What does the ⌘ symbol mean?

⌘ is the Command key on Apple keyboards. It is the primary modifier for shortcuts on macOS, roughly where Windows uses Ctrl.

What is the difference between ⌫ and ⌦?

⌫ is Delete (Backspace) which removes the character before the cursor; ⌦ is Forward Delete which removes the character after the cursor.

Is anything uploaded?

No — this is a static reference table that runs entirely in your browser with no network calls.

What does the ⌥ symbol mean?

⌥ is the Option key on a Mac, labelled "alt" on many keyboards. It is used as a modifier in shortcuts and to type special characters. On Windows the equivalent modifier is the Alt key.

What does ⇧ stand for?

⇧ is the Shift key on both macOS and Windows. In shortcut notation it means hold Shift together with the other keys shown, for example ⌘ ⇧ V means Command + Shift + V.

What is the ↩ symbol?

↩ represents the Return key on a Mac, which is the Enter key on Windows. The separate ⌅ symbol denotes the Enter key on the numeric keypad.

What is the Keyboard Symbols Reference?

Free reference for keyboard modifier and key symbols — what ⌘, ⌥, ⌃, ⇧, ⌫ and the rest mean, with macOS and Windows equivalents. Searchable, runs entirely in your browser. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Keyboard Symbols Reference

Name: Keyboard Symbols Reference
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Keyboard symbols, decoded

App menus and documentation use compact symbols like ⌘ (Command), ⌥ (Option/Alt), ⌃ (Control) and ⇧ (Shift) instead of spelling the keys out. This searchable table maps every common keyboard symbol to its key name and its macOS and Windows equivalents, so you can translate any shortcut you see in a menu.

How it works

Each row pairs a symbol with its key name and shows what it corresponds to on macOS and on Windows. Modifier keys (⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧), editing keys (⌫ ⌦ ⎋ ⇥), navigation keys (the arrows, ⇞ ⇟ ↖ ↘) and special keys (fn, ⏏, ⊞) are all covered. Type a symbol, a key name or a platform into the search box to filter the table instantly.

The modifier key symbols

Symbol	Key name	macOS label	Windows equivalent
⌘	Command	Command / cmd	(like Ctrl for most shortcuts)
⌥	Option / Alt	Option (also labelled Alt)	Alt
⌃	Control	Control / ctrl	Ctrl
⇧	Shift	Shift	Shift
fn	Function	fn (bottom-left on laptop)	Fn

Editing and cursor keys

Symbol	Key name	What it does
⌫	Delete (Backspace)	Removes character before cursor
⌦	Forward Delete	Removes character after cursor
⎋	Escape	Cancels, closes dialogs
⇥	Tab	Moves focus forward; indents
↩	Return	Confirms or starts a new line
⌅	Enter (numpad)	Numeric keypad Enter key

Symbol	Key name	Common use
⇞	Page Up	Scrolls one page up
⇟	Page Down	Scrolls one page down
↖	Home	Moves to start of line or document
↘	End	Moves to end of line or document
⏏	Eject	Optical drive eject (legacy Apple)

Reading shortcut notation

Shortcuts are written in a chain: ⌘ ⇧ Z means hold Command and Shift, then press Z — this is Redo on macOS. ⌃ ⌥ Del means hold Control and Option and press Forward Delete. When you see a symbol you do not recognise, search for it here and the key name and context will appear immediately. Nothing you type is uploaded; this is a static reference that runs entirely in your browser.