Learn how to use a Mac: keyboard shortcuts and gestures, by doing

1. ⌘ Cmd (command) – the main shortcut key. There is one on each side of the space bar.
2. ⌥ Option (option) – a helper key; it also types special and Polish letters. Like Alt on Windows.
3. ⌃ Control (control) – used rarely, e.g. ⌃ Control + click opens the menu like a right-click.
4. ⇧ Shift – capital letters and part of some shortcuts.
5. fn (with the globe) – bottom-left corner. Turns on a few handy shortcuts.

Tip: To use a shortcut: hold the first key, press the second, release both. You do not need to press them at the same time.

1. Hold ⌥ Option and press a letter: A → ą, C → ć, E → ę, L → ł, N → ń, O → ó, S → ś, X → ź, Z → ż.
2. Capital letter: add ⇧ Shift, e.g. ⌥ Option + ⇧ Shift + A gives Ą.
3. If you get å instead of ą, add the “Polish – Pro” layout: System Settings › Keyboard › Input Sources › Edit.

Tip: Ź is under X, because Z is already taken by Ż.

1. Put two fingers on the trackpad and click.
2. Or hold ⌃ Control and click with one finger.
3. A menu appears with options like Copy, Rename, Move to Trash.

Tip: Not working? System Settings › Trackpad › Secondary click › Click or tap with two fingers.

1. ⌫ delete – removes the letter to the left of the cursor.
2. fn + ⌫ delete – removes the letter to the right (like Delete on Windows).
3. ⌥ Option + ⌫ delete – removes a whole word.
4. ⌘ Cmd + ⌫ delete – removes everything from the cursor to the start of the line.

Tip: In Finder, ⌘ Cmd + ⌫ delete moves the selected file to the Trash.

Where: Top edge of the screen

1. On the left is the Apple logo (Apple menu): restart, shut down, System Settings.
2. Next to it is the bold name of the active app and its menus: File, Edit, View…
3. On the right: Wi‑Fi, battery, Control Center and the clock.

Tip: Every menu shows the keyboard shortcut next to each option. It is the best cheat sheet, always at hand.

Where: Bottom of the screen

1. Click an icon to open an app.
2. A small dot under an icon means the app is running.
3. To add an app: drag its icon into the Dock.
4. To remove one: drag the icon up until “Remove” appears, then let go.

Tip: Dock covering your windows? System Settings › Desktop & Dock › turn on “Automatically hide and show the Dock”.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + space.
2. Type the name of an app or file, e.g. “Safari”, “Calendar”, “invoice”.
3. Press ↩ return to open the first result.

Tip: Spotlight does maths: type “125*4” or “100 euro in pounds”.

1. Easiest: ⌘ Cmd + space and type the app name.
2. In Finder, click “Applications” in the sidebar or press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + A.
3. The Dock also has an icon with a grid of coloured squares that shows all apps at once.

Tip: You install new apps from the App Store (the blue icon with a letter A).

1. Select the text: drag over it while pressing the trackpad.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + C.
3. Nothing changes on screen, but the text is now remembered.

Tip: The same option is in the Edit › Copy menu.

1. Click where the text should go.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + V.

Tip: You can paste as many times as you like. The Mac remembers the last thing you copied.

1. Select the text.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + X. The text disappears.
3. Click in the new place and press ⌘ Cmd + V.

Tip: Files in Finder are moved differently. See “Copy or move a file”.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + Z. Each press goes one step further back.
2. Undid too much? ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + Z brings the change back (redo).

Tip: Works almost everywhere: in text, in Finder, in Photos.

1. Click in the text or in the folder window.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + A.

Tip: Then you can copy everything right away: ⌘ Cmd + C.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + S.
2. The first time, type a name and choose a folder, e.g. Documents.
3. Click Save.

Tip: Pages, Numbers and Keynote save changes on their own, but ⌘ Cmd + S never hurts.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + P.
2. Choose the printer and number of copies.
3. Click Print.

Tip: Want a PDF instead of paper? In the print window open the PDF menu › Save as PDF.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + F.
2. Type the word.
3. ↩ return jumps to the next place it appears.

Tip: esc closes the search bar.

