Mac Keyboard Symbols
What each macOS key glyph means, and what to press on Windows. Copy any symbol to paste into docs or shortcut descriptions.
Modifiers
| Symbol | Name | Meaning / typical use | Unicode | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⌘ | Command (Cmd) | The primary modifier on macOS. Used for almost every app shortcut: ⌘C copy, ⌘V paste, ⌘S save. | U+2318 | Ctrl | |
| ⌥ | Option (Alt) | Alternate modifier. Types special characters, and reveals hidden menu items when held. | U+2325 | Alt | |
| ⌃ | Control (Ctrl) | Mostly used for terminal signals (⌃C) and system shortcuts. Not the main app modifier on macOS. | U+2303 | Ctrl | |
| ⇧ | Shift | Uppercase, or extends a shortcut into its variant: ⌘⇧Z redo, ⌘⇧T reopen tab. | U+21E7 | Shift | |
| ⇪ | Caps Lock | Locks uppercase input until pressed again. | U+21EA | Caps Lock | |
| fn | Function | Switches the top row between media keys and F1–F12, and enables navigation combos like fn← for Home. | — | Fn (on laptops) |
Editing & navigation
| Symbol | Name | Meaning / typical use | Unicode | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⇥ | Tab | Indent, or move to the next field or control. | U+21E5 | Tab | |
| ⇤ | Back-tab (Shift-Tab) | Move to the previous field or control. | U+21E4 | Shift+Tab | |
| ⏎ | Return | Confirm, or insert a new line. | U+23CE | Enter | |
| ⌤ | Enter | The numeric-keypad Enter. Some apps treat it differently from Return — e.g. commit without a newline. | U+2324 | Enter (numpad) | |
| ⌫ | Delete (Backspace) | Delete the character to the left of the cursor. | U+232B | Backspace | |
| ⌦ | Forward Delete | Delete the character to the right of the cursor. On laptops: fn⌫. | U+2326 | Delete | |
| ⎋ | Escape (Esc) | Cancel, dismiss, or back out of the current state. | U+238B | Esc | |
| ⇞ | Page Up | Scroll up one screen. On laptops: fn↑. | U+21DE | Page Up | |
| ⇟ | Page Down | Scroll down one screen. On laptops: fn↓. | U+21DF | Page Down | |
| ↖ | Home | Jump to the start of the line or document. On laptops: fn←. | U+2196 | Home | |
| ↘ | End | Jump to the end of the line or document. On laptops: fn→. | U+2198 | End | |
| ⌧ | Clear | Clear the current entry. Numeric keypad only. | U+2327 | Num Lock |
Arrows
| Symbol | Name | Meaning / typical use | Unicode | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← | Left Arrow | Move the cursor or selection left. | U+2190 | ← | |
| → | Right Arrow | Move the cursor or selection right. | U+2192 | → | |
| ↑ | Up Arrow | Move the cursor or selection up. | U+2191 | ↑ | |
| ↓ | Down Arrow | Move the cursor or selection down. | U+2193 | ↓ |
Power & eject
| Symbol | Name | Meaning / typical use | Unicode | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⏏ | Eject | Eject removable media. Appears in older shortcut docs, e.g. ⌃⌘⏏ to restart. | U+23CF | — | |
| ⌽ | Power | Power on, sleep, or force shutdown when held. | U+233D | Power |
Reference
Shortcuts are written modifier-first, in the order ⌃⌥⇧⌘ — e.g. ⌘⇧4 is Command-Shift-4.
⌘ on a Mac maps to Ctrl on Windows for most app shortcuts — ⌘C is Ctrl+C.
On laptop keyboards, fn turns the arrow keys into Home / End / Page Up / Page Down.
Instructions
What each macOS key glyph means and what to press instead on Windows.
- Search by name (
option), by the glyph itself (⌘), by the Windows equivalent (Ctrl) or by code point (U+2318). - Read across the row for the meaning, the Unicode code point and the Windows key.
- Copy the glyph with the button on the right to paste it into docs or a shortcut description.
Tips
- Shortcuts are written modifier-first in the order ⌃⌥⇧⌘ — so ⌘⇧4 is Command-Shift-4.
- ⌘ on a Mac maps to Ctrl on Windows for most app shortcuts: ⌘C is Ctrl+C.
- On laptop keyboards, fn turns the arrow keys into Home / End / Page Up / Page Down.
- Looking for the shortcut rather than the symbol? See Mac Shortcut.
- Hit Example and click the search box to run a sample lookup.