How to create a Mac desktop shortcut. Creating a Mac desktop shortcut is the same as making an alias on a Mac. Read through the steps below to create macOS keyboard shortcuts: Use Finder to locate the file that you wish to make a desktop shortcut of. Click the file or folder and make sure that it's highlighted. Mac OS X supports umpteen systemwide shortcut combinations that are common to most applications. It's strongly recommended that you learn these as they can speed up most common tasks. Some applications use a slight variation on the normal shortcuts, for example in Safari Command + W closes the current tab only and not the whole window, and in.
One thing that's cool about Mac OS X is that the more you use it, the more you find 'hidden' nuggets of cool things you can do with it. For instance, you can handle many Mac Finder tasks directly from your keyboard, without having to use your mouse. In this Mac Finder tutorial, I'll demonstrate several of these keystrokes.
Move Into a Folder
If you have a folder that you'd like to open, you don't have to reach over to the mouse and double-click it. Just move to that folder in the Mac Finder using your up and down keys, and then type ‘Cmd+O' when you are focused on the folder you want to 'open'. As you'll see, this takes you into that folder.
Move Up a Folder
Conversely, if you're in one folder, and you want to move up one level in the directory hierarchy, you can just type ‘Cmd+Up Arrow'. I find this much, much easier than using the mouse.
Opening a File
If you're looking at a file in the Finder and want to open that file, you can again use the ‘Cmd+O' keystroke. For instance, imagine you're looking at a PDF or image file in the Finder, and you want to open it in the Mac Preview application. Normally you might double-click that file, but usually it's easier to type ‘Cmd+O' when you have that file selected, and this will do the exact same thing, just faster.
File or Folder Information
Finally, if you're looking at a file or folder in the Mac Finder, and you want to see more information about that file, you can always type Cmd+I. For instance, if you have an image file selected, and you want to see more information about that image, just type ‘Cmd+I', and an 'Info' panel will be displayed that shows a lot of information about your file.
Once you've seen everything you want to see on this panel, you can close it with your mouse, or you can use my final Mac Finder keystroke example: ‘Cmd+W'. This keystroke closes the current window, and works in all native Mac applications, including the Mac Finder.
To Begin A Spotlight Search
You can use ‘Cmd+F' to initiate a spotlight search in Finder window. You can also use Option+Cmd+Space bar.
View Original File For Selected Alias
Whenever an alias is chosen in the Finder window, press Cmd+R if you want to see original file for selected alias.
Hide Preview Pane
If you want to hide preview pane in the Finder window, press ‘Cmd+Shift+P'.
Hide Tab Bar
If you want to hide tab bar in the Finder window, press ‘Cmd+Shift+T'.
Add Finder Item To Dock
Want to add your selected Finder item to Dock? Press ‘Shift+Control+Cmd+T'. This command works in OS X Mavericks or later versions.+
Hide Path Bar, Side Bar & Status Bar
If you want to view or hide path bar, press ‘Cmd+Option+P'. If you want to view or hide sidebar in the Finder windows, press ‘Cmd+Option+S'. To view or hide Status bar in Finder windows, press ‘Cmd+Slash(/)'.
Open New Finder Window
Keyboard Shortcut To Open Preview?
Want to open new Finder window? Press ‘Cmd+N'.
View Items As Icons, List, Columns Or With Cover Flow
If you wish to see the items in Finder window as icons, you can press ‘Cmd+1'. To view in the form of a list, press ‘Cmd+2'. To view column wise, press ‘Cmd+3'. Want to view items with cover flow? Press ‘Cmd+4'.
That's all folks! We hope the list of best Mac Finder keyboard shortcuts will be beneficial to you. Use this Finder keyboard tips and simplify your tasks on your Mac computer. Still have doubts? Feel free to connect with us in the comments section below.
Humanity should be grateful for the invention of Mac hotkeys. They probably saved us thousand years of time if put together. There is something addictive in using shortcuts - the quickness, the feeling of a keyboard, the geeky confidence in your fingers when you realize 'hurray it works!' Once you get hooked on shortcuts, you'll never go back to clicking again.
