macOS Sierra Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List (150+ Shortcuts)
Quick summary: macOS Sierra (version 10.12) shipped in 2016 and introduced the modern shortcut set that Apple has carried forward, largely unchanged, through every macOS release since, including today’s macOS Tahoe and Golden Gate. Below is the full, verified list organized by category: general shortcuts, Finder, document editing, Mission Control and Spaces, trackpad gestures, power controls, and startup/boot keys, plus a comparison of what has and hasn’t changed since 2016.
What is macOS Sierra, and who still needs this list
macOS Sierra is Apple’s 13th major release of macOS, launched in September 2016. It introduced Siri to the Mac, Optimized Storage, and Universal Clipboard. Apple stopped supporting Sierra with security updates years ago, and as of 2026 the current release is macOS 27 “Golden Gate.” Most people reading this today fall into one of three groups: someone running an older, unsupported Mac that can’t update past Sierra, an IT admin maintaining legacy hardware in a school or lab, or someone who wants to confirm whether a shortcut they learned back then still works today (short answer: almost all of them do).
Most-used macOS Sierra shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Copy the selected item | Command + C |
| Paste the contents of the Clipboard | Command + V |
| Cut the selected item | Command + X |
| Undo | Command + Z |
| Redo | Shift + Command + Z |
| Select All | Command + A |
| Find | Command + F |
| Find the next occurrence | Command + G |
| Hide the front app’s windows | Command + H |
| Minimize the front window to the Dock | Command + M |
| Open a new document or window | Command + N |
| Open the selected item | Command + O |
| Print the current document | Command + P |
| Save the current document | Command + S |
| Close the front window | Command + W |
| Quit the app | Command + Q |
| Force Quit an app | Option + Command + Esc |
| Open Spotlight search | Command + Space bar |
| Spotlight search from a Finder window | Option + Command + Space bar |
| Quick Look the selected item | Space bar |
| Switch between open apps | Command + Tab |
| Switch between windows of the same app | Command + ` (grave accent) |
| Full-screen screenshot | Shift + Command + 3 |
| Selected-area screenshot | Shift + Command + 4 |
| Window screenshot | Shift + Command + 4, then Space bar |
| Open Character Viewer (emoji and symbols) | Control + Command + Space bar |
| Open Preferences for the active app | Command + , |
Finder shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Duplicate the selected files | Command + D |
| Eject the selected disk or volume | Command + E |
| Spotlight search inside the Finder window | Command + F |
| Show the Get Info window | Command + I |
| Open the Computer window | Shift + Command + C |
| Open the Desktop folder | Shift + Command + D |
| Open the All My Files window | Shift + Command + F |
| Open a Go to Folder window | Shift + Command + G |
| Open the Home folder | Shift + Command + H |
| Open iCloud Drive | Shift + Command + I |
| Open the Network window | Shift + Command + K |
| Open the Downloads folder | Option + Command + L |
| Open the Documents folder | Shift + Command + O |
| Open the AirDrop window | Shift + Command + R |
| Open the Utilities folder | Shift + Command + U |
| Show or hide the Dock | Option + Command + D |
| Show or hide the path bar | Option + Command + P |
| Show or hide the Sidebar | Option + Command + S |
| Show or hide the status bar | Command + / |
| Show View Options | Command + J |
| Open Connect to Server | Command + K |
| Make an alias for the selected item | Command + L |
| Open a new Finder window | Command + N |
| Create a new folder | Shift + Command + N |
| Create a new Smart Folder | Option + Command + N |
| Show the original file for a selected alias | Command + R |
| Show or hide the Tab bar | Command + T |
| Show or hide a Finder tab | Shift + Command + T |
| Show or hide the toolbar | Option + Command + T |
| Move the selected files | Option + Command + V |
| Quick Look slideshow of selected files | Option + Command + Y |
| Quick Look preview of selected files | Command + Y |
| View as icons | Command + 1 |
| View as list | Command + 2 |
| View in columns | Command + 3 |
| View with Cover Flow | Command + 4 |
| Go to the previous folder | Command + [ |
| Go to the next folder | Command + ] |
| Open the enclosing folder | Command + Up Arrow |
| Open the enclosing folder in a new window | Command + Control + Up Arrow |
| Open the selected item | Command + Down Arrow |
| Open the selected folder | Right Arrow |
