Startup Keystrokes

Keys to Hold Down	Effect
C	Starts up from a CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive
N	Starts up from a network server
R	Resets the laptop screen
⌘-R	Starts Recovery Mode
T	Puts the Mac into FireWire or Thunderbolt Target Disk mode
Option	Shows icons of all startup disks and partitions, so you can choose one for starting up
Option-⌘-P-R	Zaps the parameter RAM (PRAM) (hold down until you hear the second chime)
⌘-V	Shows Unix console messages during startup, logout, and shutdown
⌘-S	Starts up in single-user (Unix command-line) mode
Mouse down	Ejects a stuck CD or DVD
Shift	Just after powering up: Turns off kernel extensions
Shift	Just after logging in: Prevents Finder windows and startup items from opening (they’ll return the next time you start up)

In the Finder

⌘-space	Opens Spotlight box
Option-⌘-space	Opens Spotlight window
,	Expands or collapses a selected folder in list view
Option-	Expands a folder in a list view and all folders inside it
Option-	Collapses a folder and all folders inside it
⌘-	Opens parent folder
⌘- (or ⌘-O)	Opens the selected icon
Option-click the flippy triangle	Expands or collapses all folders within that window
Tab	Selects next icon alphabetically
Shift-Tab	Selects previous icon alphabetically
space bar	Opens Quick Look preview of highlighted icon(s)
space bar	During a spring-loaded folder drag, opens the disk or folder under the mouse immediately
Option-click Zoom button	Enlarges the window (but not into Full Screen mode)
Option-click Close button	Closes all Finder windows
Option-click Minimize button	Minimizes all windows (works in most apps)
⌘-drag an icon	Moves it into, or out of, the System folder (administrator password required)
Option	Changes Quick Look button to Slideshow button
⌘-drag	Rearranges or removes menulets or toolbar icons
⌘-click window title	Opens a pop-up menu showing the folder path

Option	Eliminates the confirmation box from Empty Trash and Secure Empty Trash
Shift-⌘-Delete	Empties the Trash
Shift-⌘-Delete	Puts back a highlighted icon now in the Trash
Shift-Option-⌘-Delete	Empties the Trash without confirmation box
Option-Empty Trash	Empties the Trash without confirmation box
⌘-comma	Opens Preferences
⌘-H	Hide this program
Option-⌘-H	Hide other programs

⌘-N	New Finder window
⌘-T	New Finder tab
Shift-⌘-N	New folder
Option-⌘-N	New smart folder
⌘-O or ⌘-	Open
Control-⌘-O	Open in new window and close previously open window
Option-click File menu	Changes “Open With” to “Always Open With”
⌘-W	Close window
Option-⌘-W	Close All
⌘-I	Get Info
Option-⌘-I	Show Inspector
Control-⌘-I	Summary Info (of selected icons)
⌘-D	Duplicate
⌘-L	Make Alias
⌘-Y	Quick Look
Option-⌘-Y	Slideshow (of selected icons)
⌘-R	Show Original (of alias)
Control-⌘-T	Add to Sidebar
Shift-Control-⌘-T	Add to Dock
⌘-Delete	Move to Trash
⌘-E	Eject
⌘-F	Find
Shift-⌘-F	Search All My Files

⌘-Z	Undo
⌘-C, ⌘-X, ⌘-V	Copy, Cut, Paste
Option-⌘-V	Move copied icons to this window
⌘-A	Select All
Option-⌘-A	Deselect All

⌘-1, -2, -3, -4	Icon, list, column, Cover Flow views
Control-⌘-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -0	Arrange by Name, Kind, Date Last Opened, Date Added, Date Modified, Size, Tags, None
Option	Changes “Clean Up Selection” to “Clean Up”
Option	Changes “Arrange By” to “Sort By”
Shift-⌘-T	Show/hide Tabs bar
Shift-⌘-P	Show/hide preview pane
Option-⌘-P	Show/hide Path bar
Option-⌘-T	Show/hide Toolbar
Option-⌘-S	Show/hide Sidebar
⌘-/	Show/hide status bar
⌘-J	Show/hide View Options palette
Control-⌘-F	Full Screen mode

⌘-[, ⌘-]	Back, Forward
⌘-	Enclosing folder
Control-⌘-	Enclosing folder in new window
Option-⌘-T	Show/Hide Toolbar
Shift-⌘-F	All My Files window
Shift-⌘-O	Documents window
Shift-⌘-D	Desktop window
Option-⌘-L	Downloads window
Shift-⌘-H	Home window
Option	Makes Library command appear
Shift-⌘-C	Computer window
Shift-⌘-R	AirDrop window
Shift-⌘-K	Network window
Shift-⌘-I	iCloud Drive window
Shift-⌘-A	Applications window
Shift-⌘-G	Go to Folder
⌘-K	Connect to Server

⌘-M	Minimize
Option-⌘-M	Minimize All

Shift-⌘-?

