Finder Keyboard Shortcuts on a Mac: The Ones Worth Learning

Quick answer: The Finder shortcuts on a Mac worth learning first are Command-N for a new window, Command-T for a new tab, Shift-Command-G to go to any folder, Command-1 to 4 to switch views, Space bar for Quick Look, Return to rename, Command-Delete to move items to the Bin and Shift-Command-Period to show hidden files.

Apple's Mac keyboard shortcuts page lists a long run of shortcuts, from brightness keys to Siri. It's easy to read the first screen, learn Command-C and close the tab.

This is the Finder part only, checked against that page (published 15 September 2026) and grouped by what you're trying to do. Learn one group a week and you'll stop reaching for the mouse without noticing.

How do you move around folders in Finder with the keyboard?

Command-Up Arrow takes you to the enclosing folder. Command-Down Arrow opens whatever is selected, so the two together let you climb in and out of folders without touching the trackpad.

With Shift-Command-G, type ~/Library or /Applications and press Return.

There is no global shortcut to open Finder itself. Command-Tab to it if it's running (it always is), or click its face in the Dock. Apple's list does include Option-Command-Space bar, which starts a Spotlight search inside a Finder window.

Which shortcuts change the Finder view?

Command-1, 2, 3 and 4 switch between icons, list, columns and gallery. Apple lists them in that order. Column view (Command-3) is the fastest for digging through deep folders; list view (Command-2) is best for sorting by size or date.

A few more that tidy up the window itself:

• Command-J opens View Options, where you set the sort order and icon size for the current folder.
• Option-Command-P shows or hides the path bar at the bottom, so you can see where you are.
• Option-Command-S shows or hides the sidebar.
• Command-/ shows or hides the status bar, which tells you how many items are in a folder and how much space is left on the disk.
• Shift-Command-P shows or hides the Preview pane.

In list view, the Right Arrow opens a folder in place and the Left Arrow closes it. Option-click a disclosure triangle to open every folder inside it at once.

How do you select, rename and preview files?

Select an item and press Return to rename it. Apple's renaming guide gives that as the way in: the name becomes editable, you type, you press Return again. Coming from Windows, this is the one that catches people out, because Return doesn't open the file. Command-Down Arrow does.

The rest of the everyday set:

• Space bar previews the selected item with Quick Look. Press it again to close.
• Option-Command-Y shows a full-screen Quick Look slideshow of the selection.
• Command-A selects everything in the window.
• Command-I opens Get Info, with the file's size, location and permissions.
• Command-D duplicates the selection.
• Control-Command-A makes an alias.
• Shift-Command-N creates a new folder.

To move rather than copy, use Option-Command-V. Command-C copies the selected file, and Command-V pastes a copy. Option-Command-V pastes and removes the original, which is the closest Finder gets to "cut".

What are the Finder tab and window shortcuts?

Command-T opens a new tab. Macworld's Finder window guide covers tabs, and it's quicker than juggling two windows when you're moving files between folders.

• Control-Tab and Control-Shift-Tab go to the next and previous tab, as Apple's guide to tabs describes.
• Shift-Command-T shows or hides the tab bar.
• Command-double-click a folder to open it in a new tab or window.
• Command-W closes the front window, and Option-Command-W closes every Finder window.

Which shortcuts move files to the Bin?

Command-Delete moves the selected items to the Bin. It doesn't delete anything permanently; our guide to what happens when you delete a file on a Mac covers where the file goes and how Option-Command-Delete skips the Bin entirely.

Treat the last one with respect. Apple describes it plainly: "empty the Bin without confirmation dialogue."

What is the shortcut to show hidden files?

Shift-Command-Period, in any Finder window. It toggles hidden files on and off, and they appear greyed out while they're showing. It isn't in Apple's Finder list or in any menu, which makes it easy to miss. Our guide to showing hidden files on a Mac covers the Library folder and the Terminal version.

A week-by-week plan for learning them

1. Week one: Command-Up Arrow and Command-Down Arrow. Move through folders without the mouse.
2. Week two: Return to rename and Space bar to preview. These two save the most clicks.
3. Week three: Command-T and Shift-Command-G. Tabs for moving files, Go to Folder for jumping straight to a path.
4. Week four: Command-1 to 4. Pick a view per folder and stop scrolling icon grids.

A cauldron for Command-Delete

If Command-Delete is your most-used shortcut, Spellbin gives it somewhere nicer to land. It's our own small paid Mac app: a pixel-art cauldron in the Dock beside the Bin. With its permissions switched on, it can catch Command-Delete in Finder and send the selection through the cauldron, where a green flame carrying each file's thumbnail rises and dissolves.

By default the files still go to the real Bin, and pressing Command-Z straight afterwards brings them back. It won't make you any faster, but deleting gets more fun. Download Spellbin if that appeals.

Learn four Finder shortcuts properly and you'll use them every day. Learn forty from a list and you'll forget them all.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to open Finder on a Mac?

The Mac has no default keyboard shortcut that opens Finder. Finder is always running, so press Command-Tab to switch to it, or click the Finder icon in the Dock. Once a Finder window is in front, Command-N opens a new window and Option-Command-Space bar starts a Spotlight search inside Finder.

How do you rename a file on a Mac with the keyboard?

To rename a file on a Mac with the keyboard, select it in Finder and press Return. The name becomes editable, so type the new name and press Return again to confirm. Apple's Mac User Guide gives this method. Pressing Return does not open the file in Finder; Command-Down Arrow does.

How do you cut and paste files on a Mac?

The Mac Finder has no cut command for files. Select the files and press Command-C, go to the destination folder, then press Option-Command-V. That moves the files from their original location instead of copying them, according to Apple's keyboard shortcuts list. Plain Command-V pastes a copy and leaves the original where it was.

What is the shortcut for a new tab in Finder?

The Finder shortcut for a new tab is Command-T, which opens a tab in the front Finder window. Control-Tab moves to the next tab and Control-Shift-Tab to the previous one. Command-double-clicking a folder opens it in a new tab or window, and Shift-Command-T shows or hides the tab bar.

How do you go up a folder in Finder on a Mac?

To go up a folder in Finder on a Mac, press Command-Up Arrow. It opens the folder that contains the current one. Control-Command-Up Arrow does the same in a new window. Command-Left Bracket goes back to the previous folder you viewed, which is not always the same as the parent folder.

Final Takeaways

• Command-Up Arrow and Command-Down Arrow get you through folders without a mouse.
• Return renames, Space bar previews. Neither opens the file.
• Shift-Command-G jumps to any path you can type.
• Option-Command-V moves files, the Finder's version of cut and paste.
• Shift-Command-Period shows hidden files, and no menu will tell you so.