Macs come in all shapes and sizes, but you turn all of them on and off, and do things with the keyboard and mouse or trackpad the same way. This Cheat Sheet of timesaving keyboard shortcuts, mouse and trackpad actions, Mac-related websites, and definitions can help you get the most from your Mac right away.

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Using Mac Special Feature Keys

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Newer Macs feature keyboards with a row of dedicated special feature keys marked with descriptive icons that also double as function (Fn) keys. For instance, the fifth key from the left is the one you press to open Launchpad, which displays all the applications on your Mac. Some special feature keys evoke a second special feature when you hold down the Fn key and then press the special feature key.

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences and then click the Keyboard icon to find all the default key command shortcuts (under the Shortcuts tab), turn on those you want to use, and then edit the key combinations to something easier for you.

Here are five Mac special feature keys you can press to help you work with and switch between multiple Mac application windows you’re running at the same time.

Common Mac Application Shortcut Keystrokes

No matter what application you’re running on your Mac, you can usually speed up using an application by performing a Mac keyboard shortcut rather than use the mouse or trackpad to point to a menu and select a command. The following table lists the most common Mac keyboard shortcuts that can speed up working with 99.99999 percent of all Mac applications.

Mac Shortcuts for International Letters and Symbols

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When writing, you may need to use a symbol or a letter with a diacritical mark, such as an accent (à) or a tilde (ñ). Holding down any of the letters in the following table opens a pop-up window with the variations of that letter and a number under each one. Type the number, and the variation appears in your document. For example, hold down A and then press 1 to type à. It works for uppercase letters as well.

These variations appear when you use the U.S. English keyboard. If you add a keyboard for another language, you may see more or different variations. To add a keyboard, go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences; then click the Keyboard icon. Click the Input Source tab and then click the add button (+) at the bottom left. Select the language you want, and then click the Add button. Select the Show Input Menu in Menu Bar check box. When you’re working in a document and want to switch to a different language, click the Input menu icon in the status bar and select the language you want to use.

Some common symbols are quickly accessed with the following key combinations:

To see all the key combinations, go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences and then Keyboard. Click the Input Sources tab, and then select the Show Input Menu in Menu Bar check box. Close System Preferences. An icon for the Input Menu appears on the status bar at the top of your screen. Click the Input Menu icon and choose Show Keyboard Viewer. A graphic representation of the keyboard appears on your screen. Do one of the following three actions: Hold Shift, hold Option, or hold Shift+Option. The keyboard changes to show the letter or symbol that will be typed when you now hold Shift, Option, or Shift+Option and type a letter or number.

There are five gold option keys. If you hold down the Option key, press one of the gold keys, release the Option key, and then press another letter, the accent associated with the gold key appears on the letter you typed. For example, press Option+E, and then type a. The result is á.

Mac Mouse and Trackpad Actions

Using your Mac’s mouse or trackpad can be a real drag — in a good way! That’s because drag (as well as click and Control-click) describes how you use your Mac’s mouse and trackpad to do things with windows, icons, and other items on the screen. The following table lists Mac mouse and trackpad action terms and what they mean.

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Your MacBook keyboard puts efficiency at your fingertips. Startup keys, shortcut key combinations, and special function keys invite you to perform different tasks with a single touch — from turning up the sound volume to deleting selected text.

Finder Shortcuts for Your MacBook Keyboard

Keyboard shortcuts help you make quick, efficient use of the macOS Finder on your MacBook, providing all kinds of options for performing common tasks within Catalina.

Standard MacBook Function Keys You Should Know

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Some MacBook keys display symbols you may not have seen on a computer keyboard before. Here’s a handy reference for what those function keys can do for you on your Apple laptop.

Startup Keys: More Power to Your MacBook Keyboard

Some keys and keyboard combinations on your MacBook were born for Startup magic — either to get your Apple laptop booted up, help troubleshoot computer problems, or perform other technical tricks within El Capitan.

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