As a new Mac user, you may be wondering how to select all the text on your screen or a file/folder. This can be a helpful trick when you want to copy and paste file/folder, a large block of text, or when you need to delete everything on the page. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to select all on a Mac using five different methods.
We’ll also talk about why it’s important to know how to do this, and offer some tips for buyers who are looking to purchase a new computer or switch from Windows to MacOS.
How To Deselect All On A Mac
To deselect all the text on a page, press and hold the “Command” key while clicking anywhere on the page. This will deselect any highlighted text. You can also press the “Escape” key to deselect all text.
To deselect a file/folder in the Finder, press and hold the “Command” key while clicking on the file/folder. This will deselect the file/folder that you clicked on while keeping all the other selected items. You can also use the “Escape” key to deselect all of the files/folders.
How To Select All On A Mac
There are a few ways to select all the text, files, or folders on your screen when using a Mac computer:
Command + A to Select all on Mac
If you’re a PC user, you’re probably used to the shortcut CTRL+A to select all text on a page. But on a Mac, the shortcut is slightly different. To select all text on a Mac, you’ll need to use the Command+A keyboard shortcut.
Once you’ve selected all the text on the page, you can then copy and paste it into another document or application. You can also delete all the text by pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
Click And Drag To Select Text or Files/Folders
If you don’t like using keyboard shortcuts, or if you’re working with a trackpad instead of a mouse, you can also use the mouse to select all text on a page.
To select text by clicking and dragging, you’ll need to use your mouse’s left button. Simply click and hold down the left mouse button while you drag your cursor over the text you want to select. When you release the button, the text will be selected.
In case, you want to select multiple files or folders at once, you can use this method as well.
In Finder, click on an empty space near the files/folders you want to select. Then, while still holding down the mouse button, drag the cursor over the files/folders until they’re all selected. All of the items that are highlighted in blue will be selected when you release the mouse button.
Use Select All In The Edit Menu
If you’re working in a program with a menu bar at the top of the screen, such as a word processor or text editor, you can also use the Select All command in the Edit menu.
To do this, simply click on Edit and then select Select All from the drop-down menu. This will select all of the text in the document.
Hold Command Key To Select Multiple Files/Folders
If you’re working with files in the Finder, you can also use the Command key to select multiple files at once.
To do this, simply click on the first file you want to select.
Then, while holding down the Command key, click on each of the other files you want to select.
Once all of the files are selected, you can then copy/cut and paste them into another folder or application.
First And Last To Select All In Between
If you want to select a large block of text, you can use the Shift key to select all the text between two points.
To do this, simply click at the beginning of the text you want to select. Then, while holding down the Shift key, click at the end of the text. All of the text between the two points will be selected.
This trick can also be used to select multiple files/folders in the Finder.
When in Finder, click on the View option in the top menu bar and select as List. This will give you a list view of all the files and folders in the current directory.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Command+2 to quickly switch to this view. Command+1 will take you back to the icon view and Command+3 will take you to the column view.
To do this, simply click on the first file/folder you want to select.
Then, while holding down the Shift key, click on the last file/folder you want to select. All of the files in between will be selected.
macOS FAQ
1. How do I select all on a Mac?
To select all on a Mac, simply press the Command key (⌘) and the A key at the same time. This will highlight all of the text in the document, allowing you to make changes as needed.
2. How do I copy and paste on a Mac?
To copy and paste on a Mac, first select the text you wish to copy. Then, press the Command key (⌘) and the C key at the same time. Finally, position your cursor where you would like to paste the text and press the Command key (⌘) and the V key at the same time.
3. How to cut and paste on a Mac?
To cut and paste text on a Mac, first select the text you wish to cut. Then, press the Command key (⌘) and the X key at the same time. Finally, position your cursor where you would like to paste the text and press the Command key (⌘) and the V key at the same time.
There are a few differences when cutting files/folders on a Mac.
First, select the file/folder you want to cut. Then, press the Command key (⌘) and the C key at the same time. At the destination, press the Command key (⌘) + the Option key + the V key at the same time and your file will be moved to the new destination.
4. How do I bold, italicize, or underline text on a Mac?
To bold text on a Mac, simply select the text you wish to bold and press the Command key (⌘) and the B key at the same time.
To italicize text on a Mac, select the text you wish to italicize and press the Command key (⌘) and the I key at the same time.
To underline text on a Mac, select the text you wish to underline and press the Command key (⌘) and the U key at the same time.
5. What are some of the basics tips for using a Mac?
Here are 2 basic tips for using a Mac:
– Use the Command key (⌘) for most shortcuts, such as copy (Command-C), paste (Command-V), and Undo (Command-Z).
– Use the Option key for special characters, such as the copyright symbol (Option-G) and the registered trademark symbol (Option-R).
6. How do I take a screenshot on a Mac?
To take a screenshot on a Mac, simply press the Shift key, the Command key (⌘), and the 3 key at the same time. This will capture an image of your entire screen and save it to your desktop.
To take a screenshot of just a portion of your screen, press the Shift key, the Command key (⌘), and the 4 key at the same time. Then, use your mouse or trackpad to select the area you wish to capture.
7. How do I open a Finder window on a Mac?
To open a Finder window on a Mac, simply click on the Finder icon in your Dock. Alternatively, you can press the Command key (⌘), and the N key at the same time.
8. How do I quit an application on a Mac?
To quit an application on a Mac, simply press the Command key (⌘) and the Q key at the same time. Alternatively, you can click on the Finder icon in your Dock and then select Quit from the menu.
If you want to force an application to quit, press the Option key, the Command key (⌘), and the Esc key at the same time. This will bring up the Force Quit Applications window, which will allow you to select the application you want to quit and then click on the Force Quit button.
Wrapping Up
Knowing how to select all can be a helpful skill, whether you’re a Mac user or a PC user. In some situations, it can be the difference between being able to copy and paste a large block of text, or having to do it manually.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand how to select all on a Mac. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
