Keynote Keyboard Shortcuts

When most people think about creating presentations, Microsoft PowerPoint is the first software that comes to mind. However, many great PowerPoint alternatives exist, including Apple’s direct competitor, Keynote.

Keynote is an intuitive yet simple presentation creation software with many great features. Its eye-catching themes, cinematic effects and transitions, and countless other tools offer much more than PowerPoint. Also, it works well on Mac computers and iPads and even supports conversion from PowerPoint to Keynote.

When you’re working in Keynote, sometimes it’s easier to utilize keyboard shortcuts to get things done instead of trying to move your mouse or touch the screen. Luckily, this list of Keynote keyboard shortcuts will help you master quick and easy ways to accomplish nearly anything as you design your next presentation.

Shortcut	Go back to the previous build.
General Shortcuts	
Command + N + C	Open the Theme Chooser.
Option + Command + N	Open the Theme Chooser and show the Language pop-up menu.
Esc	Close the Theme Chooser.
Command + O	Open an existing presentation.
Command + S	Save a presentation.
Option + Shift + Command + S	Save a presentation using “Save As.”
Shift + Command + S	Duplicate a presentation.
Command + P	Print a presentation.
Shift + Command + Question Mark (?)	Open the Keynote User Guide.
Command + H	Hide Keynote.
Option + Command + H	Hide other windows.
Command + Q	Quit Keynote.
Option + Command + Q	Quit Keynote and keep windows open.
View & Zoom
Command + W	Close a window.
Option + Command + W	Close all windows.
Command + M	Minimize a window.
Option + Command + M	Minimize all windows.
Control + Command + F	Enter full-screen view.
Shift + Command + Right Angle Bracket (>).	Zoom in.
Shift + Command + Left Angle Bracket (<)	Zoom out.
Command + Comma (,)	Show the Settings window.
Shift + Command + 0	Zoom to selection.
Option + Shift + Command + 0	Zoom to fit content in the window.
Option + Command + 0	Fit slide in the window.
Command + 0	Return to actual size.
Command + R	Show the presentation rulers.
Shift + Command + V	Choose a file to insert.
Shift + Command + C	Show the Colors window.
Toolbar Commands
Option + Command + T	Hide or show the toolbar.
Command + Drag	Rearrange an item in the toolbar.
Command + Drag away	Remove an item from the toolbar.
Option + Command + I	Hide or show inspector sidebars.
Shift + Command + L	Hide or show the Object list.
Command + A	Select all object types in the Object list filter menu.
Shift + Command + A	Deselect all object types in the Object list filter menu.
Control + Grave	Open the next tab in the sidebar.
Shift + Control + Grave	Open the previous tab in the sidebar.
Shift + Command + E	Enter or exit Edit Slide Layouts view.
Shift + Command + N	Add a new slide layout (from Edit Slide Layouts view).
Action Correction
Command + Z	Undo the last action.
Shift + Command + Z	Redo the last action.
Navigating Within Presentation
Left Arrow	Move one character to the left.
Right Arrow	Move one character to the right.
Control + B	Move one character backward (works for left-to-right and right-to-left text).
Control + F	Move one character forward (works for left-to-right and right-to-left text).
Up Arrow	Move to the line above.
Down Arrow	Move to the line below.
Option + Left Arrow or Control + Option + B	Move to the beginning of the current or previous word.
Option + Right Arrow or Control + Option + F	Move to the end of the current or next word.
Command + Up Arrow	Move to the beginning of the current text area.
Command + Down Arrow	Move to the bottom of the current text area.
Command + Left Arrow	Move to the beginning of the current line.
Command + Right Arrow	Move to the end of the current line.
Option + Up Arrow	Move to the beginning of the current paragraph.
Option + Down Arrow	Move to the end of the current paragraph.
Command + E	Find the selected item in the presentation.
Command + J	Jump to a selection in a presentation.
Home or Fn + Up Arrow	Scroll to the beginning of the slide.
End or Fn + Down Arrow	Scroll to the end of the slide.
Control + L	Center the insertion point in the app window.
Fn + Down Arrow or Page Down	Move to the next slide.
Fn + Up Arrow or Page Up	Move to the previous slide.
Fn + Left Arrow or Home	Move to the first slide.
Fn + Right Arrow or End	Move to the last slide.
Control + Command + G	Go to a specific slide.
Format Text
Command + T	Show the Fonts window.
Shift + Command + C	Show the Colors window.
Command + B	Apply boldface to selected text.
Command + I	Apply italic to selected text.
Command + U	Apply underline to selected text.
Delete	Delete the previous character or selection.
Fn + Delete	Delete the next character or selection.
Option + Delete	Delete the word before the insertion point.
Option + Forward	Delete the word after the insertion point.
Control + K	Delete the text between the insertion point and the next paragraph break.
Command + Plus Sign (+)	Make the font size bigger.
Command + Minus Sign (-)	Make the font size smaller.
Option + Command + Left Bracket ( [ )	Decrease the space between selected characters.
Option + Command + Right Bracket ( ] )	Increase the space between selected characters.
Control + Command + Plus Sign (+)	Make the text superscript.
Control + Command + Minus Sign (-)	Make the text subscript.
Command + Left Brace ( { )	Align the text flush left.
Command + Vertical Bar (|)	Center the text.
Command + Right Brace ( } )	Align the text flush right.
