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   Mac keyboard symbols | Ned Batchelder
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  })();</script><body class="blog oneentry"><header id=banner><nav class=path><a class=home href=/> Ned <span class=chelder>   </span> Bat <span class=chelder> chelder </span> </a><span class=top_areas> <span class=plaindot> ·· </span> <a href=/blog> Blog </a> · <a href=/text> Text </a> · <a href=/code> Code </a> · <a href=/site> Site </a> <span class=plaindot> ·· </span> <a class=blm href=/blog/202006/black_lives_matter.html> BLM </a> </span></nav></header><main id=content><h1 class=headslug>Mac keyboard symbols</h1><div class=body><article class=blog-entry id=e20080803T085948><header><p class=date><a class=s href=/blog/archive/date0803.html> Sunday 3 </a> <a class=s href=/blog/archive/year2008.html#month200808> August 2008 </a></header><p>Apple computers are beautiful, Apple computers are the pinnacle of usability, I grant all of that. But here’s something that for the life of me I cannot figure out. Why don’t the menu symbols for modifier keys (control, alt, shift) appear on the keyboards?<p>Like any modern operating system, OS X menu items have keyboard short cuts, and because there are so many menu items, they occasionally need modifiers other than the command key. Here’s a menu from Safari:<p class=figure><picture><source srcset=//nedbatchelder.com/iv/webp/pix/macmenu1.png.webp type=image/webp><img alt="Safari bookmark menu showing key modifiers"height=180 src=//nedbatchelder.com/pix/macmenu1.png width=308></picture><p>The command symbol we all understand because it appears on the keyboard, but what are those other two modifiers? Why not print them on the keys?<p class=figure><a href=//nedbatchelder.com/pix/mackeyboard.jpg> <picture><source srcset=//nedbatchelder.com/iv/webp/pix/mackeyboard_zoom.jpg.webp type=image/webp><img alt="Close-up of a Mac keyboard"height=375 src=//nedbatchelder.com/pix/mackeyboard_zoom.jpg width=460></picture> </a><p>The thingy next to “Show All Bookmarks” is for option, which is labelled on the keyboard with “option” and, alternately, “alt”, but doesn’t have the symbol. The big up-arrow next to “Add Bookmark Folder” is not the up-arrow on the keyboard, but the shift key, which is labelled only with “shift”.<p>And God forbid you should have to ever Force Quit an application. Is that a Quicktime symbol?:<p class=figure><picture><source srcset=//nedbatchelder.com/iv/webp/pix/macapplemenu.png.webp type=image/webp><img alt="Apple menu, with Force Quit Finder with four modifier keys"height=282 src=//nedbatchelder.com/pix/macapplemenu.png width=259></picture><p>I must not be the only one who is confused, because Dan Rodney started off his thorough <a rel="external noopener"href=http://www.danrodney.com/mac/index.html> Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts </a> page with a translation chart:<p class=figure><a rel="external noopener"href=http://www.danrodney.com/mac/index.html> <picture><source srcset=//nedbatchelder.com/iv/webp/pix/macmenusymbols.png.webp type=image/webp><img alt="A translation chart from symbol to key"height=225 src=//nedbatchelder.com/pix/macmenusymbols.png width=495></picture> </a><p>Why no symbols on modifier keys? Or, why is the command key special? Why is it labelled with its symbol while the others are not. This seems like a really basic usability rule: refer to the same thing the same way in different contexts. Is there some logic to this, or is it just that the minimalist hardware design gurus win out over the operating system usability guys?<footer><span class=via> <a href=/blog/tag/mac.html rel=tag> #mac </a> <a href=/blog/tag/ui.html rel=tag> #ui </a> </span><span class=react> »  51 reactions </span></footer></article><div id=comments><h1>Comments</h1><div class="comment published"id=comment_9542><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/c20ad08d64cded66058b0cbb68f8a656.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a244.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://www.iminstant.com target=_blank> carl tyler </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9542> 9:50 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I thought the exact same thing. <br><br><a href=http://www.iminstant.com/iminstant/iminstant.nsf/d6plinks/CTYR-7GNP8A> http://www.iminstant.com/iminstant/iminstant.nsf/d6plinks/CTYR-7GNP8A </a></div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9543><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/463a381eaf9c0c08bc130a1bea1874ee.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a117.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://www.ironpythoninaction.com target=_blank> Michael Foord </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9543> 10:01 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Hmmm... on my Mac Pro wired keyboard all those symbols *are* there. From the diagram above the only exceptions are the escape key and the control key - alt (option), delete, shift etc all have the symbols shown.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9544><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ac9d4aa11821cff343680855a1f77534.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a199.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://www.wmaus.net target=_blank> Winfried Maus </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9544> 11:01 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>It gets even better when you have a German keyboard version - try finding "[", "]", "{" or "}" on a non-american Apple keyboard. Even with the older Apple keyboards this has been a usability nightmare. <br><br> That's why I chose the "workaround" of buying a Microsoft Natural keyboard. And there's some good news about them, too: The Microsoft OS X keyboard drivers are not compatible with Apple's Java 6 implementation - the keyboard does not work in Java 6 apps, as for example Netbeans 6.1 with JavaFX. Isn't that beautiful? ;-)</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9545><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2fd49f9df16f5a8b32d175714b96a193.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a70.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://ianp.org/ target=_blank> Ian Phillips </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9545> 11:23 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>All of the symbols are right there on both of my macs - an Air and a fairly ancient G4 PowerBook.