Keyboard shortcuts make everyday ChatGPT tasks faster on your Mac. This guide covers the current ChatGPT desktop app, which includes Chat, Work, and Codex. It lists default shortcuts for starting chats, finding answers, navigating the app, and writing prompts. The earlier macOS app is now called ChatGPT Classic and may have different shortcuts.
What are the most useful ChatGPT keyboard shortcuts on Mac? Start with these everyday actions. You can find more commands in the full desktop shortcut list.
Cmd means the Command key (⌘), Option means ⌥, and Shift means ⇧. Press the keys in a combination together.
Action in the Mac app
Shortcut
Why it helps
Start a new chat
Cmd + N or Cmd + Shift + O
Begin a separate topic without leaving the keyboard.
Start a temporary chat
Cmd + Shift + N
Ask a question that stays out of history unless you save it.
Send a message
Return by default
Send your prompt when it is ready.
Add a line to a prompt
Shift + Return
Write a longer request without sending it yet.
Archive a chat
Cmd + Shift + A
Remove a chat from the main list without deleting it.
Pin or unpin a chat
Cmd + Option + P
Keep an important chat easy to reach.
Rename a chat
Cmd + Option + R
Give a conversation a title you can find later.
Search chats or run a command
Cmd + K
Open a panel with recent chats, chat search, and quick actions.
Find text in the open chat
Cmd + F
Look within the conversation you are reading.
Show or hide the sidebar
Cmd + B
Make room for a long reply, then bring your chat list back.
Open the model and effort picker
Control + Shift + M
Choose a model or change its effort level.
Open the shortcut list
Cmd + /
Check the keys assigned in your version of the app.
Open Settings
Cmd + ,
Manage app preferences, including keyboard shortcuts.
Browse recently viewed chats
Control + Tab / Control + Shift + Tab
Move through the recent chats in either direction.
Go back or forward
Cmd + [ / Cmd + ]
Return to the view you just left or retrace your steps.
Show the floating controls
Option + Space
Ask ChatGPT without leaving the app you’re working in.
Chat & Conversation Management Shortcuts
Cmd + N or Cmd + Shift + O: start a new chat. Both combinations open a fresh conversation. Use one when your next question belongs to a different task. For example, keep a client email in one chat and a spreadsheet question in another. Separate chats are easier to find later because each has a clear subject. Keep follow-up questions in the same chat when they need the context above them.
Cmd + Shift + N: start a temporary chat. Use it for a quick question you do not expect to revisit. A temporary chat stays out of your regular history unless you save it. OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety. Use a regular chat for work you will need later and a temporary one when you only need the answer now.
Cmd + Shift + A: archive a chat. Archive a conversation you want to keep but no longer need in the main chat list.
Cmd + Shift + U: mark a chat as unread. Use it when you have opened a conversation but need to come back to it. For example, you might find a reply containing several suggestions, read the first one, and mark the chat unread before switching to another task. When you return, the unread indicator reminds you that the conversation needs another look. Archive is for clearing finished chats; unread is for work you still plan to review.
Cmd + Option + P: pin or unpin a chat. Pin a conversation you return to often, then unpin it when it is no longer a priority.
Cmd + Option + R: rename a chat. Give a conversation a clear title so it is easier to find later.
Cmd + K: open the command menu. Use it to find actions or return to a recent chat. You can also open the menu with Cmd + Shift + P. For a dedicated search across older conversations, assign Search chats its own shortcut in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts. You do not have to remember a full chat title. Search for a distinctive word from the task, then use the arrow keys to move through the results and Return to open the chat you want. The recent chats shown before you type are useful when you need to pick up work from earlier in the day. This is often quicker than opening the sidebar and scanning titles one by one. Search chats has no default keyboard shortcut. Assign one in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts if you often search past conversations. Cmd + K opens the command menu, while Cmd + F searches within the chat already open.
Cmd + F: search inside the current chat. Use Search chats to find a conversation across your history; once it is open, Cmd + F locates a word or phrase within it. This distinction matters when a project has many similar conversations.
When a search finds several matches, Cmd + G moves to the next one and Cmd + Shift + G moves to the previous one. This helps in a long conversation where a project name or phrase appears more than once. You can step through the matches without scrolling through every message.
Control + Tab and Control + Shift + Tab let you move through recently viewed chats in opposite directions.
Cmd + [ and Cmd + ]: go back and forward. These follow the views you have visited in the app. If you open a chat from search and then want to return to the view you were on, press Cmd + [. Press Cmd + ] to go forward again. This is different from Control + Tab, which opens a switcher for recently viewed chats. Back and forward are useful when you are checking a detail in one conversation and want to return to the exact place you left.
More Keyboard Actions with Slash Commands
Typing / in the chat composer opens a list of available actions. Keep typing to filter the list, then select an action with Return. The commands shown depend on the current mode, environment, and access.
Interface & Navigation Shortcuts
Cmd + B: show or hide the sidebar. A wide answer, table, or piece of code can be easier to read with the sidebar hidden. Press Cmd + B once to give the conversation more room and again when you need your chat list.
