Free · 12 apps · Mac and Windows

The twenty shortcuts worth learning first in each app you use, on one page to print

Q: How do I read the keys?

A plus means hold the keys together: Cmd+Shift+T is Cmd and Shift held while you press T. ‘Then’ means one after the other: g then i is g, let go, then i. Cmd is the Command key (⌘), Option is ⌥, Ctrl is Control, and Win is the Windows key. Up, Down, Left and Right are the arrow keys, and Arrow means any of them. ‘None’ means the system has no built-in shortcut for that job.

Q: My Mac has no Home, End or Page Down key, and F2 changes the brightness.

On a Mac laptop or a compact keyboard, Fn+Left is Home, Fn+Right is End, Fn+Up is Page Up and Fn+Down is Page Down. The top row controls brightness, volume and the like until you hold Fn, so F2 is Fn+F2 and Shift+F3 is Fn+Shift+F3. To make the top row act as F1, F2 and so on without Fn, turn on ‘Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys’ in System Settings, under Keyboard. On newer Mac keyboards the Fn key is the one with the globe.

Twelve sheets to start, from Excel and Gmail to Figma and VS Code, each with twenty keys in the order to learn them, Mac and Windows side by side, searchable across every app.

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Excel20 keys

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Jump to the edge of the data	`Cmd`+`Arrow`	`Ctrl`+`Arrow`
02	Select to the edge of the data	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Arrow`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Arrow`
03	Select the whole row	`Shift`+`Space`	`Shift`+`Space`
04	Select the whole column	`Ctrl`+`Space`	`Ctrl`+`Space`
05	Edit the active cell	`Ctrl`+`U`	`F2`

Excel for Microsoft 365 on Mac and WindowsChecked October 28, 2026

The whole Excel sheet, and eleven more apps below.

Find your app

Twelve sheets, one per app. Each gives the twenty shortcuts worth learning first, numbered in the order to learn them, with the Mac keys and the Windows keys side by side, the version it covers and the maker’s list its keys come from. Copy, paste, undo and save are left off: they are the same in nearly every app, and you know them already.

Search every sheet

Excel

Moving and selecting come first: once you can reach any cell and take any range from the keys, everything after it has something to work on.

Version: Excel for Microsoft 365 on Mac and Windows
Source: Microsoft, Keyboard shortcuts in Excel
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Jump to the edge of the data	`Cmd`+`Arrow`	`Ctrl`+`Arrow`
02	Select to the edge of the data	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Arrow`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Arrow`
03	Select the whole row	`Shift`+`Space`	`Shift`+`Space`
04	Select the whole column	`Ctrl`+`Space`	`Ctrl`+`Space`
05	Edit the active cell	`Ctrl`+`U`	`F2`
06	Fill down	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`
07	Enter the same thing in every selected cell	`Cmd`+`Return`	`Ctrl`+`Enter`
08	Start a new line inside a cell	`Option`+`Return`	`Alt`+`Enter`
09	Lock a reference with $ (while editing a formula)	`Cmd`+`T`	`F4`
10	AutoSum	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`T`	`Alt`+`=`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Insert cells, rows or columns	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`=`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`=`
12	Delete cells, rows or columns	`Cmd`+`-`	`Ctrl`+`-`
13	Format Cells	`Cmd`+`1`	`Ctrl`+`1`
14	Paste Special: values, formats, transpose	`Ctrl`+`Cmd`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`V`
15	Turn filters on or off	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`F`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`L`
16	Turn the range into a table	`Ctrl`+`T`	`Ctrl`+`T`
17	Enter today’s date	`Ctrl`+`;`	`Ctrl`+`;`
18	Next or previous sheet	`Option`+`→Right`or`←Left`	`Ctrl`+`Page Down`or`Page Up`
19	Show formulas instead of results	`Ctrl`+`	`Ctrl`+`
20	Find and replace	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`H`	`Ctrl`+`H`

Google Sheets

Move and select first, as in Excel, then fill, paste values and add or remove rows. The last two keys find any menu command and every other shortcut.

