#MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS SERIES#
#MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS WINDOWS#

To make sure a file is securely gone, or simply prevent the Trash folder from taking up too much hard drive room, hit Cmd+Opt+Delete to immediately delete a file for good. This can be a great safety net if you need to restore a trashed file-but if you can get the file back, so can any snoop with access to your computer. When you delete a file, it goes into the Trash for a set period of time before the system makes it completely inaccessible. When Siri pops up, you can voice a variety of commands, from searching local files to preparing for the day’s weather.Ĭmd+Opt+Delete: Immediately delete a file You need to press and hold these keys to access Siri-a quick tap will instead launch the macOS search tool Spotlight. So take advantage of this feature and launch it with the Cmd+Space shortcut.

You can call on Siri, Apple’s smart digital assistant, in macOS. If you find that you prefer the dock-free look, go to System Preferences, where the Dock entry lets you automatically hide it when it’s not in use. Press the shortcut again to reveal the dock once more. On the occasions when you want to quickly hide it from view, just hit Cmd+Opt+D. You can also select a list of several files and press Cmd+Opt+Y to access a Quick Look slideshow.Īs useful as a Mac’s dock of app shortcuts is, it can eat up some valuable screen space. To close this view, tap Space one more time. Just select the file you want to preview in Finder and hit Space.

#MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS SERIES#

The Quick Look shortcut is perfect for looking at a series of images or other files without fully opening them in an application. Hold down the Cmd key even after you press Tab, and you’ll see icons for all your open apps: Hit Tab to cycle through them.

#MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS WINDOWS#

Try adding the Option key for the opposite effect: Cmd+Opt+H hides all the open windows of all the open applications, except the one you’re using right now.Ī quick tap on the Cmd+Tab keyboard shortcut will switch you from your currently-foremost app to the app you were using immediately before another tap will take you back again. Keep on hiding each application, and you’ll wind up with a clear view of the desktop.

Need to cut down on on-screen clutter? Simple but effective, Cmd+H hides all the open windows of the application you currently are using, and switches the foremost application to the most recent one. Whichever view you end up using, the arrow keys will let you navigate through lists, columns, and files-all without having to reach for the mouse. Cmd+1 lets you view each file as an icon, Cmd+2 as a list, Cmd+3 shows the contents of a set of folders as a series of columns, and Cmd+4 gives you the cover flow perspective. You can switch between these options by pressing CMD and then a number. Better macOS navigationįinder offers several different ways to view your files. Then move on to the next file by moving the cursor.

Once you’ve selected the file in Finder, you hit the Return key, type out the new name, and hit Return again when you’ve finished. If you spend a lot of time renaming files, this shortcut will really come in handy. In your browser, you can search the current webpage in Finder, you search the contents of your hard drive in iTunes, you search your music library or the store and so on. No matter what you’re doing on the computer, you can start a search from just about anywhere by hitting Cmd+F. To properly shut down an application, choose Quit from its menu-or better yet, employ this keyboard shortcut. If you’re accustomed to Windows machines, you may have to adjust to this quirk-and to the fact that, because it leaves programs running, it can slow down your processor speed. When you click the red “x” in the top-left corner of an application window, macOS won’t actually shut down the program completely, though it will close the selected window. This one really proves its worth when you need to close down a lot of windows, images, or anything else in quick succession. It works for just about anything, from open documents to browser tabs. This works across multiple programs, whether you’ve accidentally deleted a file, applied an image filter you don’t like, or erased pages of carefully crafted prose.Ĭmd+W is the universal keyboard shortcut for closing whatever window or file you currently have open. Perhaps the most useful keyboard shortcut ever invented, Cmd+Z (like Ctrl+Z on a Windows machine) undoes your very last action. (Don’t use a Mac? Check out our guide to Windows keyboard shortcuts instead.) The basics

Here are 20 of the most useful shortcuts for Apple computers. Over hours, days, and weeks, that saved time really adds up. Whether you’re browsing the web or editing a document, these commands will cut the precious moments you spend reaching for the mouse and sifting through menus. The right keyboard shortcuts can save you a huge amount of time.

Mac keyboard shortcuts