| Close the selected folder | Left Arrow |
| Move the selected item to the Trash | Command + Delete |
| Empty the Trash | Shift + Command + Delete |
| Empty the Trash without confirmation | Option + Shift + Command + Delete |
Document and text editing shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Bold | Command + B |
| Italicize | Command + I |
| Underline | Command + U |
| Show or hide the Fonts window | Command + T |
| Show spelling suggestions | Shift + Command + ; |
| Check spelling in the document | Command + ; |
| Delete the word to the left | Option + Delete |
| Delete the character to the left | Delete |
| Delete the character to the right | Fn + Delete |
| Scroll up one page | Fn + Up Arrow |
| Scroll down one page | Fn + Down Arrow |
| Jump to the beginning of a document | Command + Up Arrow |
| Jump to the end of a document | Command + Down Arrow |
| Jump to the beginning of a line | Command + Left Arrow |
| Jump to the end of a line | Command + Right Arrow |
| Jump to the beginning of the previous word | Option + Left Arrow |
| Jump to the end of the next word | Option + Right Arrow |
| Select to the beginning of the document | Shift + Command + Up Arrow |
| Select to the end of the document | Shift + Command + Down Arrow |
| Select to the beginning of the line | Shift + Command + Left Arrow |
| Select to the end of the line | Shift + Command + Right Arrow |
| Move to the beginning of the line (emacs-style) | Control + A |
| Move to the end of the line (emacs-style) | Control + E |
| Move forward one character | Control + F |
| Move backward one character | Control + B |
| Center the cursor in the visible area | Control + L |
| Move up one line | Control + P |
| Move down one line | Control + N |
| Insert a new line after the cursor | Control + O |
| Copy the formatting of the selection | Option + Command + C |
| Paste the copied formatting | Option + Command + V |
| Show or hide the inspector | Option + Command + I |
| Open document settings | Shift + Command + P |
| Save As, or duplicate the document | Shift + Command + S |
| Open the Help menu | Shift + Command + ? |
Mission Control and Spaces shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Enter or leave Mission Control | Control + Up Arrow |
| Show all open windows of the current app | Control + Down Arrow |
| Move one Space to the left | Control + Left Arrow |
| Move one Space to the right | Control + Right Arrow |
| Show the Desktop | F11 (or Fn + F11 on some keyboards) |
| Toggle full-screen mode for the active app | Control + Command + F |
| Open Mission Control settings | Option + Mission Control key |
Trackpad gestures worth knowing
| Action | Gesture |
| Enter Mission Control | Swipe up with three or four fingers |
| Show the Desktop | Spread thumb and three fingers apart |
| Switch between Spaces or full-screen apps | Swipe left or right with three or four fingers |
| Quick Look the selected item | Double-tap with three fingers |
| Zoom in or out | Pinch with two fingers |
| Open the notification center | Swipe left from the right edge with two fingers |
Sleep, logout, and shutdown shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Turn on or wake your Mac | Power button |
| Force restart | Control + Command + Power button |
| Put displays to sleep | Control + Shift + Power button |
| Quit all apps, then restart | Control + Command + Media Eject |
| Quit all apps, then shut down | Control + Option + Command + Power button |
| Log out of your macOS user account | Shift + Command + Q |
| Lock the screen | Control + Shift + Power button |
Startup and boot shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Start up in Safe Mode | Shift (hold at startup) |
| Open Startup Manager | Option (hold at startup) |
| Start from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB drive | C (hold at startup) |
| Run Apple Hardware Test / Apple Diagnostics | D (hold at startup) |
| Run diagnostics over the internet | Option + D (hold at startup) |
| Start from a NetBoot server | N (hold at startup) |
| Start from a NetBoot server using the default image | Option + N (hold at startup) |
| Start up into macOS Recovery | Command + R (hold at startup) |
| Start up into macOS Recovery over the internet | Option + Command + R (hold at startup) |
| Reset NVRAM | Option + Command + P + R (hold at startup) |
| Start in single-user mode | Command + S (hold at startup) |
| Start in target disk mode | T (hold at startup) |
| Start in verbose mode | Command + V (hold at startup) |
| Eject removable media | F12 |
How to customize your own shortcuts
- Open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences.