Version: Google Sheets on the web
Source: Google, Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Jump to the edge of the data	`Cmd`+`Arrow`	`Ctrl`+`Arrow`
02	Select to the edge of the data	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Arrow`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Arrow`
03	Select the whole row	`Shift`+`Space`	`Shift`+`Space`
04	Select the whole column	`Ctrl`+`Space`	`Ctrl`+`Space`
05	Fill down	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`
06	Fill right	`Cmd`+`R`	`Ctrl`+`R`
07	Enter the same thing in every selected cell	`Cmd`+`Return`	`Ctrl`+`Enter`
08	Paste values only	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`V`
09	Lock a reference with $ (while editing a formula)	`Fn`+`F4`	`F4`
10	Insert rows or columns (select them first)	`Cmd`+`Option`+`=`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`=`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Delete rows or columns (select them first)	`Cmd`+`Option`+`-`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`-`
12	Clear formatting	`Cmd`+`\`	`Ctrl`+`\`
13	Format as currency	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`4`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`4`
14	Show formulas instead of results	`Ctrl`+`~`	`Ctrl`+`~`
15	Insert a link	`Cmd`+`K`	`Ctrl`+`K`
16	Add or edit a comment	`Cmd`+`Option`+`M`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`M`
17	Find and replace	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`H`	`Ctrl`+`H`
18	Next or previous sheet	`Option`+`↓Down`or`↑Up`	`Alt`+`↓Down`or`↑Up`
19	Search the menus for any command	`Option`+`/`	`Alt`+`/`
20	Show every shortcut	`Cmd`+`/`	`Ctrl`+`/`

Word

Moving and selecting by the word and the paragraph come first, then styles, so a long document gets its headings and lists without a trip to the ribbon.

Version: Word for Microsoft 365 on Mac and Windows
Source: Microsoft, Keyboard shortcuts in Word
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Move a word at a time	`Option`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Ctrl`+`←Left`or`→Right`
02	Select a word at a time	`Option`+`Shift`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`←Left`or`→Right`
03	Select to the end of the paragraph	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`↓Down`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`↓Down`
04	Start or end of the line	`Cmd`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Home`or`End`
05	Start or end of the document	`Cmd`+`Home`or`End`	`Ctrl`+`Home`or`End`
06	Heading 1, 2 or 3	`Cmd`+`Option`+`1`, `2`or`3`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`1`, `2`or`3`
07	Back to Normal text	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`
08	Bulleted list	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`L`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`L`
09	Paste as plain text	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`V`
10	Copy formatting	`Cmd`+`Option`+`C`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`C`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Paste formatting	`Cmd`+`Option`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`V`
12	New line in the same paragraph	`Shift`+`Return`	`Shift`+`Enter`
13	Page break	`Cmd`+`Return`	`Ctrl`+`Enter`
14	Find and replace	`Ctrl`+`H`	`Ctrl`+`H`
15	Go to a page	`Cmd`+`Option`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`G`
16	Change case	`Shift`+`F3`	`Shift`+`F3`
17	Track changes on or off	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`E`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`E`
18	New comment	`Cmd`+`Option`+`A`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`M`
19	Insert a footnote	`Cmd`+`Option`+`F`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`F`
20	Check spelling and grammar	`Cmd`+`Option`+`L`	`F7`

Gmail

Switch them on first: Settings, See all settings, Keyboard shortcuts on, Save Changes. Then read with j and k, clear with e, answer with r, and the inbox goes by without the mouse.

