Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts
Last Modified on: October 17, 2007
Article: 75459
Learn about common Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts.
Startup
Keystroke Description
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
Keyboard shortcut Description
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
(Assigned in Keyboard & Mouse preferences) Show Package Contents (of selected file in Mac OS X 10.5 or later only). To create this contextual menu shortcut, open Keyboard & Mouse preferences in Mac OS X 10.5, click Keyboard Shortcuts, click the "+" button, choose Finder.app as the Application, and type "Show Package Contents" (exactly), and set whichever shortcut you want, such as Command-Control-S.
Menu commands
Keyboard shortcut Description
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 (Mac OS X 10.2.8 or earlier), Add to Sidebar (Mac OS X 10.3 or later—use Shift-Command-T for 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
Option-Command-M Window Menu
Minimize All Windows
Command-? Help Menu
Open Mac Help
Command-Space Open Spotlight (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)
Command-esc Front Row
Activates Front Row for certain Apple computers
Universal Access and VoiceOver
Keyboard shortcut Description
Option-Command-8 Turn on Zoom
Option-Command-+ (plus) Zoom in
Option-Command-- (minus) Zoom out
Control-Option-Command-8 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)
The Universal Access preference pane allows you to turn on Mouse Keys. When Mouse Keys is on, you can use the numeric keypad to move the mouse. If your computer doesn't have a numeric keypad, use the Fn (function) key.
Mouse Keys
Keystroke Description
8 Move Up
2 Move Down
4 Move Left
6 Move Right
1, 3, 7, and 9 Move Diagonally
5 Press Mouse Button
0 Hold Mouse Button
. (period on keypad) Release Mouse Button (use after pressing 0)
Other Commands
Keystroke Description
Option-Command-D Show/Hide Dock
Command-Tab Switch application
tab Highlight next item
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
Shift-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 (portables only--PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, MacBook Pro) Forward Delete (delete the character to the right of your cursor)