Keys that, when pressed together, perform the programmed actions in Mac OS are called modifiers or hotkeys. They can be used to perform operations traditionally used by devices such as a mouse or trackpad. Hotkeys will significantly simplify work on a MacBook, help you perform standard actions faster and more productively: copying, pasting text.
How keyboard shortcuts work on Mac
Many keyboard shortcuts work like their counterparts in the OS Windows. The difference is that on OS Mac, the Command and Option buttons are used. Some combinations are not repeated on other operating systems.
To apply modifier keys, just hold down one or more of them while pressing the last key in a combination, then release all. As an example, there are shortcuts for the commonly used Screenshot feature:
- Command + Shift + 3 – takes a screenshot of the entire desktop with windows open on it.
- Command + Shift + 4 – removes only the selected area of the screen;
- Command + Shift + 4 + Spacebar – Selects a specific window.
Each program uses its own combinations. To find out the possible options, you will have to open the menu of all applications installed on the MacBook, and remember the useful buttons.
However, there are other ways to find out keyboard shortcuts on Mac.
CheatSheet app for Mac OS
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The program runs in the background and is waiting for a call. To activate it, just hold down the Command button for a while. This will display a list of modifier keys for the active application.
CheatSheet does not have an interface and is not reflected in the system menu. The setting is carried out by directly calling the utility from any running program. A menu with options opens in the lower right corner of the window. With its help, the user is prompted to enable the launch of the application in automatic mode and set the time interval for its call.
The hotkeys indicated in the list are grouped by functional characteristics. Any of the commands can be run directly from the list by holding down the Command button. The application also allows you to print a list of commands on a connected printer.
Touch Bar
The new progressive element MacBook Pro from 2016 is the Touch Bar located in the upper section of the keyboard. It offers many functions previously only available on the keyboard and is a real alternative to hotkeys.
With the Control Strip on the right side of the panel, you can easily control basic MacBook settings such as screen brightness, volume, photo or video work, and startup Siri. On the left there are buttons that activate the functions of the open program, with which you can search, view and sort files, open folders, add tags.
The user can customize the Touch Bar to work with built-in and added applications, which allows him to change some key combinations to touch buttons on the Touch Bar.