How do I take a screenshot of a selected area on a Mac?

Press Cmd Shift 4, then drag to select the region. Release to save a PNG to the desktop. Hold Control while releasing to copy it to the clipboard instead, or press Space after Cmd Shift 4 to capture a whole window.

How do I show hidden files in Finder?

Press Cmd Shift Period (full stop) in any Finder window to toggle hidden files and folders on or off. The same chord works in Open and Save dialogs.

What is the shortcut to switch between open apps?

Hold Cmd and press Tab to cycle forward through open apps; add Shift to cycle backward. To switch between windows of the same app, use Cmd and the backtick key.

Why does a function-key shortcut not work?

Many Mac keyboards default the top row to media keys, so you may need to hold Fn as well, for example Fn F11 to show the desktop. You can reverse this default in System Settings under Keyboard.

Are zoom and VoiceOver shortcuts on by default?

VoiceOver toggles with Cmd F5 out of the box. Display zoom shortcuts such as Option Cmd 8 only work once you enable Zoom in System Settings under Accessibility, so they are listed here as conditional.

What is the macOS Keyboard Shortcuts?

Filterable macOS keyboard shortcut reference covering system commands, Finder, screenshots, Mission Control, text editing and accessibility, with Apple's documented default key combinations. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

macOS Keyboard Shortcuts

Name: macOS Keyboard Shortcuts
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

macOS keeps almost every common action one chord away, but the screenshot, Mission Control, and Finder shortcuts are easy to forget. This reference lists Apple’s documented system-wide defaults, grouped so you can scan the category you need.

How it works

Every entry stores the action, a category, and the exact key combination using macOS glyph names — Cmd, Option, Shift, and Control. The search box matches all three fields, so you can look up Cmd Shift 4 or simply type screenshot. The category selector limits the table to one group such as Finder or Text editing. Nothing is sent anywhere; the list is static and renders instantly.

Tips and notes

Screenshot files land on the desktop by default; open the toolbar with Cmd Shift 5 to change the save location or start a screen recording.
Text-navigation chords work in nearly every Cocoa text field: Cmd Left/Right jump to line ends, Option Left/Right move by word.
Apps can override system shortcuts, so a chord may behave differently inside a given application.
Accessibility shortcuts like Zoom must be switched on in System Settings before the key combinations take effect.

When a function-key shortcut does nothing, add the Fn key — most modern Mac keyboards map the top row to brightness and media by default.

Screenshot shortcuts in full

macOS has a layered screenshot system accessed through three main chords:

Shortcut	What it captures
`Cmd Shift 3`	Entire screen, saved to desktop
`Cmd Shift 4`	Drag to select an area, saved to desktop
`Cmd Shift 4`, then `Space`	Click a window to capture it, saved to desktop
`Cmd Shift 5`	Opens the screenshot toolbar (area, window, screen, recording)
Add `Control` to any above	Saves to clipboard instead of desktop

The Cmd Shift 5 toolbar also lets you set a timer, hide the mouse pointer, and change the default save location.

Finder shortcuts worth memorizing

Beyond Cmd Shift Period for hidden files, Finder has several time-saving chords:

Cmd Delete — move selected item to the Trash
Cmd Shift Delete — empty the Trash (requires confirmation)
Cmd N — open a new Finder window
Cmd T — open a new tab in the same window
Cmd 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 — switch between Icon, List, Column, and Gallery views
Cmd Shift G — opens the “Go to Folder” dialog, useful for navigating to hidden paths like ~/Library

Mission Control and window management

Mission Control chords give you control over virtual desktops and window arrangements without a mouse:

Control + Up arrow — show Mission Control (all spaces and windows)
Control + Down arrow — show all windows of the current app
Control + Left/Right arrows — move to adjacent Desktop space
Control + Number key — jump directly to that Desktop space

Combine these with the full-screen and split-view features: Ctrl Option Cmd F enters full screen in most apps, and dragging a window to the top of the screen in Mission Control view creates a new Desktop space.

Text editing shortcuts that work everywhere

The following chords work in virtually every macOS text field, terminal, and document:

Cmd Left/Right — jump to the start or end of the current line
Option Left/Right — move one word at a time
Cmd Up/Down — jump to the start or end of the document
Add Shift to any movement to select while moving
Ctrl K — delete (kill) from cursor to end of line (Unix-style, works in terminals and many apps)
Ctrl A / Ctrl E — move to beginning or end of line (Emacs-style, not Cmd)

These are Cocoa text system standards, so they apply in Safari, Messages, Notes, TextEdit, and most third-party apps that use native text fields.