For all of you note-takers, we’ve compiled a list of keyboard shortcuts for the built-in Notes app on your Mac so you can format text, use tables and more like a pro.
Keyboard shortcuts let us accomplish tasks and navigate apps without much reliance on the trackpad or mouse. If you use the built-in Notes app on your Mac, there’s no better place to use them. When jotting down a note, you want to do it quickly and these shortcuts will help with that. Some of these keyboard combinations will also work in Notes for iPhone and iPad.
Also see: 32 tips to use Apple Notes like a pro
The Notes window
Use these keyboard shortcuts to work with the Notes app and the window itself:
- Hide the window: Command + H
- Show notes in list view: Command + 1
- Show notes in gallery view: Command + 2
- Move between window areas: Tab
- New note: Command + N
- New folder: Shift + Command + N
- Search notes: Option + Command + F
- Minimize window: Command + M
- Zoom window: Control + Command + Z
- Have Notes fill the screen: Control + Globe (fn) + F
- Center the Notes window: Control + Globe (fn) + C
- Show Attachments Browser: Command + 3
Note editing and formatting shortcuts
These keyboard shortcuts let you format notes and add items to them.
- Use Title formatting: Shift + Command + T
- Use Heading formatting: Shift + Command + H
- Use Subheading formatting: Shift + Command + J
- Use Body formatting: Shift + Command + B
- Use Monostyled text: Shift + Command + M
- Add Bulleted List: Shift + Command + 7
- Add Dashed List: Shift + Command + 8
- Add Numbered List: Shift + Command + 9
- Use Block Quote: Command + ‘ (single quote key)
- Increase the text size: Command + Plus Sign (+)
- Decrease the text size: Command + Hyphen (-)
- Show Fonts and change the default font: Command + T
- Show Colors and change the default color: Shift + Command + C
- Highlight text in color: Shift + Command + E
- Use bold text: Command + B
- Use italic text: Command + I
- Underline text: Command + U
- Align text to left: Command + { or Command + Shift + {
- Align text to right: Command + } or Command + Shift + {
- Center the text: Command + | (not I) or Command + Shift + |
- Increase indentation: Command + ]
- Decrease indentation: Command + [
- Attach a file: Shift + Command + A
- Create a link: Command + K
- Zoom in on a note: Shift + Command + Greater Than Sign (>)
- Zoom out of a note: Shift + Command + Less Than Sign (<)
- Print a note or save it as PDF: Command + P
List shortcuts
Use these shortcuts to handle lists in Notes, whether bulleted, numbered, or checked.
- Use Checklist formatting: Shift + Command + L
- Mark or unmark a checklist item: Shift + Command + U
- Increase a list level: Command + Right Bracket or Tab
- Decrease a list level: Command + Left Bracket or Shift + Tab
- Move a list item up: Control + Command + Up Arrow
- Move a list item down: Control + Command + Down Arrow
- Add a line break in a list: Control + Return
Table shortcuts
The following keyboard shortcuts are handy for working with tables in the Notes app.
- Insert a table: Option + Command + T
- Add a row below: Option + Command + Down Arrow
- Add a row above: Option + Command + Up Arrow
- Add a column to the right: Option + Command + Right Arrow
- Add a column to the left: Option + Command + Left Arrow
- Add a break within a cell: Option + Return
- Move one cell to the right: Tab
- Move one cell to the left: Shift + Tab
- Select a row: Shift + Left Arrow or Right Arrow
- Select a column: Shift + Up Arrow or Down Arrow
- Select a table: Command + A while your cursor is in the table
As you can see, Notes for Mac provides dozens of productivity keyboard shortcuts; those you decide to use frequently will soon become muscle memory. Bookmark and revisit this page for new shortcuts you haven’t tried. You can also view specific keyboard shortcuts by browsing the menus in the Notes app.
What are your favorite keyboard shortcuts in Notes for Mac? Please share them below so we can all give them a try!
More keyboard shortcuts for you to check out: