The PC-keyboard equivalent of Alt on a Mac is called the Option key, and you’ll find the Option Key on your Mac if you go two keys to the left of the spacebar. However, the option key on a Mac keyboard is used in a different way than the alt key on a Windows PC. The Option key on a Mac, otherwise known as the Alternate key, is usually labelled with the letters Alt and the symbol below, especially on Apple Mac keyboards. It generally sits next to the Ctrl.
Alt key on Mac is indeed exist. And it’s called Option key.
Windows vs Mac—there are so many differences. A lot of our customers have used a PC before and then decide they want to switch to Mac for better performance, nicer design, or for better security. However, they were afraid they would have a hard time getting used to the macOS keyboard. We hear questions like, “How can I close a Window? The Mac keyboard doesn’t have the Alt + F4 shortcut.” We always give them two answers:
1. With Parallels Desktop for Mac you have the choice to use the same keyboard shortcuts you had on your PC.
2. If you want to use the Mac keyboard you will experience that the alt key is very different, as we explain in this blog post.
Where is the Alt key on a Mac keyboard?
The PC-keyboard equivalent of Alt on a Mac is called the Option key, and you’ll find the Option Key on your Mac if you go two keys to the left of the spacebar. However, the option key on a Mac keyboard is used in a different way than the alt key on a Windows PC. In terms of functionality, the alt key in Windows is often more comparable with the Command key than with the Option key on a Mac. You might be also familiar with the Ctrl and Alt keys from your PC. On your Mac keyboard, you have Command (⌘ cmd), Control (ctrl), and Option (⌥ alt) keys.
How do Windows shortcuts change on a Mac?
Check out some equivalents of popular Windows alt shortcuts on a Mac, which might be especially helpful for those users who are new to Mac:
| Windows | Mac | |
| Closing a window | Alt-F4 | Command-W |
| Restarting | Control-Alt-Delete | Control-Command-Eject |
| Shutting down | Control-Alt-Delete | Control-Option-Command-Eject |
| Logging out | Control-Alt-Delete | Shift-Command-Q |
| Switch between open apps | Alt + Tab | Command-tab |
| Go back | Alt + Left arrow | Command + Left arrow |
| Go forward | Alt + Right arrow | Command + Right arrow |
| Move up one screen | Alt + Page Up | Command + Page Up |
| Move down one screen | Alt + Page Down | Command + Page Down |
When running Windows on a Mac with Parallels Desktop, is it possible to use Windows shortcuts on a Mac?
If you run Windows on your Mac with Parallels Desktop for Mac, you can configure your keyboard shortcuts the way you want to work, with either macOS or Windows shortcuts. Click here for more information on how to set the different shortcuts.
You can find even more useful Mac shortcuts in the infographic here.
Missing your Start Menu and familiar Windows look and feel? You can use Parallels Desktop and have Windows 10 along with your favorite Windows apps on your new Mac.
Apple's Mac keyboards actually do have a Control (Ctrl) key, but the Control key doesn't function like the Control key on Windows. Keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C to copy text won't work.
The Command Key functions of Mac
The Command key doesn't do anything on its own. It's a modifier key you can press to issue keyboard shortcuts to applications.
For example, while you press Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, and Ctrl+V to copy, cut, and paste on Windows, you press Command+C, Command+X, and Command+V to do the same on a Mac.
This key has the ⌘ symbol on it. This symbol appears throughout the Mac's menus to indicate when you can press the Command key along with another key to issue a keyboard shortcut. The Command key originally had an Apple logo on it, but Steve Jobs thought displaying the Apple logo throughout the original Macintosh's menu would be overusing the logo.
A designer chose the ⌘ symbol to replace it. It’s an old symbol used in Nordic countries to indicate places of interest — in Sweden, it's the official sign for a tourist attraction.
In summary, on a Mac, you'll probably be pressing the Command key to issue keyboard shortcuts. The Control (Ctrl) key is also present, but it isn't used for many things.
The Option Key functions of Mac
The Option key functions similarly to the AltGr key on many PC keyboards, which explains why it also has 'Alt' printed on it. Holding it and pressing another key allows you to type a special character that doesn't normally appear on the keyboard.
For example, pressing Option+4 with the US keyboard layout will produce ¢, the cent sign which normally doesn't appear on your keyboard. Like other modifier keys, it's also used as part of some keyboard shortcuts.
Use Windows Keyboard On Mac
This key has the ⌥ symbol on it. This symbol is used throughout the Mac's menus to indicate when you can press the Option key, the same way the Command key's symbol is. Unlike for the Command key, we don't have any history that indicates why this symbol was chosen.
For example, when you click the Apple menu you'll see the keyboard shortcut assigned to Force Quit. if you're not used to a Mac's keyboard, these symbols may look like hieroglyphics — but they're really saying you should press Option+Command+Escape to open the dialog where you can force-quit applications. It's like the Task Manager on Windows.
Mac Boot Keys
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