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9546><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/22e33503870d8e20493c4dd6b2f9767f.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a212.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://rikkus.info target=_blank> Rik Hemsley </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9546> 11:29 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>The other problem I have with Mac keyboarding is that I'm never sure whether I need to use cmd-whatever or ctrl-whatever. I usually have to just guess and see which works. And then I forget again. <br><br> Why four modifier keys? Aren't three enough?</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9547><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/75e9a11371cbe1566607180863efdf4c.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a107.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://nedbatchelder.com target=_blank> Ned Batchelder </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9547> 11:48 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Michael and Ian: I wonder if we have a UK/US difference here. The MacBook Air pictured on the Apple site ( <a href=http://www.apple.com/macbookair/design.html> http://www.apple.com/macbookair/design.html </a> ) clearly doesn't have the keyboard symbols.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9548><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/463a381eaf9c0c08bc130a1bea1874ee.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a117.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://www.ironpythoninaction.com target=_blank> Michael Foord </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9548> 11:52 AM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I assumed it was a wired keyboard / laptop keyboard difference? (Although what Ian says would appear to contradict that...)</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9549><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/3eaacd20213c065e92c80e78b586d687.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a197.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://flickr.com/photos/junklight target=_blank> mark Williamson </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9549> 12:50 PM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>The UK apple keyboards do have them. However # (hash to us in the UK and disturbingly 'pound' to Americans) is hidden under option 4 - which is great for developers....</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9550><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d89d81f673dac06b16cade5b4bf19954.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a181.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> masklinn </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9550> 1:43 PM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>> It gets even better when you have a German keyboard version - try finding "[", "]", "{" or "}" on a non-american Apple keyboard. <br><br> This is why you have the virtual keyboard. Also, I don't know for german but on the french keyboard they're combinations of the parens keys and modifiers (alt or alt and shift, I think, I can type them when I'm using my mac but I don't remember the exact chord)</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9551><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e41aab7f0dfd9ca6bdb361b54338c9d6.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a252.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://hinde.net target=_blank> Lee Hinde </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9551> 1:53 PM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>So, a slight tangent, but the command key has a symbol because, historically, the symbol was the only character on the key. And it looks like the symbols on the other keys are/were rarely present. <br><br><a href=http://2aday.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/why-the-applecommand-key-finally-lost-its-apple/> http://2aday.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/why-the-applecommand-key-finally-lost-its-apple/ </a></div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9552><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/194eff5b61a6db7fa10fc3a478ddb07e.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a98.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://joshualedwell.typepad.com target=_blank> Josh </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9552> 7:56 PM on 3 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Agreed. My MacBook doesn't have the symbols, and there's no reason why. Allow me to pile on: there's no excuse for Apple to ship a single computer without a second mouse button and without a forward delete key.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9553><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/c1e7dcad3f222283217c419859f681f7.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a16.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://benpoole.com target=_blank> Ben Poole </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9553> 4:51 AM on 4 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I'm pretty sure it's a US / UK / Other difference, as my Macbook keyboard features most of the icons.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9558><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/1a53b672d691f00ea9c4306939b28c54.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a253.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Ben Smith </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9558> 1:37 AM on 5 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Yes. It's a US/most-of-the-rest-of-the-world difference. The European keyboards, which all use the ISO key arrangement label the modifier keys symbolically. Perhaps this is for reasons of being multi-lingual. The US keyboards (ANSI arrangement) use English most places. The command key is the exception: it has been decorated with a symbol since the days of the original Macintosh. <br><br> Here's an example of an ISO keyboard (German layout): <br><br><a href=http://www.tgunkel.de/it/hardware/doc/ibook_g4_linux_data/iBook_G4_keyoard_german.png> http://www.tgunkel.de/it/hardware/doc/ibook_g4_linux_data/iBook_G4_keyoard_german.png </a></div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9671><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fbcc4f3f06375171903d24f44fa6e825.