1. ⌘ Cmd + ← – start of the line.
2. ⌘ Cmd + → – end of the line.
3. ⌘ Cmd + ↑ or ↓ – start or end of the whole text.
4. ⌥ Option + ← or → – jump a whole word.

Tip: Add ⇧ Shift to select text on the way, e.g. ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + → selects to the end of the line.

1. Copy some text, e.g. from a web page.
2. Where you want it, press ⌘ Cmd + ⌥ Option + ⇧ Shift + V.

Tip: Handy in emails and documents when pasted text looks odd.

1. Select the text.
2. ⌘ Cmd + B – bold.
3. ⌘ Cmd + I – italic.
4. ⌘ Cmd + U – underline.

Tip: Pressing the same shortcut again turns the formatting off.

1. Click where you are typing.
2. Press fn + E or ⌃ Control + ⌘ Cmd + space.
3. Type what you are looking for, e.g. “heart”, or scroll the list. Click an emoji to insert it.

1. Click where you want to type.
2. Press the microphone key (F5).
3. Speak normally. Finish with esc or F5 again.

Tip: The first time, the Mac asks whether to turn on dictation. Click Turn On.

1. F12 – louder.
2. F11 – quieter.
3. F10 – mute or unmute.
4. There is also a volume slider in Control Center (the two-slider icon in the top-right corner of the screen).

Tip: In small steps: hold ⌥ Option + ⇧ Shift and press F11 or F12.

1. Press F10 (speaker with a line through it).
2. A mute symbol appears on the screen.

Tip: The F11 and F12 keys also turn the sound back on.

1. F2 (big sun) – brighter.
2. F1 (small sun) – dimmer.
3. There is also a brightness slider in Control Center.

Tip: The Mac adjusts brightness to the room light by itself. Turn that off in System Settings › Displays.

Where: Menu bar, top-right corner › two-slider icon

1. Click the two-slider icon in the top-right corner of the screen, next to the clock.
2. Or press fn + C.
3. Click a tile to turn something on or off. The arrow next to it shows more options.

Tip: It works much like Control Center on an iPhone.

Where: System Settings › Bluetooth

1. AirPods paired with your iPhone usually show up straight away: open Control Center › Sound and pick them from the list.
2. Other headphones: put them in pairing mode (usually by holding a button).
3. Open System Settings › Bluetooth and click Connect next to the headphones’ name.

Tip: Sound still coming from the Mac? In Control Center › Sound choose the headphones as the output.

1. ⌘ Cmd + + = – bigger.
2. ⌘ Cmd + − – smaller.
3. ⌘ Cmd + 0 – back to normal size.

Tip: On the trackpad: spread two fingers apart to zoom into a photo or page.

1. Press the key with the moon (F6).
2. Or: Control Center › Focus › Do Not Disturb.
3. A moon in the menu bar means it is on.

Tip: Newer MacBooks have the moon key. On older ones, use Control Center.

1. Hold ⌘ Cmd and press ⇥ tab. A bar with icons appears.
2. Keep holding ⌘ Cmd and press ⇥ tab until the right app is highlighted.
3. Let go of both keys.

Tip: One quick ⌘ Cmd + ⇥ tab takes you back to the previous app. Great for jumping between two.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + W.
2. The red dot in the top-left corner of the window does the same.

Tip: The window buttons are on the left, not on the right as on Windows.

1. Click in the window of the app you want to quit.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + Q.
3. Or in the menu bar: app name › Quit.

Tip: No need to quit everything. The Mac handles many apps at once just fine.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + M or click the yellow dot.
2. To get it back, click its thumbnail in the Dock (on the right, next to the Trash).

Tip: ⌘ Cmd + H hides all of an app’s windows at once. Click the app’s Dock icon to bring them back.

1. Press fn + F.
2. Or click the green dot in the top-left corner of the window.
3. To leave: the same again, or esc.

Tip: The menu bar comes back when you move the pointer to the top edge of the screen.

1. Move the pointer over the window’s green dot and wait a moment.
2. Choose a layout, e.g. left half.
3. Shortcut: fn + ⌃ Control + ← or →.

Tip: You can also drag a window by its top bar to the left or right edge of the screen.

