Startup keyboard shortcuts
Press the key or key combination until the expected function occurs/appears (for example, hold
Option during startup until Startup Manager appears, or Shift until "Safe Boot" appears). Tip: If
a startup function doesn't work and you use a third-party keyboard, connect an Apple keyboard
and try again.
Key or key combination What it does
Option Display all bootable volumes (Startup
Shift Perform Safe Boot (start up in Safe Mo
C Start from a bootable disc (DVD, CD)
T Start in FireWire target disk mode
N Start from NetBoot server
X Force Mac OS X startup (if non-Mac O
Command-V Start in Verbose Mode
Command-S Start in Single User Mode
Finder keyboard shortcuts
Key combination What it does
Command-A Select all items in the front Finder win
Option-Command-A Deselect all items
Shift-Command-A Open the Applications folder
Command-C Copy selected item/text to the Clipboa
Shift-Command-C Open the Computer window
Command-D Duplicate selected item
Shift-Command-D Open desktop folder
Command-E Eject
Command-F Find any matching Spotlight attribute
Shift-Command-F Find Spotlight file name matches
Option-Command-F Navigate to the search field in an alrea
Shift-Command-G Go to Folder
Shift-Command-H Open the Home folder of the currently
Command-I Get Info
Option-Command-I Show Inspector
Control-Command-I Get Summary Info
Shift-Command-I Open iDisk
Command-J Show View Options
Command-K Connect to Server
Shift-Command-K Open Network window
Command-L Make alias of the selected item
Command-M Minimize window
Option-Command-M Minimize all windows
Command-N New Finder window
Shift-Command-N New folder
Option-Command-N New Smart Folder
Command-O Open selected item
Shift-Command-Q Log Out
Option-Shift-Command-Q Log Out immediately
Command-R Show original (of alias)
Command-T Add to Sidebar
Shift-Command-T Add to Favorites
Option-Command-T Hide Toolbar / Show Toolbar in Finder
Shift-Command-U Open Utilities folder
Command-V Paste
Command-W Close window
Option-Command-W Close all windows
Command-X Cut
Option-Command-Y Slideshow (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)
Command-Z Undo / Redo
Command-1 View as Icon
Command-2 View as List
Command-3 View as Columns
Command-4 View as Cover Flow (Mac OS X 10.5
Command-, (Command and the comma key) Open Finder preferences
Command-` (the Grave accent key--above Tab key on a US English keyboard layout) Cycle through open Finder windows
Command-Shift-? Open Mac Help
Option-Shift-Command-Esc (hold for three seconds) - Mac OS X v10.5, v10.6 or later only Force Quit front-most application
Command-[ Back
Command-] Forward
Command-Up Arrow Open enclosed folder
Control-Command-Up Arrow Open enclosed folder in a new window
Command-Down Arrow Open highlighted item
Command-Tab Switch application--cycle forward
Shift-Command-Tab Switch application--cycle backward
Command-Delete Move to Trash
Shift-Command-Delete Empty Trash
Option-Shift-Command-Delete Empty Trash without confirmation dia
Spacebar (or Command-Y) Quick Look (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)
Move dragged item to other volume/lo
Command key while dragging
this article)
Option key while dragging Copy dragged item (pointer icon chang
Option-Command key combination while dragging Make alias of dragged item (pointer ic
Application and other Mac OS X keyboard commands
Note: Some applications may not support all of the below application key combinations.
Key combination What it does
Show or hide the Spotlight search field
Command-Space
through enabled script systems)
Control-A Move to beginning of line/paragraph
Control-B Move one character backward
Control-D Delete the character in front of the cur
Control-E Move to end of line/paragraph
Control-F Move one character forward
Control-H Delete the character behind the cursor
Control-K Delete from the character in front of th
Control-L Center the cursor/selection in the visib
Control-N Move down one line
Control-O Insert a new line after the cursor
Control-P Move up one line
Control-T Transpose the character behind the cur
Control-V Move down one page
Show the Spotlight search results wind
Option-Command-Space
through keyboard layouts and input me
Command-Tab Move forward to the next most recentl
Shift-Command-Tab Move backward through a list of open
Shift-Tab Navigate through controls in a reverse
Move focus to the next grouping of co
Control-Tab
to the next cell)
Shift-Control-Tab Move focus to the previous grouping o
Command-esc Open Front Row (if installed)
Option-Eject Eject from secondary optical media dr
Control-Eject Show shutdown dialog
Option-Command-Eject Put the computer to sleep
Quit all applications (after giving you
Control-Command-Eject
restart the computer
Quit all applications (after giving you
Control Option-Command-Eject
shut down the computer
fn-Delete Forward Delete (on portable Macs' bui
Control-F1 Toggle full keyboard access on or off
Control-F2 Move focus to the menu bar
Control-F3 Move focus to the Dock
Control-F4 Move focus to the active (or next) win
Shift-Control-F4 Move focus to the previously active w
Control-F5 Move focus to the toolbar.
