Short answer: The Apple Mail shortcuts most people need are Command-N (new message), Command-R (reply), Shift-Command-R (reply all), Shift-Command-F (forward), Shift-Command-D (send), Control-Command-A (archive) and Shift-Command-U (mark read or unread). To change one or add your own, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts, click +, choose Mail, type the menu command exactly as it appears in Mail's menus, and press the keys you want.
The lists below are for Mail in macOS 27, checked against Apple's shortcut page and the menus in Mail itself. They're the same in macOS Tahoe 26, Sequoia 15 and Sonoma 14. Shortcuts can differ with non-US keyboard layouts; if one doesn't work, look in Mail's menus, which always show the current key next to each command.
Apple Mail keyboard shortcuts for writing and sending
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New message | Command-N |
| Send | Shift-Command-D |
| Undo Send (right after sending) | Command-Z |
| Attach files | Shift-Command-A |
| Paste as quotation | Shift-Command-V |
| Append selected messages to your email | Option-Command-I |
| Show the Bcc field | Option-Command-B |
| Show the Reply-To field | Option-Command-R |
| Switch between plain text and rich text | Shift-Command-T |
| Save as draft | Command-S |
| Add a link | Command-K |
Shortcuts for reading, replying and organizing
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Reply | Command-R |
| Reply All | Shift-Command-R |
| Forward | Shift-Command-F |
| Redirect | Shift-Command-E |
| Get new mail | Shift-Command-N |
| Mark as read or unread | Shift-Command-U |
| Flag or unflag (Toggle Flag) | Shift-Command-L |
| Archive | Control-Command-A |
| Delete | Delete |
| Move to Junk | Shift-Command-J |
| Move to the predicted mailbox | Control-Command-M |
| Apply rules to selected messages | Option-Command-L |
| Turn the message filter on or off (for example, unread only) | Command-L |
| Previous or next message in a conversation | Option-Up Arrow or Option-Down Arrow |
| Show all headers | Shift-Command-H |
| Show the raw source | Option-Command-U |
Apple's own page lists Control-Command-L for applying rules, but Mail in macOS 27 shows Option-Command-L next to Message > Apply Rules. Go with what your menu shows.
Shortcuts for mailboxes, windows and the sidebar
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Go to favorite mailbox 1 to 9 | Command-1 to Command-9 |
| Move selected messages to favorite mailbox 1 to 9 | Control-Command-1 to Control-Command-9 |
| Go to a mail category (Primary, Transactions, Updates, Promotions, All Mail) | Option-Command-1 to Option-Command-5 |
| Previous or next mailbox | Control-Command-[ or Control-Command-] |
| Open Quickly (jump to a mailbox by name) | Shift-Command-O |
| Hide or show the sidebar | Control-Command-S |
| Hide or show the Favorites bar | Option-Shift-Command-H |
| Hide or show the toolbar | Option-Command-T |
| Mailbox search | Option-Command-F |
| New viewer window | Option-Command-N |
| New viewer tab | Option-Shift-Command-N |
| Show the main Mail window | Command-0 |
| Close all Mail windows | Option-Command-W |
| Erase deleted items | Shift-Command-Delete |
| Erase junk mail | Option-Command-J |
| Mail settings | Command-Comma |
Rows that aren't on Apple's shortcut page (favorite mailbox numbers, categories, Open Quickly and a few others) come from the menus of Mail in macOS 27. Favorite numbers follow the order of your Favorites, so drag your most-used mailboxes to the top of that list. Our sidebar and Favorites guide shows how.
How to make custom keyboard shortcuts in Apple Mail
Mail has no shortcut editor of its own. You make custom shortcuts in macOS, and they work for any command in Mail's menu bar.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar, then click Keyboard Shortcuts.
- Select App Shortcuts on the left, then click the Add button (+).
- Click the Application pop-up menu and choose Mail. If it's not listed, choose Other and find Mail in the Applications folder.
- In Menu title, type the command exactly as it appears in Mail. For a command inside a submenu, type the path with -> between levels, such as
Message->Flag->Red. For a command that ends in an ellipsis, type three periods with no spaces. - Click in the Keyboard shortcut field, press the keys you want to use, then click Done.
