Keyboard-shortcuts-notes

These are my rough notes on the keyboard shortucts I use the most and that are the most universal across programs you’re likely to use.

Mac

• Always remap your capslock key to something useful (I do ctrl) in the system keyboard settings
• in finder, quickly jump to a file: cmd+shift+g and just start typing the folder name
• cmd+shift+v pastes with destination formatting instead of source formatting
• You probably know that double clicking will select a word, but tripple clicking will select a sentence. When you’re in the browser and want to quickly highlight the entrie URL, cmd+l does this. So copying the current URL is as easy as cmd+l cmd+c.
• hide that menu bar and use cmd+space (then type the program name) or cmd+tab (multiple to scroll) to switch programs
• / or ? key. On many sites hitting cmd+/ or just ? will bring up a help menu that usually has a ton of other keyboard shortcuts. And hitting just / will put the cursor in a search bar. Try these out on any gsuite site. Or hit cmd+/ now in slack!
• cmd+, always brings up the settings for whatever program you’re in
• many emacs shortcuts work globally on a mac, e.g. ctrl+d is forward delete
• text formatting: cmd+shift+x (cross out), cmd+b (bold), cmd+i (italics), cmd+u (underline)
• in many programs * followed by space will start a new bullet list, and 1. will start a new numbered list. In google docs you can also hit cmd+shift+8 (star key)
• in google docs hit cmd+alt+[1..5] to format the line as a heading
• create and use a global hyperkey to jump to programs or run scripts

If you use a trackpad, I highly recommend trying out three-finger drag. It lets you “grab” any part of windows or resizing to drag things around without having to hold down the trackpad button. You can find this setting in Settings -> Accessibility -> Pointer Control -> Trackpad Options… -> Dragging style

Browser

• cmd+t : new tab
• cmd+w : close tab (works on many programs)
• cmd+shift+t : open previously closed tab
• cmd+{ or } : scroll through tabs
• cmd+[ or ] : navigate forward or back a page
• You can also shift click or cmd+click to select multiple tabs to drag them out or close them all at once.
• for devs, cmd+alt+i opens chrome dev tools and cmd+shift+c jumps straight to element selection and opens dev tools
• cmd+[1..9] jump to tab
• make new google docs by entring in the address bar: “docs.new”, “sheets.new”, “slides.new”, or “meet.new”

Say you’re on a web page and you want to go to a different page:

• you could cmd+w then cmd+t to close tab and open new tab
• if you’re on a google search results page you could hit / and cmd+backspace to search something else
• my fav: you can hit cmd+l and just start typing
• scroll with arrow keys, page with alt+arrows, jump top/bottom with cmd+arrows
• In Arc browser switch spaces with ctrl+[1..4]

Gmail

• e archive email
• r reply to email
• ! mark as spam
• gi go to inbox
• / search

GCal

• t jump to today
• d, w, m for “day”, “week” or “month” view
• c create event
• / search

Slack

• cmd+k or cmd+t (fast follow with enter to go to the next top item or arrow keys to select)
• If you mess up a message in slack and just need a quick edit, hit upArrow then e
• If you want to do a reaction emoji you can type +:emoji: and instead of a new message it will post as a reaction to the latest message
• navigate to a message using arrows and hit r to add a reaction
• alt+up/down to go to the next/previous chat in the chats nav list