Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts

Posted by Knox on Feb 4, 2010 in Tips & Tricks | 4 comments

Learn about common Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts. A keyboard shortcut is a way to invoke a function in Mac OS X by pressing a combination of keys on your keyboard.

To use a keyboard shortcut, or key combination, you press a modifier key with a character key. For example, pressing the Command key (the key with a symbol) and the “c” key at the same time copies whatever is currently selected (text, graphics, and so forth) into the Clipboard. This is also known as the Command-C key combination (or keyboard shortcut).

A modifier key is a part of many key combinations. A modifier key alters the way other keystrokes or mouse clicks are interpreted by Mac OS X. Modifier keys include: Command, Control, Option, Shift, Caps Lock, and (on portable Macs) the fn key.

Press the key or key combination until the expected function occurs/appears (for example, hold Option during startup until Startup Manager appears, or Shift until “Safe Boot” appears). Tip: If a startup function doesn’t work and you use a third-party keyboard, connect an Apple keyboard and try again.

Startup

“Press X during startup” = Force Mac OS X startup

“Press Option-Command-Shift-Delete during startup” = Bypass primary startup volume and seek a different startup volume (such as a CD or external disk)

“Press C during startup” = Start up from a CD that has a system folder

“Press N during startup” = Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot)

“Press T during startup” = Start up in FireWire Target Disk mode

“Press Shift during startup” = start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files (Mac OS X 10.2 and later)

“Press Command-V during startup” = Start up in Verbose mode

“Press Command-S during startup” = Start up in Single-User mode

Finder window

“Command-W” = Close Window

“Option-Command-W” = Close all Windows

“Command-Right Arrow” = Expand folder (list view)

“Option-Command-Right Arrow” = Expand folder and nested subfolders (list view)

“Command-Left Arrow” = Collapse Folder (list view)

“Option-Command-Up Arrow” = Open parent folder and close current window

Menu Commands

“Shift-Command-Q” = Apple Menu Log out

“Shift-Option-Command-Q” = Apple Menu Log out immediately

“Shift-Command-Delete” = Finder Menu Empty Trash

“Option-Shift-Command-Delete” = Finder Menu Empty Trash without dialog

“Command-H” = Finder Menu Hide Finder

“Option-Command-H” = Finder Menu Hide Others

“Command-N” = File Menu New Finder window

“Shift-Command-N” = File Menu New Folder

“Command-O” = File Menu Open

“Command-S” = File Menu Save

“Shift-Command-S” = File Menu Save as

“Command-P” = File Menu Print

“Command-W” = File Menu Close Window

“Option-Command-W” = File Menu Close all Windows

“Command-I” = File Menu Get Info

“Option-Command-I” = File Menu Show Attributes Inspector

“Command-D” = File Menu Duplicate

“Command-L” = File Menu Make Alias

“Command-R” = File Menu Show original

“Command-T” = File Menu Add to Favorites

“Command-Delete” = File Menu Move to Trash

“Command-E” = File Menu Eject

“Command-F” = File Menu Find

“Command-Z” = Edit Menu Undo

“Command-X” = Edit Menu Cut

“Command-C” = Edit Menu Copy

“Command-V” = Edit Menu Paste

“Command-A” = Edit Menu Select All

“Command-1″ = View Menu View as Icons

“Command-2″ = View Menu View as List

“Command-3″ = View Menu View as Columns

“Command-B” = View Menu Hide Toolbar

“Command-J” = View Menu Show View Options

“Command – [" = Go Menu Back

"Command - ]” = Go Menu Forward

“Shift-Command-C” = Go Menu Computer

“Shift-Command-H” = Go Menu Home

“Shift-Command-I” = Go Menu iDisk

“Shift-Command-A” = Go Menu Applications

“Shift-Command-F” = Go Menu Favorites

“Shift-Command-G” = Go Menu Goto Folder

“Command-K” = Go Menu Connect to Server

“Command-M” = Window Menu Minimize Window

“Command-?” = Help Menu Open Mac Help

“Command-Space” = Open Spotlight (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

“Command-Alt-Space” = Open Spotlight Guide (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

“F12″ = Opens Dashboard (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

Universal Access and VoiceOver

“Option-Command-* (asterisk)” = Turn on Zoom

“Option-Command-+ (plus)” = Zoom in

“Option-Command– (minus)” = Zoom out

“Control-Option-Command-* (asterisk)” = Switch to White on Black

“Control-F1″ = Turn on Full Keyboard Access When Full Keyboard Access is turned on, you can use the key combinations listed in the table below from the Finder.

“Control-F2″ = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Menu

“Control-F3″ = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Dock

“Control-F4″ = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Window (active) or next window behind it

“Control-F5″ = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Toolbar

“Control-F6″ = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Utility window (palette)

“Command-F5 or fn-Command-F5″ = Turn VoiceOver on or off (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

“Control-Option-F8 or fn-Control-Option-F8″ = Open VoiceOver Utility (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

“Control-Option-F7 or fn-Control-option-F7″ = Display VoiceOver menu (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

“Control-Option-; or fn-Control-option-” = Enable/disable VoiceOver Control-Option lock (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

Mouse Keys

“8″ = Move Up

“2″ = Move Down

“4″ = Move Left

“6″ = Move Right

“1, 3, 7, 9″ = Move Diagonally

“5″ = Press Mouse Button

“0″ = Hold Mouse Button

“. (period on keypad)” = Release Mouse Button (use after pressing 0)

Other Commands

“Option-Command-D” = Show/Hide Dock

“Command-Tab” = Switch application

“Command-Up Arrow” = Move up one directory

“Command-Down Arrow” = Move down one directory

“Page Up or Control-Up Arrow” = Move up one page

“Page Down or Control-Down Arrow” = Move down one page

“Option-Drag” = Copy to new location

“Option-Command-Drag” = Make alias in new location

“Command-Drag” = Move to new location without copying

“Command-C” = Show Colors palette in application

“Command-T” = Show Font palette in application

“Command-Shift-3″ = Take a picture of the screen

“Command-Shift-4″ = Take a picture of the selection

“Command-Shift-4, then press Control while selecting” = Take a picture of the screen, place in Clipboard

“Command-Shift-4, then Spacebar” = Take a picture of the selected window

“Option-Command-esc” = Force Quit

“Control-Eject” = Restart, Sleep, Shutdown dialog box

“Control-Command-Eject” = Quit all applications and restart

“Option-Command-Eject or Option-Command-Power” = Sleep

“Command-click window toolbar button (upper right corner)” = Cycle through available views for the window’s toolbar (dependant on the nature of the Finder or application window)

“Command-`” = Cycle through windows in application or Finder (if more than one window is open)

“Function-Delete (PowerBook, iBook only)” = Forward Delete (delete the character to the right of your cursor)