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a21.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://nutation.net target=_blank> Rich Seymour </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9671> 10:24 AM on 14 Aug 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Ever since I got my MacBook Pro generation 1 (aka, the gettin-the-kinks-out generation), I have struggled with the Option key symbol. What is it even... representing? the drop shadow of a backwards italicized T? <br><br> I still call the command-key 'open-apple' since there used to be an Open Apple and a Closed Apple on old Apple //es and IIgs's ... <br><br> Ugh... the whole thing is like a twisted joke on "usability".</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9875><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d43753e9805b289d31bbc244403db33f.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a183.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Draco18s </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9875> 5:13 PM on 4 Sep 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>So that's what that symbol is... <br> I gave up using Mac keyboard shortcuts because the only symbol I knew was Shift (ok, and Tab and Delete, the delete key is marked and the tab symbol is marked <i> on the windows keyboard </i> with that symbol. Page up, page down, enter (non-keypad) look obvious enough (ok, the windows keyboard enter has that symbol too). Arrow keys are arrow keys. <br><br> But yeah. I'd never ever figured out the alt key.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9938><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2a0e86555ef6bba79e6c75219e0d1d9d.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a50.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> jon long </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9938> 7:04 AM on 14 Sep 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>In finder help for keyboard symbols is has a forward and backward delete keys but how does the forward delete work?</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_9993><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2bb09154b298fc8ce7d49239850ca89b.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a186.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Auisce </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_9993> 9:07 AM on 21 Sep 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>The UK keyboard is labeled better with 2 exceptions, # and ⌃. <br><br> 1. To get # requires "alt ⌥" + 3 because ⇧ + 3 = £. <br> People refer to an "option" key but on current UK keyboards it's labeled "alt ⌥" which I'm fine with as most other keyboards have "Alt" and "Alt GR" and ⌥ is what's used in the menus. <br><br> 2. ⌃ is labeled "ctrl" but hey, look at any non-Apple keyboard. I would have preferred 'ctrl ⌃'. <br><br> If you don't like the US keyboard and you're using English, I recommend a UK keyboard or you could buy a Sharpie.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_10307><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/3c578d623e19c4b44e2a0cb3d79e47d9.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a219.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Jon </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_10307> 9:25 PM on 29 Nov 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>@Josh. Actually, any newer Apple Keyboard, like the notebooks or the new BlueTooth keyboard, all you have to do for forward delete is Fn+Backspace.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_10367><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/bc1d69d56d08e2c6567dac508679b738.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a217.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Laurin </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_10367> 4:26 PM on 12 Dec 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Thank you! I was so lost as to how to find those symbols.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_10416><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/18fc2cb5b8e1bd1e9c721480524dc308.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a192.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Sue </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_10416> 5:13 PM on 23 Dec 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I'm late to this discussion, but it is obviously ongoing. I'm grateful for the info, and particularly for the graphic reference to the chart by Dan Rodney. Just as a corporate culture comment, I spent a number of years working for a large insurance company so I've seen things like this happen. When a company is young and small, decisions are made by a small number of people, all of whom understand the philosophy and know every one whose process might impact decisions. Over time, people leave, new people come in, areas of responsibility originally controlled by one department move to some other department which has a different outlook. Every 10 years or so, maybe the corporation will recognize that things are de-volving & fix it -- or maybe not!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_10421><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a61.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://kamikazexk.blogspot.com/ target=_blank> Kamikazexk </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_10421> 6:53 PM on 26 Dec 2008 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Hey thanks alot for this, i'm trying to get better at photoshop with just using the commands and it was a bit hard especially when I didn't know many of the symbols(im a new mac owner).</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_10562><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/607003deaf11e435b3f6752e39ef419a.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a154.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> bobby </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_10562> 3:15 PM on 16 Feb 2009 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>omg i love macs..i wish that every comp in the word was a MACCCCCC i would own them all!!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_10966><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ba330e4a4bcef42c1c8251dc8688caad.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a9.