Version: Gmail on the web
Source: Google, Keyboard shortcuts for Gmail
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Older conversation	`j`	`j`
02	Newer conversation	`k`	`k`
03	Open the conversation	`o`or`Return`	`o`or`Enter`
04	Back to the list	`u`	`u`
05	Archive	`e`	`e`
06	Delete	`#`	`#`
07	Reply	`r`	`r`
08	Reply all	`a`	`a`
09	Forward	`f`	`f`
10	Compose	`c`	`c`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Send	`Cmd`+`Return`	`Ctrl`+`Enter`
12	Search mail	`/`	`/`
13	Select the conversation	`x`	`x`
14	Mark as read	`Shift`+`I`	`Shift`+`I`
15	Mark as unread	`Shift`+`U`	`Shift`+`U`
16	Label	`l`	`l`
17	Move to	`v`	`v`
18	Undo	`z`	`z`
19	Go to the inbox	`g`then`i`	`g`then`i`
20	Show every shortcut	`?`	`?`

Chrome

Tabs first, because that’s where the day is spent: open, close, reopen and jump between them. Then the address bar, the page and the browser around it.

Version: Chrome for Mac and Windows
Source: Google, Chrome keyboard shortcuts
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	New tab	`Cmd`+`T`	`Ctrl`+`T`
02	Close the tab	`Cmd`+`W`	`Ctrl`+`W`
03	Reopen the tab you just closed	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`T`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`T`
04	Jump to the address bar	`Cmd`+`L`	`Ctrl`+`L`
05	Next tab	`Cmd`+`Option`+`→Right`	`Ctrl`+`Tab`
06	Previous tab	`Cmd`+`Option`+`←Left`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Tab`
07	Go to tab 1 to 8	`Cmd`+`1`to`8`	`Ctrl`+`1`to`8`
08	Go to the last tab	`Cmd`+`9`	`Ctrl`+`9`
09	Back	`Cmd`+`[`	`Alt`+`←Left`
10	Forward	`Cmd`+`]`	`Alt`+`→Right`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Find on the page	`Cmd`+`F`	`Ctrl`+`F`
12	Scroll down a screen	`Space`	`Space`
13	New window	`Cmd`+`N`	`Ctrl`+`N`
14	New Incognito window	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`
15	Bookmark the page	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`
16	History	`Cmd`+`Y`	`Ctrl`+`H`
17	Downloads	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`J`	`Ctrl`+`J`
18	Reload without the cache	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`R`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`R`
19	Zoom in or out	`Cmd`+`+`or`−`	`Ctrl`+`+`or`−`
20	Print the page	`Cmd`+`P`	`Ctrl`+`P`

Figma

Single-letter tools first, then zoom, then the keys that give a design its structure: frames, auto layout and components. Keep the mouse for drawing; these keys pick things up and put them down.

Version: Figma Design in the browser and the desktop app
Source: Figma, the shortcuts panel in the app (Ctrl+Shift+?) and the Figma Help Center

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Move tool	`V`	`V`
02	Frame tool	`F`	`F`
03	Rectangle	`R`	`R`
04	Text	`T`	`T`
05	Pen	`P`	`P`
06	Pan the canvas (hold)	`Space`	`Space`
07	Zoom to fit everything	`Shift`+`1`	`Shift`+`1`
08	Zoom to the selection	`Shift`+`2`	`Shift`+`2`
09	Zoom to 100%	`Shift`+`0`	`Shift`+`0`
10	Duplicate	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Group	`Cmd`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`G`
12	Put the selection in a frame	`Cmd`+`Option`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`G`
13	Add auto layout	`Shift`+`A`	`Shift`+`A`
14	Make a component	`Cmd`+`Option`+`K`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`K`
15	Paste over the selection	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`V`
16	Paste to replace the selection	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`R`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`R`
17	Copy as PNG	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`C`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`C`
18	Show or hide the interface	`Cmd`+`\`	`Ctrl`+`\`
19	Actions menu: find any command	`Cmd`+`K`	`Ctrl`+`K`
20	Show every shortcut	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`?`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`?`

Photoshop

Tools and brush size first, so one hand stays on the keys while the other draws. Then the views, layers and selections you’ll use in every file.

Version: Photoshop 27 for Mac and Windows
Source: Adobe, Default keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Move tool	`V`	`V`
02	Brush	`B`	`B`
03	Smaller or bigger brush	`[`or`]`	`[`or`]`
04	Eraser	`E`	`E`
05	Pan the image (hold)	`Space`	`Space`
06	Fit the image on screen	`Cmd`+`0`	`Ctrl`+`0`
07	View at 100%	`Cmd`+`1`	`Ctrl`+`1`
08	Default colors, black and white	`D`	`D`
09	Swap foreground and background colors	`X`	`X`
10	Layer via Copy	`Cmd`+`J`	`Ctrl`+`J`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	New layer	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`
12	Free Transform	`Cmd`+`T`	`Ctrl`+`T`
13	Marquee	`M`	`M`
14	Selection tools: Object, Quick, Magic Wand	`W`	`W`
15	Deselect	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`
16	Invert the selection	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`I`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`I`
17	Crop	`C`	`C`
18	Group layers	`Cmd`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`G`
19	Merge everything visible into a new layer	`Cmd`+`Option`+`Shift`+`E`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`E`
20	Hide or show the panels	`Tab`	`Tab`

VS Code

The Command Palette comes first because it finds every command and shows its shortcut beside it. Then files and search, then the editing keys you’ll use on every line.

Version: Visual Studio Code 1.143, default keybindings
Source: Microsoft, Default keyboard shortcuts reference
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Command Palette: find any command	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`P`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`P`
02	Go to a file by name	`Cmd`+`P`	`Ctrl`+`P`
03	Show or hide the sidebar	`Cmd`+`B`	`Ctrl`+`B`
04	Open or close the terminal	`Ctrl`+`	`Ctrl`+`
05	Search across files	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`F`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`F`
06	Go to a line	`Ctrl`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`G`
07	Go to a symbol in the file	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`O`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`O`
08	Go to the definition	`F12`	`F12`
09	Rename a symbol everywhere	`F2`	`F2`
10	Add the next match to the selection	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Add a cursor above or below	`Cmd`+`Option`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`
12	Move the line up or down	`Option`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`	`Alt`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`
13	Copy the line up or down	`Option`+`Shift`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`
14	Delete the line	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`K`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`K`
15	Comment or uncomment the line	`Cmd`+`/`	`Ctrl`+`/`
16	Format the document	`Option`+`Shift`+`F`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`F`
17	Quick Fix	`Cmd`+`.`	`Ctrl`+`.`
18	Split the editor	`Cmd`+`\`	`Ctrl`+`\`
19	Go back to where you were	`Ctrl`+`-`	`Alt`+`←Left`
20	Keyboard shortcuts editor	`Cmd`+`K`then`Cmd`+`S`	`Ctrl`+`K`then`Ctrl`+`S`

Slack

Getting around first: jump to any conversation, read the unreads in order and mark them done. Then the keys for writing without sending too soon.

Version: Slack desktop app for Mac and Windows
Source: Slack, Slack keyboard shortcuts
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Jump to any conversation	`Cmd`+`K`	`Ctrl`+`K`
02	Next unread conversation	`Option`+`Shift`+`↓Down`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`↓Down`
03	Previous unread conversation	`Option`+`Shift`+`↑Up`	`Alt`+`Shift`+`↑Up`
04	Jump to the most recent unread message	`Cmd`+`J`	`Ctrl`+`J`
05	Mark this conversation read	`Esc`	`Esc`
06	Mark everything read	`Shift`+`Esc`	`Shift`+`Esc`
07	All unreads	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`A`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`A`
08	Threads	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`T`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`T`
09	Activity: mentions and reactions	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`M`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`M`
10	New line without sending	`Shift`+`Return`	`Shift`+`Enter`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Edit your last message (from an empty message box)	`↑Up`	`↑Up`
12	New message	`Cmd`+`N`	`Ctrl`+`N`
13	Search	`Cmd`+`G`	`Ctrl`+`G`
14	Search this conversation	`Cmd`+`F`	`Ctrl`+`F`
15	Back or forward	`Cmd`+`[`or`]`	`Alt`+`←Left`or`→Right`
16	Upload a file	`Cmd`+`O`	`Ctrl`+`O`
17	Format as code	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`C`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`C`
18	Turn the selected text into a link	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`U`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`U`
19	Set your status	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Y`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Y`
20	Start, join or leave a huddle	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`H`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`H`

Notion

Search and the slash menu first, then the keys that turn a line into a heading, a list or a to-do without opening a menu, then moving blocks around.

