Use these key combinations to step on the gas on your Mac

If you want to work more productively on your Mac computer, you can use keyboard shortcuts to get to your destination faster. ntv.de presents around 40 shortcuts that are particularly helpful and practical.

If you visit Apple's support page for Mac keyboard shortcuts, you'll be surprised at how many different combinations there are under macOS. There is a shortcut for almost every work step. Some are familiar to almost every Mac user, others perform functions that you may never have heard of. It's impossible to memorize all the combinations, but it's worth memorizing some of them, as they can make working on a Mac computer much easier and faster. Here are the favorites from ntv.de:

Standards

The combinations command + C and command + V to copy an object to the clipboard and paste it elsewhere are the most common combinations. Often used are also command + X to cut something and command + Z to undo a previous action.

To print a document, use command + P. To save it, the combination command + S is there, with command + Shift key (big arrow up) S, you save it under a new name and/or location.

With command + O you open a selected object or a window in which you can select what you want to open. The combination command + A marks everything, with command + I you get information about a marked file or folder. If you open the info window with option + control + I, it remains open and displays information on every object you select.

Windows users in particular who switch to a Mac may wonder how to delete forward in texts, i.e. how to remove the letters after the cursor. There is no Delete key, instead Apple users press fn + Backspace (the large arrow pointing to the left). Alternatively, you can use control + D. Press command + Back space to put selected files directly into the trash.

Dealing with windows and programs

If you want to open a new window in a program (app), the combination command + N helps. If you want to minimize all open windows of a program to the dock, press command + option (alt) M, if you only want to minimize the frontmost window, press command + M. Press command + W to close the frontmost window and command + option + W to close all windows of a program.

If you have several programs open, press option + command + H to show only the frontmost app and hide all others. With control + tab (two opposing arrows on top of each other) you can quickly and easily switch between open programs. If an app no longer responds, you can force it to close with option + command + Esc.

Search and find

Pressing command + spacebar at the same time opens the Spotlight search, while command + option + spacebar starts a search in the Finder. If you need to search for a word or other elements in a document, use the shortcut command + F. Press command + G repeatedly to skip forward through the search results and command + Shift + G to go backwards.

Press option + control + L to open the Downloads folder directly, Shift + command + O to open the Documents folder. Shift + command + F shows you which files you last used.

Screenshots

To open the hidden screenshot function on a Mac, use the combination command + Shift + 5. If you want to directly cut out a rectangular section of the screen, select command + Shift + 4. It's a real finger exercise if you want to capture a single window, because you have to press command + Shift + 4 + space bar at the same time.

Emojis

Emojis? But of course you can also use emojis on Macs! All you have to do is call up the character overview with command + control + space bar. You then have the same selection as on the keyboard of a smartphone. Alternatively, you can press fn + E. If the latest macOS Sonora is installed, you can also use this combination after a frequently used sentence such as "Thumbs up!". You will then immediately see suitable icon suggestions.

Hibernate, lock, switch off, restart

Once the work is done and you want to switch off, hibernate or restart the Mac, the quickest way to do this is via control + on/off button. If you want to go directly to sleep mode, press option + control + on/off switch.

If you are in a hurry but want to switch off the Mac properly, control + option + command + on /off switch is the best option. This closes all programs, but you have the option of saving files before progress is lost. If you are taking a break at work, you can lock the Mac in seconds with command + Q so that no nosy colleagues can snoop around.