Use macOS keyboard shortcuts
You can use keystroke combinations, called keyboard shortcuts, to perform tasks more quickly on your Mac. Keyboard shortcuts include one or more modifier keys (such as Caps Lock or Control) and a final key, pressed at the same time. For example, instead of moving the pointer to the menu bar to choose File > New Window, you can press the Command and N keys.
You can change or disable keyboard shortcuts to make them easier to use.
Explore macOS keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts appear next to menu items in macOS apps. Many keyboard shortcuts are standard across apps.
The user guides for many macOS apps include a list of the app’s most frequently used keyboard shortcuts. For example, see:
Tip: You can also find many keyboard shortcuts in the Apple Support article Mac keyboard shortcuts.
Perform tasks using keyboard shortcuts
Press and hold one or more modifier keys (such as Caps Lock, Command or Control), then press the last key of the shortcut.
For example, to use the Command-V keyboard shortcut to paste copied text, press and hold the Command key at the same time as the V key, then release both keys.
Customise keyboard shortcuts
You can customise some keyboard shortcuts by changing the key combinations.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
In the list on the left, select a category, such as Mission Control or Spotlight.
In the list on the right, select the tickbox next to the shortcut you want to change.
Double-click the current key combination, then press the new key combination you want to use.
You can’t use each type of key (for example, a letter key) more than once in a key combination.
Quit and reopen any apps you’re using for the new keyboard shortcut to take effect.
If you assign a keyboard shortcut that already exists for another command or app, your new shortcut won’t work. Find the menu command that’s using it, then reassign the keyboard shortcut for that item.
If you want to return all the shortcuts to their original keystroke combinations, go to the Shortcuts pane of Keyboard preferences and click Restore Defaults.
Disable a keyboard shortcut
Sometimes an app’s keyboard shortcut conflicts with a macOS keyboard shortcut. If this happens, you can disable the macOS keyboard shortcut.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
In the list on the left, select a category, such as Mission Control or Spotlight.
In the list on the right, deselect the tickbox next to the shortcut you want to disable.