Version: Notion on the web and the Mac and Windows apps
Source: Notion, Keyboard shortcuts
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Search the workspace	`Cmd`+`P`	`Ctrl`+`P`
02	New page	`Cmd`+`N`	`Ctrl`+`N`
03	Add any block	`/`	`/`
04	Heading 1, 2 or 3	`Cmd`+`Option`+`1`, `2`or`3`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`1`, `2`or`3`
05	To-do	`Cmd`+`Option`+`4`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`4`
06	Bulleted list	`Cmd`+`Option`+`5`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`5`
07	Numbered list	`Cmd`+`Option`+`6`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`6`
08	Toggle list	`Cmd`+`Option`+`7`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`7`
09	Code block	`Cmd`+`Option`+`8`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`8`
10	Back to plain text	`Cmd`+`Option`+`0`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`0`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Select the block	`Esc`	`Esc`
12	Turn into or edit the block	`Cmd`+`/`	`Ctrl`+`/`
13	Duplicate the block	`Cmd`+`D`	`Ctrl`+`D`
14	Move the block up or down	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`↑Up`or`↓Down`
15	Indent or outdent	`Tab`or`Shift`+`Tab`	`Tab`or`Shift`+`Tab`
16	Link to a page	`@`or`[[`	`@`or`[[`
17	Add a link to the selected text	`Cmd`+`K`	`Ctrl`+`K`
18	Inline code	`Cmd`+`E`	`Ctrl`+`E`
19	Comment	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`M`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`M`
20	Copy the page’s link	`Cmd`+`L`	`Ctrl`+`L`

macOS

The keys under every app: find and switch first, then moving through text, then windows, screenshots and the one you need when something freezes. The Windows column gives the same job’s keys for anyone who uses both or is switching.

Version: macOS 27 Golden Gate (window tiling needs macOS Sequoia 15 or later); Windows 11 in the Windows column
Source: Apple, Mac keyboard shortcuts and Mac window tiling icons and keyboard shortcuts; Microsoft, Keyboard shortcuts in Windows
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Search for any app or file	`Cmd`+`Space`	`Win`thentype
02	Switch apps	`Cmd`+`Tab`	`Alt`+`Tab`
03	Switch windows of the same app	`Cmd`+`	None
04	Quit the app	`Cmd`+`Q`	`Alt`+`F4`
05	Close the window	`Cmd`+`W`	`Ctrl`+`W` in most apps
06	Minimize the window	`Cmd`+`M`	`Win`+`↓Down`
07	Settings for the app in front	`Cmd`+`,`	None
08	Move a word at a time	`Option`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Ctrl`+`←Left`or`→Right`
09	Start or end of the line	`Cmd`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Home`or`End`
10	Delete the word before the cursor	`Option`+`Delete`	`Ctrl`+`Backspace`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Paste without the formatting	`Cmd`+`Option`+`Shift`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`V` in most apps
12	Screenshot part of the screen	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`4`	`Win`+`Shift`+`S`
13	Fill the screen with the window	`Fn`+`Ctrl`+`F`	`Win`+`↑Up`
14	Window to the left or right half	`Fn`+`Ctrl`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Win`+`←Left`or`→Right`
15	See every open window	`Ctrl`+`↑Up`	`Win`+`Tab`
16	Show the desktop	`Fn`+`H`	`Win`+`D`
17	Move a file: copy it, then move it here	`Cmd`+`C`then`Cmd`+`Option`+`V`	`Ctrl`+`X`then`Ctrl`+`V`
18	Emoji and symbols	`Ctrl`+`Cmd`+`Space`	`Win`+`.`
19	Force quit a frozen app	`Cmd`+`Option`+`Esc`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Esc`
20	Lock the screen	`Ctrl`+`Cmd`+`Q`	`Win`+`L`

Windows

Search and switch first, then snapping windows into place, screenshots and the clipboard. The Mac column gives the same job’s keys for anyone who uses both or is switching. Clipboard history is off until you first press Win+V and turn it on.