Control + Shift + M: open the model picker when available. To switch among Chat, Work, and Codex in their displayed order, use Control + 1, Control + 2, or Control + 3.
Cmd + /: see the full shortcut list. This is a useful key to learn early because it lets you check other shortcuts by action name.
Write and Send Prompts from the Keyboard
Return: send your message by default. Shift + Return: start a new line. When you are writing a longer request, put the background, question, and desired result on separate lines. Press Shift + Return between them, then Return when you are ready to send. For example, a prompt about a document can name the document on the first line, ask for a summary on the second, and say what to check on the third. You can read the whole request before sending it instead of accidentally submitting the first line.
If you regularly write multi-line prompts, the app’s General settings let you require Cmd + Return to send. With that option enabled, Return can add another line while Cmd + Return submits the message. Choose the behavior that matches how you write, then check it with a draft before using it on a long prompt. You can open General settings with Cmd + ,.
Up Arrow: restore the previous prompt when the message box is empty. This is useful when you want to ask a similar question with one detail changed. Bring the earlier prompt back, edit the part that needs changing, and review it before sending. The empty message box matters: when text is already present, Up Arrow moves the cursor through that text instead.
Copying & Editing Shortcuts
Cmd + C, Cmd + V, and Cmd + X: copy, paste, and cut. These standard Mac editing shortcuts work with selected text in ChatGPT. Select part of a response and press Cmd + C to copy it, or use the Copy button below the response to copy the whole answer. Place the cursor in the message box before pasting with Cmd + V. Use Cmd + X to cut text while editing a prompt.
Cmd + Z: undo the last app action. Cmd + Shift + Z: redo it. Use Cmd + Z to reverse a change, such as deleting text while drafting a prompt. Cmd + Shift + Z restores the change you just undid.
For longer prompts, use the Mac’s text navigation keys before you copy or rewrite a passage. Option + Left/Right Arrow moves the cursor by word. Cmd + Left/Right Arrow moves to the start or end of the current line. These keys are useful when you need to fix one phrase in a prompt without reaching for the mouse or selecting the whole draft. They work in the text field you are editing, so click the message box first.
The fastest copy workflow is also a careful one. Copy only the part of a reply you plan to use, paste it into your document, and read it in context. Check names, numbers, and links before sharing. A shortcut moves words quickly; it does not check whether those words are right for your work.
Quick Access and Settings Shortcuts
Option + Space: learn this one first for quick access from another app. With ChatGPT running, this global shortcut shows floating Quick Chat controls with your selected pet, if any. The pet shows chat activity. To show only the chat controls, select None in Settings > Mini & Pets. You can ask a question while a document, mail draft, or coding window stays on screen. A chat started this way sits outside a project. Open the project in the main app when you need its context.
That makes it useful for a small question in the middle of another task. For example, while writing an email, call up Quick Chat to ask for a clearer subject line, then return to the draft in front of you. For work that needs a series of follow-up questions, open the main ChatGPT window and keep the conversation together. Quick access saves the most time when it lets you finish the task already on your screen.
Cmd + ,: open Settings. Use it to manage keyboard shortcuts, appearance, notifications, and other app preferences.
When a Shortcut Does Nothing
Press Cmd + / and search for the action you expected. That shows the keys assigned in your copy of the app. You can also open Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts and switch its search field to keystroke mode. Press the combination to see which app command uses it, then change or reset a binding there if needed. This is especially useful after an app update or if you changed a shortcut months ago.
For Option + Space, test from a different Mac app because it is a global shortcut. If ChatGPT does not appear, confirm it is running and check the floating controls setting. Gemini for Mac uses the same default, and Claude Desktop can use it too. If another app opens instead, change one of their combinations under Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts and test again. This identifies a conflict without guessing which shortcut list is right.
Bonus: Keyboard Shortcuts for Other macOS AI Apps
Other Mac AI apps have their own quick-entry keys. Keep these separate from ChatGPT’s keys so that pressing a global shortcut opens the tool you meant to use.
Claude Desktop: Double-tap Option to open quick entry from another app when it is enabled. You can also choose Option + Space or a custom shortcut.
Gemini for Mac:Option + Space opens its chat window while the app is running. You can change the key in Gemini’s settings.
If you often switch between AI models, the Vinaa app lets you chat with cloud and local models and keep your conversations in one place. Built for everyday AI conversations rather than coding tasks, it is designed to work well from the keyboard. You can organize chats into projects and nested folders, then search them when you need an old answer. This makes your conversations a useful knowledge base instead of a long list of forgotten chats. Vinaa also works with your ChatGPT subscription and can import your existing ChatGPT chats.
Conclusion
The most useful ChatGPT Mac shortcuts help you start a chat, find an action, navigate the app, and edit text. Begin with Cmd + N, Cmd + K, and Option + Space. Press Cmd + / to see the full shortcut list for your installed version. If you use ChatGPT Classic, check its shortcuts separately.
