Your fingers already know this.
Almost every Windows shortcut works on a MacBook. You just press ⌘ Command where you used to press Ctrl. Here's the whole translation, plus how to do the everyday things.
Copy
Ctrl+C
On Windows
⌘+C
On your MacBook
Three keys, and you're 90% there.
Mac and Windows keyboards have the same modifier keys; they just wear different names. Learn these three swaps and most shortcuts fall into place.
Ctrl⌘
Command (⌘)
Command does what Ctrl did. Copy, paste, save, find: just slide your thumb one key over.
Alt⌥
Option (⌥)
Option is your Alt: same place, same job, and it's also how you type accented characters.
⊞ Win⌘
Command (⌘)
The Windows key's jobs (search, run, lock) move to Command and to Spotlight (⌘ Space).
One thing to know: Macs do have their own ⌃ Control key. You'll meet it now and then (right-clicking, opening Mission Control), but day to day, Command (⌘) is the one your thumb wants.
Want a Switch skill inside your AI assistant? Install the free Switch skill and ask Claude or Codex for any Mac shortcut, task, or gesture, right in your chat.
Get the skill →The shortcut cheat sheet
Every Windows shortcut you use, side by side with its Mac equivalent. You can filter them by category, or just search for what you want to do.
Essentials
ActionWindowsMac
Copy
Ctrl+C
⌘+C
Cut
Ctrl+X
⌘+X
Paste
Ctrl+V
⌘+V
Paste without formatting
Ctrl+Shift+V
⌥+⇧+⌘+V
Undo
Ctrl+Z
⌘+Z
RedoRedo is Shift-Command-Z on a Mac.
Ctrl+Y
⇧+⌘+Z
Select all
Ctrl+A
⌘+A
Save
Ctrl+S
⌘+S
Print
Ctrl+P
⌘+P
Find on page
Ctrl+F
⌘+F
Find next
F3
⌘+G
New
Ctrl+N
⌘+N
Open
Ctrl+O
⌘+O
Close the window
Ctrl+W
⌘+W
Quit the whole app⌘W closes one window; ⌘Q quits the app entirely.
Alt+F4
⌘+Q
Bold
Ctrl+B
⌘+B
Italic
Ctrl+I
⌘+I
Underline
Ctrl+U
⌘+U
Text & cursor
ActionWindowsMac
Jump to start of line
Home
⌘+←
Jump to end of line
End
⌘+→
Jump to start of document
Ctrl+Home
⌘+↑
Jump to end of document
Ctrl+End
⌘+↓
Move one word left
Ctrl+←
⌥+←
Move one word right
Ctrl+→
⌥+→
Select to start of line
Shift+Home
⇧+⌘+←
Select to end of line
Shift+End
⇧+⌘+→
Select word by word
Ctrl+Shift+←/→
⇧+⌥+←/→
Page up / down
Page Up/Page Down
fn+↑/↓
Delete forwardOn a Mac, ⌫ deletes backward (like Backspace). fn+⌫ deletes ahead. Control+D works too.
Delete
fn+⌫
Delete the previous word
Ctrl+Backspace
⌥+⌫
Windows & apps
ActionWindowsMac
Switch between apps
Alt+Tab
⌘+Tab
Switch windows of one appThe ` key sits just above Tab.
Alt + Tab cycles all
⌘+`
Minimize the window
⊞ Win+↓
⌘+M
Hide the app
-
⌘+H
Hide every other app
-
⌘+⌥+H
Force quit a frozen appOpens the Force Quit window. (Ctrl-Alt-Del also covers lock/sign-out on Windows.)
Ctrl+Alt+Delete
⌘+⌥+⎋
See all open windowsMission Control, or swipe up with three or four fingers.
⊞ Win+Tab
⌃+↑
See all windows of this app
-
⌃+↓
Move between desktops
Ctrl+⊞ Win+←/→
⌃+←/→
Show the desktopOr press ⌘ with the Mission Control key.