Version: Windows 11; macOS 27 Golden Gate in the Mac column (window tiling needs macOS Sequoia 15 or later, clipboard history in Spotlight macOS Tahoe 26 or later)
Source: Microsoft, Keyboard shortcuts in Windows; Apple, Mac keyboard shortcuts, Mac window tiling icons and keyboard shortcuts and Search your Clipboard history in Spotlight
Checked: October 28, 2026

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
01	Search for any app or file	`Cmd`+`Space`	`Win`thentype
02	Switch windows	`Cmd`+`Tab`	`Alt`+`Tab`
03	Task View: every window and desktop	`Ctrl`+`↑Up`	`Win`+`Tab`
04	Show the desktop	`Fn`+`H`	`Win`+`D`
05	Open File Explorer (a Finder window on a Mac)	`Cmd`+`Option`+`Space`	`Win`+`E`
06	Snap the window to the left or right half	`Fn`+`Ctrl`+`←Left`or`→Right`	`Win`+`←Left`or`→Right`
07	Maximize the window	`Fn`+`Ctrl`+`F`	`Win`+`↑Up`
08	Minimize the window	`Cmd`+`M`	`Win`+`↓Down`
09	Snap layouts	None	`Win`+`Z`
10	Move the window to the other monitor	None	`Win`+`Shift`+`←Left`or`→Right`

#	What it does	Mac	Windows
11	Screenshot part of the screen	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`4`	`Win`+`Shift`+`S`
12	Record part of the screen	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`5`	`Win`+`Shift`+`R`
13	Clipboard history	`Cmd`+`Space`then`Cmd`+`4`	`Win`+`V`
14	Emoji panel	`Ctrl`+`Cmd`+`Space`	`Win`+`.`
15	Voice typing	`Fn`+`D`	`Win`+`H`
16	Settings	None	`Win`+`I`
17	Rename the selected file	`Return`	`F2`
18	Close the app	`Cmd`+`Q`	`Alt`+`F4`
19	Task Manager (Force Quit on a Mac)	`Cmd`+`Option`+`Esc`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Esc`
20	Lock the PC	`Ctrl`+`Cmd`+`Q`	`Win`+`L`

Twelve sheets to start

The apps most people at a keyboard spend the day in, and the two systems under them. More follow as readers ask for them.

Excel and Google Sheets · Select to the edge of the data
Word and Gmail · Older conversation, Newer conversation, Archive, Reply
Chrome · Reopen the tab you just closed
Figma and Photoshop · Move tool, Brush, Pen
VS Code · Command Palette: find any command
Slack and Notion · Jump to any conversation
macOS and Windows · Search for any app or file

How to make them stick

Take five at a time
The rows are numbered in the order to learn them. Take the first five this week and leave the rest until those five come without thinking.
Stop at the mouse
When your hand goes for the mouse to do something on the sheet, stop and press the keys instead, even when it’s slower the first few times. Skipping that round trip is how they stick.
Keep it in view
Each sheet prints on one page, letter or A4, without menus or ads. Prop it by the screen, and put it away once you’ve stopped looking at it.
Then the next app
When the twenty come without thinking, take the sheet for the app you use second, or the macOS or Windows sheet, whose keys work under every app.

Questions about the sheets

Are the sheets free? Do I need an account?

