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GitHub Desktop Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac

Keyboard shortcuts for GitHub Desktop on Mac. Commit and push changes, switch and manage branches, move between repositories, and reach app-wide actions.
Key label style

Application wide shortcuts

Display the Settings window
Cmd+,
Hide the GitHub Desktop application
Cmd+H
Hide all other applications
Cmd+Opt+H
Quit GitHub Desktop
Cmd+Q
Toggle full screen view
Cmd+Ctrl+F
Reset zoom to default text size
Cmd+0
Zoom in for larger text and graphics
Cmd+=
Zoom out for smaller text and graphics
Cmd+-
Decrease active pane width
Cmd+8
Increase active pane width
Cmd+9
Toggle Developer Tools
Cmd+Opt+I
Open context menu of selected component
Shift+F10

Repositories

Add a new repository
Cmd+N
Add a local repository
Cmd+O
Clone a repository from GitHub
Cmd+Shift+O
Show a list of your repositories
Cmd+T
Push the latest commits to GitHub
Cmd+P
Pull down the latest changes from GitHub
Cmd+Shift+P
Remove an existing repository
Cmd+Fwd Del
View the repository on GitHub
Cmd+Shift+G
Open repository in your preferred terminal tool
Ctrl+`
Show the repository in Finder
Cmd+Shift+F
Open the repository in your preferred editor tool
Cmd+Shift+A
Create an issue on GitHub
Cmd+I

Branches

Show all your changes before committing
Cmd+1
Show your commit history
Cmd+2
Show all your branches
Cmd+B
Go to the commit summary field
Cmd+G
Commit changes when summary or description field is active
Cmd+Return
Select or deselect all highlighted files
Space
Create a new branch
Cmd+Shift+N
Rename the current branch
Cmd+Shift+R
Delete the current branch
Cmd+Shift+D
Update from default branch
Cmd+Shift+U
Compare to an existing branch
Cmd+Shift+B
Merge into current branch
Cmd+Shift+M
Stash current changes
Cmd+Shift+S
Show or hide stashed changes
Ctrl+H
Compare branches on GitHub
Cmd+Shift+C
Show the current pull request on GitHub
Cmd+R

Intro

GitHub Desktop on macOS uses Command (⌘) as its primary modifier. The shortcut set follows standard Mac conventions throughout, committing staged changes, switching branches, syncing with remote, and navigating the repository view all use Command combinations.

Mac-specific shortcut notes

Command as primary modifier. All GitHub Desktop shortcuts on Mac use Command in place of Ctrl. The action is the same as on Windows; only the modifier key differs.

Confirming a commit. The shortcut to commit staged changes from the commit message field uses Command+Enter, a pattern consistent with many Mac applications that use Command+Enter as a "confirm" or "submit" action.

Branch and repository switching. Switching between local branches, managing upstream tracking, and switching between repositories all have Command-based shortcuts in the Changes and History views.

Opening in VS Code. If VS Code is configured as the external editor, the shortcut to open the current repository directly in VS Code is available from GitHub Desktop on Mac. This keeps the local workflow keyboard-navigable between the two tools.

Printable PDF

The GitHub Desktop macOS shortcut list is available as a printable PDF. The commit and branch shortcuts are the ones worth learning first, they're the most frequently used actions in a typical development cycle.

FAQ

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

Want to suggest a new app, report a bug, or get help? Email us at info@hkeys.app.

For anything else or just a quick hello, write to us at info@hkeys.app.