Option + Command + Vertical Bar (|)	Align the text flush left and flush right (justify).
Command + Left Bracket ([)	Decrease the indent level of a block of text or a list item.
Command + Right Bracket (])	Increase the indent level of a block of text or a list item.
Shift + Tab	Decrease the indent level of a list item or headline.
Tab	Increase the indent level of a list item or headline.
Command + K	Turn text or an object into a link.
Command + X	Cut the selection.
Command + C	Copy the selection.
Option + Command + C	Copy the paragraph style.
Command + V	Paste the selection.
Option + Command + V	Paste the paragraph style.
Option + Shift + Command + V	Paste and match the style of the destination text.
Shift + Drag	Add a range to (or remove it from) the selection.
Option + Space bar	Insert a nonbreaking space.
Shift + Return	Insert a line break (soft return).
Return	Insert a paragraph break.
Control + O	Insert a new line after the insertion point.
Control + Command + Space Bar	Enter special characters.
Control + T	Transpose the characters on either side of the insertion point.
Find, Replace, & Check Text
Command + F	Find the next instance of the word while in the Find window.
Command + G	Add a new slide layout (from the Edit Slide Layouts view).
Shift + Command + G	Open the Find tool.
Command + E	Place the selected text in the Find & Replace text field.
Return	Replace text.
Command + J	Scroll the window to show the selected text or object.
Esc	Hide the Find window.
Control + Command + D	Look up the word at the insertion point.
Option + Esc	Display a list of words to complete the selected word.
Command + Semicolon (;)	Check spelling and grammar.
Shift + Command + Colon (:)	Show the “Spelling and Grammar” window.
Shift + Command + K	Open a new comment for the selected text, object, or table cell.
Command + Return	Save a comment.
Option + Command + K	Show the next comment.
Option + Shift + Command + K	Show the previous comment.
Edit Objects
Shift + Command + L	Show or hide the object list.
Command + A (after selecting one object)	Select all objects.
Shift + Command + A	Deselect all objects.
Command + Drag	Add or remove objects from the selection.
Tab	Select the next object on the slide.
Shift + Tab	Select the previous object on the slide.
Command + Click	Select or deselect additional objects.
Any arrow key	Find the previous instance of the word while in the Find window.
Shift + Any arrow key	Move the selected object ten points.
Option + Command + C	Copy the graphic style of text.
Option + Command + V	Paste the graphic style of text.
Shift + Command + B	Send the selected object to the back.
Option + Shift + Command + B	Send the selected object one layer back.
Shift + Command + F	Bring the selected object to the front.
Option + Shift + Command + F	Bring the selected object one layer forward.
Option + Command + G	Group selected objects.
Option + Shift + Command + G	Ungroup selected objects.
Command + L	Lock selected objects.
Option + Command + L	Unlock selected objects.
Command + D	Duplicate the object.
Shift (while rotating)	Rotate the object 45°.
Shift + Command + M	Mask or unmask the object.
Return	Hide mask controls.
Command + Return	Exit text editing and select the object.
Control + Option + Command + I	Define the object as a media placeholder.
Control + Option + Command + T	Define the selected text as a text placeholder.
Navigator View
Return or Shift + Command + N	Create a new slide at the same level as the last selected slide.
Tab	Indent selected slides to the right.
Shift + Tab	Move indented slides to the left.
Shift + Drag	Select multiple slides.
Shift + Click	Extend or decrease the slide selection.
Command + Click	Add (or remove) a single discontiguous slide from the selection.
Command + D	Duplicate a slide.
Delete	Delete selected slides.
Down Arrow	Move to the next slide.
Up Arrow	Move to the previous slide.
Right Arrow	Expand a slide group.
Left Arrow	Collapse a slide group.
Shift + Command + H	Skip a slide so it doesn’t show in a presentation, or show a slide that’s being skipped.
Presentation Mode
Option + Command + P	Play a presentation.
Option + Play button in the toolbar	Play a presentation beginning with the first slide.
Right Arrow or Down Arrow	Advance to the next slide or build.
Left Arrow or Up Arrow	Create a new slide at the same level as last selected slide.
Shift + Right Arrow	Advance to the next build or slide without animation.
Shift + Down Arrow	Advance to the next slide without builds and animations.
Shift + Command + P	Show or hide presenter notes.
Shift + Left Arrow or Shift + Up Arrow	Go to the previous slide.
Z	Go back through previously viewed slides.
F	Pause the presentation.
B	Pause the presentation and show a black screen.
W	Pause the presentation and show a white screen.
C	Show or hide the pointer.
S	Display the slide number.
Press a slide number	Open the slide switcher.
Plus Sign (+)	Go to the next slide in the slide switcher.
Minus Sign (-)	Go to the previous slide in the slide switcher.
Return	Go to the current slide and close the slide switcher.
Esc	Close the slide switcher.
X	Switch the primary and presenter displays.
R	Reset timer.
U	Scroll the presenter notes up.
D	Scroll the presenter notes down.
Command + Plus Sign (+)	Increase note font size.
Command + Minus Sign (-)	Decrease note font size.
Esc or Q	Quit presentation mode.
H	Hide the presentation and switch to last app used.
Question Mark (?)	Show or hide keyboard shortcuts.
Home	Go to first slide.
End	Go to last slide.

_{Image credit: Canva. Alterations made by Megan Glosson.}