Basic Mac hotkeys combinations
1. Quit all apps
Sometimes an app that you thought you quit is still secretly running in the background. When your Mac lags and you need some fresh memory, you may choose to quit all apps. You probably heard of Force Quit (Cmd + Option + Esc), but it's a too long way to do it.
Quit many apps in a row: Cmd + Tab
Then, holding down Cmd press Q to cycle between apps you need to close.
2. Delete a file completely
Dragging files to the Trash? Wait, this is not the only option. Here's a shortcut to quickly delete unwanted files on a Mac, bypassing the Trash. Caution: there's no way back.
To completely delete a file: Option + Cmd + Delete
Did you know, the Command key ? symbol was borrowed from a road sign that is used across Scandinavia? Its original use is to denote tourist attractions. Early Mac models had Apple key instead of Command, but it later was changed as Steve Jobs feared that there would be too many 'apples' in the OS interface.
3. Copy and paste a screenshot directly
Cmd + Shift + 4 is an old classic way to make a screenshot on a Mac. But here comes the combination to take your screenshotting skills to the new level. Normally you would make a screenshot, pick it from your desktop, and only then paste it to the new location. It appears, all this time you could do it easier.
To copy-paste a screenshot: Shift + Control + Cmd + 4
4. Quickly switch to the desktop
Sometimes your screen is so obscured by windows it would take years to click through to the desktop. Thank goodness, there is a Mac keystroke combination designed for people like us: the folks who are drowning in an ocean of windows.
To remove window overload: Cmd + F3
5. Open Spotlight
Spotlight, your Mac's internal search engine, can make your life 1000% easier. It finds files faster than Finder and intuitively predicts what are you after. To open Spotlight right on the spot (sorry for the pun), use this magic combo.
To launch Spotlight search: Cmd + Space bar
Cool shortcut keys for Mac
1. Invert display colors
A truly psychedelic key combination. This shortcut inverts all the colors on your Mac's screen to their opposites. Try it, and your world will never be the same. On the flip side, you can find a few practical applications for this command, for example, to adjust your screen to different lighting.
Free music recording software. To invert colors on screen: ?md + Option + F5
How to create a Mac desktop shortcut. Creating a Mac desktop shortcut is the same as making an alias on a Mac. Read through the steps below to create macOS keyboard shortcuts: Use Finder to locate the file that you wish to make a desktop shortcut of. Click the file or folder and make sure that it's highlighted. Mac OS X supports umpteen systemwide shortcut combinations that are common to most applications. It's strongly recommended that you learn these as they can speed up most common tasks. Some applications use a slight variation on the normal shortcuts, for example in Safari Command + W closes the current tab only and not the whole window, and in.
One thing that's cool about Mac OS X is that the more you use it, the more you find 'hidden' nuggets of cool things you can do with it. For instance, you can handle many Mac Finder tasks directly from your keyboard, without having to use your mouse. In this Mac Finder tutorial, I'll demonstrate several of these keystrokes.
Move Into a Folder
If you have a folder that you'd like to open, you don't have to reach over to the mouse and double-click it. Just move to that folder in the Mac Finder using your up and down keys, and then type ‘Cmd+O' when you are focused on the folder you want to 'open'. As you'll see, this takes you into that folder.
Move Up a Folder
Conversely, if you're in one folder, and you want to move up one level in the directory hierarchy, you can just type ‘Cmd+Up Arrow'. I find this much, much easier than using the mouse.
Opening a File
If you're looking at a file in the Finder and want to open that file, you can again use the ‘Cmd+O' keystroke. For instance, imagine you're looking at a PDF or image file in the Finder, and you want to open it in the Mac Preview application. Normally you might double-click that file, but usually it's easier to type ‘Cmd+O' when you have that file selected, and this will do the exact same thing, just faster.
File or Folder Information
Finally, if you're looking at a file or folder in the Mac Finder, and you want to see more information about that file, you can always type Cmd+I. For instance, if you have an image file selected, and you want to see more information about that image, just type ‘Cmd+I', and an 'Info' panel will be displayed that shows a lot of information about your file.
Once you've seen everything you want to see on this panel, you can close it with your mouse, or you can use my final Mac Finder keystroke example: ‘Cmd+W'. This keystroke closes the current window, and works in all native Mac applications, including the Mac Finder.
