Useful Shortcut Keys for the Standard macOS "Notes" App
Here is a summary of useful shortcuts for Apple's standard macOS "Notes" app. By mastering these shortcuts, you can speed up your note-taking process.
Posted at: 2024.2.6
File Operations
Among the basic operation shortcuts, file operations are absolutely essential to master.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Create New Note | Cmd (⌘)N |
| Start Quick Note | Q |
| Delete Note | Cmd (⌘)Backspace |
| Duplicate Note | Cmd (⌘)D |
| Create New Folder | ShiftCmd (⌘)N |
These are must-use shortcuts, so you should definitely memorize them.
File creation shortcuts are the same as macOS, making them easy to remember. However, some people may not use "Duplicate" or "Create New Folder" even in macOS, so this is a good opportunity to learn them.
Note that "Start Quick Note (Fn+Q)" is a standard macOS shortcut that can be called even when the current app is not the Notes app, so mastering this will be very convenient.
Display Operations
Next in importance are display operations. Learning these will allow you to operate the Notes app almost entirely with the keyboard without using a mouse or trackpad, dramatically increasing your note-taking speed.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Show/Hide Folders | Option (⌥)Cmd (⌘)S |
| Show Main "Notes" Window | Cmd (⌘)0 |
| Display Notes in List View | Cmd (⌘)1 |
| Display Notes in Gallery View | Cmd (⌘)2 |
| Show Attachments | Cmd (⌘)3 |
| Search All Notes | Option (⌥)Cmd (⌘)F |
| Move Between Sidebar, Note List, and Search Field | Tab |
| Move in Reverse Between Sidebar, Note List, and Search Field | ShiftTab |
| Start Typing in Selected Note in List or Gallery View | Enter |
| End Note Input | Cmd (⌘)Enter |
Particularly important to remember is the "Move Between Sidebar, Note List, and Search Field (Tab / Shift + Tab)" command.
The Notes app has a three-column layout consisting of "Sidebar (folder display)", "List (note list)", and "Note", and you can navigate between these using the Tab key. Within each column, you can move using the up and down arrow keys, making the mouse unnecessary.
One thing to note is that when you move to the note field using Tab, the Tab key will function to create spaces within the note.
To avoid this, use the "End Note Input (Command+Enter)" shortcut. This will return you to the list. Once back in the list, you can use "Shift + Tab" to return to the sidebar, or use the up and down arrow keys to search for notes within the list.
Note Editing Shortcuts
The final set of shortcuts you should master are for note editing. These mainly adjust the appearance of your notes, and while not essential, they are very convenient to know.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Apply "Title" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)T |
| Apply "Heading" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)H |
| Apply "Subheading" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)J |
| Apply "Body" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)B |
| Apply "Monospaced" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)M |
| Apply "Bulleted List" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)7 |
| Apply "Dashed List" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)8 |
| Apply "Numbered List" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)9 |
| Apply "Checklist" Format | ShiftCmd (⌘)L |
| Apply "Block Quote" Format | Cmd (⌘) |
| Increase Font Size | Cmd (⌘) |
| Decrease Font Size | Cmd (⌘) |
| Increase List Level | Cmd (⌘) |
| Decrease List Level | Cmd (⌘)Tab |
| Add Line Break (Soft Return) in List or Checklist Item | CtrlEnter |
| Insert Tab Character in List Item | Option (⌥)Tab |
| Check/Uncheck Checklist Item | ShiftCmd (⌘)U |
| Move List/Checklist Item Up Within List | CtrlCmd (⌘) |
| Move List/Checklist Item Down Within List | CtrlCmd (⌘) |
| Enlarge Note Content | ShiftCmd (⌘) |
| Shrink Note Content | ShiftCmd (⌘) |
| Reset Note Content Size to Default | ShiftCmd (⌘)0 |
Other Shortcuts
In addition to the shortcuts introduced here, there are also trackpad shortcuts and more. Please check the official Apple website for details.