Mac Keyboard Shortcuts: Mastering the Alt/Option Key for Enhanced Productivity

On a Mac, the Option key, often referred to as the Alt key on other keyboards, is used in various shortcuts. These shortcuts can significantly enhance your productivity by allowing quicker navigation and actions on your Mac. Here, we explore common Option key shortcuts and their utility in everyday Mac usage.

Common Option Key Shortcuts on a Mac

Option key shortcuts are powerful tools for Mac users looking to streamline their workflow. Below are some of the most frequently used shortcuts:

1. Option Click

Click on a file or folder to open it in a new window. Click on the volume icon in the menu bar to see all audio output devices.

2. Option Command Esc

Open the Force Quit Applications window, which can help you manage and close unresponsive applications.

3. Option Shift Volume Up/Down

Adjust volume in smaller increments.

4. Option Shift Delete

Empty the Trash without a confirmation dialog, which can be very helpful when you are closing out of unused applications or files.

5. Option Space

Open Spotlight search, which is a powerful tool for quickly finding files, apps, and settings on your Mac.

6. Option Command D

Show or hide the Dock, which is the desktop launcher on Macs.

7. Option Arrow Keys

Move the cursor by one word at a time instead of one character, which can save time during text editing.

8. Option Drag

Create a copy of a file or folder when dragging it, which can help in quick duplicating tasks.

9. Option Return

Open the selected item in Quick Look, which provides a preview of the file without opening it fully.

These shortcuts are designed to enhance your Mac experience by allowing quicker access and actions. Whether you are navigating through your files or managing applications, these shortcuts can significantly boost your productivity.

Why Learn Keyboard Shortcuts?

Keyboard shortcuts are a brilliant time-saver. It's much easier to tap two or three keys at once than to go hunting through nested menus. However, shortcuts depend on knowledge and muscle memory. You need to put in the time to learn them before you can benefit in the long run.

This guide to essential keyboard shortcuts for Mac users covers the most useful hotkey combinations that will save you time and stress. You will find key combinations for a variety of tasks, including saving, copying, and pasting, printing, closing a window, and hiding or closing an app. We will also cover key combinations you can use when booting or starting up a Mac. If you are looking for the key combination to type characters like °, €, @, ￡, €, ￠, or ?, read on.

Key Combo Essentials for Mac Users

The three most important keys on your Mac keyboard are the F1, F2, and Esc keys, found to the left and right of the spacebar for right- and left-handed use. Unfortunately, these keys seem to cause more confusion than any others. So, our shortcuts guide will begin by clearing up the mystery and explaining what you can do with Fn, Ctrl, Alt, and Cmd.

If you are using a Mac keyboard with a PC, you will probably need extra help. Have a look at How to use a Mac keyboard in Windows for more information.

The Option / Alt Key

There is a great deal of confusion over what Apple refers to as the Option key. If you are using a UK keyboard, chances are this is called the Alt key, so it's no wonder most people don't know where it is.

The Alt / Option key can be found between the Control and Command keys. It has an icon that looks like a slope and a dip with a line above it. It is the key you use if you wish to select a boot partition when starting the computer, or you also press it when typing certain characters on your keyboard, such as Alt-3 or ￠ Alt-4.

Hidden Characters with the Alt Key

Heres an overview of the hidden characters that you can type using the Alt key. The keys might be a bit different if you are not using a UK keyboard. We have a separate guide to how to type €, @, and more special characters on a Mac here.

The Option key also enables you to enable the Save As option in Mac apps. Just press it when you click on the File menu, and you'll see the new options.