Mac keyboard shortcuts.
The macOS shortcuts worth memorising — search by name or keys, and copy as you go.
The Command key changes everything
If you've come to the Mac from Windows, the single most useful thing to internalise is that Command (⌘) takes the place of Ctrl for almost every shortcut. Copy is ⌘ + C, save is ⌘ + S, find is ⌘ + F. macOS keeps Control (⌃) around too, but it's used far less often — mostly for a handful of system actions like Mission Control. Once that mental swap clicks, hundreds of shortcuts you already knew on Windows transfer over instantly.
The everyday wins
The shortcuts that save the most time on a Mac fall into a few buckets. Clipboard and editing (⌘ + C/X/V/Z) you'll use constantly. App and window management — ⌘ + Tab to switch apps, ⌘ + W to close a window, ⌘ + Q to quit, ⌘ + M to minimise — keeps a busy desktop under control. And Spotlight (⌘ + Space) is the one many longtime Mac users would keep above all others: it opens apps, finds files and does quick calculations without ever touching the Dock.
Screenshots and text navigation
Two areas reward a little learning. Mac's screenshot shortcuts are excellent once you know them: ⌘ + Shift + 4 to drag a selection, ⌘ + Shift + 4 then Space to grab a single window cleanly, and ⌘ + Shift + 5 for the full capture-and-record toolbar. For text, the Option (⌥) key moves by whole words and Command jumps to the start or end of a line — combine either with Shift to select as you go. These turn slow arrow-key nudging into precise, fast movement.
Building the habit
Pick a few from the Essentials and Windows & apps sections, use them deliberately for a week, and add more once they're automatic. Search this page with / whenever you forget one. Coming from a PC, or switching between both? Compare directly with the Windows keyboard shortcuts, or browse app-specific lists like Chrome and VS Code.