This page is a complete keyboard shortcut reference for Photos on macOS, covering all 64 shortcuts organized into 6 sections. Whether you’re new to Photos or looking to master advanced features, this cheat sheet has every key combination you need — from basic editing and navigation to app-specific power-user actions.
Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work in Photos. Every time you use a shortcut instead of reaching for the mouse, you save a few seconds — and those seconds compound into hours over weeks and months. Start with the shortcuts you use most (copy, paste, undo, save), then gradually add app-specific ones as they become relevant to your workflow. Bookmark this page or download the PDF cheat sheet for quick reference.
Using keyboard shortcuts in Photos reduces context switching between keyboard and mouse, helping you maintain focus and work more efficiently. Research shows that shortcut-driven workflows can save up to 8 working days per year compared to menu-driven navigation. On macOS, most Photos shortcuts follow standard conventions — once you learn the modifier key patterns, new shortcuts become intuitive.
Tips for Learning Shortcuts
- Practice one new Photos shortcut each day. Muscle memory builds faster when you focus on a single combination at a time rather than trying to learn them all at once.
- Print or bookmark this page for quick reference while working in Photos. Having shortcuts visible nearby helps bridge the gap between looking them up and recalling them from memory.
- Start with the shortcuts you use most. In Photos, common actions like copy, paste, undo, and save are worth learning first since they apply across nearly every workflow.
General17
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New Album | ⌘N |
| Get Info | ⌘I |
| Rotate Right | ⌘R |
| Edit Photo | ⌘↩ |
| Auto Enhance | ⌘E |
| Duplicate | ⌘D |
| Delete Photo | ⌘Delete |
| Add to Favorites | ⌘L |
| View Photos | ⌘1 |
| View Memories | ⌘2 |
| Search | ⌘F |
| Close a window and quit Photos | ⌘W |
| Minimize the Photos window | ⌘M |
| Hide the Photos app | ⌘H |
| Quit Photos | ⌘Q |
| Open settings | ⌘, |
| ⌘P |
Viewing8
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Months view | ⌘2 |
| Show or hide thumbnails | ⌥S |
| All Photos view | ⌘3 |
| Find photos | ⌘F |
| Open or close an individual photo | Space |
| Stop viewing a photo | ⌘Up |
| Years view | ⌘1 |
| Start or stop playing a video | ⌥Space |
Editing20
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open or close editing view | Enter |
| Clean up a photo | R |
| Go to the previous photo | Left |
| Zoom out | ⌘- |
| Adjust a photo | A |
| Rotate a photo clockwise | ⌥⌘R |
| Delete selected photos | Delete |
| Hide a selected photo | ⌘L |
| Apply a filter | F |
| Rotate a photo counterclockwise | ⌘R |
| Delete without confirming | ⌘Delete |
| Undo the last action | ⌘Z |
| Apply a style | S |
| Automatically enhance a photo | ⌘E |
| Toggle between current zoom and 100 percent | Z |
| Redo the last action | ⇧⌘Z |
| Crop a photo | C |
| Go to the next photo | Right |
| Zoom in | ⌘+ |
| Show unadjusted photo without edits | ⌃M |
Selection2
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Select all photos | ⌘A |
| Deselect all photos | ⇧⌘A |
Organization15
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Create a Smart Album | ⌥⌘N |
| Duplicate a photo | ⌘D |
| Show or hide the Keyword Manager | ⌘K |
| Create a folder | ⇧⌘N |
| Cut a photo | ⌘X |
| Delete a photo from the library | ⌘Delete |
| Enter or leave full-screen view | ⌃⌘F |
| Copy a photo | ⌘C |
| Remove a photo from an album | Delete |
| Create a new album | ⌘N |
| Show or hide titles | ⇧⌘T |
| Paste a photo | ⌘V |
| Set photo as key photo for album | ⇧⌘K |
| Show or hide photo information | ⌘I |
| Make a photo a favorite | . |
Import and Export2
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Import photos | ⇧⌘I |
| Export photos | ⇧⌘E |
Frequently Asked Questions
Access Photos shortcuts from your menu bar
KeyShortcut detects the active app and shows its shortcuts instantly. No memorization needed.