25+ useful keyboard shortcuts for the Books app on

If you enjoy reading with the Books app on your Mac, then keyboard shortcuts and gestures are great tools. They let you move around the app easier or continue reading your books without trying to take action with the menu bar. For a simpler way to use Books on Mac, check out this list of keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts for Apple Books app

The Books window

Move to different areas of the Books app with these handy shortcuts.

  • Open your library: Command + L
  • Add a collection to your library: Command + N
  • Add books to your library: Shift + Command + O (capital letter O)
  • Open the Book Store: Shift + Command + B
  • Open the Audiobook Store: Shift + Command + A

Keyboard shortcuts for viewing a book

You can use keyboard shortcuts to view the table of contents, see the glossary, zoom in or out, and much more.

  • Show the table of contents: Command + T
  • Show the book’s thumbnails: Shift + Command + T
  • Show the glossary: Command + 6
  • Show your notes in the margins: Command + 3
  • Show all notes and highlights: Command + 4
  • Show study cards: Command + 5
  • View one page at a time: Command + 1
  • View two pages at a time: Command + 2
  • View a book in its actual size: Command + 0 (zero)
  • Zoom in: Command + Plus sign
  • Zoom out: Command + Hyphen
  • Enter full-screen view: Control + Command + F

Keyboard shortcuts while reading a book

For things like bookmarking a page, searching a book, or moving through chapters, use these keyboard shortcuts.

  • Bookmark your current page: Command + D
  • Go to the next page, image, callout, or question: Right Arrow or Down Arrow
  • Go to the previous page, image, callout, or question: Left Arrow or Up Arrow
  • Go to the next chapter: Shift + Command + Right Arrow
  • Go to the previous chapter: Shift + Command + Left Arrow
  • Go back to your previous spot: Command + [ (left bracket)
  • Go forward to your original spot: Command + ] (right bracket)
  • Open the search field: Command + F

Gestures for Books on Mac

If you use a trackpad with your Mac, you can also use a few gestures to move about.

  • Go to the next or previous page: Swipe Left or Right
  • Go to the next or previous gallery image: Swipe Left or Right with the cursor over a gallery
  • Enlarge a feature: Position the cursor over interactive media and pinch open
  • Open a graphical table of contents: Pinch closed in a book

Keyboard shortcuts are great for almost any app, but for Books, they’re even handier. And for other shortcuts, check out our keyboard shortcuts section.

Which apps do you use shortcuts for the most on your Mac?

Other tips for the Books app: