Keyboard

Where is the shift key on a Mac? What is it used for?

The shift key is a very useful key on a Mac computer keyboard . It allows you to type uppercase letters, special symbols, or activate keyboard shortcuts.

But where is the shift key on a Mac ? How do you recognize and use it? Here are some answers.

The location of the shift key on a Mac

The shift key is often represented by an upward arrow symbol (⇧) .

On Mac keyboards, as with most keyboards, the Shift key is located in the bottom left corner . The Shift key is generally in the same place on all keyboards, so it should be recognized automatically even with an external keyboard.

The Shift key is also located in the upper left corner of the Mac keyboard, right next to the Caps Lock key. It has a bold upward-pointing arrow. On some Mac keyboards, there is a second Shift key at the far right of the keyboard, which has the same function as the one on the left.

What is the shift key on a Mac?

The shift key is a modifier key that allows you to change the behavior of other keys on the keyboard. It is primarily used to type capital letters, symbols, and special characters .

The functions of the shift key on Mac

The Shift key on a Mac has several functions, depending on the context and the keys it's used with. Now that you know where the Shift key is on a Mac, here are a few examples:

The shift key allows you to enter capital letters, symbols, and special characters that are normally inaccessible on a keyboard. For example, to type an exclamation mark, you must press shift and the 1 key at the same time.
The Shift key can also be used to change program and application settings . For example, to start your Mac in safe mode, you need to hold down the Shift key during startup.
The Shift key is used in many key combinations that serve as keyboard shortcuts . For example, to copy a selected item, press Command + C. To paste the copied item, press Command + V. To undo the last action, press Command + Z.

How do I use the shift key on a Mac?

To use the shift key on a Mac, you need to press and hold the shift key and another key at the same time . For example, to type an exclamation mark, you need to press shift and the 1 key simultaneously.

The advantages of the shift key on Mac

The Shift key on a Mac offers many advantages for users. It allows you to:

Save time and increase efficiency by avoiding the use of the mouse or trackpad for certain actions.
Access advanced and customized features as needed.
Make text entry easier and avoid spelling or typing errors.

The Shift key: why is it important?

The shift key is an important key because it allows you to follow the rules of typography and punctuation. For example, you must use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence, after a period, or for a proper noun. You must also use special symbols such as quotation marks (“”) , apostrophes ('), or dashes (–) .

The Shift key is also an important key because it provides access to advanced and practical Mac functions. For example, it allows you to take screenshots, search for text in a document or on the web, or adjust the screen volume or brightness.

The Shift key on Mac: how to improve it?

The Shift key is already very useful, but there are ways to make it even more efficient. Here are some tips and tricks to optimize your use of the Shift key on a Mac:

You can customize keyboard shortcuts that use the Shift key in System Preferences . To do this, click the Apple (), then System Preferences , then Keyboard , then Shortcuts . You'll see a list of shortcut categories, such as Screenshot , Services , or Keyboard Functions . You can change the key combinations by clicking on them and pressing the keys you want.

This video might be helpful to you:

You can enable the Slow Keys , which allows you to press and release the Shift key before pressing another key. This can be helpful if you have trouble holding down the Shift key. To enable this feature, click the Apple (), then System Preferences , then Accessibility , then Keyboard , then Hardware Options . Select the Enable Slow Keys , and then adjust the delay to your preference.
You can use software like Karabiner-Elements , which allows you to modify the behavior of the shift key and other keyboard keys. For example, you can make the right shift key act as an Enter key, or the left shift key act as a Command . You can also create macros that perform complex actions with a single press of the shift key.

FAQs

What is the difference between the shift key and the caps lock key?

The Caps Lock key is located in the upper left corner of the Mac keyboard, next to the Shift key. It has a symbol representing an upward-pointing arrow with a padlock. The difference between the two keys is that:

The shift key allows you to enter only one capital letter or symbol at a time by holding the key down¹.
The Caps Lock key allows you to enter multiple capital letters or symbols in succession, by pressing the key once to activate or deactivate it.

What is the difference between the shift key and the option (or alt) key?

The Option (or Alt) key is located in the bottom left corner of the Mac keyboard, right next to the Shift key. It has a symbol representing an option or alternative. The difference between the two keys is that:

The shift key allows you to enter symbols and special characters that are normally inaccessible on a keyboard.
The option key allows you to enter symbols and special characters that are specific to the Mac keyboard or to certain languages.

What is the difference between the shift key and the command (or cmd) key?

The Command (or cmd) key is located in the bottom left corner of the Mac keyboard, right next to the Option key. It has a symbol representing a command or an apple. The difference between the two keys is that:

The shift key allows you to change the behavior of the keyboard keys.
The command key allows you to perform specific actions in programs and applications.

