Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
The system-wide macOS shortcuts that work in almost every app — Spotlight, app switching, screenshots and the rescue combos worth memorising.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotlight search | ⌘Space | — | |
| Switch apps | ⌘Tab | — | |
| Screenshot selected area | ⇧⌘4 | — | |
| Screenshot whole screen | ⇧⌘3 | — | |
| Screenshot & recording menu | ⇧⌘5 | — | |
| Force Quit dialog | ⌥⌘Esc | — | |
| Lock screen | ⌃⌘Q | — | |
| Hide front app | ⌘H | — | |
| Quit app | ⌘Q | — | |
| Emoji & symbols picker | ⌃⌘Space | — | |
| Mission Control | ⌃↑ | — | |
| Copy / paste / cut | ⌘C / ⌘V / ⌘X | — |
The three every Mac user needs
Spotlight (⌘Space) opens apps, does math and finds files faster than any Dock click. ⇧⌘4 turns the cursor into crosshairs to grab any region — press Space after it to snap a single window. ⌥⌘Esc is the rescue hatch when an app freezes, giving you the Force Quit list without a restart.
Screenshots go deeper than you think
After ⇧⌘4, hold Space to capture a whole window with its shadow, or hold Control while you release to copy straight to the clipboard instead of saving a file. ⇧⌘5 opens the full capture bar with screen-recording and timer options.
FAQ
What is the ⌘ symbol?
That's the Command key, the primary modifier on Mac keyboards (equivalent to Ctrl on Windows for most shortcuts). ⌥ is Option/Alt, ⌃ is Control, and ⇧ is Shift.
How do I take a screenshot on a Mac?
⇧⌘3 captures the whole screen; ⇧⌘4 lets you drag a selection; ⇧⌘5 opens a bar with recording and window options. Files land on the Desktop by default.
My app is frozen — what's the fastest fix?
Press ⌥⌘Esc to open Force Quit, select the unresponsive app and click Force Quit. This closes just that app without restarting the Mac.