Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Windows Users

Quick Answer

If you are switching from Windows to Mac, start with this comparison:

Windows	Mac
Ctrl	Command
Alt	Option
Windows key	Command in some situations
Right-click	Control-click or two-finger tap
Print Screen	Shift + Command + 3 / 4 / 5

The most important shortcut key on Mac is usually Command, not Control.

1. How to read Mac keyboard shortcuts

Mac shortcuts often use these symbols:

Symbol	Key
⌘	Command
⌥	Option
⌃	Control
⇧	Shift
⎋	Escape
⌫	Delete / Backspace

For example:

⌘ + C

means:

Command + C

That is the shortcut for copy.

2. The most important comparison for Windows users

Action	Windows	Mac
Copy	Ctrl + C	Command + C
Paste	Ctrl + V	Command + V
Cut	Ctrl + X	Command + X
Undo	Ctrl + Z	Command + Z
Select all	Ctrl + A	Command + A
Save	Ctrl + S	Command + S
Print	Ctrl + P	Command + P
Find	Ctrl + F	Command + F
New tab	Ctrl + T	Command + T
Close tab / window	Ctrl + W	Command + W

3. Most common basic shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Copy	Command + C
Paste	Command + V
Cut	Command + X
Undo	Command + Z
Redo	Shift + Command + Z
Select all	Command + A
Save	Command + S
Print	Command + P
Find	Command + F
Open settings or preferences	Command + ,

These are the shortcuts worth learning first.

4. App switching and window control

Action	Shortcut
Switch apps	Command + Tab
Switch apps in reverse	Shift + Command + Tab
Close current window	Command + W
Quit the current app	Command + Q
Force Quit apps	Option + Command + Esc
Hide current app	Command + H
Minimize window	Command + M
Open Spotlight	Command + Space

Command + W vs Command + Q

This is one of the most confusing differences for Windows users.

Shortcut	Meaning
Command + W	Close the current window or tab
Command + Q	Quit the entire app

For example, in Safari:

• Command + W closes the current tab
• Command + Q quits Safari

5. Screenshot shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Capture the entire screen	Shift + Command + 3
Capture a selected area	Shift + Command + 4
Capture a single window	Shift + Command + 4, then press Space
Open screenshot and recording toolbar	Shift + Command + 5

If you are a beginner, start with:

Shift + Command + 5

It opens a visual toolbar for screenshots and screen recording.

6. Finder shortcuts

Finder is the file manager on Mac. It is similar to File Explorer on Windows.

Action	Shortcut
New Finder window	Command + N
New folder	Shift + Command + N
Copy file	Command + C
Paste file	Command + V
Move to Trash	Command + Delete
Get Info	Command + I
Quick Look	Space
Search files	Command + F
Go to folder	Shift + Command + G

7. Safari and browser shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
New tab	Command + T
Close current tab	Command + W
Reload page	Command + R
Find on page	Command + F
New window	Command + N
New private window	Shift + Command + N
Next tab	Control + Tab
Previous tab	Shift + Control + Tab
Back	Command + [
Forward	Command + ]

Most of these work in Safari, Chrome, Edge, and other browsers.

8. Text editing shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Move to beginning of line	Command + Left Arrow
Move to end of line	Command + Right Arrow
Move to beginning of document	Command + Up Arrow
Move to end of document	Command + Down Arrow
Select to beginning of line	Shift + Command + Left Arrow
Select to end of line	Shift + Command + Right Arrow
Delete previous word	Option + Delete
Bold	Command + B
Italic	Command + I
Underline	Command + U

These are useful if you write documents, emails, or notes often.

9. Spotlight search

Spotlight is one of the most important search tools on Mac.

Press:

Command + Space

You can quickly search for:

• Apps
• Documents
• System settings
• Web suggestions
• Calculations
• Unit conversions

For example, press Command + Space and type calculator.

Or type 100 USD to TWD.

Spotlight can open apps, show calculations, or provide simple unit and currency conversions directly.

10. Learn these 10 shortcuts first

If you do not want to memorize too many shortcuts, start with these:

Priority	Action	Shortcut
1	Copy	Command + C
2	Paste	Command + V
3	Select all	Command + A
4	Save	Command + S
5	Find	Command + F
6	Switch apps	Command + Tab
7	Spotlight	Command + Space
8	Close window / tab	Command + W
9	Quit app	Command + Q
10	Screenshot toolbar	Shift + Command + 5

Summary

Mac shortcuts look different from Windows at first, but the basic idea is simple.

Remember these first:

1. Most Windows Ctrl shortcuts use Command on Mac
2. Command + W closes a window or tab
3. Command + Q quits an app
4. Shift + Command + 5 opens screenshot and recording controls
5. Command + Space opens Spotlight

Once you learn these, Mac becomes much faster and easier to use.