The keyboard and its special keys

Most of the keyboard is letters and numbers. A handful of other keys do special jobs. This guide names them often, so learn where they are now.

The keys you will use most

• Return: the wide key on the right side of the letters, marked "return" or "enter" or with a bent arrow. It confirms what you typed, like pressing OK, or starts a new line.
• Delete: top-right corner of the letters, marked "delete". It erases the letter to the left of the blinking line. On a Mac it works like Backspace on other computers.
• Shift: the key at each end of the bottom row of letters, marked with a hollow up-arrow. Hold it while pressing a letter to get a capital. It also types the upper symbol on a key: Shift + 1 gives an exclamation mark.
• Command: the key directly to the left of the Space bar, marked "command" and ⌘. It is the most important key on a Mac. Hold it and press a letter to run a keyboard shortcut.
• Option: to the left of Command, marked "option" and ⌥. It types extra symbols and changes what some clicks do.
• Control: to the left of Option, marked "control" and ^. It is mostly used for Control-click.
• Escape: the top-left corner, marked "esc". It cancels: closes a menu, backs out of a box, leaves full screen.
• Tab: left side, above Caps Lock, marked with arrows. It jumps to the next box on a form. Hold Command and press Tab to switch between open apps.
• Arrow keys: four small keys at the bottom-right. They move the blinking line one letter or one line at a time.
• Caps Lock: left side, above Shift. One press makes every letter a capital until you press it again. A small light shows when it is on.
• The fn or globe key: the bottom-left corner. Hold it to use the top row as F1 to F12. On newer Macs, one press opens the emoji picker.

How to read a shortcut

When this guide writes Command + C, it means: hold down Command, press C once, then let go of both. Press the keys in that order. You do not press the plus sign. Menus show the same thing with symbols: ⌘C means Command + C, ⇧⌘Z means Shift + Command + Z, and ⌥⌘Esc means Option + Command + Escape.

Practice

1. Hold Command and press Space. A search box appears in the middle of the screen.
2. Type notes and press Return. The Notes app opens.
3. Click New Note, a square with a pencil near the top of the window, or press Command + N.
4. Type Binder is my first app. Then press Return twice.
5. Hold Shift and type hello. It comes out as HELLO.
6. Press Delete five times to erase it.
7. Press the up-arrow key twice. The blinking line moves up to your first sentence.

Notes saves by itself. You can leave it open.