What is the difference between the shift key and the control (or ctrl) key?

The Control (or Ctrl) key is located in the bottom left corner of the Mac keyboard, right next to the Command key. It has a symbol representing a control or a loop. The difference between the two keys is that:

The shift key allows you to change the behavior of the keyboard keys on a Mac.
The control key allows access to context menus or secondary functions.

What is the difference between the shift key and the function (or fn) key?

The function (or fn) key is located in the bottom left corner of the Mac keyboard, right next to the control key. It has a symbol representing a function or a globe. The difference between the two keys is that:

The shift key allows you to change the behavior of the keyboard keys.
The function key allows you to change the role of the keys in the top row of the keyboard, which control built-in Mac features or serve as standard function keys.

How do I use the shift key with keyboard shortcuts on a Mac?

Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that allow you to perform specific actions in programs and applications. They are often indicated by symbols in menus. For example, the symbol ⌘ represents the Command key, and the symbol ⌥ represents the Option key.

The Shift key is used in many keyboard shortcuts to modify or reverse actions . For example, to copy a selected item, press Command and C. To paste the copied item, press Command and V. To undo the last action, press Command and Z. To redo the undone action, press Shift, Command, and Z.

How do I use the shift key with special characters on a Mac?

Special characters are signs or symbols that are not part of the Latin alphabet, such as accents, cedillas, umlauts, or ligatures. They are often used in certain languages or fields.

The shift key allows you to enter certain special characters that are normally inaccessible on a keyboard. For example, to type an inverted question mark (¿), you must press shift and option and / at the same time.

The option key also allows you to enter other special characters that are specific to the Mac keyboard or certain languages. For example, to type an e inside an o (œ), you must press option and q at the same time.

How do I use the shift key to type accented characters on a Mac?

The Shift key allows you to type accented characters on a Mac computer keyboard. There are two ways to do this:

The first method involves using dead keys , which are keys that don't produce a character on the screen but modify the next character. For example, to type a capital E on a Mac , press Option + E, release both keys, and then press E. To type an È , press Option + E, release both keys, and then press Shift + E. The main dead keys are:

Option + E : to enter acute accents (é, É)

Option + I : to enter circumflex accents (ê, Ê)

Option + N : to enter tildes (ñ, Ñ)

Option + U : to enter umlauts (ë, Ë)

The second method involves using the Keyboard Viewer, which is a window that displays your Mac's virtual keyboard. To activate the Keyboard Viewer, click the Apple menu () , then System Preferences , then Keyboard , and then check the box next to Show Keyboard and Emoji Viewers in the menu bar.

Next, click the Keyboard Viewer icon in the menu bar and choose Show Keyboard Viewer. You will then see your Mac on the screen. To type an accented character, simply press the Option or Shift , or both at the same time, and see which characters appear on the virtual keyboard.

For example, if you press the Option key, you'll see that the C key becomes ç and the A key becomes å . If you press Shift + Option , you'll see that the C key becomes Ç and the A key becomes Å . Then simply click on the character you want to type or press the corresponding key on your physical keyboard.

How do I use the shift key to enter mathematical symbols on a Mac?

The Shift key allows you to enter mathematical symbols on a Mac computer keyboard. There are two ways to do this:

The first method involves using the punctuation keys, which produce symbols such as periods, commas, parentheses, and plus or minus signs. Pressing the shift key and a punctuation key will produce a different mathematical symbol. For example, pressing the shift key and the 8 key will produce the multiplication symbol (×) .

If you press the Shift key and the 6 key, you will get the exponent symbol (^) . This method also allows you to create square brackets on a Mac by pressing Alt + Shift + " 5 " and Alt + Shift + " ) " (the key to the right of zero), which produce [ and ] respectively. The main punctuation keys that produce mathematical symbols are:

Shift + 5: percentage (%)

Shift + 6: power (^)

Shift + 7: ampersand (&)

Shift + 8: multiplication (×)

Shift + 9: opening parenthesis (()

Shift + 0: closing parenthesis ())

Shift + – : underscore (_)

Shift + = : greater than or equal to (≥)

Shift + / : division (÷)

How do I use the shift key to enter mathematical symbols on a Mac? — Photo credit: Audrey Couleau – Apple With Audrey

Next, click the keyboard viewer icon in the menu bar and choose Show Keyboard Viewer .

You will then see your Mac's virtual keyboard on the screen. To enter a mathematical symbol, simply press the Option or Shift , or both at the same time, and see which symbols appear on the virtual keyboard.

For example, if you press the Option key, you'll see that the M key becomes µ and the P key becomes π . If you press Shift + Option, you'll see that the M key becomes √ and the P becomes ∏ . Then simply click on the symbol you want to enter or press the corresponding key on your physical keyboard.

How do I use the shift key to navigate within a text on a Mac?

The Shift key allows you to navigate text on a Mac keyboard. Specifically, it allows you to select text by combining the Shift key with the arrow keys or the cursor movement keys. For example, if you press the Shift key and the right arrow key , you will select the character to the right of the cursor.

Pressing the Shift key and the left arrow key will select the character to the left of the cursor. Pressing the Shift key and the up arrow key will select the text above the cursor. Pressing the Shift key and the down arrow key will select the text below the cursor.

The main cursor movement keys that can be combined with the shift key are:

Shift + Command + Right Arrow : to select all text to the right of the cursor up to the end of the line
Shift + Command + Left Arrow : to select all text to the left of the cursor up to the beginning of the line
Shift + Command + Up Arrow : to select all text above the cursor up to the beginning of the document
Shift + Command + Down Arrow : to select all text below the cursor to the end of the document
Shift + Option + Right Arrow : to select the word to the right of the cursor
Shift + Option + Left Arrow : to select the word to the left of the cursor
Shift + Option + Up Arrow : to select the paragraph above the cursor
Shift + Option + Down Arrow : to select the paragraph below the cursor

How do I use the shift key to change the volume or screen brightness on a Mac?

The Shift key on a Mac keyboard allows you to adjust the volume or screen brightness. It allows you to change these settings in small increments, offering greater precision and control. For example, pressing F12 increases the computer's volume by one notch. Pressing Shift + F12 increases the volume by a quarter notch. Pressing F11 decreases the volume by one notch. Pressing Shift + F11 decreases the volume by a quarter notch.

The main buttons that allow you to change the volume or screen brightness are:

F10 : to mute or unmute the sound
F11 : to decrease the volume
F12 : to increase the volume
F1 : to decrease screen brightness
F2 : to increase screen brightness

How do I use the shift key to search for text in a document or on the web on a Mac?

The Shift key allows you to search for text in a document or on the web on a Mac computer keyboard. It also allows you to search for text in reverse, that is, from the end of the document or web page to the beginning.

For example, pressing Command + F will open a search window where you can enter the text you want to find. Pressing Command + G will move to the next occurrence of the searched text. Pressing Shift + Command + G will move to the previous occurrence of the searched text.

The main keys that allow you to search for text in a document or on the web are:

Command + F : to open the search window

Command + G : to move to the next occurrence of the searched text
Shift + Command + G : to jump to the previous occurrence of the searched text

How do I use the shift key to take screenshots on a Mac?

The Shift key allows you to take screenshots on a Mac keyboard. It also allows you to modify screenshot options depending on the keys it's used with. For example, pressing Command + Shift + 3 will capture the entire screen. Pressing Command + Shift + 4 will capture a selected area. Pressing Command + Shift + 4 , then the spacebar, will capture a specific window.

The main keys that allow you to take screenshots are:

Command + Shift + 3 : to take a screenshot of the entire screen
Command + Shift + 4 : to take a screenshot of a selected area
Command + Shift + 4, then spacebar : to take a screenshot of a specific window

How to use the shift key to write mathematical formulas in LaTeX on a Mac?

The Shift key allows you to write mathematical formulas in LaTeX on a Mac computer keyboard. LaTeX is a language that allows you to create documents with advanced formatting, particularly for mathematical expressions. To write mathematical formulas in LaTeX , you must use special symbols that begin with a backslash (). For example, to write the formula for the area of a circle, you would write:

A=πr2

The Shift key provides access to certain symbols necessary for writing mathematical formulas in LaTeX . For example, to write a backslash (), press Shift + Option + 7. To write a superscript (^) , press Shift + 6. To write an opening brace ({) , press Shift + Option + 8. To write a closing brace (}) , press Shift + Option + 9.

The main keys that allow you to write mathematical symbols in LaTeX are:

Shift + Option + 7: backslash ()
Shift + 6: exponent (^)
Shift + Option + 8: opening curly brace ({)
Shift + Option + 9: closing brace (})
Shift + Option + L: lambda (λ)
Shift + Option + P: pi (π)
Shift + Option + X: multiplication (×)

It is usually located in the lower left corner and the upper right corner of the keyboard, and it is represented by an upward arrow symbol (⇧).

You need to know where it is and how to use it, but also how to improve it through custom settings, accessibility features, or dedicated software. With these tips, you'll master the Shift key on your Mac!

In conclusion, the shift key is an essential key on a Mac computer keyboard . It allows you to type uppercase letters, special symbols, or activate keyboard shortcuts.