Mac OS Keyboard Shortcut for Character Viewer and More

Imagine typing away on your Mac, navigating through tasks effortlessly, and boosting your productivity in ways you never thought possible. What if I told you that the secret to becoming a Mac power user lies in the tips of your fingers? Yes, we’re talking about the magic of Mac OS keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts are the unsung heroes of the computing world. They are designed to streamline your workflow and save precious seconds with every command. In this article, I’ll explore the various Mac OS keyboard shortcuts, including the popular favorites and the little-known ones that can elevate your computing experience. Let’s get started!

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Mac OS Keyboard Shortcut for Character Viewer

Many Mac users are familiar with the common keyboard shortcuts like Command + C for copy and Command + V for paste. However, there’s a hidden gem among Mac OS shortcuts that often goes unnoticed: Control + Command + Space. This powerful shortcut opens the Character Viewer, a feature that allows you to easily insert a wide variety of emojis, symbols, and special characters into your text.

The Character Viewer is a versatile tool that enhances your typing experience by providing quick access to a vast array of characters. Whether you’re looking to add an emoji to brighten up a message, insert mathematical symbols for a report, or use special punctuation marks, the Character Viewer has you covered.

Benefits of Using the Character Viewer Shortcut:

1. Emojis at Your Fingertips: Easily access and insert emojis into your emails, messages, and social media posts without having to search for them.
2. Special Characters Made Simple: Find and use special characters, such as currency symbols, arrows, and technical symbols, without memorizing complex codes.
3. Enhanced Productivity: Quickly add the symbols you need without interrupting your workflow, saving time and effort.

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How to Use the Character Viewer:

1. Press Control + Command + Space: This brings up the Character Viewer window.
2. Browse or Search: Use the categories on the left to browse different types of characters or use the search bar at the top to find specific symbols.
3. Insert with a Click: Simply click on the desired character to insert it into your document or text field.

Basic Text Editing Shortcuts on Mac

Here’s an extensive list of Mac OS keyboard shortcuts that can help you work more efficiently:

• • Cut: Press Command-X to cut the selected text or item and copy it to the Clipboard.
  • Copy: Use Command-C to copy the selected text or item to the Clipboard.
  • Paste: Press Command-V to paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app.
  • Undo: To undo the previous command, use Command-Z. You can also redo by pressing Shift-Command-Z.
  • Select All: Quickly select all items with Command-A.
  • Find: Use Command-F to find items in a document or open a Find window.
  • Minimize Window: Press Command-M to minimize the front window to the Dock. For all windows of the front app, use Option-Command-M.
  • Open: Open the selected item or open a dialog to select a file with Command-O.
  • Print: Print the current document by pressing Command-P.
  • Save: Save the current document using Command-S.
  • Close Window: Close the front window with Command-W. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W.

Mas OS System and Finder Shortcuts:

• • Spotlight Search: Show or hide the Spotlight search field with Command–Space bar. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar.
  • Force Quit: If an app is unresponsive, use Option-Command-Esc to force quit it.
  • Full Screen Mode: Use Control-Command-F to use the app in full screen (if supported by the app).
  • Character Viewer: Show the Character Viewer (for emoji and other symbols) with Control-Command-Space bar.

How to Customize Your Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac

You can create custom keyboard shortcuts for specific apps or system-wide functions:

• • • Go to Apple menu > System Preferences.
    • Click on Keyboard and then select Keyboard Shortcuts.
    • Choose App Shortcuts on the left and click the Add button.
    • Select the app or choose All Applications.

Define your custom shortcut for a specific command.

Remember that Mac menus and keyboards often use symbols for certain keys:

• Command (⌘): Often used for shortcuts.
• Shift (⇧): Used to modify other keys.
• Option (⌥): Similar to Alt on Windows keyboards.
• Control (⌃): Used for various system commands.
• Caps Lock (⇪): Toggles capitalization.
• Fn: Used to access special functions on some Apple keyboards.

Advanced Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are some advanced keyboard shortcuts for Mac:

Application Switching:

• • Switch Between Apps: Press Command-Tab to cycle through open applications. Hold down Command and keep pressing Tab to select the app you want, then release Command to switch to it.
  • Switch Between Windows of the Same App: Use Command- (backtick) to switch between open windows of the currently active app.

Window Management:

• • Mission Control: Open Mission Control (to see all open windows and spaces) with Control-Up Arrow or a three-finger swipe up on the trackpad.
  • Application Windows Exposé: Press F3 to show all open windows of the current app.
  • Split View: To use Split View (side-by-side app windows), drag a window to the top of the screen and drop it onto the full-screen icon (green button) or use Control-Command-F.

Text Manipulation:

• • Move Cursor Word by Word: Hold down Option and use the arrow keys to move the cursor word by word.
  • Delete Whole Words: Press Option-Delete to delete the entire word to the left of the cursor.
  • Navigate Text Fields: In forms or text fields, use Control-A (move to the beginning) and Control-E (move to the end).
  • Change Text Case: Select text and press Control-Command-C to change the case (uppercase, lowercase, title case).

File and Folder Shortcuts:

• • Quick Look: Select a file and press Space bar to preview it using Quick Look.
  • New Folder: Create a new folder in Finder with Shift-Command-N.
  • Show Hidden Files: To reveal hidden files, use Shift-Command-Period.

Screenshots and Screen Recording:

• • Capture Entire Screen: Press Command-Shift-3.
  • Capture Selected Area: Use Command-Shift-4 to select an area for screenshot capture.
  • Screen Recording: Press Command-Shift-5 to access screen recording options.

Accessibility Shortcuts:

• • Zoom In/Out: Use Option-Command-8 to toggle zoom.
  • Increase/Decrease Contrast: Press Control-Option-Command-Comma or Control-Option-Command-Period.

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