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Command Symbol Mac

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Command Line: This is the actual line in a console where you type your command. Prompt: This is the beginning of the command line. It usually provides some contextual information like who you are, where you are and other useful info. It typically ends in a $. After the prompt is where you will be typing commands. The symbols in the key combinations represent special keyboard keys, called modifier keys. You can press the key combinations shown in menus to perform actions without opening the menus. If you turn on Sticky Keys in Accessibility preferences, you see the Command, Shift, Option, and Control key symbols on your screen when you press those keys.

  1. How To Type Command Symbol Mac
  2. Mac Keyboard Symbols List

This is the ultimate guide for working with MacBook keyboards, including accessing special functions, characters, accents, and using keyboard shortcuts in Mac OS system. Click on the list below to jump to an appropriate section.

Command Symbol Mac

MacBook Keyboard Diagram / Map

Symbol

MacBook Keyboard Diagram / Map

MacBook keyboard has few distinctive sections: Function keys (in light blue), which provides access to various functions in MacBook itself or Mac OS system. By combining them with the FN key, you'll get access to F1 - F12 keys, which can be associated with particular application features (useful in Photoshop for example).

How To Type Command Symbol Mac

  • As above, press Control-Command-Space to bring up the Emoji pallet then click on the icon in the top right of the Emoji box to bring up the Character Viewer. Here you'll find more than Emoji: there.
  • . This may not work in Word X. Instead, create a keystroke such as Control-X to insert this symbol. To do so, open the Insert menu, select Symbol, and select the × symbol. Click the 'Shortcut Key' button and choose a shortcut.
  • Using a keyboard shortcut on a Mac is pretty convenient, and since macOS displays shortcuts in the menu bar, it is even easier to remember them. However if you are new to Mac, then understanding the shortcuts shown on the Mac can be difficult if you don't know what key symbols mean. Mac Shortcut Symbol Meaning.

The second section is the modifier keys (in light yellow). Shift allows to type uppercase letters and other additional characters. Command and Alt/Option are used in keyboard shortcuts, as well as the Control key, which is used almost exclusively by Mac OS X and Apple programs.

Return and left Shift has two variants, one used in the US and Eastern Asia (horizontal Return and long Shift), and second, used in Europe, Middle East and Africa (vertical Return and short left Shift). On the diagram, this is shown by dashed lines. Of course, MacBook keyboards have lots of localizations, the most common - US English - is shown above. If you're unsure about the localization you have, go and check it with this guide.

MacBook Air 11' has slightly different keyboard, with smaller top and bottom row keys to accommodate smaller laptop size. Newest MacBooks Pro with TouchBar don't have upper F keys row, instead, they have a touchscreen which changes displayed options based on context.

MacBook Keyboard Symbols Chart

SymbolMeaningNotes
Screen brightness down
Screen brightness up
Launches Mission ControlIcon available on MacBooks Unibody
Launches Mission ControlIcon available on MacBooks pre-unibody
Launches DashboardIcon available on MacBooks Unibody
Launches DashboardIcon available on MacBooks pre-unibody
Keyboard backlight down
Keyboard backlight up
Rewind
Play / Pause
Fast Forward
Sound: mute
Sound: volume down
Sound: volume up
EjectAvailable on MacBooks with CD/DVD drive
PowerAvailable on MacBooks without CD/DVD drive
CommandOn MacBooks 1st generation this is replaced by Apple logo
Alt / OptionAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts
TabAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts
BackspaceAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts
ShiftAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts
Caps LockAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts
ReturnAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts
EnterAvailable on European/ISO keyboard layouts, accessed with FN key
DeleteNot on MacBooks, but worth knowing
ClearNot on MacBooks, but worth knowing
HomeNot on MacBooks, but worth knowing. Can be substituted by CMD + up arrow shortcut.
EndNot on MacBooks, but worth knowing. Can be substituted by CMD + down arrow shortcut.
Page UpNot on MacBooks, but worth knowing
Page DownNot on MacBooks, but worth knowing
ArrowsUsed to move things or pointer

MacBook Keyboard Special Characters and Accents Map

If you want to type special characters or accents, change your keyboard language to US International PC (thanks, Steve!) and use the map below to get them. You can also check out our solution to the two languages on one keyboard problem.

Where is the Print Screen Button?

Unlike PC keyboard, there is no Print Screen key on MacBook keyboard. This functionality is accessed by keyboard shortcuts and - on Mac - you have greater flexibility:

  • Command + Shift + 3 - captures entire screen;
  • Command + Shift + 4 - captures selected region. Your cursor turns to crosshair and by clicking and dragging you can specify which area you want to capture;
  • Command + Shift + 4 + Space - captures selected window. First press the shortcut from above, then - when you have crosshair - hit Space. The cursor will turn to the camera and the active window will have a blue overlay. Click on it to get it captured.

In some apps, like Photoshop, you need to add Control into the mix, to paste the screenshot into the app.

