How do I take a screenshot of a selected area on a Mac?

Press Cmd Shift 4, then drag to select the region. Release to save a PNG to the desktop. Hold Control while releasing to copy it to the clipboard instead, or press Space after Cmd Shift 4 to capture a whole window.

How do I show hidden files in Finder?

Press Cmd Shift Period (full stop) in any Finder window to toggle hidden files and folders on or off. The same chord works in Open and Save dialogs.

What is the shortcut to switch between open apps?

Hold Cmd and press Tab to cycle forward through open apps; add Shift to cycle backward. To switch between windows of the same app, use Cmd and the backtick key.

Why does a function-key shortcut not work?

Many Mac keyboards default the top row to media keys, so you may need to hold Fn as well, for example Fn F11 to show the desktop. You can reverse this default in System Settings under Keyboard.

Are zoom and VoiceOver shortcuts on by default?

VoiceOver toggles with Cmd F5 out of the box. Display zoom shortcuts such as Option Cmd 8 only work once you enable Zoom in System Settings under Accessibility, so they are listed here as conditional.

macOS Keyboard Shortcuts

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

macOS keeps almost every common action one chord away, but the screenshot, Mission Control, and Finder shortcuts are easy to forget. This reference lists Apple’s documented system-wide defaults, grouped so you can scan the category you need.

How it works

Every entry stores the action, a category, and the exact key combination using macOS glyph names — Cmd, Option, Shift, and Control. The search box matches all three fields, so you can look up Cmd Shift 4 or simply type screenshot. The category selector limits the table to one group such as Finder or Text editing. Nothing is sent anywhere; the list is static and renders instantly.

Tips and notes

Screenshot files land on the desktop by default; open the toolbar with Cmd Shift 5 to change the save location or start a screen recording.
Text-navigation chords work in nearly every Cocoa text field: Cmd Left/Right jump to line ends, Option Left/Right move by word.
Apps can override system shortcuts, so a chord may behave differently inside a given application.
Accessibility shortcuts like Zoom must be switched on in System Settings before the key combinations take effect.

When a function-key shortcut does nothing, add the Fn key — most modern Mac keyboards map the top row to brightness and media by default.