I received my MacBook today (Feb 1, 2023). This is the first time I am using MacBook so have to figure out everything.
Here I am documenting all the shortcut keys that I am discovering.
Two things to keep in mind as you will need these over and over again
- The command key on Mac serve the purpose of Ctrl key on windows.
- Mac is very drag and drop based, instead of finding a menu or shortcut keys, Mac uses drag and drop a lot. For example to Install an App, or to Delete or Move a file, you will be using drag and drop when in Windows you don’t.
These keys are not what I found from other blogs and pasted, but these are for the tasks that I always used shortcut keys on windows.
Spotlight
It’s universal searching tool on Mac. On windows, though it’s exact purpose is not that, clicking on Windows key then typing whatever you wanted to search just worked. In Mac you use this for Spotlight for searching stuff –
cmd + space
Right Clicking on Mac
MacBook Trackpad does not have 2 buttons like Windows Laptops have. It has one, and which is not visible, as the entire Trackpad is the button.
It’s lot better, because you can just click on anywhere, no need to bend your fingers weirdly to click the buttons on the bottom of the touchpad on Windows.
But what do you do to Right click on a Mac?
You just keep on finger anywhere on the Trackpad and tap or click with another.
These all the Trackpad settings are not mostly on by default. So, check on that. Find the Trackpad settings, use Spotlight for easier access. And turn the suitable settings on.
Screenshot
On windows, Windows + Print Scr.
On Mac you use shift + cmd + 3 for capturing the entire screen.
For capturing a portion of the screen you use shift + cmd + 4 on Mac.
On windows, though there are inbuilt app for this, I use Greenshot. It’s totally awesome. If you take a lot of Screenshot, it will save you a ton of time.
Switching App
On Windows it is Alt + Tab or Alt + Shift + Tab.
On Mac, the keys are cmd + tab. But there are a better option, a Touchpad gesture. So, you swipe left or right with 3 fingers to switch between apps. Very much like iPad.
But if you come from Windows, you may do with just your instinct as the Cmd key on Mac is placed at the same place as the Alt key on Windows. At least, that’s what happened to me.
Going to Previous or Next page
Swipe left or right with 2 fingers.
It works on browsers or Finder (the FIle Manager or My Computer for Mac)
Opening a new Tab in Safari or Chrome or any Browser
On Windows it is Ctrl + t, on Mac it is Cmd + t.
Copy-Paste and Cut-Paste
Copy and paste on Mac is Cmd + c and Cmd + v, just like Windows.
But for cut paste it is different.
For text the cut paste works the same way, so it is Cmd + x and Cmd + v on Mac.
But for files, you can’t move the file like that.
You Drag and drop a file from one folder to another on a Mac device.
Exit full screen mode for any application
The esc is the key.
Well most of the time. But sometimes it does some other work so doesn’t work.
Use fn + f keys.
Minimize an app to the doc
Cmd + M
It will not work if the the App is on fullscreen. So, first exist from the fullscreen with fn + f, then press cmd + m.
Minimize all windows of the front app on Mac
To minimize all windows of the front app, press option + command + m
Maximize/Fullscreen current app on Mac
Ctrl + Cmd + F
See all the Desktops
Swipe up with 3 fingers. I discovered it by mistake while trying to scroll with 2 fingers.
Switch between Windows of a same app on Mac
When you use the Cmd + Tab of Mac, it help you choose between different Apps opened, but it does not display and help you choose between different windows of a same app. Which is very frustrating. I use like 3 Chrome windows, and when have switch between those for some copy paste but very tedious work, it made it 10x difficult as I had to change the tabs using the Trackpad.
Here’s how you switch between different Windows of a same app – Use Cmd + `.
It is weird keys, but it works!
Force quit an app on Mac
Option (or Alt), Command, Esc (Escape).1 Or choose Force Quit from the Apple menu in the corner of your screen.