Computing with Bifocals - A (Near)-Complete List of Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
by
- April 22nd, 2005
Some people prefer to use a keyboard to execute commands rather than a mouse. Since I prefer a mouse I sometimes forget that many people would rather use their keyboards.
Recently, reader Andy King reminded me that I have been quite remiss in not updating information about keyboard commands that work with OS X. He is so right.
I don't even have a viable excuse so I won't offer one. I will, however, offer the following list of keyboard commands that work with OS X for the benefit of everyone who prefers this option when using their Macs.
I gleaned this list from a number of Internet sources, Mac OS X's built-in Help screens, my friends, and dumb luck -- not necessarily in that order.
The first table of information demonstrates the symbols (in a size larger than the head of a pin) that are frequently used to represent specific keys on the Mac keyboards.
Some Symbols Associated With Mac Keyboards
Full Keyboard Access for Activating Access
If you set the following controls you can completely navigate menus, the dock, dialogue boxes, etc. using just the keyboard. To make this work you much set the F1 key (turn full keyboard access on or off by selecting Control + F1) first.
Using Control With The "F" Keys
And here are the actual keyboard commands that can be used in place of a mouse. Note: These shortcuts work in most applications. They may not function in all applications, most particularly those made by Adobe.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUT
DESCRIPTION
MENU COMMANDS
Shift+Apple+Q
Log out
Shift+Option Apple+Q
Log out immediately
Shift+Apple+Delete
Empty Trash
Apple+H
Hide Active Application (Doesn't Work With Adobe Applications)
Option+Apple+H
Hide All But The Active Application
Control+Eject
Shut Down, Sleep, or Restart Options
Apple+Control+Eject
Quit all applications and Restart
Apple+ . (period)
Stop a process
Apple+ , (comma)
Open Preferences for Active Application
Option+Apple+D
Show/Hide Dock
Control+Up Arrow
Move up one page
Control+Down Arrow
Move down one page
Option+Apple+Esc
Force Quit
FILE MANAGEMENT
Command+N
New Finder window (or New Blank Page in Some Applications)
Shift+Apple+N
New Folder (Must Be In Finder Window For It to Work)
Apple+O
Open Another Existing Document
Apple+S
Save
Shift+Apple+S
Save as
Apple+P
Print
Apple+W
Close Window
Apple+Command+W
Close all Windows
Apple+I
Get Info
Option+Apple+I
Show Attributes Inspector (Limited use – varies by application.)
Apple+D
Duplicate
Apple+Q
Close Application
Apple+L
Make Alias
Apple+R
Show Original
Apple+T
Add to Favorites
Apple+Delete
Move Highlighted Items to Trash
Apple+E
Eject
Apple+F
Find
EDITING
Apple+Z
Undo
Apple+X
Cut
Apple+C
Copy
Apple+V
Paste
Apple+A
Select All
Apple+ {
Align Left - Only Works in Some Applications
Apple+ }
Align Right - Only Works in Some Applications
Apple+ | (pipe)
Align Center - Only Works in Some Applications
Apple+ ; (semicolon)
Check Spelling - Only Works in Some Applications
Shift+Apple+C
Show Colors palette in application - Only Works in Some Applications
Apple+T
Show Font palette in application - Only Works in Some Applications
VIEW MENU
Apple+1
View as Icons
Apple+2
View as List
Apple+3
View as Columns
Option+Apple+T
Hide Toolbar
Apple+J
Show View Options
MOVING AROUND
Apple+ [
Back - Must be in Finder Window
Apple+ ]
Forward - Must be in Finder Window
Shift+Apple+A
Applications - Must be in Finder Window
Shift+Apple+F
Favorites - Must be in Finder Window
Shift+Apple+G
Goto Folder - Must be in Finder Window
Apple+K
Connect to Server - Must be in Finder Window
CONTROLLING WINDOWS
Apple+M
Minimize Window
Option+Apple+M
Minimize All Windows
GETTING HELP
Apple+ ?