MacBook Keyboard Tricks

There's a lot you can do in Mac OS by using the keyboard only. Here's a list of highly useful and not-so-useful keyboard shortcuts:

ShortcutAction
Command + WQuickly closes the active window in Safari or any other browser. Works also with many applications, like Pages, Numbers, Photoshop. Great way to quickly close something when your boss is coming around :)
Command + HHides the active application. Useful for hiding something quickly ;)
Option + Shift + F11/F12Makes tiny changes in volume level instead of standard jumps.
Control + Option + Command + 8Reverses colors on the screen.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9When watching YouTube video, this will advance you to 10%, 20%, 30%.. of movie completion.
Option + DeleteDeletes whole word in text editors
Control + Command + VPastes copied text without formatting. Useful when copying something from Pages and pasting into eg. Wordpress :)
Control + Command + Option + Eject/ShutdownShuts down the MacBook without the need to provide username and password.
Command + Shift + AOpens the Applications folder in Finder.
Command + Shift + UOpens the Utilities folder in Finder.
Command + Shift + DOpens the Desktop folder in Finder.
Command + Shift + IWhen in Safari, this shortcut copies the URL, opens Mail app and creates a new email with the copied URL pasted as a link in a message.
Command + Option + MMinimizes all open windows, showing Desktop.
Command + Option + Shift + EscHold for 3 seconds to force quit any app.
Command + TabCycle through opened apps from left to right.
Command + Shift + TabCycle through opened apps from right to left.
Command + `Cycles through active app windows.
Command + QQuit active app.
Command + TOpens a new tab in Finder. Opens a new tab in a web browser.
Command + NCreates new Finder window.
Command + Shift + NCreates new folder in Finder.
Command + SpaceLaunches Spotlight.
Command + Option + SpaceSwitches to next keyboard language (if you have more than one).
Command + Control + SpaceIn some websites and apps this will give you the emoji keyboard.
Command + DeleteSends selected files/folders to trash.
Fn + DeleteDeletes text from left to right.
F10 + ShutdownHold while launching MacBook to get a silent start.
Command + up arrow/down arrowJump to the beginning or end of a page. This is equivalent to PC's Home and End keys.
Command + up arrow + LHighlights the address bar in a web browser.

Mac Keyboard Symbols List

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Mac Extended Codes | Mac Character Palette | Windows ALT Codes

Page Content

  1. Letters with Accents – (e.g. ó, ò, ñ)
  2. Other Foreign Characters – (e.g. ç, ¿, ß)
  3. Currency Symbols – (e.g. ¢, £, ¥)
  4. Math Symbols – (e.g. ±, °, ÷)
  5. Other Punctuation – (e.g. &, ©, §)
  6. Extra Accents:Extended Keyboard for OS X – (e.g. Ā, ý, č) New Page

Letters with Accents

This list is organized by Accent type. For the Template, the symbol 'V' means any vowel. The format is to hold the first two keys down simultaneously, release, then type the letter you wish to be accented.

Macintosh Option Codes for Accented Letters
ACCENTSAMPLETEMPLATE
Acute ó Ó Option+E, V
Circumflex ô ÔOption+I, V
Graveò Ò Option+`, V
Tildeõ ÕOption+N, V
Only works with 'n,N,o,O,a,A'
Umlautö Ö Option+U, V

Examples

Example 1: To input the letter ó, hold down the Option key, then the E key. Release both keys then type lowercase o.

Example 2: To input the letter Ó, hold down the Option key, then the E key. Release both keys then type capital O.

Other Foreign Characters

To insert these characters, press the Option key (bottom of keyboard) then other 'code' key to make the symbol appear.

Macintosh Option Codes for Foreign Characters
SYMBOLNAMECODE
¡

Free word application for mac. Upside-down exclamation mark

Option+1

¿

Upside-down question mark

Shift+Option+?

Ç,ç

French C cedille (caps/lowecase)

Shift+Option+C
Option+C

Œ,œ

OE ligature (caps/lowecase)

Shift+Option+Q
Option+Q

ß

German Sharp/Double S

Option+S

º, ªMasculine Ordinal Number (Span/Ital/Portuguese)
Feminine Ordinal Number

Option+0
Option+9

Ø,ø

Nordic O slash (caps/lowecase)

Shift+Option+O
Option+O

Å,å

Nordic A ring (caps/lowecase)

Shift+Option+A
Option+A

Æ,æ

AE ligature (caps/lowecase)

Shift+Option+' (apostrophe key)
Option+'

« »

Spanish/French quotation marks

Option+
Shift+Option+

Examples

Example 1: To input French ç (Option+C), hold down the Option, then the C key. The ç will appear.

Example 2: To input French Ç (Shift+Option+C), hold down the Shift key, then the Option key,then the C key. The ç will appear.

Currency Symbols

Macintosh Option Codes for Currency Symbols
SYMBOLNAMECODE
¢Cent sign Option+4
£British Pound Option+3
¥Japanese Yen Option+Y
Euro Sign.Shift+Option+2
May not be in older fonts.
ƒDutch Florin Option+F

Math Symbols

Macintosh Option Codes for Math Symbols
SYMBOLNAMECODE
÷Division sign Option+/
±Plus/minus sign Shift+Option+=
°The degree symbol Shift+Option+8
¬'not' symbol Option+L
Greater than or equal to Option+>
Lesser than or equal to Option+<
square root radical sign Option+V
πPi symbol Option+P
Infinity symbol Option+5
Approximately Option+X
ΔDelta/Difference Option+J
ΣSum Sign Option+W
Product Pi Symbol Shift+Option+P
ΩOhm sign Option+Z
µMicro Option+M
Partial Derivative Option+D
Integral Sign Option+B
Per Mil (1/1000) Sign Shift+Option+R

Other Punctuation

Macintosh Option Codes for Punctuation
SYMBOLNAMECODE
©Copyright symbol Option+G
®Registered Option+R
Trademark Option+2
Paragraph Symbol Option+7
DotOption+8
§Section Symbol Option+6
en-dash. Option, then minus sign Option+-
em-dash Shift+Option+-
Dagger Option+T

Other Symbols

If the symbol you need is not on this page, try these options.





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