Whether you're a newbie or an experienced Apple user, this guide will show you how to let your fingers do the walking around your Mac.
The fastest way to navigate a Mac is to learn the glut of OS X keyboard shortcuts available at your fingertips.
With just a few keystrokes users can save files, switch between different applications or documents, and even create screenshots on the fly. It's easy, if you know the keys.
The basics
If you're new to a Mac you're probably wondering what some of the keys in front of you are supposed to do. Below is a simple outline of the main keys and their symbols used for shortcuts. Get familiar with these core keys on your Mac.
Name
Symbol
Abbreviation
Command
cmd
Control
ctrl
Shift
shft
Option
opt
Function
F
fn5
Escape
esc
Most Apple shortcuts are executed using one, or a combination of the above keyboard commands, so it's useful to get familar with them. For example, in most applications it's common to use the Command + S key to save a document you're working on. To find the correct keyboard shortcut for your favourite application simply use the mouse and click on the file menu. There you will see the corresponding shortcut next to the mouse click. See screenshot below.
Where's my Windows keys?
Looking to alt-tab, copy to clipboard, or print screen like you did in Windows? Now that you've ctrl-alt-deleted from Windows the good news is the Mac has all of those options and more, but you may just have to learn a few different keys to press. Here's some common shortcuts you probably used in Windows and its comparable alternative on a Mac.
Action
Windows
Mac
Copy a folder or file
Control + C
Command + C
Paste a folder or file
Control + V
Command + V
Cut to clipboard
Control + X
Command + X
Search or Find
Control + F
Command + F
Force quit an application
Control + Alt + Delete
Command + Option + Esc
Capture screen
Print Screen
Command + Control + Shift + 3
Find properties
Alt + Enter
Command + I
Print
Control + P
Command + P
Quit a program
Alt + 4
Command + Q
Save a file
Control + S
Command + S
Toggle between applications
Alt + Tab
Command + Tab
Swith to next window
Control + F6
Command + ~
Undo
Control + Z
Command + Z
Select all items
Control + A
Command + A
Rename a folder
Select item + F2
Select item + Enter
New folder
Control + N
Command + N
Right, that's the basics out of the way. The above commands will get you around your Mac a lot faster than pointing and clicking with a mouse or trackpad. However, the shortcuts don't end there. Let's get into some more specific keyboard shortcuts that will turn you into a Mac whiz in no time.
Finder
The Finder is the default file management program used on Mac OS X. While it is intuitive to use with a mouse there are some useful keyboard shortcuts which can save users time opening files and moving them around. Here's some of the more useful shortcuts:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Preview a file
Click Spacebar on a selected item
New Finder window
Command + N
Close window
Command + W
Go directly to a folder or file
Command + Shift + G
Connect to a server
Command + K
Find the properties of a file or application
Command + Option + I
Delete Trash without prompt
Option + Shift+ Command + Delete
Delete Trash
Command + Option + Delete
Edit Filename
Press Enter on selected file
Move a file instead of copying
Command + drag file to new destination
Go to "Computer"
Shift + Command + C
Go to "Home"
Shift + Command + H
Go to "iDisk"
Shift + Command + I
Go to "Applications"
Shift + Command + A
Minimise window
Command + M
Minimise all windows
Option + Command + M
Open help
Command + ?
Go to "Favorites"
Shift + Command + F
Undo last action
Command + Z
Change Finder views
Command + 1 or + 2 or + 3 or + 4
Screengrabs
One of the most handy keyboard shortcuts on a Mac is taking screenshots. Here are the options available:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Take a picture of the whole screen
Command + Shift + 3
Take a picture of a selected area
Command + Shift + 4
Take a picture of a selected window
Command + Shift + 4 + Spacebar
Take a picture and place it in Clipboard
Command + Shift+ 4 + Control
Eject, Eject!
Is an application not responding or you need to shut down quickly? Don't move your hand towards the power switch before trying these keyboard shortcuts:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Force Quit an application
Option + Command + Esc
Quit all applications and restart
Control + Command + Eject
Prompt Restart, Sleep, Shutdown box
Control + Eject
Sleep mode
Option + Command + Eject
Exposé
Expose' is a feature of OS X which allows users to quickly open or hide a window quickly. It can also find the desktop with ease.
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Expose all open windows
F9 (on some keyboards fn+F9)
Expose all windows in one application
F10 (on some keyboards fn+F10)
Reveal the desktop
F11
Cycle through Exposéd Windows
Press Tab after selecting F9 or F10
Slow motion Exposé keys
Press Shift while using the above commands
Dashboard
Dashboard is the widget mode in Mac OS X. If you're widget crazy then here's how to manoeuvre around them:
Action
Shortcut
Open Dashboard
F12
Open and close widget dock
Command + Plus (+)
Cycle to next page of widgets
Command + Left or Right arrows
Reload or refresh widget
Command + R
Dock shortcuts
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Hide applications other than the one you're working on
Command + Option while clicking on the Dock application
Turn magnification on or off
Command + Shift
Reveal where an application is located in Finder
Command + Application in Dock
Move the dock to the right, left, or bottom
Hold Shift on Dock divider and drag
Remove item from Dock
Press Control + "Remove item from Dock"
Quit or Force Quit
Press Control + "Quit" or "Force Quit"
Spaces
Spaces is the virtual desktop feature in Mac OS X Leopard designed to unclutter your desktop. If you use this feature then this will help clean the clutter faster:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Show all Spaces
F8 (fn + F8 on some keyboards)
Move between Spaces
Control + up, down, left, or right
Move to a specific Space
Control + 1, 2, 3, 4 ...
Move all Spaces into one
F8 then C
Move an application to another Space
F8 then Command and drag to another Space
Spotlight
Spotlight is the search functionality inside your Mac that finds files and applications fast. You can easily access it on the top right of your screen but here are a few extra keyboard shortcuts:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Open Spotlight
Command + Space
Open Spotlight Window
Command + Option + Space
Launch first result
Enter
First result in each category
Command + up or down
Clear Spotlight search
Esc
Front Row
Front Row is the feature which can turn your Mac into a media centre. Normally the easiest way to navigate to Front Row us using the Apple Remote, but if it's stuck in the vortex of the couch cushions here's how to open and close the application fast:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Open Front Row
Command + esc
Close Front Row
Esc
Menu actions
Up, down, left, right
Play or Pause
Space
Volume
Command + up or down
Start-up/boot commands
These commands are useful for advanced users who need keyboard shortcuts during the boot process. Only click on these if you know what you are doing:
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Boot from disc
C
Start in Firewire target disc mode
T
Safe boot
Shift
Choose start-up disc
Option
Seek a different start-up volume
Command + Option + Shift + Delete
Start-up in single-user mode
Command + S
Start-up in Verbose mode
Command + V
Customising shortcuts
While the above keyboard shortcuts will increase efficiency they might also bring on hand cramping, especially around the bottom left side of the keyboard. The good news is that many of the system-wide shortcuts can be customised for personal preference. To do this, simply click on Systems Preferences ->Keyboard & Mouse ->Keyboard Shortcuts and simply double-click the shortcut you want to change. If at any time you want to change back to the original preferences shipped by Apple, simply click on the "Restore Defaults" button found in this dialog box.
If you have your favourite Mac keyboard shortcut add it in the comment section below and we'll add it to our list over time.
