Navigation and selection
The eight keys under your right hand, H J K L and U I O P, carry most of the layout. On the base plane they move the cursor; other planes turn them into selection, tab and app switching, Spaces, the mouse, and scrolling. The mouse and scroll planes are on Mouse and scrolling.
Move and select
| Key | ⇪ move | ⇪ ⌘ select | ⇪ ⌥ ⌘ extended selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| H | ← | ⇧← | ⌥⇧←, select a word left |
| J | ↓ | ⇧↓ | ⇧↓ three times |
| K | ↑ | ⇧↑ | ⇧↑ three times |
| L | → | ⇧→ | ⌥⇧→, select a word right |
| U | Page Up | ⇧Page Up | ⇧Page Up |
| I | Home | ⇧Home | End, then ⇧Home twice: select to the start of the line |
| O | End | ⇧End | Home, then ⇧End: select the whole line |
| P | Page Down | ⇧Page Down | ⇧Page Down |
⇪ I and ⇪ O send the Home and End keys, not ⌘← and ⌘→. Some Mac text
views scroll on Home and End instead of moving the cursor; where you want the
start or end of the line, rebind them in the editor.
Arrow keys keep working as usual. A single key such as ← repeats while you hold the chord, exactly like the real arrow key.
Tabs, apps, windows and Spaces
| Key | ⇪ ⇧ | ⇪ ⌃ |
|---|---|---|
| H | Previous tab (⌃⇧Tab) | Space to the left (⌃←) |
| J | Next app (⌘Tab) | Windows of the current app (⌃↓) |
| K | Previous app (⇧⌘Tab) | Mission Control (⌃↑) |
| L | Next tab (⌃Tab) | Space to the right (⌃→) |
| U | Zoom out (⌥⌘−) | Full screen (⌃⌘F) |
| I | Previous window of the app (⇧⌘`) | Hide the app (⌘H) |
| O | Next window of the app (⌘`) | Mission Control (⌃↑) |
| P | Zoom in (⌥⌘=) | Open Apps (Launchpad) |
Spaces, App Exposé, and screen zoom follow the shortcuts set in macOS System Settings. If you changed or turned off one of those shortcuts, the chord sends the same keys but macOS does nothing with them.
More switching keys sit on the left hand: see Windows and apps.