Open Mac Help
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
Option+Apple+* (asterisk)
Turn on Zoom
Option+Apple+ = (equal)
Zoom in
Option+Apple+ - (minus)
Zoom out
Control+Option+Apple+* (asterisk)
Switch to White on Black
COMBINE KEYBOARD WITH MOUSE
Option+Drag
Copy to new location
Option+Apple+Drag
Make alias in new location
Apple+Drag
Move to new location without copying
SCREEN SHOTS will leave a .pdf file on desktop to convert to a graphic
Apple+Shift+3
Take a picture of the screen
Apple+Shift+4
Take a picture of the selection
Apple+Shift+4, then press Control while selecting
Take a picture of the screen, place in clipboard
Apple+Shift+4, then Spacebar
Take a picture of the selected window
I do hope keyboard-only enthusiasts find this list to be useful and that mouse enthusiasts find a trick or two that will help you save time for frequently executed commands.
Copies of Nancy's book Tips, Hints, and Solutions for Seasoned Beginners Using Apple Macintosh Computers With OS X are available in PDF download versions for US$9.57 and in print version for $18.15 plus $4.00 shipping. To view sample pages and get ordering information visit the September 14, 2004 column.
Check out Nancy's complete index of all her columns for the most complete list of tips anywhere. The list is categorized and is a great reference when you are looking for help!
Talking to a generation that remembers what the world was like before there was color,
covers issues for people who don't care how their computer works, but rather what their computer and the internet can do for them.
Nancy has a Master's degree in Human Services Administration and prior to her retirement she worked for almost 30 years in field of mental health and mental retardation. She has been a Mac user for 11 years, and has recently developed an avocation of teaching basic computer skills in both group and one-to-one settings.
Nice list. The last two (regarding image capturing) are news to me! Thanks! It's certainly not complete (how could it be, when every app has its own shortcuts?), but it covers most of the common global shortcuts and Finder shortcuts.
Here are some more shortcuts you may find useful.
In the Finder:
Apple+Up Arrow: Open the currently selected folder's parent folder (i.e., move UP one level in the folder hierarchy)
Apple+Down Arrow: Open the selection (pretty much the same as Apple+O, or double-clicking)
Plus, if you hold down the Option key while performing any such command in the Finder, it will close the active folder behind you. So if you option-double-click a file, it will open the file and close the folder. If you press Apple+Option+Up Arrow, it will close the current window and open its parent. I personally can't live without this behavior.
When in list view in the Finder:
Apple+Right Arrow: Expand the selected folder
Apple+Option+Right Arrow: Expand the selected folder AND one more level of sub-folders. This can be done repeatedly to open more and more levels. Very handy!
Apple+Left Arrow: Collapse the selected folder
Apple+Option+Left Arrow: Collapse the selected folder and its sub-folders (so that the next time you expand it, the sub-folders will be collapsed)
System-wide:
Apple+Tab: Switch to the next application (holding down the Apple key after pressing tab will display a list, which you can continue to tab through)
Apple+Shift+Tab: Same as above, only in the reverse order.
Apple+` (that's the key to the left of the 1 key): Cycle through the open windows of the active application. (This is defined in the Keyboard and Mouse preference pane, and might be disabled.)
Apple+Option+Shift+Escape: Force-quits the current application without bringing up a dialog. More dangerous than useful, IMO, especially since it never works on the rare occasions when you actually need it.
In most text-editing programs:
Apple+I: Italic
Apple+B: Bold
Apple+U: Underline
Apple+G: Find Again
I noticed a mistake in your list: you have the "Close All Windows" shortcut listed as Apple+Command+W (Apple and Command are the same key!) when it should be Apple+Option+W. By the way, holding down the Option key when clicking the close box has the same effect.
This is a great list. Now Nancy can you put these into a downloadable PDF for us? copying & pasting these out of the website is cumbersome (at best) and time consuming to get them formatted on to one page at worst.
First of all, the key which you've referred to as the "Apple" key is called by Apple and most Mac users the "Command" key. I know many users new to the Mac think of it as the "Apple" key (the little icon of the Apple being the tip-off!), but some will undoubtedly become confused if they learn this as the "Apple" key, then read about the "Command" key elsewhere.
Secondly, you've erroneously posted the "Close All Windows" shortcut as "Apple+Command+W", when you meant "Apple+Option+W", and which should appear as "Option+Command+W", based on my first point in the above paragraph.
