35 Best Mac Shortcuts You Need to Know

As a Mac user, you know that efficiency is key.

Whether you’re working on a business project, coding up a storm, or just want to navigate your computer with ease, using shortcuts can save you a ton of time.

Not only that, but shortcuts can also make your workflow smoother and more streamlined.

In this article, we’ll cover some of the most essential Mac shortcuts that you need to know.

From basic navigation to text editing to screenshot shortcuts, these are the tools that will help you get things done faster and more efficiently.

Whether you’re a seasoned Mac pro or new to the platform, you’ll find something useful in this list.

So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Basic Navigation Shortcuts

One of the most fundamental tasks when using a computer is navigating between different apps, windows, and tabs.

Thankfully, Macs make this easy with a range of keyboard shortcuts.

Here are a few essential navigation shortcuts you should know:

• Command + Tab: This shortcut allows you to switch between open apps. Simply hold down the Command key and press Tab to cycle through your open apps. Release the keys when you reach the app you want to switch to. This is a quick way to switch between apps without using your mouse or trackpad.
• Command + ` : This shortcut allows you to switch between windows within the same app. For example, if you have multiple documents open in Microsoft Word, you can use this shortcut to switch between them. Simply hold down the Command key and press the backtick (`) key (located above the Tab key) to cycle through your windows.
• Control + Left/Right Arrow: If you use a web browser, this shortcut will come in handy. It allows you to switch between tabs within the same window. Simply hold down the Control key and press the Left or Right arrow key to move between tabs. This is a quick way to switch between tabs without using your mouse or trackpad.

Other useful navigation shortcuts include:

• Command + Q: Quit an app
• Command + H: Hide an app (note: this will not close the app, it will simply minimize it to the dock)
• Command + M: Minimize an app to the dock
• Command + W: Close the current window
• F11: Enter/exit full screen mode for the current app.

Learning these basic navigation shortcuts will help you navigate your Mac more efficiently and save you time.

Try incorporating them into your workflow and see how much more productive you can be!

File and Folder Shortcuts

Managing files and folders is an important part of using a computer.

Whether you’re organizing your documents, creating new folders, or deleting unwanted files, these tasks can be made easier with keyboard shortcuts.

Here are a few essential file and folder shortcuts you should know:

• Command + N: This shortcut allows you to create a new folder or document. Depending on the context, it will either create a new folder in Finder or a new document in the current app. For example, if you’re in Finder, this shortcut will create a new folder. If you’re in Microsoft Word, this shortcut will create a new document.
• Command + Shift + N: This shortcut is similar to the one above, but specifically creates a new folder in Finder. This is a quick way to create a new folder without having to use your mouse or trackpad to navigate to the “New Folder” option in Finder.
• Command + Delete: This shortcut allows you to move a file or folder to the trash. Simply select the file or folder you want to delete and hold down the Command key while pressing the Delete key. This is a quick way to delete a file without having to drag it to the trash can icon.
• Shift + Command + Delete: This shortcut allows you to empty the trash. This is useful if you have a lot of items in the trash and want to free up some space on your Mac. Be careful with this shortcut, as it will permanently delete all items in the trash and they cannot be recovered.

Other useful file and folder shortcuts include:

• Command + Shift + . (period): Show/hide hidden files in Finder
• Command + Up Arrow: Go to the parent folder in Finder
• Command + Down Arrow: Open the selected folder in Finder
• Command + Shift + G: Open the “Go to Folder” dialog in Finder, which allows you to navigate to a specific folder by entering its path.

Mastering these file and folder shortcuts will help you manage your files and folders more efficiently and save you time.

Try incorporating them into your workflow and see how much smoother your file management tasks become!

Text Editing Shortcuts

Whether you’re writing a report, composing an email, or coding up a project, text editing is an important part of using a computer.

There are a ton of text editing shortcuts available on Macs, but here are a few essential ones you should know:

• Command + A: This shortcut allows you to select all the text in a document. This is useful if you want to make changes to the entire document or copy the entire document to another location.
• Command + C: This shortcut allows you to copy selected text. Simply select the text you want to copy and hold down the Command key while pressing the C key. This will copy the selected text to your clipboard, which you can then paste elsewhere using the next shortcut.
• Command + V: This shortcut allows you to paste text from your clipboard. This is useful if you’ve copied some text using the previous shortcut, or if you want to paste text from another source (e.g., a website).
• Command + X: This shortcut allows you to cut selected text. This is similar to copying text, but it also removes the selected text from the document. This is useful if you want to move text from one location to another within the same document, or if you want to delete the selected text.

