What the Command (⌘) key does on a Mac

Why it happens

Macs put most shortcuts on the Command key, where Windows uses Ctrl. There's no Windows key or Start menu, so Command-Space, which opens Spotlight, is the quickest way to open apps. If you plug a Windows keyboard into a Mac, the Windows logo key works as Command.

How to fix it

1. Find the two Command keys, one on each side of the space bar. They show the ⌘ symbol, and newer keyboards also print the word command.

2. Hold Command and press a letter for everyday jobs: C copies, V pastes, X cuts text, Z undoes, S saves, P prints, F finds and A selects everything.

3. Use Command-Q to quit an app and Command-W to close just the window. Command-Tab switches between open apps.

4. Press Command-Space to open Spotlight, type the first letters of an app's name, then press Return to open it.

Still not fixed?

1. If Command and Option feel swapped on a Windows keyboard, open Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts…, then Modifier Keys. Pick that keyboard at the top and swap the two.

   Keyboard›Keyboard Shortcuts…›Modifier Keys

2. Puzzled by the other symbols in menus? ⌥ is Option, ⌃ is Control and ⇧ is Shift. Hold those keys together, then press the letter shown.

3. If a shortcut does nothing, check the app's menus. Each menu lists its shortcuts on the right, so you can see the right keys for that app.

4. If one Command key does nothing while the other works, the key itself may be faulty. On a MacBook that's hardware, so contact Apple Support or a repair shop.