Open Mail and check the menu: your new shortcut should appear next to the command. To change it later, go back to App Shortcuts, select it and press a new combination. To delete it, select it and click the Remove button (-).
Custom shortcuts worth adding
- A shortcut per flag color. Mail only has Toggle Flag. Add
Message->Flag->Red,Message->Flag->Orangeand so on. If you've renamed your flags, use the new names. See how to rename flags in Apple Mail. - An easier archive key. Control-Command-A is a stretch. Map
Message->Archiveto something simpler, but check for clashes first: Command-E, for example, is already Use Selection for Find in Mail's Edit menu. - Remind Me. Map
Message->Remind Me->Remind Me Tomorrowto push a message back to the top of your inbox tomorrow. - Send Again. If you reuse old messages as templates, a shortcut for Message > Send Again saves a trip to the menu. Our Apple Mail templates guide explains the method.
- Export as PDF. Type
File->Export as PDF...with three periods.
If a custom shortcut doesn't work
- The menu title doesn't match. It has to be identical to Mail's menu, including capital letters, the ellipsis and the -> path for submenus. Look at the menu and copy it character by character.
- The keys are already taken. Apple's rule is that if your combination already belongs to another command or app, the new shortcut won't work. Pick another one, or change the other shortcut first.
- The command isn't in the menu right now. You can only make shortcuts for existing menu commands, and some items only appear in certain situations.
One more thing: the shortcut for Mail > Settings is Command-Comma in every Mac app. Older guides that say Preferences instead of Settings are describing older versions of macOS.
If you'd rather spend less time on email
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail. Shortcuts make Mail faster, but you still sort every message yourself. Canary Mail is an email app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android that works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and other IMAP accounts. It sorts incoming mail with AI, and that triage runs on your device. The free plan covers unlimited accounts on 2 devices with AI inbox sorting; the Growth plan ($36 a year) adds AI writing and summaries, read receipts and send later. There's a 7-day trial, and paid plans are yearly or lifetime. More than 2 million people use it, and Apple has featured it on the App Store and the Mac App Store.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut to archive in Apple Mail?
Control-Command-A archives the selected messages. You can map Message->Archive to a different key in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts.
Can I change keyboard shortcuts in Apple Mail?
Yes, through macOS rather than Mail. In System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts, click +, choose Mail, type the exact menu command and press your new keys.
What is the shortcut to send an email on Mac?
Shift-Command-D sends the message you're writing. Command-Z right after sending undoes it, as long as Undo Send is still showing.
How do I mark an email as unread with the keyboard?
Select it and press Shift-Command-U. The same shortcut marks it as read again.
Why doesn't my custom Mail shortcut work?
Usually the menu title doesn't match Mail's menu exactly, or the key combination is already used by another command. Check the spelling, ellipses and -> for submenus, then try a different combination.
What does Command-K do in Apple Mail?
In a message you're writing, Command-K adds a link to the selected text (Edit > Add Link).
More Mac Mail guides
- How to customize the Mac Mail sidebar and Favorites
- How to make email templates in Apple Mail
- How to use and rename flags in Mac Mail
- How to change swipe actions in Apple Mail
- How to customize the Mac Mail toolbar
- Smart Mailboxes in Mac Mail
- How to pin an email in Apple Mail
Other Mac Mail fixes
- Mac Mail not opening or freezing
- Mac Mail keeps crashing
- Mac Mail not sending emails
- Messages stuck in the Outbox
- Mac Mail not receiving emails
- Mac Mail inbox not updating
- Mac Mail can't connect to the server
- "Unable to verify account name or password"
- Mac Mail not showing attachments
- Mac Mail not showing images
- Mac Mail search not working
Sources
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Keyboard shortcuts
- Apple Mac User Guide (macOS 27): Create keyboard shortcuts for apps
- Apple Mac User Guide (macOS 27): Keyboard settings
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Read and respond to emails
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Mark emails to revisit later (flags, rename flags)
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS Sequoia): Use favorite mailboxes