--- title: "Mac Dock Keyboard Shortcuts Worth Memorizing (and How to Set Yours)" url: https://moorapp.com/blog/mac-dock-keyboard-shortcuts publisher: Moor by Bayou Applications LLC (https://moorapp.com/) published: 2026-10-14 updated: 2026-10-14 --- # Mac Dock Keyboard Shortcuts Worth Memorizing (and How to Set Yours) Apple's Dock has a few built-in shortcuts: Control-F3 (or Fn-Control-F3) moves focus to the Dock, and Option-Command-D shows or hides it. Moor adds more: Control-Option-1 to 9 switch profiles, Control-Option-` goes back to the last one, Control-Option-Space opens the profile picker, Control-Option-F searches and Control-Option-E edits docks. To remap or clear any of Moor's, open Settings → Shortcuts. If you'd rather keep your hands on the keyboard, the Dock gets in the way. You reach for the trackpad, aim at an icon, and lose your train of thought. The fix comes in two layers: the shortcuts Apple already ships for its Dock, and the ones Moor adds for switching whole Dock setups, searching and editing. Here's a short list worth memorizing, plus how to change any of them. ## Apple's built-in Dock shortcuts Apple doesn't give the Dock many shortcuts, but the ones it has are useful, and two related focus shortcuts (for the menu bar and windows) pair well with them. Apart from the arrow-key row, which comes from Apple's [Dock help page](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/dock-mh35859/mac), all of these are listed on Apple's [Mac keyboard shortcuts](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650) page. Before you try them: the three focus shortcuts (Control-F2, Control-F3 and Control-F4) might be turned off on your Mac. To turn them on, go to **System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts**, select **Keyboard** in the list on the left, then switch on the shortcut you want ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650)). | Shortcut | What it does | |---|---| | Control-F3 (or Fn-Control-F3), may need turning on | Moves keyboard focus to the Dock | | Left Arrow / Right Arrow, then Return | Once the Dock has focus, moves from icon to icon, then opens the selected item | | Option-Command-D | Shows or hides the Dock | | Hold Control-Shift while you're accessing the Dock (not a standalone shortcut you can press from anywhere) | Uses or stops using Dock magnification | | Control-F2 (or Fn-Control-F2), may need turning on | Moves focus to the menu bar (not the Dock) | | Control-F4 (or Fn-Control-F4), may need turning on | Moves focus to the active window or the next window (not the Dock) | To open an app without touching the trackpad, Apple's [Dock help page](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/dock-mh35859/mac) says to press Fn-Control-F3, move with the arrow keys, and press Return. You need the Fn version on Macs where the function keys control brightness, media and other hardware. ### Where Option-Command-D lives (it depends on your macOS) Apple lists Option-Command-D but doesn't say where in System Settings it's configured. Moor requires macOS Tahoe, and none of the sources we checked confirm where that setting sits on Tahoe, so treat what follows as a starting point for your own search. What we know about Tahoe: it [replaced Launchpad](https://tech.yahoo.com/computing/articles/apple-killing-mac-launchpad-heres-130016748.html) with an app called Applications, and users in a [MacRumors forum thread](https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-tahoe-transforms-launchpad-into-app-library.2458507/page-8) report the Keyboard Shortcuts window still has a category called **Launchpad & Dock** with a **Show Launchpad** toggle. The thread doesn't mention a Dock hiding entry. On older versions (Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia), [Mainspring](https://trymainspring.com/blog/hide-dock-keyboard-shortcut-mac) says the shortcut belongs to **Turn Dock Hiding On/Off** under **Launchpad & Dock**, and that it flips **Automatically hide and show the Dock** in **System Settings → Desktop & Dock**. If you're on Tahoe and don't see that entry, look through the other categories in the same window. ## Moor's default shortcuts Moor adds shortcuts for things Apple's Dock can't do. The biggest is switching **profiles**. In Moor, a profile is