, Command-Infinite invokes Spotlight, just depress these keys and start typing your query. (I approximate you know nigh Command-tab already?)

Command-50

The fastest manner to make a search or navigate to a Website in Safari, Control-L instantly selects the address bar: get-go typing your query, and select the appropriate selection using the upwards/down arrows on the keyboard.

Command-Tab

Open application switcher, keeping Command pressed, use Tab to navigate to the app you hope to utilise.

Control-Option-D

Show or hide the Dock from within most apps.

Fn-left pointer (or right pointer)

Jump directly to the meridian or bottom of a spider web page using the Role key and the right (to the bottom of the page) or left (to the height of the page) arrows on the keyboard. You can achieve a similar effect using Command-Up or Command-Downward. A third way is to utilise Control-Tab and Control-Shift-Tab.

Command-left/right arrows

Hit Command and the left arrow to go back a page in the browser window. Striking Control correct to become frontwards again.

Tab nav

Navigate between multiple tabs using the Control-Shift-] or Command-Shift-[ characters.

Command-Shift-\

The easiest way to come across all your open tabs in ane Safari window.

Pick-Shift-Volume

Press Selection-Shift and volume upward/down to increase or subtract the volume on your Mac in small increments. You can too use Pick-Shift to change display brightness in small amounts. Read fifty-fifty more Option secrets hither.

Fn twice

Press the function (fn) key twice to launch Dictation on your Mac, start speaking, and printing fn once you've finished. Here are some other ideas on decision-making your Mac with your vocalization. NB: macOS Catalina now offers the far more powerful Voice Command, which lets you manage everything on your Mac using only your voice. Find out more about this here.

Option-File

In Safari, pressing the Choice central while selecting the File menu lets you lot access the 'Shut Other Tabs' command. Try the other Safari menu items with Choice depressed to find other commands you probably weren't enlightened of.

Pick-Brightness Upward (or downwardly)

Use this command to rapidly launch Displays preferences. Or press Option with the Mission Command or Volume (up/down) buttons to access preferences for Mission Control and Sounds.

Command – Backtick `

This is one of the to the lowest degree well-known keyboard commands on a Mac, just it's super useful. Use this combination to motion between open windows in your currently active app. It's so useful you'll wonder why yous hadn't used it earlier.

Command - Control - Space

Desire to insert emoji or other symbols into what you write? Use Command-Control-Infinite to open the Character Viewer where you tin can select and utilise such symbols.

Command-P

Do you open a certificate before printing information technology through the File card? Do this instead: Select the document in Finder and printing Command-P. The item will open and the Print dialog will appear. You can too tap Control-P to print the electric current particular when in most whatever app.

Option + Command + Esc

In the event an application freezes or hangs you may want to try this: Tap Selection-Control-Esc to Force Quit the rogue app. It's non ever a magic bullet, but sometimes an awarding restart is all you demand to get your system moving over again.

Command + Control + Q

Walking abroad from your Mac? Tap this shortcut to immediately lock your machine.

Bear upon Bar tip No. 1

If you use a MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar, you can press Shift-Command-6 to take hold of an image of what is on your Touch Bar. Want to grab an image to place into the document you're typing in? Merely tap Control-Shift-Command-half-dozen and the picture will be saved to your Clipboard for pasting information technology in.

Touch Bar tip No. 2

This MacBook Pro Touch Bar tip is particularly useful if y'all detect that you lot frequently  accidentally tap the Siri push button: You lot tin can change where that button is located and then you're less likely to tap it past accident. Open Keyboard Preferences and choose Customize Control Strip. Look at the Touch Bar, and you'll see the icons are slightly agitated. Movement your cursor to the lesser of your screen and keep moving (as if yous're moving information technology off the screen); you should run into i of the items in your Bear on bar highlighted. Now move your cursor to highlight the Siri button and so drag and drib that button a infinite or two to the left.

(This is also an excellent style to become familiar with how you tin edit other items in your Touch Bar.)

Touch Bar tip No. 3

Do yous use the function keys regularly in some apps? You can get to them, of course,  by pressing the 'fn' character. But it's also possible to fix the Touch on Bar so it always shows the function keys in those apps. To do this, open Keyboard Organisation Preferences, select Function Keys, and tap +. Yous can and then select the app(southward). Don't worry if y'all want to use a regular Control Strip control when you're using one of the apps — but press Fn to get dorsum to that view.

Safari tips

There are lots of keyboard tips for the Safari browser:

  • Command + I: Open new electronic mail message with content of a page.
  • Command + Shift + I: Open up new email message containing only the URL of a page.
  • Spacebar: To motility your window down 1 screen.
  • Shift+Spacebar: To motility your window up ane screen.
  • Command + Y: Open/close the History window.

Command + Shift + T

This web browser tip can sometimes be a lifesaver. Command + Shift + T will open your last closed tab, which helps a lot if you are researching something and shut a window without saving the URL.

You can also take a expect at Apple'southward ain extensive collection of keyboard shortcuts for more great ideas.

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Jonny is a freelance writer who has been writing (mainly about Apple and engineering science) since 1999.

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