Using keyboard shortcuts instead of reaching for your mouse or trackpad and hunting through menus is a great way to save time and get work done efficiently.

1. List Of Keyboard Shortcut
2. Keyboard Symbol Shortcut
3. Keyboard Shortcut Download

Even though for complex task you could use a keyboard assistant like Lacona (which will semantically understand any operation you need to perform) for complex tasks, knowing essential shortcuts will speed up every repetitive action related to the basic Mac functionality.

Downloadable quick ref pdfs. We have compiled the most used, and most useful, keyboard shortcuts into a downloadable pdf file. We have two versions, one that shows shortcuts for Visual Studio for Mac, and a version that shows Visual Studio shorts side-by-side for users that have prior experience with Visual Studio when using Windows. Working with documents. Open a document: Press Ctrl + O to open an existing document. Apple’s word processor doesn’t have a keyboard shortcut to format text with the Strike Through style, so we’ll create one. To get started, head to System Preferences Keyboard, and then click the “Shortcuts” tab. Next, click “App Shortcuts,” and then click the plus sign (+) to add a new rule.

(If you use multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change input sources instead of showing Spotlight. Learn how to change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.) Control–Command–Space bar: Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols. You can customize keyboard shortcuts (or shortcut keys) by assigning them to a command, macro, font, style, or frequently used symbol. You can also remove keyboard shortcuts. You can assign or remove keyboard shortcuts by using a mouse or just the keyboard. Use a mouse to assign or remove a keyboard shortcut. Go to File Options Customize.

Learning shortcuts takes time and practice; it’s only by using them repeatedly that you develop a habit. But then you start really saving time and boosting productivity to the point where you won’t know how you’ve lived without them.

Top time-saving Mac keyboard shortcuts everyone should know

To help you, we’ve collected the best keyboard shortcuts for the Mac — those that will save you the most time every day. Remember: learn them and practice them.

We’ve avoided the obvious shortcuts, the ones that all casual Mac users will know, like copy, paste, and cut. Before we start with a list, let’s take a look at all the modifier keys:

Cmd = Command key (the one either side of the spacebar and looks like this: ⌘)

Ctrl = Control key, usually labelled “ctrl”

Alt = old-time Mac users would call this “option” and looks like this: ⌥

Shift = ⇧

Tab = ⇥

Now, let’s dive right in.

Navigate quickly to a folder in Finder

When you’re in Finder, there are a number of shortcuts you can use to go directly to a folder.

• Cmd-Shift-D goes to Desktop
  
• Cmd-Shift-H to your user folder
  
• Cmd-Shift-A to Applications
  
• Cmd-Shift-I to iCloud Drive
  
• Cmd-Shift-U to Utilities
  

Change the Finder view

In a Finder window, use the following shortcuts to change the view for all the items in a folder:

• Cmd-1 to display Icons
  
• Cmd-2 for List
  
• Cmd-3 for Columns
  
• Cmd-4 for Cover Flow
  

Navigate folders in the Finder

Going through folders in the Finder is especially easy with:

• Cmd-[ to move left
• Cmd-] to move right

Add a selected item to a Finder window sidebar.

Select the item you’d like to add and press Cmd-Option-S.

View a Quick Look slideshow of selected files

First Shift- or Cmd-click the files you want to preview and then press Cmd-Option-Y to see the slideshow.

Find anything

Use Cmd-F to search for something. In most applications, including word processors and web browsers, it’s used to search for bits of text on the page you’re on. Cmd-F in Finder opens a new Finder search window, with the cursor already in the search box.

Invoke Spotlight from anywhere

Press Cmd-Space from anywhere to pull up the Spotlight search bar.

Quickly open Accessibility options

Your Mac has a number of features, such as the ability to invert colors on the screen, to help those who have additional needs when it comes to using a computer. To access them quickly, press Cmd-Option-F5.

Switch applications quickly

Press Cmd-Tab and keep holding Cmd to pull up the macOS application switcher. Press Tab again to highlight the next app and let go when you reach the app you want to switch to. Pressing Cmd-Tab and letting go of both immediately switches to the next app without further interaction.

Open any application’s Preferences

Press Cmd-comma to open any application’s Preferences window.

Open the Get Info window

Get Info is available for every file and folder on your Mac and provides information such as the size of the file and the application that will be used by default. To open this window, click on the file or folder and press Cmd-I.

Show or hide the Dock

Press Cmd-Alt-D to show or hide the Dock in any application.

Note: this doesn’t work when applications are in full-screen mode.

Add a Finder item to the Dock

Select the item then press Ctrl-Shift-Cmd-T.

Invoke AirDrop

AirDrop is a great tool for transferring files quickly between Macs or between a Mac and an iOS device. To get to it right away, press Cmd-Shift-R in the Finder.

Undo

This one is a huge timesaver and can get you out of trouble, depending on the app you use it in. Press Cmd-Z to undo your most recent action. In apps that allow multiple undos, press it again to move back another step and so on. To redo something you’ve undone, it’s either Cmd-Shift-Z or Cmd-Y, depending on the app.

Navigate text

Press Alt-Right Arrow to jump a word or Cmd-Right Arrow to jump to the end of a line.

Alt-Left Arrow and Cmd-Left Arrow jump backwards a word and a line, respectively. To select text as you jump, hold down the Shift key.

Find misspelled words in a document

Press Cmd-semicolon to have misspelled words highlighted.

Select all

To select everything in a document or folder, press Cmd-A.

