Regardless of whether you use Windows or Mac, there are plenty of helpful shortcuts at your fingertips. These help you easily carry out repetitive tasks and navigate the operating system quickly—there's no need to trawl through cumbersome menus.
If you've recently switched from Windows to Mac or vice versa, or you own a computer running each, you may get confused about what keys to press to carry out common shortcuts. That's why we've put together this guide that lists helpful actions and their respective Windows and Mac shortcut.
These shortcuts are perfect for Windows 11 and macOS Monterey, though most will work on earlier versions too.
FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download the Mac vs. Windows Shortcuts Cheat Sheet.
Essential Mac and Windows Shortcuts
|
Shortcut |
Windows 11 |
macOS Monterey |
|---|---|---|
|
Basics |
||
|
Copy |
Ctrl + C |
Command + C |
|
Cut |
Ctrl + X |
Command + X |
|
Paste |
Ctrl + V |
Command + V |
|
Undo |
Ctrl + Z |
Command + Z |
|
Find |
Ctrl + F |
Command + F |
|
Search and replace |
Ctrl + H |
Command + H |
|
Select all |
Ctrl + A |
Command + A |
|
Bold |
Ctrl + B |
Command + B |
|
Italic |
Ctrl + I |
Command + I |
|
Underline |
Ctrl + U |
Command + U |
|
Superscript |
Ctrl + Shift + = |
Command + Control + + |
|
Subscript |
Ctrl + = |
Command + Control + – |
|
Rename |
F2 |
Return |
|
File menu |
Alt + F |
Command + F2 and F |
|
Edit menu |
Alt + E |
Command + F2 and E |
|
View menu |
Alt + V |
Command + F2 and V |
|
|
Ctrl + P |
Command + P |
|
Command Prompt/Terminal |
||
|
Copy |
Ctrl + C |
Command + C |
|
Paste |
Ctrl + V |
Command + V |
|
Select current line |
Ctrl + A |
Triple-click the line |
|
Move one line up/down |
Ctrl + Up / Ctrl + Down |
Option + Command + Page Up / Option + Command + Page Down |
|
Search |
Ctrl + F |
Command + F |
|
New tab |
Ctrl + Win + T |
Command + T |
|
List files and folders |
dir |
ls |
|
Full path of current folder/directory |
cd |
pwd |
|
Change folder/directory |
cd <path to directory> |
cd <path to directory> |
|
One directory up in directory tree |
cd.. |
cd .. |
|
Move to root directory |
cd |
cd |
|
Create new directory in current directory |
mkdir newFolder |
mkdir myFolder |
|
Create new file |
echo some-text > fileName(.txt) |
cat > fileName(.txt) |
|
Remove a directory |
rmdir myFolder |
rmdir myFolder |
|
Rename a directory |
ren oldFolderName newFolderName |
mv oldFolderName newFolderName |
|
Copy a directory |
robocopy myFolder <path to destination directory> |
cp -r myFolder <path to destination directory> |
|
Move a directory |
move myFolder <path to destination directory> |
mv myFolder <path to destination directory> |
|
Remove a file |
del myFile |
rm myFile |
|
Rename a file |
ren oldFileName newFileName |
ren oldFileName newFileName |
|
Copy a file |
copy myFile <path to destination directory> |
cp myFile <path to destination directory> |
|
Move a file |
move myFile <path to destination directory> |
mv myFile <path to destination directory> |
|
Clear the screen |
cls |
clear |
|
Concatenate and print a file |
myFile |
cat myFile |
|
Count lines in a file |
C:/../myFile PIPE** find "" /v /c |
wc -l myFile |
|
Close window |
Type Exit then Enter |
Shift + Command + W |
|
Browser |
||
|
New tab |
Ctrl + T |
Command + T |
|
Focus on browser address bar |
Alt + D |
Command + L |
|
Go to browser home page |
Alt + Home |
Command + Home |
|
Add .com to URL |
Ctrl + Enter |
Command + Return / Control + Return |
|
Add to current page bookmark |
Ctrl + D |
Command + D |
|
Close current window |
Ctrl + W |
Command + F11 |
|
Desktop |
||
|
System search |
Windows, then type |
Command + Space, then type |
|
Show or hide desktop |
Windows + D |
Command + Mission Control |
|
Peek desktop |
Windows + , |
Command + F3 |
|
Resize or minimize app |
Windows + Down arrow |
Command + M |
|
Minimize all apps |
Windows + M |
Command + Option + M |
|
Switch between active windows |
Alt + Tab |
Command + Tab |
|
Close active window |
Alt + F4 |
Command + W |
|
Toggle full screen |
F11 |
Command + Control + F |
|
Launch taskbar app with the position specified by the number |
Windows + Number |
Fn + Control + F3 then Left arrow and Return |
|
Save screenshot of the screen |
Windows + Print Screen |
Command + Shift + 3 |
|
Copy screen screenshot to clipboard |
Print Screen |
Command + Control + Shift + 3 |
|
Copy active window screenshot |
Alt + Print Screen |
Command + Control + Shift + 3 |
|
Narrator in Windows / VoiceOver in Mac |
Windows + Ctrl + Enter |
Command + Fn + F5 |
|
Start menu in Windows / Dock in Mac |
Windows |
Command + Option + D |
|
File Explorer in Windows / Open Search in Finder |
Windows + E |
Command + Option + Space |
|
Character Map |
Windows + R, type charmap, then Enter |
Command + Control + Space |
|
Settings / Preferences |
Windows + I |
Command + , |
|
Power |
||
|
Lock desktop |
Windows + L |
Command + Control + Q |
|
Sign out |
Ctrl + Alt + Del, click Sign out |
Command + Option + Shift + Q |
|
Sleep or standby |
Windows + X then U then S |
Command + Option + Eject |
|
Shutdown |
Windows + X then U then U |
Command + Control + Option + Eject |
|
Restart |
Windows + X then U then R |
Command + Control + Power |
|
Force shutdown |
Hold power button |
Hold power button for longer than 1.5 seconds |
Step Up Your Productivity With These Shortcuts
Now that you know the Windows and Mac shortcut equivalents, it's time to put them into practice. Plus, it'll be easier than ever to switch between these operating systems once you know the basics.
And who knows, it might encourage you to become a multi-operating system household. You can even achieve that on a single machine, thanks to virtualization.