Mac Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Switchers: The 25 You Need First
The first week on a MacBook is mostly spent reaching for Ctrl. This list covers the shortcuts that matter first, each with its Windows equivalent.
Quick answer: On a Mac, most Windows Ctrl shortcuts use Command (⌘) instead: ⌘C copy, ⌘V paste, ⌘Z undo, ⌘A select all. Take screenshots with ⇧⌘4, go full screen with ⌃⌘F, and force quit with ⌥⌘Esc. The one big gap is cutting files in Finder, which has no Cut. The File Cut Paste App adds a real cut and paste for files.
The everyday shortcuts
| What you want | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Copy / Cut / Paste | Ctrl+C / X / V | ⌘C / ⌘X / ⌘V |
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | ⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z |
| Select all | Ctrl+A | ⌘A |
| Find | Ctrl+F | ⌘F |
| Save | Ctrl+S | ⌘S |
| Close window | Ctrl+W | ⌘W |
| Quit the app | Alt+F4 | ⌘Q |
| Switch apps | Alt+Tab | ⌘Tab |
| Search the Mac | Windows key | ⌘Space |
Screen, windows and apps
| What you want | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshot of a selected area | Win+Shift+S | ⇧⌘4 |
| Screenshot of the whole screen | Print Screen | ⇧⌘3 |
| Screenshot and recording options | Snipping Tool | ⇧⌘5 |
| Full screen | F11 | ⌃⌘F |
| Minimise a window | Win+Down | ⌘M |
| Hide the app | n/a | ⌘H |
| Force quit | Ctrl+Shift+Esc | ⌥⌘Esc |
| Lock the screen | Win+L | ⌃⌘Q |
Files and Finder
| What you want | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Rename the selected file | F2 | Return |
| Delete a file | Delete | ⌘Delete |
| Empty the Trash | n/a | ⇧⌘Delete |
| Get file details | Alt+Enter | ⌘I |
| Copy a file | Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V | ⌘C then ⌘V |
| Move a file (paste as a move) | Ctrl+X then Ctrl+V | ⌘C then ⌥⌘V |
That last row is the one that surprises people. Finder has no Cut for files. You copy with ⌘C, then press ⌥⌘V in the destination folder, which moves the file instead of copying it. For the full story, see cut and paste on a Mac and why Cmd+X doesn't work.
Restart and shut down
There is no single everyday keyboard shortcut for restart. Press the power button (or Touch ID button) to get the shut down dialog, or use the Apple menu. If the Mac is frozen, Control+Command+power button forces an immediate restart. That skips saving, so use it only when nothing else works.
Windows keyboard on a Mac
If you plug in a Windows keyboard, the Windows key acts as Command and Alt acts as Option. See cut and paste files on a Mac with a Windows keyboard for the layout.