Safari keyboard shortcuts

Safari is Apple's fast, battery-friendly default browser for the Mac. It leans heavily on macOS conventions, so its shortcuts feel native: bracket keys for history, Reader with one chord, and tight tab controls that make keyboard-first browsing effortless. This cheat sheet covers 56 default shortcuts.

Tabs & Windows

New tab	`Cmd`+`T`
Close current tab	`Cmd`+`W`
Reopen last closed tab	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`T`
Undo close tab	`Cmd`+`Z`
New window	`Cmd`+`N`
New private window	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`
Close window	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`W`
Next tab	`Ctrl`+`Tab`
Previous tab	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Tab`
Show next tab (alternative)	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`]`
Show previous tab (alternative)	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`[`
Jump to tab 1-9	`Cmd`+`1 to Cmd`+`9`
Show tab overview	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`\`
Minimize window	`Cmd`+`M`
Quit Safari	`Cmd`+`Q`

Navigation

Go back	`Cmd`+`[`
Go back (alternative)	`Cmd`+`Left`
Go forward	`Cmd`+`]`
Go forward (alternative)	`Cmd`+`Right`
Reload page	`Cmd`+`R`
Stop loading	`Cmd`+`.`
Stop loading (alternative)	`Esc`
Open your home page	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`H`
Scroll down one screen	`Space`
Scroll up one screen	`Shift`+`Space`

Address Bar & Search

Focus the address bar (Smart Search field)	`Cmd`+`L`
Find on page	`Cmd`+`F`
Find next match	`Cmd`+`G`
Find previous match	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`G`
Use current selection as find text	`Cmd`+`E`

Reading & Viewing

Toggle Reader	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`R`
Toggle sidebar	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`L`
Zoom in	`Cmd`+`Plus`
Zoom out	`Cmd`+`Minus`
Reset zoom to 100%	`Cmd`+`0`
Toggle full screen	`Cmd`+`Ctrl`+`F`

Bookmarks & Reading List

Bookmark current page	`Cmd`+`D`
Edit bookmarks	`Cmd`+`Option`+`B`
Toggle favorites bar	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`B`
Add page to Reading List	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`D`
Open history	`Cmd`+`Y`

Page Actions & Files

Print page	`Cmd`+`P`
Save page	`Cmd`+`S`
Open a file in Safari	`Cmd`+`O`
Select all page content	`Cmd`+`A`
Email this page	`Cmd`+`I`
Open downloads	`Cmd`+`Option`+`L`
Open Safari settings	`Cmd`+`,`

Links & Mouse Combos

Open link in a new background tab	`Cmd`+`Click`
Open link in a new tab and switch to it	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Click`
Open link in a new window	`Cmd`+`Option`+`Click`
Download link target	`Option`+`Click`

Developer (requires Develop menu)

Show Web Inspector	`Cmd`+`Option`+`I`
Show JavaScript console	`Cmd`+`Option`+`C`
View page source	`Cmd`+`Option`+`U`
Empty caches	`Cmd`+`Option`+`E`

Put your top Safari shortcuts on real keys

The five Safari actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:

Cmd+Shift+R Toggle Reader One tap turns any cluttered article into clean, readable text.

Cmd+Shift+T Reopen last closed tab The universal browser rescue key; everyone closes the wrong tab daily.

Cmd+Option+I Show Web Inspector Developers open the inspector constantly and the three-key chord is a stretch.

Cmd+Shift+D Add page to Reading List Capture articles for later across all your Apple devices with a single key.

Cmd+Shift+\ Show tab overview A bird's-eye view of every open tab, ideal when tab count gets out of hand.

I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.

See the macropads

Safari shortcut FAQs

How do I reopen a closed tab in Safari?

Press Cmd+Shift+T to reopen the last closed tab, or Cmd+Z immediately after closing to undo the close. Both work; Cmd+Z can also restore several recently closed tabs in sequence.

How do I enable Safari's developer shortcuts like Web Inspector?

Enable the Develop menu first: Safari > Settings > Advanced > Show features for web developers. After that, Cmd+Option+I opens Web Inspector and Cmd+Option+C opens the console.

What is the shortcut for private browsing in Safari?

Cmd+Shift+N opens a new private window, the same chord Chrome and Edge use for their private modes.

How do I switch tabs in Safari with the keyboard?

Use Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab, or Cmd+Shift+] and Cmd+Shift+[. You can also jump directly to a tab with Cmd+1 through Cmd+9.

Does Safari have a hard reload shortcut like Chrome?

Not as a single chord. Press Cmd+Option+E to empty caches (requires the Develop menu enabled), then Cmd+R to reload the page fresh.