Use these shortcuts and pictures to find your way around a district Mac. Macs run macOS.
Take a screenshot
Capture |
Press together |
|---|---|
Whole screen |
Shift + Command + 3 |
Selected area |
Shift + Command + 4, then drag |
Screenshot or recording controls |
Shift + Command + 5 |
Press Shift + Command + 5. Choose a capture option, then click Capture. Press Esc to cancel. Image: Apple Support.
Screenshots save to the desktop by default. Hide private information before sharing them.
Use Mac keyboard shortcuts
Hold the listed keys together. For many Windows or ChromeOS shortcuts, use Command in place of Ctrl on a Mac.
Action |
Mac shortcut |
|---|---|
Copy / paste |
Command + C / Command + V |
Undo |
Command + Z |
Save in an app |
Command + S |
Switch apps |
Command + Tab |
Find an app or file |
Command + Space |
Close a window or tab |
Command + W |
Quit an app |
Command + Q |
Command (⌘) is the main shortcut key. Option (⌥) is the Mac name for Alt. Control (⌃) is a separate key: hold it while clicking for a right-click menu.
Using a Windows keyboard on a Mac
Windows keyboard key |
Acts as this Mac key |
|---|---|
Windows logo |
Command |
Alt |
Option |
Ctrl |
Control |
These are the usual mappings. For example, use Windows logo + C to copy on a connected Windows keyboard. Ctrl does not become Command.
Use Chrome shortcuts
- Find words on a Mac webpage: press Command + F.
- Reopen a closed Chrome tab on Mac: press Shift + Command + T.
- Make a Mac webpage larger or smaller: press Command + plus (+) or Command + minus (-). Use Command + 0 to return to normal size.
Use the trackpad
Click with two fingers for a right-click menu; slide two fingers to scroll.
Customize your Mac trackpad
Open Apple menu > System Settings > Trackpad. Settings vary by model.
- Under Point & Click, change Tracking speed to make the pointer slower or faster. Turn on Tap to click if you prefer a light tap instead of pressing down.
- To change right-click, open Secondary click and choose two fingers or a bottom corner. Control + click also opens the right-click menu.
- Under Scroll & Zoom, turn Natural scrolling on or off to choose the scrolling direction that feels familiar.
Turn Force Click and haptic feedback on or off
On supported trackpads, open Point & Click and switch Force Click and haptic feedback on or off. This controls firm-press actions and extra tactile feedback. If the setting is missing, your trackpad does not support it.
Point & Click includes pointer speed, right-click, and tap-to-click settings.
Customize the Mac Dock
The Dock is the row of app icons, usually at the bottom of the screen. It works much like the Windows taskbar or Chromebook shelf.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock to change its size, position, magnification, or automatic hiding.
- Drag an app from Finder > Applications into the app area of the Dock. Drag its icon left or right to rearrange it.
- To remove a shortcut, drag it out of the Dock until Remove appears, then release. This does not uninstall the app.
Some Dock changes may be managed by the district. If automatic hiding is on, move the pointer to that screen edge to show the Dock.
Change the Dock size, position, and automatic hiding here.
Understand the Mac window buttons
The three buttons are at the top left of most app windows. Move the pointer over them to see their symbols.
From left: Close, Minimize, and Full Screen. Hover over green for more window layouts. Image: Apple Support.
Button |
What it does |
|---|---|
Red X |
Closes this window. The app may keep running. |
Yellow minus |
Minimizes the window to the Dock. Click it in the Dock to bring it back. |
Green |
Enters full screen in most apps. Hover for options to fill or arrange windows. |
Close is different from quit: click the app, then press Command + Q to quit it completely. A dot below an app in the Dock means it is still running. In Chrome, closing a tab with its X closes only that tab.
Find the power button and ports
MacBook Neo
The Lock key at the top right is also the power button. The district Neo has no Touch ID.
MacBook Neo power button: the Lock key at the top-right corner of the keyboard. Image: Adapted from Apple Support.
MacBook Neo, left edge: USB 3 at left, USB 2 next to it, then the headphone jack. Image: Adapted from Apple Support.
Either USB-C port charges the Neo. For a projector or monitor, use the USB 3 port, the leftmost port when you face the left edge as pictured.
MacBook Air M5
The Touch ID button at the top right is also the power button. Charge with MagSafe or either USB-C port.
MacBook Air power button: the pointer identifies the round Touch ID sensor in the top-right key. Image: Adapted from Apple Support.
MacBook Air, left edge: MagSafe charging port (6) and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (7). Image: Adapted from Apple Support.
MacBook Air, right edge: headphone jack (8). Image: Adapted from Apple Support.