Working efficiently is something many people strive for, yet often people struggle to find these improvements. One area where gains can be made is the keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts are a powerful way to navigate more quickly, edit text and control system functions without constantly reaching for the mouse. In this blog, we walk through the most commonly used Apple keyboard shortcuts for macOS, so your user experience becomes even better.
Table of contents
General keyboard shortcuts
Let’s start with the basics. The following shortcuts work in almost all apps and form the foundation of efficient Mac use.
Mac Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
⌘
+
C
|
Copy |
|
⌘
+
V
|
Paste |
|
⌘
+
X
|
Cut |
|
⌘
+
Z
|
Undo |
|
Shift
+
⌘
+
Z
|
Redo |
|
⌘
+
A
|
Select all |
|
⌘
+
S
|
Save |
|
⌘
+
P
|
Print |
|
⌘
+
Q
|
Quit app |
|
⌘
+
W
|
Close current window/tab |
These combinations are similar to those on other operating systems, but on a Mac the Command key plays a central role.
Power on/off & logging in/out
macOS also offers useful keyboard shortcuts for system actions, especially in combination with the Apple menu.
Mac Systeem Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
Control
+
⌘
+
Q
|
Immediately lock the screen |
|
Shift
+
⌘
+
Q
|
Log out (with confirmation) |
|
Option
+
⌘
+
Q
|
Log out immediately without confirmation |
|
Control
+
Option
+
⌘
+
Power
|
Restart |
|
Control
+
⌘
+
Power
|
Restart Mac (with dialogue) |
Good to know: some combinations differ by Mac model, especially since the introduction of Touch ID and Apple Silicon.
Finder and System shortcuts
For experienced Apple users, Finder needs little introduction. But for those who are less familiar with Apple’s system, Finder is the heart of macOS. With these keyboard shortcuts, you can navigate files and folders more quickly.
Mac Finder Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
⌘
+
N
|
New Finder window |
|
⌘
+
T
|
New Finder tab |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
N
|
New folder |
|
⌘
+
Delete
|
Move to bin |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
Delete
|
Empty bin |
|
Space
|
Quick look (file preview) |
|
⌘
+
,
|
Preference of the active app |
In addition, a few system-wide shortcuts are also very useful:
Mac Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
⌘
+
Space
|
Spotlight search |
|
Control
+
⌘
+
Space
|
Emoji and Symbols viewer |
|
⌘
+
Tab
|
Switch between active apps |
Keyboard shortcuts for text processing
Writing and editing text is a daily activity for many people. No matter how short or long the text is, a keyboard shortcut makes it much easier.
Mac Tekst Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
⌘
+
B
|
Bold |
|
⌘
+
I
|
Italic |
|
⌘
+
U
|
Underline |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
>
|
Increase text size |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
<
|
Decrease text size |
|
Option
+
←
/
→
|
Navigate word by word |
|
⌘
+
←
/
→
|
Jump to the beginning or end of a line |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
←
/
→
|
Select text line by line |
These shortcuts work in Pages, Word, Mail and many other word processors.
Accessibility keyboard shortcuts
Apple is known for its strong accessibility features, many of which can also be controlled via the keyboard.
Mac Accessibility Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
Option
+
⌘
+
F5
|
Accessibility menu |
|
⌘
+
F5
|
Turn VoiceOver on/off |
|
Option
+
⌘
+
8
|
Toggle zoom on/off |
|
Option
+
⌘
+
=
|
Zoom in |
|
Option
+
⌘
+
-
|
Zoom out |
For users with visual, motor or cognitive impairments, these shortcuts can significantly improve day-to-day use.
Keyboard shortcuts in Safari
You can save a lot of time in Safari as well by using the right keyboard shortcuts.
Mac Browser Sneltoetsen
| Sneltoets |
Functie |
|
⌘
+
T
|
New tab |
|
⌘
+
W
|
Close tab |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
T
|
Reopen last closed tab |
|
⌘
+
L
|
Move cursor to the address bar |
|
⌘
+
R
|
Refresh page |
|
⌘
+
[
|
Previous page |
|
⌘
+
]
|
Next page |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
\
|
Tab overview |
Other important keyboard shortcuts
Finally, several shortcuts that don’t fit into a single category but are frequently useful.
Mac Screenshot en Lock Sneltoetsen
| Shortcut |
Function |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
3
|
Screenshot of the entire screen |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
4
|
Screenshot of a selection |
|
⌘
+
Shift
+
5
|
Screenshot and screen recording options |
|
⌘
+
Control
+
Q
|
Immediately lock the screen |
|
Option
+
Shift
+
Vol Up/Down
|
Adjust volume in smaller increments |
These are the kinds of shortcuts you learn once, and never want to be without again.
