Mastering Windows: Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Switchers

If you’ve spent years on Windows, your hands probably know what to do before your brain finishes the thought. CTRL-C and CTRL-V for copy and paste. ALT+TAB to switch. The Windows key to search. That muscle memory is there to stay, and it’s exactly why switching to a Mac can feel awkward at first.

For some of us, the biggest adjustment isn’t Finder or the Dock — it’s the keyboard. On macOS, the Command key takes over most of what Control does on Windows. For most keyboards, that will mean getting used to switching from using your pinky to your thumb, since CMD is typically located where the ALT key lives on a PC keyboard.

There are also several Mac-specific shortcuts that completely change how the system feels once you start using them.

Whether you’re switching from Windows to Mac or just want to up your macOS game, here are some of the most common keyboard shortcuts you need to learn.

Command + Space: Spotlight Search

Spotlight replaces far more than just the Start menu. It’s a universal launcher, a file finder, a calculator, a search box, and a settings navigator, all built into one shortcut. Pressing Command + Space brings up a search field that lets you open apps, locate documents, do quick math, check definitions, convert units, and jump into system settings.

If you’re used to browsing menus or clicking around the Dock, this shortcut feels almost unfairly fast. After a few days of using it, you’ll stop thinking about where apps live; you’ll just type their names and move on.

Spotlight is also smarter than most people realize. It learns your habits. If you open Notes every morning at the same time, Spotlight will start suggesting that app immediately when you type the first letter. That subtle efficiency is one of the reasons macOS feels smoother than other operating systems.

Command + Tab: Switch Apps

This is the closest equivalent to Alt+Tab on Windows, but there’s a key difference. On macOS, Command + Tab switches between applications, not individual windows. If you have three Safari windows open, they still count as one Safari app when you switch, which definitely takes some time to get used to.

That distinction is key: macOS treats the app as the primary unit, whereas Windows focuses on individual windows. Once you understand that, multitasking becomes more predictable. You stop thinking in terms of stacking windows and start thinking in terms of jumping between tasks.

Holding Command and tapping Tab cycles through open apps. It’s ideal for jumping from a browser to Messages to Finder without touching the trackpad or mouse.

Pro Tip: The list of open apps will be shown as a row of icons in the middle of your screen, which will remain displayed until you release the Command key. In addition to tapping the Tab key to cycle through them, you can also use the left and right arrow keys, or even click on one of the icons with your mouse or trackpad to select it.

Command + `: Switch Windows Within The Same App

This is the companion shortcut that makes Command + Tab make sense. While the previous shortcut switches apps, this one switches between windows inside the current app.

If you have multiple windows open, all you need to do is press Command +` (that’s the grave accent, or “backtick,” located above the Tab key), and your Mac will start switching between windows in the app you currently have open.

If you’ve ever had multiple Finder windows open or several Safari windows and couldn’t quickly locate the one you needed, this shortcut lets you switch between them instantly. It cycles through open windows of the active app without leaving it, which avoids a lot of confusion.

Windows users often assume that app switching and window switching are the same behavior. On macOS, they’re intentionally separate. Once you learn both shortcuts, managing multiple apps and windows becomes far easier.

Command + Q: Quit App

This is one of the most important transitions for Windows users. On macOS, closing a window does not necessarily quit the app. You can close every window for an app and still have it running in the Dock.

Command + Q is the real way to exit. It fully quits the active app and removes it from your active session. Using this will keep your Dock tidy and prevent apps you thought you closed from sitting in the background and consuming resources.

It’s also faster than navigating menus. If you’re done with something, you press Command + Q and move on.

Pro Tip: You can use Command + Tab and Command + Q to quickly close an app. Once you’ve highlighted the app icon in the application switcher, keep holding the Command key and tap Q to quit it right away.

Command + W: Close Window Or Tab

Command + W closes the current window in most apps and the current tab in browsers. It’s that quick and easy. If you’re done with a document or web page but want to keep the app open, this is the way to go.

It feels similar to what many Windows apps do with Ctrl+W, but on macOS, it becomes important to know this shortcut because closing and quitting are separate actions.

Command + H: Hide App

Hiding is a uniquely Mac concept that often surprises new users. Instead of minimizing a single window, Command + H hides all windows of the active app instantly while keeping it running.

This is perfect when you want to clear visual clutter without minimizing multiple windows individually. The app remains active in the background, ready to return when you switch back to it.

There’s even an advanced variation: Option + Command + H hides all other apps except the one you’re currently using. It’s a fast way to isolate your focus.

If you want to make the app appear on your screen again, simply click the icon in your Dock, or use Command + Tab to select it from the application switcher.