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Michael </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_10966> 1:42 PM on 26 Jun 2009 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Back before the great return of Steve Jobs, all Apple keyboards had the shift and option symbols on the keyboards. You can thank him for getting rid of them.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_11164><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/81b36a33444862bb3c7f6d8cd202ef4b.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a209.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> d mcintyre </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_11164> 5:02 PM on 7 Sep 2009 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I cant find the delete key on my mac book (english qwerty I think.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_11165><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2bb09154b298fc8ce7d49239850ca89b.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a186.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Auisce </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_11165> 6:17 PM on 7 Sep 2009 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>d mcintyre, <br><br> Seriously? <br> Is it not below the eject key? It should say "delete" on it.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_11206><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2a5b210f1e4683381dfca72f9f4c1184.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a127.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> donza </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_11206> 5:34 AM on 5 Oct 2009 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Hi I just bought a mac keyboard...does anybody know if there an 'insert' button like on a PC keyboard, i.e. to erase text automatically by typing over?</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_11442><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a36.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://blogspot.joza.com target=_blank> joza </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_11442> 10:59 PM on 2 Dec 2009 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>thanks!!!!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12082><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e035cd30378eb2af6678bafff58a79aa.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a151.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> ana </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12082> 12:57 PM on 22 Jun 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>where is "@" on mac keyboard?</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12083><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2bb09154b298fc8ce7d49239850ca89b.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a186.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Auisce </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12083> 1:04 PM on 22 Jun 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>ana, <br> Shift 2</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12090><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e035cd30378eb2af6678bafff58a79aa.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a151.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> ana </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12090> 12:03 PM on 25 Jun 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>alt+shift+2 but tnx! :)</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12091><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2bb09154b298fc8ce7d49239850ca89b.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a186.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Auisce </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12091> 12:07 PM on 25 Jun 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Really? on my UK extended: <br> shift+2= @ <br> alt+shift+2= â„¢ <br> alt=2= €</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12115><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/99af5db1d070f5bc2a42d30f3e22d946.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a145.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> naymin </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12115> 4:43 AM on 8 Jul 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>i want to keyboard symbol</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12398><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/418671d66916f0f1d3e6f63174fc089d.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a136.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> steven </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12398> 1:04 AM on 27 Oct 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>just in case another curious soul happens upon this aging thread . . . Sue got it just about right. these funky modifier keys and their symbols came about in the early days of the Mac. I was a hardcore user for about 10 years, starting in 1987, then got force-marched by corporate America onto that desolate wasteland of abysmal design called Windows till a couple weeks ago, when I had the opportunity to switch back. I was amused to find so much the same in the Mac interface, even after almost 15 years away, but I have to admit I had to refresh my memory on the mapping from menu symbols to keyboard labels. so don't be frustrated, celebrate the obscure history you're reliving every day at your keyboard!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12506><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/615b260f343f89d2560dadd6bc760faf.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a107.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> dvdrtrgn </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12506> 12:29 PM on 26 Nov 2010 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I don't miss the "Apple" symbol for the Command-key. It is a stupid way to use that logo. For 15 years I've called that key "Command." That is what it is and what it does. It takes about 20 seconds to figure out the Control/ctrl and Option/alt symbols. Use the process of elimination... Shift and command are obvious. <br><br> Command is a beautiful key and more accessible (via thumb) for keying combos than control (via pinky). I sometimes refer to the "apple-key" for the one retard at work that needs that terminology. (To those who get confused about whether to use "control" for commands, your helplessness is non-addressable.)