Opens help search box

Control-	Brings up dialog box for Shut Down, Sleep, or Restart
Option-⌘-	Sleep
Control-Option-⌘-	Shut Down
Control-⌘-	Restart

Option-click a Dock icon	Switches to new program and hides previous one
Option-⌘-D	Hides/shows the Dock
⌘-click a Dock or Stacks icon	Reveals its actual Finder icon
Option-⌘-click a Dock icon	Switches to this program and hides all others
Control-click a Dock icon	Opens a shortcut menu
Hold mouse down on Dock app icon	Triggers Exposé (shows all windows of that app in miniature)
⌘-drag an icon onto a Dock icon	Prevents Dock icons from moving, so you can drop your icon onto one of them
⌘-drag a Dock icon	Drags the actual item
Option-⌘-drag an icon onto the Dock	Forces a Dock program to open the icon you’re dropping on it

Option-click a Dock icon	Switches to new program and hides the previous one
Option-click in a window	Switches to new program and hides the previous one
⌘-H	Hide this program’s windows (works in most apps)
Option-⌘-H	Hide all other programs’ windows (most apps)
Control-,	Previous/next Spaces screen
F9	Exposé: Shrinks and tiles all windows in all programs
Shift-F9	Exposé: Shrinks and tiles all windows in slow motion
F10	Exposé: Shrinks and tiles all windows in frontmost program
F11	Exposé: Flings all windows in all programs to edges of screen, revealing desktop
F12	Dashboard widgets
⌘-Tab	Press and release: Switches back and forth between current and previous open programs
⌘-Tab	Hold down ⌘: Displays floating icons of open programs. Press Tab repeatedly to cycle through them. (Add Shift to cycle backward through open programs.)
⌘-~	Switches to next open window in this program. (Add Shift to cycle in the opposite direction.)
Option-⌘-Esc	Opens the Force Quit dialog box (to close a stuck program)
Shift-⌘-3	Captures the screen image as a PNG file on your desktop
Shift-⌘-4	Produces a crosshairs; drag to capture a selected portion of the screen as a PNG graphics file. (Press space to get the “camera” cursor that snips out just a menu, icon, or window.)
⌘-space	Switches keyboard layout (if more than one is installed). (If you use Spotlight, you must choose a different keystroke for this function.)

⌘-comma	Opens Preferences dialog box (any Apple program)
Esc	“Clicks” the Cancel button in a dialog box
Return	“Clicks” the OK button (or other blue, high-lighted button) in a dialog box
Option-⌘-F	Moves the insertion point to the search box in most Apple programs
⌘-D, ⌘-R	“Clicks” the Don’t Save or Replace button

Two-finger click	Right-click
Two-finger drag up/down	Scroll up/down
Two-finger swipe left-/right	Move among open Web or document pages
Two-finger swipe from right edge	Open Notification Center
Two-finger pinch or spread	Zoom in or out of a picture, PDF, or Web page
Two-finger rotate	Rotate photo or PDF
Two-finger double-tap (not click)	“Smart zoom” into Safari or Preview page
Three-finger swipe up	Mission Control
Three-finger swipe down	Show all windows in this app (Exposé)
Three-finger swipe left/right	Previous/next Spaces screen or full-screen app
Three-finger drag	Move window
Three-finger tap (not click)	Look up this word in Dictionary
Four-finger pinch	Open Launchpad
Four-finger spread	Reveal desktop (Exposé)

One-finger double-tap (not click)	“Smart zoom” into Safari or Preview page
Two-finger double-tap (not click)	Mission Control
One-finger swipe left-/right	Move between open Web or document
Two-finger swipe left/right	Previous/next Spaces screen or full-screen app

Option	Changes “About This Mac” to System Information
Shift-⌘-Q	Logs out
Shift-Option-⌘-Q	Logs out without confirmation box