a whole Dock setup: which apps go in Apple's Dock, which Moor docks are on screen, and whether Apple's Dock shows at all. These are the defaults from Moor's [keyboard shortcuts page](/docs/shortcuts/): | Action | Default | |---|---| | Switch to profile 1 to 9 | Control-Option-1 … Control-Option-9 (the first nine profiles) | | Back to the last profile | Control-Option-` | | Profile picker | Control-Option-Space | | Search | Control-Option-F | | Edit docks | Control-Option-E | | Next profile | Not set | | Previous profile | Not set | | Undo last switch | Not set | | Settings (with the menu open) | Command-, | In both the profile picker and search, the Up and Down Arrow keys choose a result, Return goes to it and Esc closes the window. In search, Command-Return shows the selected item in Finder. Learn Control-Option-` first. It flips between your two latest setups, so you can jump from a coding Dock to a meeting Dock and back with one key. For ideas on what to put in each profile, see [separate Dock setups for work and home](/blog/different-dock-for-work-and-home-mac). ## How to remap or clear a Moor shortcut Every Moor shortcut can be changed or turned off: 1. Click Moor's icon in the menu bar (the little boat) and choose **Settings** (Command-, while the menu is open). 2. Open the **Shortcuts** page. 3. Click the shortcut you want to change and press the new keys. 4. To turn a shortcut off, click its **✕**. The same page has one row per profile, so any profile can get its own shortcut. That's handy once you have more than nine profiles, or if you'd like "Presenting" on a key that's easy to remember instead of whatever number it lands on. Three slots start empty: **Next profile**, **Previous profile** and **Undo last switch**. If you switch often, give them keys. Undo puts the Dock back exactly as it was before the switch, so with a shortcut assigned, trying a different setup costs you nothing. When you pick new combinations, steer clear of the macOS shortcuts in the first table (Control-F2 for the menu bar, Control-F3 for the Dock, Control-F4 for windows, Option-Command-D for hiding the Dock) and any your other apps rely on. Keeping all of Moor's shortcuts on Control-Option makes them easy to remember as one group. ## Running your Dock from the keyboard With a handful of shortcuts you can do most of your daily Dock work without the trackpad. ### Launch and find with search Control-Option-F opens [Moor's search](/docs/search/). It finds everything in your docks, files inside the folders in your docks (newest first), installed and running apps, your coding agents' sessions by project, and your profiles. It also lists Moor's own actions: **Edit Docks**, **Zone Mode**, **Hide Revenue Figures**, **Moor Settings** and the **Setup Guide**. Commands that have no shortcut of their own are still a few letters and Return away. ### Switch whole setups Use Control-Option-1 to 9 when you know the number, or Control-Option-Space to choose from a list. [Profiles](/docs/profiles/) can also switch on their own when you plug in or unplug a monitor (**Settings → Automation → Monitor setups**), so for many people the desk switch doesn't need a key at all. ### Edit, with one honest limit Control-Option-E turns edit mode on and off. Some of edit mode still needs a pointer, though. Rearranging, adding and removing icons are drag actions, and the **Add**, **Theme** and **Placement** menus sit in a toolbar above the dock. The shortcut gets you into and out of edit mode quickly, but the editing itself isn't keyboard-only. ### Wire it into other tools Every Moor action is also a `moor://` link, so you can open one from Terminal or any launcher, for example `open "moor://next"`. Moor also comes with a `moor` command-line tool (install it from **Settings → Advanced → Install Command-Line Tool…**) with commands like `moor switch Work` and `moor last`, plus an Alfred workflow and a Stream Deck plugin. The [Automation docs](/docs/automation/) list them all. ## When a shortcut doesn't work - **Control-F3 does nothing.** Turn it on under **Keyboard Shortcuts → Keyboard**. On a laptop where the function keys control hardware, add Fn ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650)). - **Option-Command-D stopped working.