</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12615><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/671ab7816c1ae3d877f66fa4cbff5616.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a168.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> lynn Trelles-Gaines </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12615> 6:16 PM on 29 Jan 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I do not understand the symbols and am ready to go back to the PC.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12626><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/74714f4956b450a01fd6602e621fa9dd.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a199.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> chandrangani </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12626> 12:01 AM on 14 Feb 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I want to know the differences between MAC keyboard and 101-key enhanced key board</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12861><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/8f605d959fffb080ae1bfeb994b51270.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a44.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Perry Lawrence </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12861> 10:35 AM on 7 Jun 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I am going back to my Dell. The Mac is so over for me.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12904><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/50fc8c8a229e2296a42ed864aba3ef87.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a146.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Rose </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12904> 12:21 PM on 12 Jun 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Hopefully the Mac hardware design team will listen here. They are promoting the wonders of apple and this unnecessary confusion with speed keys is so easily avoidable. I am at a loss as to why it has not been addressed earlier. I so miss my 'end' and 'home' keys on my PC. Yes the wonderful touchpad scroll but when you have a huge document and want to go to the beginning or end with one click it is IMPOSSIBLE on a Mac. I feel like an industrial process worker sliding away on the touchpad just to get my curser home..what a joke for a product that is supposed to be so advanced. What makes it so bad is the keyboard shortcuts are different for each application and often they do not work anyway.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12906><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e9cee82372cc4e05aa14fe6a4b748ba7.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a272.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://uk.msn.com/ target=_blank> Mr Anthony Cotton </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12906> 2:35 PM on 12 Jun 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>It`s just what i have been looking for. Do you know if you can get small sticky labels for the keyboard? <br> Yours Sincerely Mr Anthony Cotton</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12944><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/64e86ad0e3494fa5ca9ffe7a025f3139.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a170.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> juspam </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12944> 3:02 PM on 18 Jun 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Where can I find a list of all the things that can be done with the keys on my mac? And where is forward delete?</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12945><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/64e86ad0e3494fa5ca9ffe7a025f3139.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a170.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> juspam </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12945> 3:10 PM on 18 Jun 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>...and how do I make a screenprint on a mac? Message to Lynn Trelles-Gaines - don't give up, I miss my PC too so I am going to offer myself to Mac for a job on 'interpretation'!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_12957><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/bca6f38bc60cafc86150acf345252e23.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a72.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> teknozen </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_12957> 7:03 PM on 24 Jun 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I only occasionally bother w/ diacritical marks (who needs them, anyway?), but all it takes is "mac umlat" (you don't even have to spell it correctly) to be whisked away to a Google page w/ all the variations on ümlaut for keyboards in all the Euro languages + the ansi code + + +, and if, say, you have wicked bad arthritis, you don't even need to contort your fingers into "shift-option-anything." Copy and Paste, my children! <br><br> What the frak are these people bitching about? If nobody has told you about Google (really do you suppose anyone on the planet exists who does not understand the phrase "Google it?"), quick! Go ask the first eight year-old you encounter to show you how. <br><br> And if you are not quick enough to recognize the quantum gap in elegance between Mac OS and Windows, then you don't deserve the privilege of using a Mac. There is not a problem. You are the problem. Quit whining and and crawl back into that slough of mediocrity whence you mistakenly emerged. <br><br> Ditto anyone who asks for "small sticky labels for the keyboard? " First, why? and secondly, doh! Google it. That is why God made search engines so that we would never again have to endure absurd questions from half-wit twits. O.K. Just this once, because I am not really a mean person, simply the variety that does not suffer fools gladly. Here you are: <br><a href=http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=small+sticky+labels+for+keyboard> http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=small+sticky+labels+for+keyboard </a></div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_13040><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/afbd604b59c02af0237d45e641440bde.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a151.