Photos shortcuts
- 64 shortcuts
- 6 sections
- Apple Apps
- Verified against official docs
Your answer helps keep this page right.
Do these shortcuts work for you?
The Viewing section has All Photos view, Open or close an individual photo and Show or hide thumbnails. Editing opens the editing view, where single keys choose a tool: Crop a photo, Adjust a photo and Apply a filter. Organization creates albums and folders and marks favorites.
Start with these
- Open or close editing view
- Crop a photo
- Automatically enhance a photo
- Show unadjusted photo without edits
- Make a photo a favorite
- Create a new album
Tips for Photos
- Open or close editing view Enter switches between viewing a photo and editing it.
- Show unadjusted photo without edits ⌃M shows the original, so you can compare it with your edit.
- Go to the previous photo Left and Go to the next photo Right use the left and right arrow keys without a modifier.
Jump to section
General17
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New Album | |
| Get Info | |
| Rotate Right | |
| Edit Photo | |
| Auto Enhance | |
| Duplicate | |
| Delete Photo | |
| Add to Favorites | |
| View Photos | |
| View Memories | |
| Search | |
| Close a window and quit Photos | |
| Minimize the Photos window | |
| Hide the Photos app | |
| Quit Photos | |
| Open settings | |
Viewing8
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Months view | |
| Show or hide thumbnails | |
| All Photos view | |
| Find photos | |
| Open or close an individual photo | |
| Stop viewing a photo | |
| Years view | |
| Start or stop playing a video |
Editing20
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open or close editing view | |
| Clean up a photo | |
| Go to the previous photo | |
| Zoom out | |
| Adjust a photo | |
| Rotate a photo clockwise | |
| Delete selected photos | |
| Hide a selected photo | |
| Apply a filter | |
| Rotate a photo counterclockwise | |
| Delete without confirming | |
| Undo the last action | |
| Apply a style | |
| Automatically enhance a photo | |
| Toggle between current zoom and 100 percent | |
| Redo the last action | |
| Crop a photo | |
| Go to the next photo | |
| Zoom in | |
| Show unadjusted photo without edits |
Selection2
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Select all photos | |
| Deselect all photos |
Organization15
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Create a Smart Album | |
| Duplicate a photo | |
| Show or hide the Keyword Manager | |
| Create a folder | |
| Cut a photo | |
| Delete a photo from the library | |
| Enter or leave full-screen view | |
| Copy a photo | |
| Remove a photo from an album | |
| Create a new album | |
| Show or hide titles | |
| Paste a photo | |
| Set photo as key photo for album | |
| Show or hide photo information | |
| Make a photo a favorite |
Import and Export2
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Import photos | |
| Export photos |
Report a problem
GitHub is public. Email is private.
Related resources
More Apple Apps shortcuts
Explore more macOS apps
Frequently Asked Questions
How many keyboard shortcuts does Photos have on macOS?
Photos has 64 keyboard shortcuts on macOS, organized into 6 sections: General, Viewing, Editing, Selection, and more. This page lists all of them with searchable, organized shortcut tables.
Which Photos shortcuts should I learn first?
Start with Open or close editing view (Enter), Crop a photo (C), Automatically enhance a photo (⌘E), Show unadjusted photo without edits (⌃M), Make a photo a favorite (.), Create a new album (⌘N). The sections on this page list the rest.
Can I download Photos shortcuts as a PDF?
Yes. Click the download button at the top of this page to generate a printable PDF cheat sheet with all 64 Photos shortcuts. The PDF includes organized sections, keycap-style key labels, and space for your own notes.
Where is the official Photos keyboard shortcuts documentation?
The official Photos keyboard shortcuts documentation is available on their website. Every shortcut on this page is sourced from and verified against the official documentation to ensure accuracy.
Do these Photos shortcuts work on all Mac keyboards?
Yes. These shortcuts work on all Mac keyboards, including MacBook built-in keyboards and external Apple keyboards. The modifier keys are Command (⌘), Option (⌥), Control (⌃), and Shift (⇧). On keyboards without a Function row, some F-key shortcuts may require holding the Fn key.
Maintained by Vladik Didyk
Access Photos shortcuts from your menu bar
KeyShortcut detects the active app and shows its shortcuts instantly. Switch it on in Settings. No memorization needed.