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Blender Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac

Keyboard shortcuts for Blender on Mac. Navigate the 3D viewport, edit meshes, drive the animation timeline, and reach the Python console from the keyboard.
Key label style

Properties

Copy the (single) value of the field
Cmd+C
Paste the (single) value of the field
Cmd+V
Copy the entire vector or color of the field
Cmd+Opt+C
Paste the entire vector or color of the field
Cmd+Opt+V
Open the context menu
Right-click
Reset the value to its default
Del
Invert the value’s sign (multiply by -1.0)
-
Change the value in incremental stepsFor fields with a pop-up list of values, this cycles the value.
Cmd+Scroll
Activates menus and toggles checkboxes
Return
Apply the change to every selected item while editing a valueWorks on objects, bones and sequence strips, in number fields and toggles.
Opt

Dragging

Snap to coarse increments, making it easier to (say) rotate an object by exactly 90°
Cmd
Make the value change more slowly in response to mouse movement, giving you more precision
Shift
Snap to fine increments
Cmd+Shift

General

Open file
Cmd+O
Save file
Cmd+S
New file
Cmd+N
Undo
Cmd+Z
Redo
Cmd+Shift+Z
Quit
Cmd+Q
Help (context sensitive)
F1
Rename active item
F2
Menu Search
F3
File context menu
F4
Reserved for user actions
<F5-F8>
Adjust Last Operation
F9
Reserved for user actions
F10
Show render window
F11
Render the current frame
F12
Quick access (favorites)
Q
Toggle Maximize Area
Cmd+Space
Next/previous Workspace
Cmd+Pg UpPg Dn
User configurable; see Spacebar Action
Space
Playback animation (reverse)
Cmd+Shift+Space
Preferences
Cmd+,

Common Editing Keys

Delete the selected item with a confirmation dialog
X
Delete the selected item without a confirmation dialog
Fwd Del

Common Editor Keys

Select all
A
Select none
Opt+A
or
A,A
Invert selection
Cmd+I
Hide selected items
H
Hide unselected items
Shift+H
Reveal hidden items
Opt+H
Toggle Toolbar
T
Toggle Sidebar
N

3D Viewport Keys

Orbit View
Middle-click
Pan View
Shift+Middle-click
Zoom View
Cmd+Middle-click
Toggle Edit mode
Tab
Toggle Pose mode for armatures, or show a mode switching pie menu for others
Cmd+Tab
Switch between editing vertices (1), edges (2) or faces (3)Shift toggles one mode without disabling the others; Ctrl alters how the selection carries over to the new mode.
<1-3>
in Edit Mode
Show 3D Viewport navigation pie menu
`
Toggle gizmos
Cmd+`
Start Fly/Walk Navigation
Shift+`

Animation

Insert a keyframe
I
Clear the keyframe
Opt+I
Clear all keyframes
Opt+Shift+I
Assign a driver
Cmd+D
Clear the driver
Cmd+Opt+D
Add the property to the current keying set
K
Remove the property from the current keying set
Opt+K

Python Scripting

Copy an operator button's Python command to the clipboardPaste it into the Python Console or the Text Editor when writing scripts.
Cmd+C
while hovering over an operator button
Copy a field's relative data path to the clipboardUseful when writing drivers or scripts. Also available from the context menu.
Cmd+Shift+C
while hovering over a field
When pressed while hovering over a field, copies its full data path
Cmd+Opt+Shift+C

Intro

Blender on Mac uses the same shortcut system as on Windows for most operations. The most important Mac-specific issue has nothing to do with Command vs. Ctrl: it's the numpad.

Blender relies heavily on numpad keys for viewport navigation, front view, side view, top view, perspective/orthographic toggle, and camera view are all one-key numpad presses. Most MacBook keyboards don't have a numpad. Blender provides a solution, but it requires a setting change.

The numpad issue on Mac

If you have a MacBook without a numpad, enable Blender's "Emulate Numpad" setting:

  1. Open Blender's Preferences (Cmd+Comma, or Edit menu → Preferences)
  2. Go to Input → Keyboard
  3. Enable "Emulate Numpad"

This maps the top number row (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0) to numpad functions. Numpad 1 (front view) becomes the regular 1 key, and so on.

Note: enabling Emulate Numpad means the top number row no longer selects vertex/edge/face modes in Edit mode (which normally uses 1, 2, 3). Those operations then need to be accessed another way. This is a trade-off, most Mac users choose Emulate Numpad and use the Alt+click method for select mode switching.

If you have an external keyboard with a numpad, leave Emulate Numpad off.

Mac-specific shortcut notes

G, R, S, the core. Grab, rotate, scale. These work identically to Windows. Axis constraints (X, Y, Z after G/R/S) work the same. Exact values by typing a number after the axis work the same.

Tab. Toggle between Object mode and Edit mode. Universal on Mac and Windows.

Viewport navigation with Emulate Numpad enabled:

  • 1: Front view
  • 3: Right side view
  • 7: Top view
  • 5: Toggle perspective/orthographic
  • 0: Camera view
  • . (period): Focus on selection

Add menu. Shift+A opens the add menu to insert new objects, meshes, lights, cameras, and other elements.

Command modifier. Blender uses Command (⌘) on Mac for a few modifier-based shortcuts where Ctrl is used on Windows. The table above covers these differences.

Printable PDF

The Blender macOS shortcut list is available as a printable PDF. The modal system, numpad emulation reference, and Edit mode mesh operations are the three most useful sections to print.

FAQ

Need more than shortcuts?
Visit the Blender app page for an overview and helpful links.

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