Paste in the correct style

While Cmd-V will paste whatever is in the clipboard, it does so in the style of the document you copied from. To paste text in the style of the document you’re pasting into, press Cmd-Option-Shift-V.

Take a screenshot

Press Cmd-Shift-3 to screenshot the whole screen. To grab a selection, press Cmd-Shift-4 and drag over the part of the screen you want to grab. To take a shot of a single window, press Cmd-Shift-4 then press Space and place the camera icon over the window you want to grab and click on it.

You can also copy and paste a screenshot in one move. If you add the Ctrl key to the shortcuts above, it will paste the screenshot to the clipboard rather than saving it. For example, Ctrl-Cmd-Shift-3 will take a screenshot of the whole screen and paste it to the clipboard. To paste it into your document, just press Cmd-V.

List Of Keyboard Shortcut

Open a new tab in Safari (or any other web browser)

Press Cmd-T to open a new tab. If you close a tab by accident, Cmd-Shift-T will re-open it.

Zoom into a web page

In Safari, Firefox, or Chrome, you can make the contents of a web page larger or smaller using Cmd and either the + or - keys, depending on whether you want to zoom in or out. This also works in some other apps.

Zoom in anywhere

To make the universal zoom work, you’ll need to go to System Preferences, then click the Accessibility pane and choose the Zoom option, checking all the boxes. After that, you can press Cmd-Option-Plus to zoom in anywhere. Cmd-Option-Minus will zoom out in stages. To return to 100%, press Cmd-Option-8.

Open Display Preferences

Press Option-F2 to show the Display Preferences window.

Open Sound Preferences

Press Option-F12 to show Sound Preferences.

Adjust the volume in small increments

Press Option-Shift-Volume Key to move the volume of your Mac’s audio up or down by smaller increments than just using the volume key alone.

Keyboard Symbol Shortcut

Put your Mac to sleep

Hit Option-Cmd-Power (or Ctrl-Option-Cmd-Eject) and your Mac will go to sleep, gently and effortlessly.

Shut down your Mac

To quit open programs and shut down your Mac without needing to hit a confirmation button, press Ctrl-Option-Cmd-Power (or Ctrl-Option-Cmd-Eject). This will simply shut down your Mac, safely and securely.

Restart your Mac

If you want to restart your Mac, hit Ctrl-Cmd-Power (or Ctrl-Cmd/Eject). This will reboot your Mac.

Keep on learning

Presented above are introductory shortcuts, just one level above the ones everyone is used to. Once you learn them and use them daily, you’ll notice how your workflow suddenly starts to speed up. Soon enough, it would be time to step up you game with a collection of intermediate time-savers. But more on this later.

Keyboard Shortcut Download

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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In the PC the OVR in the Word used to stand for overwrite, maybe that would help in your searchs.

I really, really don't know why 'overtype', shomething that was useful when the UI for word processors was command-line based, survived the coming of the GUI… In the Mac, Apple decided not to keep the Ins key, and Word was created for the Mac first…
I remember reading Rick Shaut's blog about how this was something added under consumer demand somewhere around Word 6… but I cannot find the post.
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Juan de Dios Santander Vela
Electronics Engineer
Astronomy Software Developer
Ph.D. Student

All I can say is thankfully no Insert key does exist on the Mac... I can't count the number of times I have inadvertently activated this on my work PC (the key is extremely easy to accidentally press) and subsequently lost work before I've noticed.
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PB G4, 1.5 GHz, 1.5GB RAM, 128MB VRAM, 80 GB 5400rpm HD, SuperDrive, MacOS X 10.4.8
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Agreed. I can't remember the last time I intentionally wanted to turn on overwrite/insert mode.

i can't find that overtype button at the bottom of the window on word mac 2008. i think it may have been removed. furthermore, a search for 'overtype' in word's help files does not bring up anything but the option can be set under preferences -> edit -> overtype mode toggle.
i have no idea why this is not documented in the help files by careless Microsoft.

'The OVR button in the status bar works with Mac 2004. However, it was was removed in Word 2008. Another option for Word 2008 is to click Customize Toolbars and Menus on the View menu. Click the Commands tab and select Overtype from the All Commands category. Then you can either add the OVR command to a toolbar or create a keyboard shortcut.'
from a getsatisfaction.com user

The OVR button in the status bar works with Mac 2004. However, it was was removed in Word 2008. Another option for Word 2008 is to click Customize Toolbars and Menus on the View menu. Click the Commands tab and select Overtype from the All Commands category. Then you can either add the OVR command to a toolbar or create a keyboard shortcut.

Thank you for the tip above here. I rarely use Overtype but occasionally it's invaluable for completing basically assembled forms in word where form authors have relied (a little annoyingly, albeit well intended) on the use of underscores to block out a fillable area.
Just as an fyi, for Microsoft Word 2011 on a Mac, to use Overtype you have the same two options you had on Office 2008.
Option #1: Set in preferences (less useful, bit fiddly, but quick for a one off)
Word > Preferences > Edit > Overtype (toggle box)
Option #2.: Add a Custom Menu command for 'Overtype'
View > Toolbars > Customize Toolbars & Menus > (Click 'Commands' tab) > (Click 'All Commands' filter) > Overtype (drag either to menu or toolbar)
I put under 'Edit' menu. If you really want the toolbar button, with Word 2011 and the new 'Ribbon', it seems to only let you drag the custom toolbar entry to the toolbar at very top of the Word window.
Hope this helps - I was surprised at how tricky this was to find, too!