There are plenty of quick and easy keyboard shortcuts available to Mac users that are not only seriously useful but can help save time.
Whether you’ve just invested in one of the best Macs or you’re already a seasoned user, we’ve rounded up the most useful Mac keyboard shortcuts that’ll seriously streamline your everyday use.
Keep reading to find out our favourite and most efficient Mac keyboard shortcuts.
Screenshots shortcuts on Mac
Command + Shift + 3
Need to take a screenshot of your entire screen? Just hit Command + Shift + the number 3 keys simultaneously to capture your whole screen.
Command + Shift + 4
If you only want to screenshot a small portion of your screen, then this shortcut will make your life that much easier. Command + Shift + the number 4 keys will turn your cursor into a drawing tool, allowing you to draw a box around the area you’d like to capture.
Command + Shift + 5
The above shortcuts aren’t the only way to capture your screen. In fact, Command + Shift + the number 5 will open the dedicated Screenshot app, where you’ll find lots of options to capture or record your entire screen or a specific portion instead. There’s also an option to screenshot just the app or window that’s open, without having the taskbar in sight.
How to permanently delete a file with a Mac shortcut
Command + Option + Backspace
By default, when you delete a file, it sits in your Bin for 30 days until it’s permanently deleted. While this feature can be useful, the deleted file will continue to take up your storage space.
If you’re deleting files to free much-needed space and you’re sure you no longer need the file in question, then use Command + Option + Backspace, as this will immediately and permanently delete the file and instantly free up space on your drive.
Shortcut to split-screen apps on Mac
Fn + Control + Arrow key
macOS allows you to open two windows side-by-side for seamless multitasking. While you can manually shift your open tabs to sit next to each other, there is an easier way to manage your windows without touching your trackpad or mouse.
Hold down the Fn + Control + arrow key (left or right) to move the app currently open to the desired side. Once you do this, you’ll make space for another window or app to sit comfortably next to the first one.
Alternatively, tap Fn + Control + Shift to manage both windows simultaneously and swap them around.
Shortcut to access your most-used apps
Command + Tab
Holding down the Command key and pressing the Tab key will open up a shortcut to your most-used apps. However, you’ll need to ensure you continue to hold the Command key while you make your selection.
Spotlight Search shortcut
Command + Space
Apple’s Spotlight Search is a useful tool for quickly finding apps, files, emails, and more. While there is a shortcut for Spotlight on the right-hand side of the top bar, there’s an even quicker way to bring up the useful search function.
Simply hold down Command + Space, and you can search for anything, regardless of which app you’re using.
Log off or lock Mac shortcut
Shift + Command + Q
Whether you’re working on confidential tasks that you need to keep private or you simply want a quicker way to log off at the end of the work day, Macs have you covered.
Simply hit Shift + Command + Q to quickly log out of your account. Alternatively, you can also lock your Mac if you’re planning on returning to work shortly, by pressing Control + Command + Q instead.
Symbol shortcuts
If, like me, you tend to Google niche symbols and then copy and paste them into your document, then these shortcuts will be a real timesaver.
Euro sign: Option + 2
How useful this is will depend, but it’s likely you’ve found yourself at a loss when typing out the Euro sign. Fortunately, it’s seriously easy and can be brought up by pressing Option and the number 2 keys.
Degree symbol: Shift + Option + 8
There are plenty of reasons why you might need to use the degree symbol, whether you’re noting a temperature or angle. While there isn’t a clue on the keyboard, just hit the Shift + Option + number 8 keys and voila, you’ll see a perfect degree symbol.
Hashtag symbol: Shift + 3
Whether you’re writing out a number or maybe you’re still an avid hashtagger on X, the hashtag symbol is seriously easy to create. Just hold Shift + number 3.
Emoji shortcut: Fn + E
Sometimes an emoji is completely necessary in an email or message to soften the tone and, while some apps like Messages and Slack offer shortcuts to emojis, others and most websites don’t have an easy way to insert a crying laughing face emoji.
Fortunately, just pressing the Fn + E keys will bring up the entire library of emojis.
