MacOS Keyboard Shortcuts

Apple doesn’t document all the keyboard shortcuts available to you on MacOS which is a shame since there are some gems in there that even experienced users may not be aware of.

The Accessibility section in Settings menu has a wealth of settings and options you may not have considered before and is where the first tip can be found. One great option is something called Mouse Keys (in the mouse and trackpad menu) that lets you use the numeric keypad to control your mouse should you have issues with your trackpad or simply need really precise movements. On a full size keyboard, the numeric keypad number buttons work like arrow keys moving the mouse around and the middle number 5 key being the mouse click and the period button holding that click. On a laptop, this moves to the 7,8 & 9 keys as the top row and the corresponding letters below behaving the same as the keypad ‘arrow’ keys. The I key is the mouse click. You can also invoke this option by checking the box that uses the Option key to activate it when pressed 5 times in a row as you likely would only use this feature in an emergency or for when precise mouse movement is wanted (in creative work for example).

Are the default increments in the brightness and volume controls not precise enough? You can hold down the Shift + Option keys while adjusting those controls for much finer increments. If you hold the Option key down when selecting any of those controls, it will pop open the Settings preference pane for those items directly.

The Option key is truly a useful key as many times hidden options reveal additional features or controls on all kinds of different applications and settings menus.

Application icons at the top right of your screen (on the menu bar) can also be reorganized to your liking simply by holding the Command key down while dragging them with your mouse in any arrangement you desire.