Do you have too many open windows on your desktop? Do you want to quickly jump between them or, for example, expand one and collapse the other? Or maybe you just want to focus and expand the window to full screen? For each of these actions there are hotkeys, which, for some reason, are not actively used. Meanwhile, they help very well in work. Here are some keyboard shortcuts you can use to manage windows and save time.

1.Switching between windows of the active application – Command+’

You switch between applications using the Command+Tab combination, right? The proposed combination is the same, only inside the active application. This is much faster than right-clicking an application shortcut to find the window you need.

So that no one has any questions, the second key from this combination is the same tilde, usually located above the “1” key on a standard keyboard.

2.Minimize the current window – Command+M

Want to get rid of the current window without closing it? Just press Command+M and the window will collapse into the Dock, where you'll find it whenever you decide to return to it.

3.Maximize the current window

Tired of clicking the green button in the corner of the window to expand it to full screen? This can be done using a keyboard shortcut, although you will have to configure it yourself - it is not there by default.

• Open System Preferences
• Select the Keyboard menu
• In this menu, go to the “Keyboard Shortcuts” tab
• In the left column, select "Program shortcuts" and click "+"
• In the “Menu Name” field, enter “Zoom”, and in the “Keyboard Shortcut” field, enter a keyboard shortcut that is convenient for you, for example Command+=

4.Hide other applications – Command+Option+H

If, in addition to the current application, you have a bunch of windows open and you want to quickly eliminate this mess, then The best decision– press Command+Option+H. As a result, you will remain in the current program window, and all other applications will be minimized and will no longer interfere with your life and work.

5.Enter full screen mode – Command+Power

If you want to focus on the task at hand, say while working in text editor, then expand the window to full screen. To do this, press Command+Power and there will be nothing on the screen except the current application. To reverse the action, press the same key combination again. If this option does not work for you, then from the previous paragraph you already know how to make it work.

6.Close the current window – Command+W

This keyboard shortcut has been around in OS X since the early days of the system, but I still meet people who have never heard of it. One way or another, pressing these hotkeys closes the current program window (for example, a tab in a browser), and if there is only one window in the application, then Command+W closes the application.

7.Close all application windows – Command+Option+W

The keyboard shortcut is similar to the previous one. Only it closes all windows of the current application. Convenient when the browser is littered with tabs, for example.

The El Capitan version of OS X has a great split-screen feature that first appeared in Windows 7.

If you have two windows open and you want to place them side by side so that each takes up half of the screen, you need to press and hold the green stretch button in the upper left corner of the window until it shrinks and half the screen is colored in light blue color. Hold the button and drag the window to the desired location. Ready! Now you can work on a document on one side of the screen, and have useful notes on the other. Or you can watch videos on while scrolling through social networks.

Dock two windows on different halves of the screen so you can easily keep an eye on two things at once.

To exit split-screen mode, click on the green stretch button again - one of the windows will return to its normal size, and the second will open to full screen.

Switch between windows

When you have many windows open at once, switching between them by dragging can be very inconvenient.

To quickly switch from current to latest open application use combination ⌘+Tab. If you want to switch between multiple programs, hold down the ⌘ key and press Tab several times to browse open windows.

Image: Giphy

On a MacBook, if you swipe up on the touchpad, smaller versions of all open windows will appear on the screen, from which you can select the one you want.

If for some reason you urgently need to minimize a window, use the keyboard shortcut ⌘+H(does not work if the window is maximized to full screen).

Managing tabs

To open new tab, press ⌘+T, and to close the current one - ⌘+W. If you accidentally close a tab in Chrome, click ⌘+Shift+T, and it will open again.

To alternate between tabs, use the keyboard shortcut ⌘+Shift+( And ⌘+Shift+).

Image: Giphy

Convenient use of the Finder file manager

When your Mac is full of folders, files, and applications, navigating the Finder file manager can be difficult. In this case, the Spotlight search tool will help you. To launch it, click ⌘+Space. Spotlight lets you search necessary files on your computer and information on the Internet.

If you want to quickly go to a specific folder, click ⌘+Shift+first letter of its name. Key combination ⌘+Shift+H will take you to the user's default folder, and the combination ⌘+Shift+A opens access to applications. Click ⌘+Shift+D to switch to the desktop, and ⌘+Shift+U to go to utilities.

Quick screenshot

If you want to take a screenshot, you can do it in two ways. Key combination ⌘+Shift+3 allows you to take a screenshot of the entire screen and saves it on your desktop. To select a specific area of ​​the screen to take a screenshot, click ⌘+Shift+4. After pressing this key combination, highlight the desired fragment.

The selection method can be changed immediately after pressing the combination ⌘+Shift+4. Press the Option button and click the mouse - the selection area is scaled horizontally. While selecting, hold Shift and drag the edges of the area to the right or left - this way you can change its width, but the height will remain the same. If you drag the edges of the area up and down while holding Shift, the width of the selected area will be fixed, but you can change its height. Hold Spacebar while making a selection to move the area to the desired part of the screen.