1. Press F3 (rectangles).
2. Or swipe up with three fingers on the trackpad.
3. Click the window you are looking for.

Tip: Three fingers down or esc takes you back to the normal view.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + F3.
2. Or spread your thumb and three fingers on the trackpad.
3. The same shortcut or gesture brings the windows back.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + N.
2. In Mail it is a new message, in Finder a new window with your files.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ,.
2. Or in the menu bar: app name › Settings.

Where: Dock › blue-and-white face

1. Click the blue-and-white face in the Dock (the first icon on the left).
2. The sidebar has shortcuts: Downloads, Documents, Desktop, Applications.
3. Double-click to open a file or folder.

Tip: Switch between icons, list and columns with the buttons at the top of the window, or ⌘ Cmd + 1, 2, 3.

1. Open Finder and click “Downloads” in the sidebar.
2. Or in Finder press ⌘ Cmd + ⌥ Option + L.
3. In Safari, click the down arrow in the top-right corner to see recent downloads.

Tip: The Downloads folder is also in the Dock, next to the Trash.

1. Open the place where the folder should go.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + N.
3. Type a name and press ↩ return.

1. Click the file once to select it.
2. Press ↩ return.
3. Type the new name and press ↩ return again.

Tip: Open a file with a double-click or with ⌘ Cmd + ↓.

1. Select the file and press ⌘ Cmd + ⌫ delete.
2. To get it back: open the Trash in the Dock, right-click the file › Put Back.
3. To empty: right-click the Trash in the Dock › Empty Trash. This cannot be undone.

1. Select a file in Finder.
2. Press space.
3. space again closes the preview. Use the arrows to move to the next files.

Tip: It also works with attachments in Mail.

1. Select the file and press ⌘ Cmd + C.
2. Open the destination folder.
3. ⌘ Cmd + V pastes a copy. ⌘ Cmd + ⌥ Option + V moves the file.

Tip: Easiest: drag the file onto a folder in the Finder sidebar.

Where: Right-click the file › Share › AirDrop

1. Right-click the file (two fingers).
2. Choose Share › AirDrop.
3. Click your iPhone’s name. Accept on the phone.

Tip: The other way round: on the iPhone, Share › AirDrop › choose the Mac. The file lands in Downloads.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + T.
2. Type a web address or what you are looking for, and press ↩ return.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + T.
2. Each press brings back an earlier tab.

Tip: In Safari, ⌘ Cmd + Z right after closing the tab also works.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + R.

Tip: On a Mac, F5 does not reload the page. It starts dictation.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + L.
2. Type an address or a question and press ↩ return.

1. Swipe right with two fingers on the trackpad.
2. Or press ⌘ Cmd + [.
3. Forward: two fingers to the left, or ⌘ Cmd + ].

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + D.
2. Choose a folder, e.g. Favourites, and click Add.

1. ⌃ Control + ⇥ tab – next tab.
2. ⌃ Control + ⇧ Shift + ⇥ tab – previous tab.
3. ⌘ Cmd + 1 to 9 – a specific tab, counting from the left.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + N.
2. Works in Safari and in Chrome.

1. Put two fingers on the trackpad.
2. Move them up to see more of the page, or down to go back.

Tip: Direction feels wrong? System Settings › Trackpad › Scroll & Zoom › Natural scrolling.

1. Put two fingers on the trackpad.
2. Spread them to zoom in. Pinch them to zoom out.
3. A double tap with two fingers also zooms a page.

1. Press the trackpad with one finger and keep it pressed.
2. Move your finger. The text gets selected or the file follows the pointer.
3. Let go when you get there.
4. In text: a double-click selects a word, a triple-click the whole paragraph.

Tip: You can also click at the start of the text, hold ⇧ Shift and click at the end.

1. Open System Settings › Trackpad.
2. Turn on “Tap to click”.

Tip: In the same place you can set the pointer speed and click pressure.

1. Put three fingers on the trackpad.
2. Swipe them left or right.

Tip: Not working? Check System Settings › Trackpad › More Gestures.

1. Click the date and time in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Or swipe left with two fingers from the right edge of the trackpad.
3. Or press fn + N.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + 4. The pointer turns into a crosshair.
2. Drag to draw a rectangle.
3. Let go. The picture is saved to the desktop.

