Mac OS X Finder keyboard shortcuts

By Alvin J. Alexander, devdaily.com

Wow, once I learned a few Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts, I like the Finder much more. It was freaking me out that the [Enter] key doesn't actually open a file or directory, it just lets you change the name. The keystrokes are much different than Windows, and it takes a while to get used to them. But once you start using them they're easy to remember.

So, here's a list of the Mac OS X Finder keystrokes I use a lot. The "command" key is also known as the "Apple" key.

Keystroke What it does
[Enter] Lets you change the name of the selected file or folder.
[Command][O] If a file is currently selected, it will be opened with the default application.
If a directory/folder is selected, it "opens" that directory (moving you into the directory).
[Command][i] Shows the Get Info window for the file or directory.
[Command][UpArrow] Moves up one level in the directory hierarchy.
The arrow keys The arrow keys let you move up/down/left/right in the current list of files.
[Command][delete] Delete the selected file(s) or folder(s).
[Command][1], [Command][2], or [Command][3] Toggles the Finder view between Icons, List, and Columns.
[Command][Shift][g] Show the "Go to" window.
[Command][n] Open a new Finder window.
[Command][w] Close the current Finder window.
[Command][f] Open the "Find" dialog.
[Command][spacebar] Brings up Spotlight.

FWIW, the "Go to" window is the only way I know to get to the /tmp directory.

There are more keyboard commands available than what I've shown here, but these are the ones I use. (For the other tasks I don't mind grabbing the mouse.)
devdaily logo