Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Copy, paste, and undo:

• Cmd + C – copy
• Cmd + X – cut
• Cmd + V – paste
• Cmd + Z – undo
• Shift + Cmd + Z – redo
• Cmd + A – select all

Find and save:

• Cmd + F – find in current app or page
• Cmd + S – save
• Cmd + P – print

App and window management:

• Cmd + Tab – switch between open apps
• Cmd + ` (backtick) – switch between windows of the same app
• Cmd + W – close the current tab or window
• Cmd + Q – quit the current app
• Cmd + H – hide the current app
• Cmd + M – minimize the current window
• Cmd + N – new window (in most apps)
• Cmd + T – new tab (in most apps)

System actions:

• Cmd + Space – open Spotlight search (find apps, files, do quick math)
• Cmd + Option + Esc – open Force Quit window (for frozen apps)
• Ctrl + Cmd + Q – lock your screen
• F3 or Ctrl + Up Arrow – Mission Control (see all open windows)

Screenshots:

• Shift + Cmd + 3 – screenshot the entire screen
• Shift + Cmd + 4 – screenshot a selected area
• Shift + Cmd + 5 – open screenshot and recording options

For more detail, see the screenshots and screen recording guide.

Text navigation:

• Option + Left/Right Arrow – move cursor one word at a time
• Cmd + Left/Right Arrow – jump to the beginning or end of the line
• Cmd + Up/Down Arrow – jump to the top or bottom of the document
• Shift + any arrow combo – select text while moving (for example, Shift + Option + Right Arrow selects the next word)