You can take a screenshot of a specific window - to do this, click ⌘+Shift+4 And Space. Your cursor will turn into a small camera icon. Click on the desired window to take a photo of it, or click Option and click so that you get a screenshot of the window without a shadow.

Using keyboard shortcuts can improve the convenience of working in the operating system by reducing the time it takes to perform various operations. Instead of searching a menu for an item to perform an action, you press a few buttons and perform it instantly. In this article we will talk about the main macOS hotkeys that work in system applications.

The Mac keyboard is different from the standard PC keyboard. It has fewer keys and no function block. The navigation, “Printscreen” and Delete buttons included in it are replaced by combinations. Standard keys that are also present on the PC are shown in green in the screenshot. Specific ones that are only available on Apple keyboards are marked in red:

• Option ⌥ . System-wide modifier. In many menus, pressing this button changes items, opening additional functionality.
• Command ⌘ . Similar to the Win key. Most keyboard shortcuts on a MacBook require it.

The screenshot below shows how the OS menu items change when you press Option button. On the left is standard command output, and on the right is extended output.

Finder

In the Apple operating system, Finder performs the same role as Explorer in Windows. It's constantly running file manager. Most of the operations performed in it require the use of the Command key and have a logical justification in English:

• ⌘ +C (Copy) – create a copy of a file or document on the clipboard;
• ⌘ +V – paste from buffer;
• ⌘ +X (Excise) – cut the selected object from the current window. In practice, Finder performs this operation by default for files. The selected object is immediately transferred to a new window.
• ⌘ +A (All) – select all files in the current window;
• ⌘ +Z (Zero) – return to the original (zero) state. Undoes the user's last action.
• ⌘ +E (Eject) – eject or disconnect the selected external media;
• ⌘ +T (Tab) – creates a new tab in the current window;
• ⌘ +F (Find) – launches the search dialog in the Finder;
• ⌘ +I (Inspector) – displays the properties of the selected file in a separate window;
• ⌘ +Y – start quick view. Functions similarly to the space bar;
• ⌘ +M (Minimize) – allows you to minimize the current window to the Dock panel;
• ⌘ +O (Open) – open the selected file in the default program.

To save screen space, you can shorten the side menu, leaving only frequently used folders in it, and use keyboard shortcuts to navigate to other sections. Clicking Option opens access to the system library, which is hidden by default.

Similarly, you can use keyboard shortcuts to change the way files are displayed in the Finder window.

The following screenshot shows the mode preview Cover Flow, called by pressing the combination ⌘4.

Useful combinations

Any MacBook, regardless of version (Air or Pro), uses the same keyboard and operating system. There is no division between home and professional versions of macOS. Therefore, the keyboard shortcuts will work absolutely identically on any model.

Screen lock

Sleep mode works well on Mac. When leaving the laptop, you can close the lid and, upon returning, continue working from the same place without worrying about the safety of your files. However, sometimes just locking the screen is enough. For example, if you take a break from your work for a few minutes, but don’t want to show it to anyone.

The combination Control + Command + Q gives this opportunity. A lock window is displayed on the monitor, and after the required time, the screen saver will start. The keyboard shortcut Shift + Control + Power allows you to achieve a similar result. In this case, the power of the monitor is turned off and it goes out, bypassing the screen saver stage. If the specified checkbox is checked in the settings, you will only be able to access the laptop with a password.

Forced termination of programs

Any program, including one that has stopped responding, can be forcibly terminated on a Mac. To do this, click on the apple logo in the menu bar and select the marked item. As you can see in the screenshot, this operation can also be performed using hot keys.

Option + Command + Esc brings up a simplified version of the task manager. In it we find the program that requires completion and press the marked button.

Often this operation has to be done with the built-in QuickTime video player. After closing the main window, it tends to remain in memory without being displayed in the Dock.

Fine tuning

Adjusting the sound, key backlighting, and screen brightness on the Air or other iMac has sixteen positions between “Min” and “Max” values. Control is carried out by the corresponding function keys top row. If you hold down the Shift + Option keys while making adjustments, each control position will be divided into four parts.

Thus, you get not 16, but 64 adjustment points. When the additional buttons are released, the system will first fill in the incomplete division and then automatically switch to normal mode.

Screenshots

As we said earlier, on Apple computers There is no separate key for taking screenshots. The following combinations are used for screenshots:

• Command + Shift + 3 . Screenshot of the entire desktop;
• Command + Shift + 4 . Snapshot of the selected area;
• Command + Shift + 4 + Space. A snapshot of the selected window or menu item.

Boot Modes

When you start macOS, before the apple logo first appears, you can select a boot mode. These combinations can be useful not only for reinstallation or troubleshooting:

• Option. Selecting a boot volume for systems with two operating systems installed. Thus, you can choose between macOS and Windows installed on the BootCamp partition;
• T. Starting the system in external volume mode. If you connect the problem Mac to a working Mac, you can boot from it hard drive and perform initial diagnostics;
• Shift . Starts the OS in safe mode;
• Command + R . Recovery from hard drive;
• Option + Command + R . Internet mode Recovery. Reinstalling or restoring macOS from Apple servers.