⊞ Win+D
fn+F11
Full-screen the windowOr click the green button at the top-left of the window.
F11
⌃+⌘+F
Screenshots
ActionWindowsMac
Capture the whole screen
PrtScn
⌘+⇧+3
Capture part of the screenCrosshair appears: drag to select, release to save to the Desktop.
⊞ Win+Shift+S
⌘+⇧+4
Capture a single windowPress Space, then click the window you want.
Alt+PrtScn
⌘+⇧+4thenSpace
Screenshot & recording barAll options in one place, including screen recording.
⊞ Win+G
⌘+⇧+5
Copy a shot to the clipboardAdd Control to any capture to copy it instead of saving a file.
Win + Shift + S copies
⌃+⌘+⇧+4
Files & Finder
ActionWindowsMac
Open the file managerFinder is always running. ⌥⌘Space opens a Finder search window.
⊞ Win+E
Finder, the smiley face in the Dock
New folder
Ctrl+Shift+N
⌘+⇧+N
Rename a fileSelect the file, then press Return.
F2
⏎
File details (Properties)Called “Get Info” on a Mac.
Alt+⏎
⌘+I
Move a file to the bin
Delete
⌘+⌫
Empty the bin
-
⌘+⇧+⌫
Preview a file instantlyQuick Look: select a file and tap Space. A Mac favorite.
-
Space
Move a file (cut & paste)Copy first, then Option-Command-V moves it instead of copying.
Ctrl+X/Ctrl+V
⌘+Cthen⌥+⌘+V
System & search
ActionWindowsMac
Search & launch anythingSpotlight replaces the Start menu and Run box: type to find apps, files, math, even clipboard history.
⊞ Win
⌘+Space
Open Settings
⊞ Win+I
Apple menu ▸ System Settings
Lock the screen
⊞ Win+L
⌃+⌘+Q
Log out
-
⇧+⌘+Q
Emoji pickerOr Control-Command-Space.
⊞ Win+.
fn+E
Accents & special charactersHold a letter for a popup of accents, or use ⌥ combos (⌥e then e → é).
-
hold ⌥, or press fn twice
The full list of appsOpens “Applications.” (Launchpad was removed in macOS Tahoe.)
Start menu, then scroll
fn+⇧+A
Browser
ActionWindowsMac
New tab
Ctrl+T
⌘+T
Reopen the last closed tab
Ctrl+Shift+T
⌘+⇧+T
Close the tab
Ctrl+W
⌘+W
Jump to the address bar
Ctrl+L
⌘+L
Reload the page
F5
⌘+R
Hard reload
Ctrl+F5
⌘+⇧+R
Zoom in / out
Ctrl++ / −
⌘++ / −
Next / previous tabOr ⌘1–9 to jump straight to a tab.
Ctrl+Tab
⌃+Tab
Bookmark this page
Ctrl+D
⌘+D
DownloadsThat's Safari; in Chrome it's ⇧⌘J.
Ctrl+J
⌘+⌥+L
The trackpad gestures
The Mac trackpad is very powerful and user friendly. Start using it with these ten gestures.
Tap to click
Tap with one finger
A light tap clicks, no pressing down. Switch it on in Trackpad settings if it is not already.
Right-click
Tap with two fingers
This is your right-click. It opens the same menu the right mouse button did.
Scroll
Two fingers, up or down
Scroll any page, list, or document.
Zoom in or out
Pinch or spread two fingers
Zoom into photos, maps, and PDFs.
Swipe between pages
Two fingers, left or right
Go back and forward, like the browser arrows.
Switch desktops and apps
Three or four fingers, sideways
Slide between full-screen apps and desktops.
Mission Control
Swipe up, three or four fingers
See every open window laid out at once.
App Exposé
Swipe down, three or four fingers
Spread out all the windows of the app you are in.
Show desktop
Spread thumb and three fingers
Clear everything out of the way to reach your desktop.
Show all apps
Pinch thumb and three fingers
Open the grid of all your installed apps.