Thirdly, you've posted an inconsistent use of shifted characters like "*", and "{" and "}". Since "*" is actually "Shift+8", this is what I tried for the shortcut to turn on zooming in Universal Access. Didn't work. "Command+Option+8" does work. "Command+{" and "Command+}" do work for alignment, and I think most people understand that "{" is equivalent to "Shift+[".
Lastly, this information has been thoroughly documented on Apple's web site in articles which I found in a quick google search from my finder window. The article at <http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459> contains most of the shortcuts you mention and more, along with links to other articles on keyboard shortcuts for various applications, during startup, and so on. Considering the inaccuracies and inconsistencies I've pointed out in your own article, I don't think you should be offering these tips for sale. Rather, you should do your readers a favor and point them to the reference documents on Apples own web site which they can obtain for free.
And Thirdly, you are bags of mostly water.
I don't think you should be offering these tips for sale. Rather, you should sell them to me and I'll take the credit.
egarc wrote: When you press Apple+Option+ctrl+* the screen briefly switches to a negative before going to black and white.
I once found a shortcut that would change the screen to negative but cannot remember or figure it out. Any shortcut gurus have it?
IINM, there is no keyboard shortcut for this, at least not anymore. However, you can access the feature in the Universal Access preference pane. Just click the "Switch to white on black" button. Command-Option-Control-8 doesn't just trigger this button, but also triggers the "switch to grayscale" button that's right next to it (which is why you see the negative effect for an instant before it goes gray). This is poor phrasing on Apple's part, really, since they say the shortcut is for "Switch to white on black", not both. Bad Apple! No cookie!
The two buttons ("white on black" and "grayscale") can be used together in any combination.
Here are a few other useful shortcuts in editing:
Control+Page Up/Down: Move the cursor along with the page
Option+Left Arrow: Go to the beginning of a word
Option+Eight Arrow: Go to the end of a word
Option +Up Arrow: Go to the beginning of a paragraph
Option +Down Arrow: Go to the end of a paragraph
Apple+Left Arrow: Go to the beginning of a line
Apple+Right Arrow: Go to the end of a line
Apple+Up Arrow: Go to the beginning of a file
Apple+Down Arrow: Go to the end of a file
Combining with Shift changes "Go to" to "Select text up to". No more reaching for the mouse when typing!
The closest I can think of to closing all applications is to start with apple-tab to bring up the switcher, then while still holding down apple, cycle through the open apps tapping tab and tapping q for one you want to close.
I can't let go of calling the key "Command" instead of "Apple". Even though it's the primary key for issuing Commands, it's becoming lesser and lesser. The Control and function keys were non-existent in OS 9, and demand them from came from people wanting to use third-party utilities for adding keyboard shortcuts. Now with OS X and the wave of newcomers from other platforms, it's essential and necessary to utilize those keys, and they are being utilized well. I just wonder when the time will come for the "next generation" keyboard. Maybe Apple will break some ice there one day and innovate keyboards to the next level.
Thanks for catching the error related to "Close All Windows". I've emailed the editor to request a correction and apologize for not catching it myself. Thanks also for the additional hints. The request for a PDF downloadable version is a great idea and I have created one that contains only the charts. You can download it http://home.austin.rr.com/ncg/keyboardhints.pdf.
Just so you know, the link with the PDF has an extra "period" at the end so you end up with a 404 not found. If anybody wants to download this, remove the period from the end of the URL and life will be good. Thanks Nancy for the great work!!
Andrew
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Nancy With Bifocals wrote: Thanks for catching the error related to "Close All Windows". I've emailed the editor to request a correction and apologize for not catching it myself. Thanks also for the additional hints. The request for a PDF downloadable version is a great idea and I have created one that contains only the charts. You can download it http://home.austin.rr.com/ncg/keyboardhints.pdf.
Not to be uber nerd-boy here or anything, the "Apple" key came from way back in the day when some of the keyboards had open apples and solid apples on them. The solid apple got converted to the option key while the open apple stuck.
The first Apple in my house was an Apple IIgs, which sported this keyboard layout. Alas, that was when I was a wee-lad (4 or 5 years old), and since then I've called it "Open Apple" out of habit. My Mac-using friends with far less Mac experience than myself call it "command" and laugh at me when I call it "Open Apple."