Shutdown

In normal mode, your MacBook can be turned off or restarted using the system menu. For this purpose, it contains everything available to the user options.

For these purposes, you can also use various combinations:

• Control + Power. Calls up the shutdown menu in a separate window;

• Control + Command + Power . An analogue of the “three-finger combination” for Windows. Causes a forced reboot;
• Option + Command + Power. Switching to sleep mode without closing the lid;
• Shift + Command + Q . End the user session with a warning;

• Shift + Option + Command + Q. Logout of the user without warning. When you log in again, previously opened windows are automatically restored.

Keyboard settings

In the Sierra version, Apple changed the language switching combination familiar to many Mac users. Instead of Command, the Control key was used in combination with the spacebar. Many users first change this setting to a familiar and convenient one.

1. Open System Preferences and select the marked item.

1. Let's move on to the "Keyboard Shortcuts" section. In the navigation area, select the item that interests us. In the right part of the window, specified and possible, but not preset, combinations will open. For example, launching Launchpad from the keyboard is possible, but there is no default shortcut for it. We tick it and open the editing field. Enter a combination that is convenient for you.

1. If desired, you can set hotkeys yourself. For example, the Finder has a “Compress” option, which does not have its own combination. If the need for archiving arises constantly, then it can be created. Switch to the marked section. Using the “+” button we call up an additional menu. Select a program. Enter the exact name of the item and set the desired combination.

1. The result of the manipulations performed is visible immediately; a reboot is not required. Using a given combination, you can quickly create archives.

1. In the first section of the keyboard settings, you can set the principle of using the top row of function keys. By default they are used for quick call system settings such as media or lighting controls. Their traditional role is activated by pressing the Fn key in the lower left corner. In some graphic editors These buttons are used quite actively. In order not to use a combination of two keys every time, you can return them to their direct assignment. To do this, put a tick in the place indicated by the arrow. Now, to add volume, you need to use not F12, but Fn + F12.

1. Here, lovers of experiments can independently reassign the role of modifier keys. Clicking on the marked button will bring up an additional menu. Using drop-down lists, you can set new values. For example, swap Command and Control.

Finally

Using different keyboard shortcuts is a matter of habit. If this is not directly necessary, then you can do without them just fine. The convenience of macOS is that they are listed in the menu of each program and can be easily remembered if desired.

Video instruction

If the topic in question interests you, the overview video below will help you learn more about how hotkeys work and find the most useful ones.

If on Desktop There are many windows open, then to hide unnecessary ones Dock we will have to do this for each window separately, by clicking the yellow button ( - ) in the upper left corner of each window, or using a key combination Cmd+H or Cmd+M.

There is an easier way - hiding all windows at once, and then opening the ones you need. To hide all windows you just need to press and hold the key combination Alt+Cmd, and then click on any window-free area of ​​the Desktop. All open windows will be hidden in Dock. Then click on the ones you need to open them. But that is not all. :)

Restore any hidden window with a regular click. Then, holding down the same key combination ( Alt+Cmd), click on any other hidden window. It will open, and the window that was opened first will hide. That is, you get the same effect that we once experienced.

Note

Holding Cmd+Alt You can click not only on hidden windows, but also on the icons of non-running programs - such a program will start and hide all other open windows.

A short video demonstration

If you often need to quickly open the desktop on your Mac, the best and fastest way to do this is to use a keyboard shortcut. This will minimize all windows, programs, other information and show only the desktop. In this case, none of the programs will be closed.

Using macOS hotkeys, you can quickly access files and other desktop content, or simply instantly hide what you had open.

On Mac, there are several ways to quickly show the desktop, including a trackpad gesture. We will tell you how to quickly open the desktop using a key combination and two other methods. These methods work on all modern Mac versions OS with Mission Control or Expose support.

How to minimize all windows on Mac

First combination: Command + F3

The first combination with which you can quickly open the desktop: Command (cmd) + F3 . Hold down the Command key and the F3 key at the same time.

This will instantly activate the “show desktop” feature and all open windows will be minimized.

To return to programs, simply press Command + F3 again. Also all windows will return if you open a new program.

The GIF below shows what this action looks like.

How to minimize all windows on mac os

Second combination: fn + F11

Another way is a combination Function + F11 . They will also need to be clamped at the same time.

The second combination works on the same principle as the previous one.

To hide the desktop and return to your programs, press Function + F11 again or open a new window.

What to do if the combinations don't work?

If for some reason the keyboard shortcuts aren't working on your Mac, try the following:

1. Go to the  Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Select Mission Control.
3. In the Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts section, find Show Desktop and select F from the menu next to it.
4. Try holding down the F11 + function keys at the same time, the desktop should open.

The combinations should work even if the desktop is disabled, some icons are hidden, etc., but you will just see your wallpaper without icons.

Using Active Corners

Step 1: From the menu bar, select Apple > System Preferences > Mission Control.

Step 2: In the window that opens, select Active angles in the lower left corner of the screen.

Step 3: Select a corner that will open the desktop when hovered over, and then from the menu next to that corner, select Desktop.

The settings panel should look like this: