Imagine effortlessly accessing currency symbols and esoteric characters on your Mac, unlocking a universe of functionality through intuitive keyboard shortcuts. As Windows navigates with features like the Alt and Control keys, the keyboards for Mac also employ the Command and Option keys as its spin on accessibility. With mere key presses, users master complex tasks, transforming the keyboard into a magic wand for productivity.
If you are a new Mac OS user or even a seasoned one, this article will help you improve your work efficiency and unlock methods to access different menus/app features hidden in plain sight.
The option key is one of the modifier keys on the keyboards for Mac, placed in the bottom left corner, between the command and Control keys. In many keyboard models, it is present on both the left and the right side of the space bar. A special symbol is also drawn on the option key, distinguishing it from the other modifier keys. The Option key is similar to the Alt key on a Windows keyboard.
There are many shortcuts for writing special characters using the option key. Holding the option key while pressing the G key will generate the Copyright © symbol using keyboards for Mac. Another symbol that users can enter quickly through the option key the “Trademark symbol ™.” It is created by holding the option key and pressing the H key.
The currency symbols like € and £ can be easily written through shortcuts using the option key, but the shortcut differs and depends on the product market location. Your keyboard can have the US or UK standards.
€ Symbol
● UK: Hold the option key and press 2
● US: Hold the option and Shift key, then press 2
£ Symbol
● UK: Hold the shift key and press 3
● US: Hold the option key, then press 3
Many hidden options in different Menus become visible when you press the Option key.
For example, when you click the Apple menu from the menu bar while holding the option key, the “About this Mac” option changes to System Information. When you select these from the Apple menu while pressing the option key, the sleep, restart, and shutdown options directly execute without a prompt.
If you want to search for documents through the Finder App, you can refine your search by pressing the Option key on the keyboards for Mac. Several criteria become visible that let you search for your desired document. You can search for doc opened within a selected number of days or for documents containing specific content that you can enter in your search.
You can use a few handy shortcuts through the Option key on the keyboards for Mac. You can access the sound settings directly from your keyboard by holding the option key and pressing the increase volume button. Similarly, users can open the display settings by pressing the keyboard's option key and the increase brightness button.
In the photos app, you can rotate a photo. You can turn the photo clockwise by holding the option key and pressing the rotate button. If you are editing any photo and want to increase or decrease the saturation, then having the option key increases the range of the saturation slider. Similarly, holding the option key increases the range of the Vibrance and Cast sliders, allowing you greater freedom in editing photos.
When you want to listen to some music in your free time, you can hold the option key and press the music icon on the Dock. It opens a pop-up menu to select between different playlists on your computer.
During the sound editing of a video in the I-Movie app, holding the option key on the keyboards for Mac and clicking allows you to create multiple points in the video. You can increase or decrease the volume at these points in the video, enabling you to create a mood or add suspense.
Pressing the delete key while holding the option lets you delete word by word instead of a single letter. Similarly, having the option key and pressing the right arrow key allows the cursor to jump word by word instead of letter by letter. Another helpful shortcut is just to copy a font style, select the text that has a style you want to copy, and press the option, command, and C key. Then select the text where you want to copy this style and press the option, command, and V key. So that the text style will change to the chosen style.
Specification
Layout: Apple Layout
Key Switch: Scissor Switch Key
Power: 500mA Rechargeable
Working Time: 400hrs
Key Features
● 3 Multi-device Connectivity
● 2.4GHz Low Interference Design
● 400hr Working Time on 3hr Charge
● 0.16” Thickness Keyboard Design
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The option key allows you to do various tasks quickly and efficiently by using keyboard shortcuts and accessing different options in multiple menus. Mastering the Option key on keyboards for Mac will help you execute complex tasks directly through your keyboard and save you much time.
From intricate photo edits to lightning-fast video cuts, a universe of efficiency awaits in keyboard shortcuts. Improve your workflow, whether you're a photo editor wielding swift keystrokes to adjust filters, a video producer commanding timelines with precision, or an accountant shaving seconds off routine tasks.