MacBook Shortcut Keys

MacBook shortcut keys for Finder

The Finder shortcut on a Mac that surprises Windows users most is Return for rename: pressing it does not open the file. To open, use Command + Down or Command + O. File keys are covered in Mac copy and paste.

Mac shortcut keys for the desktop and windows

Window management is explained in Mac window shortcuts. Quitting an app that stops responding uses Command + Option + Esc; see Mac force quit.

Terminal, refresh and other quick opens

There is no single default terminal shortcut on a Mac; open Spotlight with Command + Space, start typing Terminal, then hit Return; it takes about a second. The same Spotlight trick opens any app, setting or document. Refresh in Safari and Chrome is Command + R, and a hard refresh that skips the cache is covered in hard refresh shortcut. Finder refreshes folder contents automatically. Settings for the current app open with Command + ,.

Delete shortcut in Mac, and undo

The Mac Delete key acts like Backspace on Windows. Files moved to the Bin stay there until you empty it, so a file deleted by mistake can be dragged back out, or restored with Put Back from the right click menu inside the Bin. Undo and redo are covered in Mac undo and redo.

Screenshots, emoji, lock and power

For screenshots, Command + Shift + 3 grabs everything on screen, Command + Shift + 4 a dragged area, and Command + Shift + 5 opens the full capture toolbar with recording; see Mac screenshot shortcut. Emoji and symbols come up with the globe key, or Control + Command + Space on older keyboards, explained in Mac emoji shortcut. Control + Command + Q locks the screen, covered in Mac lock screen, and sleep and shut down keys are in Mac shutdown and sleep.

All Mac guides on this site

Shortcut keys for MacBook users coming from Windows

• Command does the job of Ctrl for copy, paste, save, undo and most app keys.
• Option is the Mac Alt key and types special characters, such as Option + G for ©.
• Control is used with clicks for right click, and for some system shortcuts.
• The globe or Fn key changes F1 to F12 between media keys and function keys.

Keyboard settings in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts let you see and change every system shortcut. For the Windows side of the same tasks, see Windows shortcut keys. Many people who move from a Windows office PC to a MacBook at home keep a small sticky note of the five or six differences for the first week: Command instead of Ctrl, Return to rename, Command + Delete for the Bin, Command + Tab to switch, and Command + Option + Esc for a frozen app. After that, muscle memory takes over. External Windows keyboards work on a Mac too; the Windows key acts as Command and Alt acts as Option, which can be swapped in System Settings, Keyboard, Modifier Keys.