Mac Useful Shortcut Keys & Commands
Complete list of Mac keyboard shortcuts and Terminal commands (macOS)
⌘ = Command Key | ⌥ = Option Key | ⇧ = Shift Key | ⌃ = Control Key
Basic Mac Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + C | Copy |
| ⌘ + V | Paste |
| ⌘ + X | Cut |
| ⌘ + Z | Undo |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + Z | Redo |
| ⌘ + A | Select All |
| ⌘ + F | Find/Search |
| ⌘ + S | Save |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + S | Save As |
| ⌘ + P | |
| ⌘ + Q | Quit Application |
| ⌘ + W | Close Window/Tab |
| ⌘ + T | New Tab |
| ⌘ + N | New Window |
| ⌘ + H | Hide Application |
| ⌘ + M | Minimize Window |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + Esc | Force Quit Applications |
Finder & File Management Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + ⇧ + N | Create New Folder |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + N | New Smart Folder |
| ⌘ + O | Open Selected Item |
| ⌘ + Delete | Move to Trash |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + Delete | Empty Trash |
| ⌘ + I | Get Info (Properties) |
| Enter | Rename File |
| Spacebar | Quick Look (Preview) |
| ⌘ + D | Duplicate File |
| ⌘ + F | Search in Finder |
| ⌘ + ↑ (Up Arrow) | Go to Parent Folder |
| ⌘ + ↓ (Down Arrow) | Open Folder/File |
| ⌘ + [ | Back |
| ⌘ + ] | Forward |
Mac System Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + Space | Open Spotlight Search |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + Space | Open Finder Search |
| ⌘ + Tab | Switch between Applications |
| ⌘ + ` (Backtick) | Switch Windows of Same App |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 3 | Screenshot Full Screen |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 | Screenshot Selected Area |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 5 | Screenshot & Screen Recording |
| ⌘ + ⌃ + Q | Lock Screen |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + Power | Sleep |
| ⌃ + ⌘ + Q | Lock Screen (Alternative) |
| ⌃ + ⌘ + Space | Emoji & Symbols Viewer |
Safari & Browser Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + R | Reload Page |
| ⌘ + L | Select Address Bar |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + R | Reload Without Cache |
| ⌘ + D | Bookmark Page |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + D | Show/Hide Bookmarks Bar |
| ⌘ + + | Zoom In |
| ⌘ + - | Zoom Out |
| ⌘ + 0 | Reset Zoom |
| ⌘ + Click | Open Link in New Tab |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + Click | Open Link and Switch to New Tab |
Terminal Commands (macOS)
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ls | List files/directories | ls -la |
| cd | Change directory | cd Documents |
| pwd | Print current directory | pwd |
| mkdir | Create directory | mkdir NewFolder |
| rmdir | Remove empty directory | rmdir OldFolder |
| rm | Remove files | rm file.txt |
| cp | Copy files | cp file.txt backup/ |
| mv | Move or rename files | mv old.txt new.txt |
| cat | Display file content | cat file.txt |
| nano | Open nano editor | nano file.txt |
| vim | Open vim editor | vim file.txt |
| sudo | Run as superuser | sudo command |
| chmod | Change permissions | chmod 755 script.sh |
| grep | Search text | grep "text" file.txt |
| man | Show manual | man ls |
| clear | Clear screen | clear |
| exit | Close terminal | exit |
Mac Specific Terminal Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| open . | Open current directory in Finder |
| open [file] | Open file with default app |
| open -a [app] | Open application |
| pbcopy | Copy to clipboard |
| pbpaste | Paste from clipboard |
| say [text] | Mac speaks the text |
| killall [app] | Force quit application |
| ditto | Advanced copy with permissions |
| mdls [file] | Show file metadata |
| mdfind [query] | Spotlight search from terminal |
Homebrew Commands (Package Manager for Mac)
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| brew install [package] | Install a package |
| brew uninstall [package] | Uninstall a package |
| brew update | Update Homebrew |
| brew upgrade | Upgrade all packages |
| brew search [keyword] | Search for packages |
| brew list | List installed packages |
| brew cleanup | Remove old versions |
System Information Commands (Mac)
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| system_profiler | Detailed system report |
| sw_vers | Show macOS version |
| uname -a | Show system info |
| whoami | Current username |
| df -h | Disk space usage |
| top | Running processes |
| ps aux | List all processes |
| kill [PID] | Stop a process |