The Finder Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Mac

Your Mac desktop’s Finder app is a hub of constant activity. You use the app, for starters, to install and launch apps, preview files, organize, back up and share your data.

Given that Finder comes in handy in so many ways, learning how to navigate it faster is sure to boost your productivity. And that’s where this cheat sheet comes in. It shows you how to take care of various Finder tasks mostly without taking your hands of the keyboard.

If you’re new to Finder, take a detour through our Finder tips for macOS newbies and top tips for using Finder efficiently before you explore the shortcuts below.

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download Finder Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Mac.

The Finder Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Mac

Shortcut	Action
Basic Finder Actions
Cmd + N	Open new window
Cmd + T	Open new tab
Cmd + W	Close active window OR ¹Close active tab
Shift + Cmd + W	¹Close active window
Option + Cmd + W	Close all windows OR ¹Close all tabs except the active tab
Option + Shift + Cmd + W	¹Close all windows
Cmd + O	Open selected item(s)
Option + Cmd + O	Open selected item(s) and close active window or ¹active tab
Shift + Cmd + N	Create new folder
Control + Cmd + N	Create new folder and move selected item to it
Cmd + I	Show Get Info pane for selected item(s)
Option + Cmd + I	Show Inspector pane for selected item(s)
Cmd + P	Open selected file for printing
Enter	Rename selected item
Cmd + C	Copy selected item(s) to clipboard
Option + Cmd + C	²Copy pathname of selected item to clipboard
Cmd V	Paste item(s) from clipboard
Option + Cmd + V	Move selected item(s) to active location i.e. cut-paste item(s)
Cmd + Z	Undo last action
Shift + Cmd + Z	Reverse “Undo action”
Cmd + D	Duplicated selected item(s)
Control + Cmd + A	Create alias for selected item(s)
Option+ Control + Cmd + A	Locate original item for selected alias(es)
³Space	Open Quick Look preview of selected item(s)
³Cmd + Y	Open Quick Look preview of selected item(s)
³Option + Cmd + Y	Open slideshow or fullscreen Quick Look preview of selected item(s)
Control + Cmd + T	Add sidebar shortcuts for selected item(s)
Control + Shift + Cmd + T	Add selected item(s) to Dock
Cmd + Delete	Move selected item(s) to Trash
Option + Cmd + Delete	Delete selected item(s) immediately
Shift + Cmd + Delete	Empty Trash
Option + Shift + Cmd + Delete	Empty Trash immediately i.e. without warning dialog
Cmd + E	Eject the selected disk or volume
Cmd + F	Open a Finder search window (search bar is activated automatically)
Option + Cmd + Space	Open a Finder search window even when Finder is not active
View and Sort Options
Cmd + 1	Switch to Icon view
Cmd + 2	Switch to List view
Cmd + 3	Switch to Column view
Cmd + 4	Switch to Gallery view
Control + Cmd + 0	⁴Sort items into Groups
Control + Option + Cmd + 0	Sort items by None
Control + Option + Cmd + 1	Sort items by Name
Control + Option + Cmd + 2	Sort items by Kind
Control + Option + Cmd + 3	Sort items by Date Last Opened
Control + Option + Cmd + 4	Sort items by Date Added
Control + Option + Cmd + 5	Sort items by Modified
Control + Option + Cmd + 6	Sort items by Size
Control + Option + Cmd + 7	Sort items by Tags
Option + Cmd + 1	Clean up items by Name
Option + Cmd + 2	Clean up items by Kind
Option + Cmd + 5	Clean up items by Date Modified
Option + Cmd + 6	Clean up items by Size
Option + Cmd + 7	Clean up items by Tags
Option + Cmd + S	Toggle sidebar
Option + Cmd + T	Toggle toolbar and sidebar
Shift + Cmd + T	Toggle tab bar
Option + Cmd + P	Toggle path bar
Shift + Cmd + P	Toggle Preview sidebar
Cmd + / (Forward slash)	Toggle status bar
Cmd + J	Show View options for active folder
Shift + Cmd + . (Period)	Toggle visibility of hidden files
Up Arrow	Icon View, Gallery View: Select last item
	List View: Select item above
	Column View: Select last item if no item selected, otherwise select item above
Down Arrow	Icon View, Gallery View: Select first item
	List View: Select item below
	Column View: Select first item if no item selected, otherwise select item below
Left Arrow	Icon View: Select item on the left
	List View: Collapse folder
	Column View: Select parent folder
	Gallery View: Select last item if no item selected, otherwise select first item on the left
Right Arrow	Icon View: Select item on the right
	List View: Expand folder
	Column View: Select child item
	Gallery View: Select first item if no item selected, otherwise select first item on the right
Tab	Icon, List, and Gallery View: Cycle through items in the forward direction
Shift + Tab	Icon, List, and Gallery View: Cycle through items in the backward direction
Cmd + Up Arrow	Open enclosing (parent) folder
Cmd + Down Arrow	Select first item or open selected item(s)
⁵Cmd + [	Go one step backward
⁵Cmd + ]	Go one step forward
Accessing Standard Finder Locations
Shift + Cmd + F	Open Recents window
Shift + Cmd + O	Open Documents folder
Shift + Cmd + D	Open Desktop folder
Option + Cmd + L	Open Downloads folder
Shift + Cmd + H	Open Home folder of current user account
Shift + Cmd + C	Open Computer window
Shift + Cmd + R	Open AirDrop window
Shift + Cmd + K	Open Network window
Shift + Cmd + I	Open iCloud Drive
Shift + Cmd + A	Open Applications folder
Shift + Cmd + U	Open Utilities folder
Shift + Cmd + G	Open dialog to jump to folder using pathname
Cmd + K	Open Connect to Server utility
Cmd + , (Comma)	Open Finder preferences
Window Management
Cmd + M	Minimize active window
Option + Cmd + M	Minimize all windows
Cmd + ` (Backquote)	Cycle through (unminimized) windows
Cmd + H	Hide Finder
Option + Cmd + H	Hide all apps except Finder
Cmd + Q	Quit Finder
Mouse-Based Shortcuts
Cmd-Click	Open sidebar item in new tab or window
Cmd-Drag Toolbar/Sidebar Item	Add item to or move/remove item from toolbar/sidebar
Cmd-Drag File/Folder	To toolbar/sidebar: Add a shortcut
	To any location on disk: Move item there
Esc	Cancel drag-and-drop action midway
Double-click divider in Column View	Resize corresponding column to fit item with longest name
Option + Double-Click divider in Column View	Resize all columns to fit items with the longest name in each
Option-Drag divider in Column View	Resize columns equally
Option-Click Go Menu	Reveal link to Library folder
¹When window has multiple tabs ²If multiple items are selected, pathname of first item will be copied. ³If no item selected, preview parent folder with Quick Look. ⁴Does not work in Gallery View. ⁵Based on tab/window history

There’s a Lot More to Discover in Finder!

Our Finder tips don’t end here. We can also help you find your files quicker with tags, complete various macOS tasks with Finder’s Quick Actions, and discover hidden features.

Speaking of hidden features, did you notice that many of the keyboard shortcuts above are secret Option key shortcuts?

Image Credit: Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

Read the full article: The Finder Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Mac

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