Control-F6 Move focus to the first (or next) panel
Shift-Control-F6 Move focus to the previous panel
Control-F7 Temporarily override the current keybo
F9 Tile or untile all open windows
F10 Tile or untile all open windows in the c
F11 Hide or show all open windows
F12 Hide or display Dashboard
Command-` Activate the next open window in the f
Shift-Command-` Activate the previous open window in
Option-Command-` Move focus to the window drawer
Command- - (minus) Decrease the size of the selected item
Command-{ Left-align a selection
Command-} Right-align a selection
Command-| Center-align a selection
Command-: Display the Spelling window
Command-; Find misspelled words in the documen
Command-, Open the front application's preference
Option-Control-Command-, Decrease screen contrast
Option-Control-Command-. Increase screen contrast
Command-? Open the application's help in Help Vie
Option-Command-/ Turn font smoothing on or off
Shift-Command-= Increase the size of the selected item
Shift-Command-3 Capture the screen to a file
Shift-Control-Command-3 Capture the screen to the Clipboard
Shift-Command-4 Capture a selection to a file
Shift-Control-Command-4 Capture a selection to the Clipboard
Command-A Highlight every item in a document or
Command-B Boldface the selected text or toggle bo
Command-C Copy the selected data to the Clipboard
Shift-Command-C Display the Colors window
Option-Command-C Copy the style of the selected text
Control-Command-C Copy the formatting settings of the sel
Option-Command-D Show or hide the Dock
Command-Control D Display the definition of the selected w
Command-E Use the selection for a find
Command-F Open a Find window
Option-Command-F Move to the search field control
Command-G Find the next occurrence of the selectio
Shift-Command-G Find the previous occurrence of the sel
Command-H Hide the windows of the currently run
Option-Command-H Hide the windows of all other running
Command-I Italicize the selected text or toggle itali
Option-Command-I Display an inspector window
Command-J Scroll to a selection
Command-M Minimize the active window to the Do
Option-Command-M Minimize all windows of the active ap
Command-N Create a new document in the frontmo
Command-O Display a dialog for choosing a docum
Command-P Display the Print dialog
Shift-Command-P Display a dialog for specifying printin
Command-Q Quit the frontmost application
Command-S Save the active document
Shift-Command-S Display the Save As dialog
Command-T Display the Fonts window
Option-Command-T Show or hide a toolbar
Command-U Underline the selected text or turn und
Command-V Paste the Clipboard contents at the inse
Option-Command-V Apply the style of one object to the sel
Option-Shift-Command-V Apply the style of the surrounding text
Control-Command-V Apply formatting settings to the select
Command-W Close the frontmost window
Shift-Command-W Close a file and its associated windows
Option-Command-W Close all windows in the application w
Command-X Remove the selection and store in the C
Command-Z Undo previous command (some applic
Shift-Command-Z Redo previous command (some applic
Control-Right Arrow Move focus to another value or cell wi
Control-Left Arrow Move focus to another value or cell wi
Control-Down Arrow Move focus to another value or cell wi
Control-Up Arrow Move focus to another value or cell wi
Command-Right Arrow Move the text insertion point to the en
Command-Left Arrow Move the text insertion point to the be
Command-Down Arrow Move the text insertion point to the en
Command-Up Arrow Move the text insertion point to the be
Shift-Command-Right Arrow
Select text between the insertion point
Shift-Command-Left Arrow Select text between the insertion point
Shift-Right Arrow Extend text selection one character to t
Shift-Left Arrow Extend text selection one character to t
Shift-Command-Up Arrow Select text between the insertion point
Shift-Command-Down Arrow Select text between the insertion point
Extend text selection to the line above,
Shift-Up Arrow
horizontal location (*)
Extend text selection to the line below,
Shift-Down Arrow
horizontal location (*)
Extend text selection to the end of the
Shift-Option-Right Arrow
pressed again (*)
Extend text selection to the beginning
Shift-Option-Left Arrow
following word if pressed again (*)
Extend text selection to the end of the
Shift-Option-Down Arrow
paragraph if pressed again (*)
Extend text selection to the beginning
Shift-Option-Up Arrow
following paragraph if pressed again (*
Control-Space Toggle between the current and previo
Option-Control-Space Toggle through all enabled input sourc
Option-Command-esc Force Quit
(*) Note: If no text is selected, the extension begins at the insertion point. If text is selected by
dragging, then the extension begins at the selection boundary. Reversing the direction of the
selection deselects the appropriate unit.
Universal Access - Mouse Keys
When Mouse Keys is turned on in Universal Access preferences, you can use the keyboard or
numeric keypad keys to move the mouse pointer. If your computer doesn't have a numeric
keypad, use the Fn (function) key.
Key combination What it does
8 Move Up
2 Move Down
4 Move Left
6 Move Right
1 Move Diagonally Bottom Left
3 Move Diagonally Bottom Right
7 Move Diagonally Top Left
9 Move Diagonally Top Right
5 Press Mouse Button
0 Hold Mouse Button
. (period on number pad) Release Hold Mouse Button
