Start with common keyboard shortcuts

Use key combinations for common actions such as copy, paste, undo, switching apps, and searching, so you spend less time finding commands in menus.

Open the interactive guide

Utilities & shortcuts

Before you start

The action for pressing the Fn/Globe key alone can be changed in System Settings > Keyboard, including switching input sources or showing emoji. To open emoji, use Control-Command-Space or Fn-E.

Settings path

Any app › Menu bar in the upper-left corner › Shortcut symbols beside menu commands

Steps

Open an app such as Finder or Safari.
Look at the menu bar in the upper-left corner of the screen. Open a menu such as File or Edit and notice that many commands show shortcut symbols on the right.
Start with three combinations: hold the key labeled Command or ⌘, then press C to copy, V to paste, or Z to undo.
When those feel familiar, try Command-Tab to switch apps and Command-Space to open Spotlight search.
No system setting needs to be changed. Start using a shortcut whenever you repeat the related action.

Before

Each action requires moving to the mouse or trackpad and finding a command in the menu bar.

After

Common actions can be completed directly with key combinations, and many menu commands show their shortcut beside the name.

Keyboard shortcuts

Action	Shortcut	Description
Close	Command-W	Close the window.
Copy	Command-C	Copy the selected content.
Cut	Command-X	Cut the selected content.
Delete	Delete	Delete the character before the cursor.
Find	Command-F	Find text.
Force Quit	Option-Command-Escape	Force quit an unresponsive app.
Forward Delete	Fn-Delete	Delete the character after the cursor.
Hide	Command-H	Hide the active app.
New	Command-N	Open a new Finder window or create a new document in another app.
New Tab	Command-T	Open a new tab in Finder, a document, or Safari.
Paste	Command-V	Paste a copy of the last copied or cut item.
Paste and Match Style	Option-Shift-Command-V	Paste a copy while matching the current document’s style.
Print	Command-P	Print a document.
Quick Look	Space bar	Select one or more items, then preview their contents without opening the related app.
Quit	Command-Q	Quit an app.
Secondary Click	Control-click	Open a shortcut menu.
Save	Command-S	Save a document.
Capture the full screen	Shift-Command-3	Capture the entire screen.
Capture a selected area	Shift-Command-4	Capture part of the screen.
Open Screenshot	Shift-Command-5	Take a screenshot or screen recording.
Select All	Command-A	Select all content.
Show Emoji and Symbols	Control-Command-Space / Fn-E	Open the Character Viewer. Pressing the Fn/Globe key alone depends on the action selected in Keyboard settings.
Spotlight search	Command-Space	Search for anything on your Mac.
Switch apps	Command-Tab	Press Command-Tab again for the next app, or Shift-Command-Tab for the previous app.
Undo	Command-Z	Undo the previous action.

Undo the change

Nothing needs to be restored. To change or turn off system shortcuts, click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner, then choose System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts.

Sources and version notes

This guide records a path review for macOS 27.0.1 on 2026-10-14; labels may differ on other versions.