These keyboard shortcuts and VoiceOver commands will help you navigate your Mac efficiently. Most have been tested and verified to work.
For complete documentation, visit: http://www.apple.com/support/tiger/voiceover
Essential Keys to Know
Command Key: Located next to the space bar (left and right)
Option Key: Middle key to the left and right of the space bar
Control Key: Third key from the left and right of the space bar
VoiceOver Basics
- Turn VoiceOver on/off: Command-F5
- Open VoiceOver Utility: Control-Option-F8
- Open VoiceOver Menu: Control-Option-F7
- VoiceOver Commands Help: Control-Option-?
- Toggle VoiceOver Control-Option Lock: Control-Option-;
Folder and Window Navigation
Changing Folder Views
Switch between different views to see what works best for you. (Note: These don’t work on the desktop.)
- Icon View: Command-1
- List View: Command-2
- Column View: Command-3
Opening and Managing Windows
- Open Applications Folder: Command-Shift-A
- Open Application Menus: Control-F2 or Control-Option-M
- Open Application/Folder/Dock Item: Command-O
- Open New Window: Command-N
- Cycle Through Open Windows: Command-~ (tilde)
- Close Window: Command-W
- Close Application: Command-Q
- Close All Windows: Option-Command-W
Interacting with Elements
Links and Buttons
- Position VoiceOver cursor on the link: Control-Option-F3
- Activate with: Control-Option-Spacebar (or Enter in some cases)
Button Information
- Get Help Tags: Control-Option-H
Checkboxes
- Toggle On/Off: Control-Option-Spacebar (if that doesn’t work, try just Spacebar)
Context Menu (Right Click)
- Control-Click with mouse
- 5 on number pad (if Mouse Keys enabled)
- Command-Option-Shift-M
Navigation Shortcuts
- Go to Dock: Control-Option-D
- Go to Desktop: Control-Option-Shift-D
- Full Keyboard Access: Control-F1
- Move Mouse Cursor to VoiceOver Cursor: Control-Option-Command-F5
- Click Mouse: Control-Option-Spacebar
Interacting with Text
- Start Interacting: Control-Option-Shift-Down Arrow
- Stop Interacting: Control-Option-Shift-Up Arrow
- Make Plain Text: Command-Shift-T
Reading Text with VoiceOver
Note: If you haven’t started interacting with a document, Control-Option-A reads the entire document. If you are interacting, it reads from the VoiceOver cursor to the bottom.
- Read Everything: Control-Option-A
- Read Character: Control-Option-C (press twice for phonetic)
- Read Word: Control-Option-W (press twice to spell, three times for phonetic spelling)
- Read Line: Control-Option-L
- Read Sentence: Control-Option-S
- Read Paragraph: Control-Option-P
Moving While Reading
- Next/Previous Character: Control-Option-Shift-Right/Left Arrow
- Next/Previous Word: Control-Option-Right/Left Arrow
- Next/Previous Line: Control-Option-Up/Down Arrow
- Next/Previous Sentence: Control-Option-Page Up/Down
- Next/Previous Paragraph: Control-Option-Shift-Page Up/Down
Safari and Web Browsing
Basic Navigation
- Open URL: Command-L
- Add to Bookmarks: Command-D
- Back to Previous Page: Command-Left Arrow
- Forward: Command-Right Arrow (Command-Left/Right Bracket also works)
- Open New Window: Command-N
- Build Items List: Command-Shift-I
Moving Around Websites
When you hear “HTML,” interact with it using Control-Option-Shift-Down Arrow. Then move from link to link or search for text by typing a few letters of what you’re looking for.
Enabling Tab Navigation
- Open Menus: Control-Option-M or Control-F2
- Right arrow to Safari
- Down arrow to Preferences, press Enter
- Tab to Advanced button, press Spacebar
- Tab to “Press Tab to highlight each item on webpage”
- Check that box
Sending a Website Link by Email
While viewing a page, press Command-Shift-I. This opens Mail with the link in the message body. Just add the email address and subject line.
Mail Commands
Navigation
- Jump to Message Text: Control-Option-J
- Move to Top of Message: Control-Option-Home
- Move to Bottom of Message: Control-Option-End
- Interact with Scroll Bars: Control-Option-S (use Escape to stop, arrow keys to scroll)
Message Actions
- Get New Mail: Command-Shift-N
- New Message: Command-N
- Reply: Command-R
- Reply to All: Command-Shift-R
- Forward: Command-Shift-F
- Send: Command-Shift-D
- Send Again: Command-Shift-D
- Bounce: Command-Shift-B
- Select All: Command-A
- Paste in Matched Style: Command-Shift-Option-V
Message Management
- Add Sender to Address Book: Command-Y
- Close Window: Command-W
- Show Long Headers: Command-Shift-H
- Show Source: Command-Option-U
- Read Embedded Text (Make Plain Text): Command-Option-P
File Management
Finder Commands
- New Finder Window: Command-N
- New Folder: Shift-Command-N
- Get Info: Command-I
- Duplicate: Command-D
- Make Alias: Command-L
- Show Original: Command-R
- Move to Trash: Command-Delete
- Empty Trash: Shift-Command-Delete
- Empty Trash Without Dialog: Option-Shift-Command-Delete
- Eject: Command-E
- Find: Command-F
Folder Navigation (List View)
- Expand Folder: Command-Right Arrow
- Expand Folder and Subfolders: Option-Command-Right Arrow
- Collapse Folder: Command-Left Arrow
- Open Parent Folder and Close Current: Option-Command-Up Arrow
Go Menu Shortcuts
- Back: Command-Left Bracket
- Forward: Command-Right Bracket
- Computer: Shift-Command-C
- Home: Shift-Command-H
- iDisk: Shift-Command-I
- Applications: Shift-Command-A
- Favorites: Shift-Command-F
- Go to Folder: Shift-Command-G
- Connect to Server: Command-K
Edit Menu Basics
- Undo: Command-Z
- Cut: Command-X
- Copy: Command-C
- Paste: Command-V
- Select All: Command-A
Universal Access and Zoom
- Turn On Zoom: Option-Command-* (asterisk)
- Zoom In: Option-Command-+
- Zoom Out: Option-Command–
- Switch to White on Black: Control-Option-Command-*
Mouse Keys
Enable Mouse Keys in Universal Access preferences to use the numeric keypad as a mouse.
- Move Up: 8
- Move Down: 2
- Move Left: 4
- Move Right: 6
- Move Diagonally: 1, 3, 7, 9
- Press Mouse Button: 5
- Hold Mouse Button: 0
- Release Mouse Button: . (period on keypad, after pressing 0)
Other Useful Commands
- Show/Hide Dock: Option-Command-D
- Switch Applications: Command-Tab
- Keyboard Practice: Command-K
- VoiceOver Cursor to Keyboard Cursor: Command-F4
- Open Spotlight: Command-Space
- Force Quit: Option-Command-Esc
- Take Screenshot: Command-Shift-3
- Take Screenshot of Selection: Command-Shift-4
- Take Screenshot of Window: Command-Shift-4, then Spacebar
- Shutdown Dialog: Control-Eject
- Sleep: Option-Command-Eject or Option-Command-Power
Apple Menu
- Log Out: Shift-Command-Q
- Log Out Immediately: Shift-Option-Command-Q
Window Management
- Minimize Window: Command-M
- Minimize All Windows: Option-Command-M
- Cycle Through Windows: Command-` (backtick)
These notes represent tested shortcuts and commands. For the most current information, check Apple’s official support documentation.
Have questions? Contact Keith Reedy at wa9dro@joink.com