- Click Keyboard, then select the Shortcuts tab.
- Choose a category in the left column (App Shortcuts, Mission Control, Spotlight, and so on).
- Double-click the shortcut you want to change and press the new key combination.
- If a shortcut doesn’t take effect, check for a conflict with another app or system-wide shortcut in the same list.
This menu path is identical in every macOS version released after Sierra, only the app’s name changed (System Preferences became System Settings starting with macOS Ventura).
macOS Sierra vs. current macOS: what actually changed
If you’ve moved from Sierra to a newer Mac, here’s what to expect. Most core shortcuts are untouched; a handful were added for features that didn’t exist yet in 2016.
| Shortcut behavior | macOS Sierra (2016) | Current macOS (2026) |
| Copy, paste, undo, find, switch apps | Same | Same |
| Finder navigation shortcuts | Same | Same |
| Mission Control and Spaces | Same | Same |
| Screenshot shortcuts | Command+Shift+3 / 4 | Same, plus Command+Shift+5 for the full screenshot/recording toolbar (added in Mojave) |
| Quick Note | Not available | Available via Fn+Q or hot corner (added in Monterey) |
| Ask Siri about the current screen | Not available | Shift+Command+6 (selected area) and Shift+Command+Space bar (active window), available in macOS 27 Golden Gate with Siri AI enabled |
| Character Viewer / emoji picker | Control+Command+Space bar | Same, now also Fn+E |
| System settings app | System Preferences | Renamed System Settings (Ventura onward), menu paths differ slightly |
FAQs
Do macOS Sierra shortcuts still work on newer Macs?
Yes. The vast majority of the shortcuts in this list are unchanged across every macOS release since Sierra. The exceptions are a small number of newer shortcuts tied to features that didn’t exist in 2016, such as Quick Note or the expanded screenshot toolbar.
What is the Force Quit shortcut on macOS Sierra?
Option + Command + Esc opens the Force Quit Applications window, where you can select and close any unresponsive app.
How do I take a screenshot on macOS Sierra?
Shift + Command + 3 captures the whole screen. Shift + Command + 4 lets you drag a selection. Adding the Space bar after Shift + Command + 4 switches to window-capture mode.
Can I still download and install macOS Sierra in 2026?
Apple no longer distributes Sierra through the Mac App Store for most current hardware, and it hasn’t received a security update in years. If your Mac supports a newer macOS version, updating is strongly recommended for security reasons.
How do I customize a keyboard shortcut on a Mac?
Go to the Apple menu, System Preferences (or System Settings on newer macOS), then Keyboard, then Shortcuts. Select a category, double-click the shortcut, and enter your preferred key combination.
What replaced Spaces in later macOS versions?
Nothing did. Spaces was renamed and absorbed into Mission Control starting with Mac OS X Lion, and Sierra already used the Mission Control name and shortcut set shown above.
Conclusion
macOS Sierra introduced a keyboard shortcut set so well designed that Apple has barely changed it in the decade since. Whether you are still running a Sierra-era MacBook or just want to confirm that a shortcut you learned years ago still works, the core commands in this guide (Command + C, Command + Space, Option + Command + Esc, and the Finder and Mission Control combinations) will carry over to nearly every Mac you use.
The fastest way to get value from this list is to pick five shortcuts you use the least and practice them for a week. Start with Command + Space for Spotlight, Command + ` for switching windows, and Control + Up Arrow for Mission Control. If you want to build your own, head to System Preferences, then Keyboard, then Shortcuts.
If you are on a Mac that can still update, moving to a supported macOS version is the single best step for security. Bookmark this page as a reference for older hardware, and see our Xcode keyboard shortcuts guide if you also work in Apple’s developer tools.
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