Play / Pause Shortcut (Mac & Windows)
Play or pause media with the Play/Pause media key — on Mac it is F8 (or the Play key / Touch Bar), on Windows the play-pause media key. Spacebar works inside most players.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play / pause | F8 (Play/Pause key) | Play/Pause media key | |
| Play / pause inside a player | Spacebar | Spacebar | |
| Next track | F9 | Next-track media key | |
| Previous track | F7 | Previous-track media key |
Play or pause media
Press the dedicated Play/Pause media key. On most Mac keyboards this is F8; on Windows it is the play-pause media key (dedicated on many keyboards, or reached with Fn). Inside a focused player window — YouTube, a video, a music app — the Spacebar almost always toggles play/pause too.
Skip tracks
Use F9 (next) and F7 (previous) on a Mac, or the matching next/previous media keys on Windows.
FAQ
What is the play/pause shortcut on Mac?
Press F8, the Play/Pause media key. Inside a player, the Spacebar also toggles playback.
How do I play or pause with the keyboard on Windows?
Press the Play/Pause media key, or press Spacebar when the player window is focused.