Essential Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows & Mac)
The keyboard shortcuts worth committing to muscle memory, side by side for Windows and macOS. The pattern is consistent: most Windows Ctrl shortcuts become Cmd on a Mac. Learning a dozen of these saves more time over a year than almost any other habit.
Updated 2026-07-06
Editing & text
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Paste without formatting | Ctrl + Shift + V | Cmd + Shift + V |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Shift + Z |
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Bold / Italic | Ctrl + B / I | Cmd + B / I |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| Find | Ctrl + F | Cmd + F |
| Find and replace | Ctrl + H | Cmd + Option + F |
System & windows
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Switch between apps | Alt + Tab | Cmd + Tab |
| Close window | Ctrl + W | Cmd + W |
| Quit application | Alt + F4 | Cmd + Q |
| Minimize window | Win + Down | Cmd + M |
| Show desktop | Win + D | Cmd + F3 |
| Screenshot | Win + Shift + S | Cmd + Shift + 4 |
| Lock screen | Win + L | Cmd + Ctrl + Q |
| Open file search | Win | Cmd + Space |
Web browser
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New tab | Ctrl + T | Cmd + T |
| Reopen closed tab | Ctrl + Shift + T | Cmd + Shift + T |
| Next / previous tab | Ctrl + Tab | Cmd + Option + →/← |
| Close tab | Ctrl + W | Cmd + W |
| Address bar | Ctrl + L | Cmd + L |
| Reload page | Ctrl + R | Cmd + R |
| Zoom in / out | Ctrl + + / - | Cmd + + / - |