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Frank F Dyer </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_13040> 11:22 AM on 11 Aug 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>To have a ready reference of key symbols for a Mac keyboard all one needs to do is a screen shot of Ned's table (or some other table). Name the file Mac Keys or whatever. Then when one needs the table just click on that file on the desktop.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_13154><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/7ec17270d3b941b9a94778e1d7b5b3a4.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a19.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Elizabeth Rush </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_13154> 9:05 PM on 31 Oct 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>Comments to teknozen <br><br> When I did not understand the first symbol for "Show all bookmarks" I DID GOOGLE IT. That is how I found this page. How does that make me a half-wit? <br><br> How does asking a question mean I do not deserve to own a MAC. I PURCHASED A MAC. That is what makes me deserve having it and learning to use it. <br><br> If I managed this site, I would ban you for being rude and calling us fools. <br><br> A fool is the person who does NOT ask the experts when they do not understand something. <br><br> In His peace, <br> Elizabeth</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_13165><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/6875794f3257a360b42d7ef0c78cfacf.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a233.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> grant </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_13165> 5:58 PM on 13 Nov 2011 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>trying to help my wife... she uses a Mac Pro I have a Mac Desktop. Anyway, trying to figure out what keys to push to have an "arrow" pointing up or an "arrow" point down, as to show either an increase or decrease in something without using the words "increase or decrease." Can someone help me?</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_13433><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/3ce611b5316e3d8a99808e35e0670ed7.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a80.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> chris </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_13433> 4:18 PM on 17 Feb 2012 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>grant, <br> in system preferences, go to Keyboard, then hit the box by Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in menu bar. Then look up by the time (at least for me) and there you have it. Show character viewer gives you every symbol you could want. it even recognizes Emoji that i dl'ed. never doubt your keys again! it's official! <br> great job ned!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_13450><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/434baaf379227bdeb822eddf5fe9ce12.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a25.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Xavier Ninnis </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_13450> 10:40 PM on 10 Mar 2012 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>My Elizabeth, what with that oh-so-precious sig, I would've guessed you'd be a bit more forgiving.</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_15008><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/8d82163237f3803c80dbedece4aedce8.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a213.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> <a rel="nofollow noopener"href=http://www.whatkeys.com/ target=_blank> Chris </a> </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_15008> 2:17 PM on 29 May 2016 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>After years of struggling with this, I decided to "print" the symbols myself. Basically they're transparent stickers for each key with the real symbol on it: <a href=http://www.whatkeys.com/> http://www.whatkeys.com/ </a></div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_15019><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2d4f437cb43bc75c5c3cd0f9f0a8c5cd.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a37.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> SangHunPark </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_15019> 11:56 PM on 20 Jun 2016 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>I thought the exact same thing. <br> and I finally found your article. <br> cool~!!!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_15074><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/810860e19cb09721d3b4e9294c6da6da.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a38.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> FRANCIS J. KIERAS </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_15074> 5:34 PM on 14 Aug 2016 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>LOOK,I AM COMPETELY LOST!! SYMBOLS, SYMBOLS!</div></div><div class="comment published"id=comment_15083><img alt=[gravatar] class=gravatar height=40 src=https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/44821703bc4c26f217d795e952d358d3.jpg?default=https://nedbatchelder.com/pix/avatar/a54.jpg&size=80 width=40><div class=head><span class=who> <b> Boydston </b> </span><span class=when> <a href=#comment_15083> 9:22 PM on 18 Aug 2016 </a> </span></div><div class=commenttext>And 8 years later, Apple still has not figured out how stupid it is to references keyboard keys by a symbol that is not on the referenced key.</div></div><div id=commentform><h2>Add a comment:</h2><div><form action=https://nedbatchelder.com/blog/200808/mac_keyboard_symbols.html#commentform id=commentformform method=post><div><label for=fd48f1a9fd5c218feadfa702b9c953af4>Name:</label><input class=edit id=fd48f1a9fd5c218feadfa702b9c953af4 name=fd48f1a9fd5c218feadfa702b9c953af4></div><div><label for=f7d56fb6ac81b37545ebede8cb0da186d>Email:</label><div class=dn>Ignore this: <input class=edit id=f480807ebccd30711750cb6fb0489f229 name=f480807ebccd30711750cb6fb0489f229 type=email></div><input class=edit id=f7d56fb6ac81b37545ebede8cb0da186d name=f7d56fb6ac81b37545ebede8cb0da186d type=email><div class=dn>Leave this empty: <input class=edit id=f616c9824504933076cc8bda543567aa7 name=f616c9824504933076cc8bda543567aa7 type=email></div></div><div><label for=fda000e715f1ad6b99ce9c44c60e71900>Web site:</label><input class=edit id=fda000e715f1ad6b99ce9c44c60e71900 name=fda000e715f1ad6b99ce9c44c60e71900 type=url></div><div class=notice>Name is required. 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