** On Tahoe, where this setting lives isn't confirmed, so look through the categories in **System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts** for a Dock hiding entry that's switched off or reassigned. On Ventura through Sequoia, [Mainspring](https://trymainspring.com/blog/hide-dock-keyboard-shortcut-mac) places it in **Launchpad & Dock**. Remember this shortcut controls Apple's Dock only. Each Moor dock has its own **Automatically hide and show** option in **Settings → Docks**. - **A Moor profile shortcut doesn't fire.** Control-Option-1 to 9 only cover the first nine profiles in Moor's order. Next, Previous and Undo don't have keys until you set them. If another app grabbed the same combination, choose a new one in **Settings → Shortcuts**. - **You can't find Moor's menu bar icon.** On MacBooks with a camera notch, a crowded menu bar can hide it behind the notch. Hold Command and drag the icon toward the clock, or open Moor from Spotlight, which brings up its Settings. ## Next steps Learn the four that pay off right away: Control-F3 for Apple's Dock, Control-Option-` to go back to your last profile, Control-Option-F to search and Control-Option-E to edit. Then open **Settings → Shortcuts**, give Next, Previous and Undo their own keys, and give your favorite profiles shortcuts you'll remember. If you use more than one display, [a dock on every monitor](/blog/mac-dock-on-every-monitor) goes well with monitor-based profile switching. Moor has a free 14-day trial at [moorapp.com](https://moorapp.com/). ## Common questions ### What is the keyboard shortcut to move focus to the Mac Dock? Press Control-F3, or Fn-Control-F3 on Macs where the function keys control hardware like brightness and volume. Then use the Left and Right Arrow keys to move between icons and press Return to open the selected item. If nothing happens, turn the shortcut on in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts, under Keyboard in the list on the left. ### How do I hide or show the Dock with a keyboard shortcut? Press Option-Command-D, which Apple lists as the shortcut to show or hide the Dock. Apple doesn't document where it's configured, and its location on macOS Tahoe isn't confirmed, so check the categories in Keyboard Shortcuts on your own Mac. For Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia, the third-party guide Mainspring places it under Launchpad & Dock. It only affects Apple's Dock, not Moor's docks. ### What are Moor's default keyboard shortcuts? Control-Option-1 to 9 switch to your first nine profiles, Control-Option-` goes back to the last profile, Control-Option-Space opens the profile picker, Control-Option-F opens search and Control-Option-E turns edit mode on and off. Next profile, Previous profile and Undo last switch have no keys by default. With Moor's menu open, Command-, opens Settings. ### How do I change or remove a Moor shortcut? Click Moor's menu bar icon and open Settings, then go to the Shortcuts page. Click the shortcut you want to change and press the new keys. To turn it off, click its ✕. The same page has one row per profile, so you can give any profile its own shortcut, including profiles past the first nine, which Control-Option-1 to 9 don't cover. ### Can I use the Dock completely without a mouse? Mostly. With Apple's Dock, Control-F3, the arrow keys and Return open apps. With Moor, keyboard shortcuts switch profiles and Control-Option-F searches apps, files, agents, profiles and Moor's own actions. Rearranging icons is the exception: in Moor's edit mode, adding, moving and removing items are drag actions, so you'll still need a pointer for those. ## Sources 1. [Mac keyboard shortcuts - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650) 2. [Use the Dock on Mac - Apple Support (Mac Help)](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/dock-mh35859/mac) 3. [Keyboard Shortcut to Hide and Show the Dock on Mac - Mainspring](https://trymainspring.com/blog/hide-dock-keyboard-shortcut-mac) 4. [Apple killing Mac Launchpad - Yahoo Tech](https://tech.yahoo.com/computing/articles/apple-killing-mac-launchpad-heres-130016748.html) 5. [macOS Tahoe Transforms Launchpad Into App Library - MacRumors Forums](https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-tahoe-transforms-launchpad-into-app-library.2458507/page-8)