Common Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows and Mac)
This page was created with help from ChatGPT
General Shortcuts
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Copy |
Ctrl + C |
Command (⌘) + C |
| Cut |
Ctrl + X |
Command (⌘) + X |
| Paste |
Ctrl + V |
Command (⌘) + V |
| Undo |
Ctrl + Z |
Command (⌘) + Z |
| Redo |
Ctrl + Y |
Command (⌘) + Shift + Z |
| Select All |
Ctrl + A |
Command (⌘) + A |
| Save |
Ctrl + S |
Command (⌘) + S |
| Open |
Ctrl + O |
Command (⌘) + O |
| Print |
Ctrl + P |
Command (⌘) + P |
Document Formatting
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Bold text |
Ctrl + B |
Command (⌘) + B |
| Italicize text |
Ctrl + I |
Command (⌘) + I |
| Underline text |
Ctrl + U |
Command (⌘) + U |
| Increase font size |
Ctrl + Shift + > |
Command (⌘) + Shift + > |
| Decrease font size |
Ctrl + Shift + < |
Command (⌘) + Shift + < |
Window & App Management
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Switch between open apps |
Alt + Tab |
Command (⌘) + Tab |
| Minimize window |
Windows + Down Arrow |
Command (⌘) + M |
| Maximize window |
Windows + Up Arrow |
Command (⌘) + Control + F |
| Close window |
Alt + F4 |
Command (⌘) + W |
| Force quit |
Ctrl + Alt + Delete |
Command (⌘) + Option + Esc |
Text Navigation
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Move cursor to beginning of line |
Home |
Command (⌘) + Left Arrow |
| Move cursor to end of line |
End |
Command (⌘) + Right Arrow |
| Move to beginning of document |
Ctrl + Home |
Command (⌘) + Up Arrow |
| Move to end of document |
Ctrl + End |
Command (⌘) + Down Arrow |
| Delete next word |
Ctrl + Delete |
Option + Delete |
| Delete previous word |
Ctrl + Backspace |
Option + Backspace |
Browser Navigation
Go to address barCtrl + LCommand (⌘) + L
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Open new tab |
Ctrl + T |
Command (⌘) + T |
| Close tab |
Ctrl + W |
Command (⌘) + W |
| Reopen closed tab |
Ctrl + Shift + T |
Command (⌘) + Shift + T |
| Refresh page |
Ctrl + R or F5 |
Command (⌘) + R |
| Zoom in/out |
Ctrl + or Ctrl – |
Command (⌘) + or – |
Accessibility & Multitasking
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Zoom in/out |
Ctrl + Plus (+) / Minus (-) |
Command (⌘) + Plus (+) / Minus (-) |
| High contrast mode |
Alt + Shift + Print Screen |
Control + Option + Command (⌘) + 8 |
| Open screen reader (Narrator/VoiceOver) |
Ctrl + Windows + Enter |
Command (⌘) + F5 |
System Shortcuts
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Take a screenshot |
Windows + Shift + S |
Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 |
| Lock screen |
Windows + L |
Command (⌘) + Control + Q |
| Search |
Windows + S |
Command (⌘) + Space |
File Management
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Rename file |
F2 |
Return (Enter) |
| Move file to Trash/Recycle Bin |
Delete |
Command (⌘) + Delete |
| Empty Trash/Recycle Bin |
N/A |
Command (⌘) + Shift + Delete |
| Show file info (Properties/Get Info) |
Alt + Enter |
Command (⌘) + I |
| New folder |
Ctrl + Shift + N |
Command (⌘) + Shift + N |
| Search files/folders |
Windows + F |
Command (⌘) + F |
Advanced Window Management
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Snap window to left side |
Windows + Left Arrow |
N/A |
| Snap window to right side |
Windows + Right Arrow |
N/A |
| Cycle through windows in an app |
Alt + Esc |
Command (⌘) + ` (backtick) |
| Show desktop |
Windows + D |
Command (⌘) + F3 (or Fn + F11) |
| Task View (show all open apps) |
Windows + Tab |
Control + Up Arrow |
Accessibility Shortcuts
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Toggle Magnifier/Zoom |
Windows + Plus (+) |
Command (⌘) + Option + 8 (then +/-) |
| Turn on Narrator/VoiceOver |
Windows + Ctrl + Enter |
Command (⌘) + F5 |
| High contrast mode |
Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen |
Control + Option + Command (⌘) + 8 |
| Open Accessibility settings |
Windows + U |
Option + Command (⌘) + F5 |
Virtual Desktops/Spaces
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Create new virtual desktop/space |
Windows + Ctrl + D |
Control + Up Arrow, then “+” (plus icon) |
| Close current virtual desktop |
Windows + Ctrl + F4 |
Control + Up Arrow, then hover over space and click “X” |
| Switch between desktops/spaces |
Windows + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow |
Control + Left/Right Arrow |
| Show all windows in current desktop |
Windows + Tab |
Control + Up Arrow |
Clipboard Management
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Open clipboard history |
Windows + V |
N/A |
| Paste and match style |
Ctrl + Shift + V |
Command (⌘) + Shift + V |
| Take a screenshot to clipboard |
Windows + Shift + S |
Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then Control key |
Media Controls
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Play/Pause media |
Ctrl + P or Space |
Space (in many apps) |
| Mute/Unmute |
Windows + Shift + M |
Command (⌘) + Option + M |
| Volume up |
Windows + Plus (+) |
F12 (or Fn + F12) |
| Volume down |
Windows + Minus (-) |
F11 (or Fn + F11) |
Miscellaneous Shortcuts
| Action |
Windows Shortcut |
macOS Shortcut |
| Open calculator |
Windows + R, then type calc |
Command (⌘) + Space, then type “Calculator” |
| Start dictation |
Windows + H |
Command (⌘) + D |
| Open clipboard history |
Windows + V |
N/A |
| Focus the address bar (in browser) |
Ctrl + L |
Command (⌘) + L |
| Jump to the search bar |
Ctrl + E |
Command (⌘) + Option + |
Links to more extensive shortcuts
Microsoft Windows
Apple Macintosh
Chrome Browser
Micrsoft Edge browser
Safari