To Begin A Spotlight Search
You can use ‘Cmd+F' to initiate a spotlight search in Finder window. You can also use Option+Cmd+Space bar.
View Original File For Selected Alias
Whenever an alias is chosen in the Finder window, press Cmd+R if you want to see original file for selected alias.
Hide Preview Pane
If you want to hide preview pane in the Finder window, press ‘Cmd+Shift+P'.
Hide Tab Bar
If you want to hide tab bar in the Finder window, press ‘Cmd+Shift+T'.
Add Finder Item To Dock
Want to add your selected Finder item to Dock? Press ‘Shift+Control+Cmd+T'. This command works in OS X Mavericks or later versions.+
Hide Path Bar, Side Bar & Status Bar
If you want to view or hide path bar, press ‘Cmd+Option+P'. If you want to view or hide sidebar in the Finder windows, press ‘Cmd+Option+S'. To view or hide Status bar in Finder windows, press ‘Cmd+Slash(/)'.
Open New Finder Window
Keyboard Shortcut To Open Preview?
Want to open new Finder window? Press ‘Cmd+N'.
View Items As Icons, List, Columns Or With Cover Flow
If you wish to see the items in Finder window as icons, you can press ‘Cmd+1'. To view in the form of a list, press ‘Cmd+2'. To view column wise, press ‘Cmd+3'. Want to view items with cover flow? Press ‘Cmd+4'.
That's all folks! We hope the list of best Mac Finder keyboard shortcuts will be beneficial to you. Use this Finder keyboard tips and simplify your tasks on your Mac computer. Still have doubts? Feel free to connect with us in the comments section below.
Humanity should be grateful for the invention of Mac hotkeys. They probably saved us thousand years of time if put together. There is something addictive in using shortcuts - the quickness, the feeling of a keyboard, the geeky confidence in your fingers when you realize 'hurray it works!' Once you get hooked on shortcuts, you'll never go back to clicking again.
Basic Mac hotkeys combinations
1. Quit all apps
Sometimes an app that you thought you quit is still secretly running in the background. When your Mac lags and you need some fresh memory, you may choose to quit all apps. You probably heard of Force Quit (Cmd + Option + Esc), but it's a too long way to do it.
Quit many apps in a row: Cmd + Tab
Then, holding down Cmd press Q to cycle between apps you need to close.
2. Delete a file completely
Dragging files to the Trash? Wait, this is not the only option. Here's a shortcut to quickly delete unwanted files on a Mac, bypassing the Trash. Caution: there's no way back.
To completely delete a file: Option + Cmd + Delete
Did you know, the Command key ? symbol was borrowed from a road sign that is used across Scandinavia? Its original use is to denote tourist attractions. Early Mac models had Apple key instead of Command, but it later was changed as Steve Jobs feared that there would be too many 'apples' in the OS interface.
3. Copy and paste a screenshot directly
Cmd + Shift + 4 is an old classic way to make a screenshot on a Mac. But here comes the combination to take your screenshotting skills to the new level. Normally you would make a screenshot, pick it from your desktop, and only then paste it to the new location. It appears, all this time you could do it easier.
To copy-paste a screenshot: Shift + Control + Cmd + 4
4. Quickly switch to the desktop
Sometimes your screen is so obscured by windows it would take years to click through to the desktop. Thank goodness, there is a Mac keystroke combination designed for people like us: the folks who are drowning in an ocean of windows.
To remove window overload: Cmd + F3
5. Open Spotlight
Spotlight, your Mac's internal search engine, can make your life 1000% easier. It finds files faster than Finder and intuitively predicts what are you after. To open Spotlight right on the spot (sorry for the pun), use this magic combo.
To launch Spotlight search: Cmd + Space bar
Cool shortcut keys for Mac
1. Invert display colors
A truly psychedelic key combination. This shortcut inverts all the colors on your Mac's screen to their opposites. Try it, and your world will never be the same. On the flip side, you can find a few practical applications for this command, for example, to adjust your screen to different lighting.
Free music recording software. To invert colors on screen: ?md + Option + F5
2. Restore a recently closed tab
This one can be a real savior if you accidentally closed an important tab in a browser, like that pancake recipe or payment confirmation. There's an easy Mac keyboard shortcut to restore it.