Yes, they’re free, and no, there’s nothing to sign up for or download. Read them, search them and print them as often as you like. CQXTZ earns from ads on its articles and from affiliate links in its reviews; the printed sheets carry no ads.

Why twenty, and why in this order?

Twenty fits on one printed page in type you can read from your chair, and it’s plenty to work through at five a week. The order puts first the keys you’d press dozens of times a day, usually moving and selecting, and leaves for later the ones you need once a week. The keys every app shares (copy, paste, undo, save) are left off: you know them already.

Where do the keys come from?

From each maker’s own published shortcut list: Microsoft for Excel, Word and Windows, Google for Sheets, Gmail and Chrome, Apple for macOS, and Figma, Adobe, Slack, Notion and the VS Code team for theirs. The editors pick the twenty and put them in order. Each sheet names the version it covers and the list it was checked against, and the sheets are checked again after each major release, because shortcuts do move.

A shortcut on the sheet doesn’t work. Why?

Usually one of four things. Your version is older or newer than the sheet’s: check its Version line. Something else has taken the keys: on a Mac with more than one input language, Ctrl+Space switches the input source before Excel sees it, and a browser can keep some keys from a web app. The app needs its shortcuts switched on: Gmail does, under Settings, See all settings, Keyboard shortcuts on. Or your keyboard isn’t a US layout, which moves the punctuation keys. If it’s none of those, send the app, its version and the keys through the contact page and we’ll check the sheet.

How do I read the keys?

A plus means hold the keys together: Cmd+Shift+T is Cmd and Shift held while you press T. ‘Then’ means one after the other: g then i is g, let go, then i. Cmd is the Command key (⌘), Option is ⌥, Ctrl is Control, and Win is the Windows key. Up, Down, Left and Right are the arrow keys, and Arrow means any of them. ‘None’ means the system has no built-in shortcut for that job.

My Mac has no Home, End or Page Down key, and F2 changes the brightness.

On a Mac laptop or a compact keyboard, Fn+←Left is Home, Fn+→Right is End, Fn+↑Up is Page Up and Fn+↓Down is Page Down. The top row controls brightness, volume and the like until you hold Fn, so F2 is Fn+F2 and Shift+F3 is Fn+Shift+F3. To make the top row act as F1, F2 and so on without Fn, turn on ‘Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys’ in System Settings, under Keyboard. On newer Mac keyboards the Fn key is the one with the globe.

Why are Mac and Windows side by side?

Because plenty of people use both: a Mac at home and a PC at work, or the other way round, and the same app often takes different keys on each. Neither column is the default. The macOS sheet gives the Windows keys for the same job, and the Windows sheet gives the Mac keys, so they double as a guide for anyone switching.

Do the Excel and Word sheets work in the web versions?

Many of the keys do, but not all. A browser keeps some keys for itself, so Microsoft lists separate shortcuts for Excel and Word on the web, and these two sheets are for the desktop apps. The Google Sheets and Gmail sheets are for the web, where those apps live, and the Version line on every sheet says which version it covers.

Do they work on a keyboard that isn’t US English?

The letters almost always do. Keys that use punctuation, such as /, \, `, [ and ], sit in other places on UK, German, French and other layouts, and some apps move those shortcuts to match. The sheets are written for a US layout, as the makers’ own lists are.

Can I change a shortcut I don’t like?

In some apps. VS Code, Photoshop and Word have their own keyboard settings, and on a Mac, System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, App Shortcuts gives any menu command in any app a key of your own. Slack doesn’t allow it. The sheets keep to the default keys, so they match every other computer you sit at; remapping has its own guides in the Automation section.

Can I print them for my team or a class?

Yes. Print as many as you like for yourself, your team or a class. If you want to share one online, link to it rather than copying the table, so people get the checked version when an app changes its keys.

Which apps are next?

The ones readers ask for. Tell us through the contact page which app you spend your day in, and it goes on the list.

Start with five keys in the app you use most

Twelve free sheets, Mac and Windows side by side, each one page to print and keep by the keyboard.