Publication preview · Cheat sheet · 6 tips

Select text like a ninja

Six useful Mac moves for selecting and copying text.

Tips in this edition 6

macOS Extend selection by words ⇧⌥← / ⇧⌥→ · Shift–Option–Arrow Place the cursor in editable text. Hold Shift and Option, then press Left Arrow or Right Arrow to extend the selection word by word. App behavior can vary. ▷ Watch Try

macOS Select to a line boundary ⇧⌘← / ⇧⌘→ · Shift–Command–Arrow In supported macOS text editors, hold Shift and Command and press Left or Right Arrow to extend to the beginning or end of the current line. ▷ Watch

macOS Extend a selection to a distant point Shift-click the endpoint In Pages text, establish the selection anchor, hold Shift and click the desired endpoint. This extends the range; it does not copy it. Other apps may differ. ▷ Watch

macOS Select a word or paragraph Double-click / triple-click Double-click a word to select it, or triple-click within a paragraph to select that paragraph. The text must be selectable in the app. ▷ Watch Try

macOS Copy selected text by dragging Option-drag In a supporting Mac app, select text. Hold Option while dragging the selection to a destination, drop it, then release Option. Confirm the copy indicator; app behavior can vary. ▷ Watch

macOS Copy ⌘C Select the text you want to copy. To copy all text in an editable text field, press Command-A first. · Hold Command (⌘), press C, then release both keys to copy the selection. ▷ Watch Try here

The PDF is a printable reference; the EPUB is for reading apps. Compact reference layout · no cover page.