To restore a closed tab: Cmd + Shift + T
3. To shut down your Mac instantly
No, the following Mac shortcut is not about the force shutdown. It's used when you need to quickly close all dialog windows and shut down your Mac in a legit way. Learn this one, quickly finish your work and finally go outside.
To quickly shut down a Mac: Control + Option + Command + Eject
4. Mac hot keys to invoke Siri
Among all Mac keyboard commands, this is the easiest. Since Siri's arrival to macOS we got used to talk to Siri about weather and even ask her to play our favorite tracks on Mac. If you are using macOS Sierra or higher, you'll enjoy the ability to summon Siri using just one hand.
To launch Siri: Cmd + Space bar
A shortcut to free up space on your Mac
Well, not exactly a shortcut, but indeed the quickest way to get more storage on your Mac.
Download CleanMyMac + Install + Click Smart Scan
This combination of actions will free up dozens of gigabytes of space taken by garbage: unwanted files, system junk, app leftovers, etc. CleanMyMac removes about 54 GB of junk on an average Mac. Try and see how it cleans your Mac.
CleanMyMac is available for a free download here.
Finder shortcuts
Finder is quite a resource-demanding tool. When you open a new Finder window it usually takes some time. For quicker access to your main destinations like Applications or Desktop, you can use the following shortcut combinations.
To quickly access Finder folders:
Cmd + Shift + A (for Applications)
Cmd + Shift + U (for Utilities)
Cmd + Shift + D (for Desktop)
Chrome shortcuts
Having hundreds of opened tabs in a browser has become a widespread syndrome nowadays. Closing tabs with a mouse is not only frustrating but also may freeze up your browser. Using a direct shortcut makes this job easy as a morning walk.
To close a current tab in Chrome: Cmd + W
To close a Chrome window: Cmd + Shift + W
To open a new Chrome tab: Cmd + T
Psychologists say you have to do something at least 3 times to put it in your long-term memory. Attach small sticky notes to the outlines of your Mac's screen with 3 or 4 shortcuts you really want to master. Then, leave it all to your fingers.
Mac shortcuts for documents
1. Copy text without formatting
You want to copy a piece of the text, but the old formatting drags along with it. Now you spend more time formatting rather than actually creating a text. To strip the text from old styling, use the following Mac hotkeys combination. A very good one to stretch your fingers.
To paste text without formatting:
Hold down Shift + Option + Command and hit V
2. Paste special symbols and emojis
Probably this is the easiest documented shortcut key for a Mac. To enter special symbols, like those lamdas, tildas, and alfas, you need to press just one key. For instance, if you need to type a modified E, hold down the E key for one second and then choose among available variations that appear.
To enter an alternate character: Hold down the character key
To paste emojis in the text: Press Control + Command + Space
3. Enter a strikethrough text on a Mac
You won't believe, but 8000 people are googling how to do a strikethrough text on a Mac everyday. Although some applications don't support it, this combination well works in TextEdit and Word. Now you can use it in every second line to add some roughness to your writing.
To apply strikethrough formatting: Cmd + Shift + X
4. Quickly print documents
The next combination works for most apps that allow printing. You don't need to figure out where the print dialogue is located in every case. Just memorize this quick combination and send your files to print from anywhere.
To invoke a print dialogue: Cmd + P
Mac shortcuts to delete many files at once
There comes a time when you need to do a spring cleaning on your Mac: sort out old garbage, move photos to an external drive, or clean up your old downloads. It is time-consuming and takes an immense willpower simply to start. But lucky you are: there are a few shortcuts to remove large heaps of files as quickly as if you had a machete.
To select folder contents: Cmd + A
To delete a group of files after selection: Cmd + Delete
To empty the Trash: Cmd + Shift + Delete
If you've got many files left after backing up, this will save you a good deal of time moving them to the Trash bin.
To save you from a headache, there are apps that will do the mundane deletion job in an instant. CleanMyMac is perhaps the most reliable one. It has a tool that specifically searches for Large & Old files on your drive for a quick cleanup. CleanMyMac is available for a free download. So, check it out.
This was our take on most useful keyboard shortcuts for Mac. Thanks for reading. Below you'll find a few more links about Mac and productivity.
Finder Keyboard Shortcut? - Apple Community
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