Tip: A thumbnail appears in the bottom-right corner: click it to mark something up or send it. esc cancels the screenshot.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + 3.
2. You hear a camera shutter. The file appears on the desktop.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + 4.
2. Then press space. The pointer turns into a camera.
3. Click the window you want to capture.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⌃ Control + ⇧ Shift + 4.
2. Select an area.
3. In your message, press ⌘ Cmd + V.

Tip: Adding ⌃ Control also works with ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + 3.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + 5. A toolbar appears at the bottom.
2. Choose whole screen or part of it, and click Record.
3. Stop with the stop button in the menu bar at the top.

Tip: In this toolbar’s Options you can change where screenshots are saved.

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + ⌥ Option + esc.
2. Choose the frozen app (it often says “not responding”).
3. Click Force Quit.

Tip: Unsaved changes in that app may be lost. Wait a moment first; it may recover by itself.

Where: Wait a moment first

1. Wait a dozen seconds or so.
2. If it keeps spinning, switch to another app: ⌘ Cmd + ⇥ tab.
3. Still stuck? Force quit: ⌘ Cmd + ⌥ Option + esc.

Tip: If it happens often, restart the Mac.

Where: Apple menu (the apple) › Restart

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen.
2. Choose Restart.
3. Leave “Reopen windows” ticked if you want to come back to what was open.

Tip: If nothing responds: hold the Touch ID button (top-right of the keyboard) for about 10 seconds, until the screen goes dark.

Where: Close the lid

1. Closing the lid puts the Mac to sleep. When you open it, everything is as you left it.
2. To shut it down completely: Apple logo › Shut Down.
3. To turn it on: open the lid or press the Touch ID button.

1. Press ⌃ Control + ⌘ Cmd + Q.
2. To come back, put your finger on the Touch ID button.

1. Move your finger quickly left and right on the trackpad.
2. The pointer gets bigger for a second.

Tip: For a bigger pointer all the time: System Settings › Accessibility › Display › Pointer.

1. Press F3 to see all windows at once.
2. Check the right-hand side of the Dock, next to the Trash. Minimised windows go there.
3. Click the app’s icon in the Dock. The window should come back.

Where: Menu bar › Wi‑Fi icon

1. Click the Wi‑Fi icon (the fan shape) in the top-right corner of the screen, or in Control Center.
2. Check that Wi‑Fi is on and your network is selected.
3. Still not working? Turn Wi‑Fi off, wait a few seconds and turn it back on.

Tip: If your phone has no internet either, the problem is the router, not the Mac.

Where: Menu bar › battery icon

1. Click the battery icon to see details.
2. Turn on the percentage next to the icon in System Settings › Control Center › Battery.
3. The Mac can stay plugged in all the time. It looks after the battery by itself.

Where: System Settings › General › Storage

1. Open System Settings › General › Storage.
2. The coloured bar shows what takes up the most.
3. The quickest way to free space is to clear Downloads and the Trash.

Where: System Settings › General › Software Update

1. Open System Settings › General › Software Update.
2. Click Update Now if there is something new.
3. The Mac restarts. Plug it in to power first.

Where: Apple menu (the apple) › System Settings

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner › System Settings.
2. Or ⌘ Cmd + space and type “Settings”.
3. The search field is in the top-left corner of the Settings window. Type e.g. “wallpaper”.

Where: System Settings › Appearance

1. Open System Settings › Appearance.
2. Choose Light, Dark or Auto (switches by itself at dusk).

Where: System Settings › Displays

1. Open System Settings › Displays.
2. Choose the thumbnail labelled “Larger Text”.

Tip: Only in one app? Try ⌘ Cmd + + =.

Where: System Settings › Wallpaper

1. Open System Settings › Wallpaper.
2. Click one of the pictures, or “Add Photo” to choose your own.

Where: System Settings › Touch ID & Password

1. Open System Settings › Touch ID & Password.
2. Click Add Fingerprint and place your finger on the button a few times.
3. From now on you unlock the Mac and approve purchases with a touch.

Tip: You can add more fingers, e.g. from your other hand.

1. Both devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account and have Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth on.
2. Copy something on the iPhone.
3. On the Mac, press ⌘ Cmd + V.

Tip: Not working? On the Mac: System Settings › General › AirDrop & Handoff › turn on Handoff.