Tips

Essential MacOS Shortcuts

Discover essential MacOS shortcuts to boost your productivity. From general commands and Finder navigation to window management and screenshots, this guide covers frequently used shortcuts and a few you might forget. Keep this handy for quick reference and streamline your MacOS experience.

Stephen Li

Jun 8, 2024 — 1 min read

Navigating MacOS efficiently can be greatly enhanced by using keyboard shortcuts. Here are some shortcuts I frequently use, along with a few I sometimes forget. Keeping them here allows me to easily reference them when needed.

General Shortcuts

Command (⌘) + P: Print
Command (⌘) + W: Close window
Command (⌘) + Q: Quit application
Command (⌘) + Tab: Switch between open applications
Command (⌘) + Option + Esc: Force Quit

Finder Shortcuts

Command (⌘) + N: New Finder window
Command (⌘) + Shift + N: New folder
Command (⌘) + Delete: Move to Trash
Command (⌘) + Shift + Delete: Empty Trash
Command (⌘) + I: Get Info
Command (⌘) + D: Duplicate
Command (⌘) + T: New tab
Command (⌘) + Option + T: Show/Hide toolbar

Window Management

Command (⌘) + M: Minimize window
Command (⌘) + H: Hide application
Command (⌘) + Option + H: Hide other applications
Command (⌘) + Option + M: Minimize all windows

Screenshots

Command (⌘) + Shift + 3: Capture entire screen
Command (⌘) + Shift + 4: Capture selected portion of the screen
Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then Space: Capture a specific window
Command (⌘) + Shift + 5: Open screenshot toolbar

Save Screenshot to Clipboard

Shift + Command (⌘) + Control + 3: Capture the entire screen and copy it to the clipboard
Shift + Command (⌘) + Control + 4: Capture a selected portion of the screen and copy it to the clipboard
- After pressing these keys, you can drag to select the area you want to capture.
Shift + Command (⌘) + Control + 4, then Space bar: Capture a window and copy it to the clipboard
- After pressing these keys, press the Space bar, then click the window you want to capture.