I've found a nice little link: <A href="http://www.lowendmac.com/lab/02/0718.html">History of the Command Key</A>
Well, to all you "Command"-ers out there, now you know, that I'm right, once and for all. You'll never convert me, bwahahaha!
I've never heard of a keystroke for this. There's a utility (Classic OS) called QuitAllApops by Erik C. Thauvin that I've used for years. There are a bunch of these at <http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu>, search on "quit".
on previous mac OS versions there was a very cool shortcut which was showing the picture of the team who designed my Mac. After some time all the pics were moving in a crazy way. I cannot find this shortcut in OS X. Can U help? It was sooooo funny.
on previous mac OS versions there was a very cool shortcut which was showing the picture of the team who designed my Mac. After some time all the pics were moving in a crazy way. I cannot find this shortcut in OS X. Can U help? It was sooooo funny.
Hi, Great list, just wondering where you got the Shift and Option Keyboard Icons? No probs getting the Apple Icon but I can't find them anywhere.
Thanks,
MissBee
In System Preferences, choose International, then the 'Input Menu' tab. At the bottom, you can choose to show the input menu in the menu bar.
It will show up as the flag of whatever country you're in, on the right of the menu bar. Click it, then choose 'Show Character Palette'.
Make sure you have selected View: All Characters, and chosen the 'by Category' tab. On the left, choose Symbols > Techhnical Symbols. You can insert any of these characters by drag and drop.
If you don't like where the input menu is in the menu bar, you can move it around (you might know this already) by holding the Command key and dragging it from side to side.
what should someone do when it is only their first time to use a mac powerbook 12".. been a windows user and now just ordered the powerbook 12".. i really need help..
I switched a year ago. It is a fairly easy transition. I found the Mac's OSX interface to be very much like the XP interface (but a whole lot better of course). Here is what I would recommend doing to get started. First read this tutorial by Apple. http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/tour/
Then do these things.
1.Download The Himmel Bar application from here (http://softbend.free.fr/himmelbar/download.html) to function as the "Start Menu" button in XP.
2.Think of the right side of the menu bar as the systray in XP.
3.Think of the left side of the menu bar as the "tool bar" in any given program in XP.
4. Think of the dock as sort of a supped up "task bar". It shows you what programs are open and like the "task bar's" quick launch section - is a short cut to your most frequently used applications.
That should get you started. Apple also has a tutorial on how to migrate your files (MS office docs, music files etc.) over. I just hooked up my external 250gb HD I had been using with my PC to store all my files to my Mac and off I went. No conversions needed! That should get you started. Enjoy...
I am new to iMac (but not to computing) and like using shortcuts. I struggled a bit to find out about them but once I had found ctrl+F2 I could find my way round most of the rest.
However I have a problem with navigating around iCal. The specific problem I have is when I want to add a new event or to do. I click on Apple+N and I can then tye in the event title but I can not work out how I get to the information panel to add in the rest of the details.
Any help gratefully received.
what is command+E? i am new to a imac and I just "ejected" a file I downloaded from the internet. If someone could explain, i'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
CloseViewName:freggelfrankPosts: 1Joined: 31 May 2007 Thu May 31, 2007 6:07 amSubject:
Ctrl-Option-Cmd-8
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Mikuro wrote:
Quote
egarc wrote: When you press Apple+Option+ctrl+* the screen briefly switches to a negative before going to black and white.
I once found a shortcut that would change the screen to negative but cannot remember or figure it out. Any shortcut gurus have it?
IINM, there is no keyboard shortcut for this, at least not anymore. However, you can access the feature in the Universal Access preference pane. Just click the "Switch to white on black" button. Command-Option-Control-8 doesn't just trigger this button, but also triggers the "switch to grayscale" button that's right next to it (which is why you see the negative effect for an instant before it goes gray). This is poor phrasing on Apple's part, really, since they say the shortcut is for "Switch to white on black", not both. Bad Apple! No cookie!
The two buttons ("white on black" and "grayscale") can be used together in any combination.
I activated a strange command that turns all my media downloads into "php.txt." files....and now i cant switch it back.... the command was (option+mouse click) for a media download.