Other useful text editing shortcuts include:

• Command + Z: Undo the previous action
• Command + Shift + Z: Redo the previous action (undo the undo)
• Command + B: Bold the selected text
• Command + I: Italicize the selected text
• Command + U: Underline the selected text.

Learning these text editing shortcuts will help you edit text more efficiently and save you time.

Try incorporating them into your workflow and see how much faster you can polish up your documents!

Screenshot Shortcuts

Taking screenshots on a Mac is a breeze thanks to a range of built-in keyboard shortcuts.

Whether you want to capture the entire screen, a specific area, or just a single window, there’s a shortcut for that.

Here are a few essential screenshot shortcuts you should know:

1. Command + Shift + 3: This shortcut allows you to take a screenshot of the entire screen. When you use this shortcut, your Mac will capture a screenshot of your entire display and save it as a PNG file on your desktop. This is useful if you want to capture everything that’s currently visible on your screen.
2. Command + Shift + 4: This shortcut allows you to take a screenshot of a selected area. When you use this shortcut, your Mac will turn your cursor into a crosshair. You can then click and drag to select the area you want to capture. When you release the mouse button, your Mac will capture a screenshot of the selected area and save it as a PNG file on your desktop.
3. Command + Shift + 4, then Space: This shortcut allows you to take a screenshot of a window. When you use this shortcut, your Mac will turn your cursor into a camera icon. You can then hover your cursor over a window and click to capture a screenshot of it. The screenshot will be saved as a PNG file on your desktop.

Learning these screenshot shortcuts will help you capture images of your screen more efficiently and save you time.

Whether you need to share a screenshot with a colleague or just want to keep a record of something you saw on your screen, these shortcuts have you covered.

Bonus Mac Shortcuts

In addition to the basic navigation, file and folder, text editing, and screenshot shortcuts we covered earlier, there are many other useful shortcuts available on Macs. Here are a few bonus shortcuts that you might find helpful:

• Command + Space: This shortcut allows you to open Spotlight search. Spotlight is a built-in search feature on Macs that allows you to search for files, folders, apps, and more on your computer. When you use this shortcut, a search bar will appear in the top-right corner of your screen. Simply type in what you’re looking for and press Return to search.
• Option + Shift + Volume: This shortcut allows you to adjust the volume in smaller increments. By default, pressing the volume keys on your keyboard (usually F11 and F12) will adjust the volume in large steps. However, if you hold down the Option and Shift keys while pressing the volume keys, you can adjust the volume in smaller increments. This is useful if you want to fine-tune the volume to a specific level.
• Control + Option + Command + 8: This shortcut allows you to toggle between hiding and showing all desktop icons. If you have a lot of icons on your desktop and want to declutter, this shortcut can be handy. Simply press the shortcut to hide all the icons, and press it again to show them.

Other Useful Bonus Mac Shortcuts:

• Control + Option + Command + Power Button: Put your Mac to sleep
• Control + Option + Command + Eject Button: Restart your Mac
• Option + Command + Esc: Force quit an app
• Command + Option + D: Show/hide the Dock

While these bonus shortcuts might not be used as frequently as the basic ones, they can still be handy to have in your toolkit.

Explore them and see how they can make your Mac usage more efficient and convenient.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve covered some of the most essential Mac shortcuts that you need to know.

From basic navigation to text editing to screenshot shortcuts, these are the tools that will help you get things done faster and more efficiently.

Whether you’re a seasoned Mac pro or new to the platform, these shortcuts are sure to come in handy.

We’ve only scratched the surface of the many shortcuts available on Macs.

If you want to take your productivity to the next level, we encourage you to explore more shortcuts and customize your own shortcut settings.

You can find a list of all the available shortcuts in the System Preferences app on your Mac, under the Keyboard tab. You can experiment with different combinations and see what works best for you.

In the end, the goal of using shortcuts is to make your workflow smoother and more efficient.

By learning and using the right shortcuts, you can save yourself a lot of time and hassle.

So next time you’re working on your Mac, don’t hesitate to use these shortcuts and see how much more productive you can be!