Microsoft Word Mac Shortcut For Highlighting

  1. Microsoft Word Mac Shortcut For Highlighting Word
  2. Microsoft Word Mac Shortcut For Highlighting Tool
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The following sections contain information on how to highlight text on any computer, device or program. We've also included keyboard shortcuts, tips, and areas where you can practice highlighting text on this page.

Microsoft Word Mac Shortcut For Highlighting Word

Press DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW to highlight the current document name or template in which you want to save the keyboard shortcut changes, and then press ENTER. Press the SHIFT+TAB key repeatedly until the cursor is in the Current keys box. Press DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW to select the keyboard shortcut that you want to remove. Word contains many highlighters to make your text pop off the screen just as if you were highlighting paper with a fluorescent marker. You can select text or an image and then highlight it, or use the Highlight tool to mark different parts of a document. You can also remove highlighting or quickly find highlighted items in your document. I had a keyboard shortcut set up for this in Word 2011. However, I am having trouble figuring it out in Word for Mac 2016. This thread suggests doing so the usual way.

How to highlight text on a desktop or laptop computer

Below are all of the different methods of highlighting text, icons, and other objects on your computer using a desktop mouse, touchpad, and keyboard.

How to highlight text using your mouse

If you are using Microsoft Word Starter, be aware that not all the features listed for Word are supported in Word Starter. For more information about the features available in Word Starter, see Word Starter feature support. Get these keyboard shortcuts in a Word document at this link: Word 2016 for Windows keyboard shortcuts.

To highlight text using your mouse, position your cursor at the beginning of the text you want to highlight. Press and hold your primary mouse button (commonly the left button). While holding the mouse button, drag the cursor to the end of the text and let go of the mouse button. Once completed, all text from the beginning to the end should be highlighted. Below is an example of how text can be highlighted.

There is no limit to how much text can be highlighted. You can move to the end of a paragraph to highlight the full paragraph or keep holding the mouse button down and select multiple paragraphs or pages of text.

Tip

You'll know that text can be highlighted when your mouse pointer changes to an I-beam cursor.

How to highlight using a touchpad on a laptop

To highlight text using a touchpad on a laptop, move the cursor to the beginning of the text you want to highlight. Press and hold down the primary mouse button below the touchpad. While continuing to hold down the button, move another finger (or one from your other hand) along the touchpad in the direction you want to highlight.

Tip

If the touchpad acts as a button, press down until you feel a 'click,' and then drag your finger in either direction to highlight text.

Select text with the mouse button

Double-clicking a word highlights the word and triple-clicking a word highlights the full line or paragraph of text.

How to highlight text using your keyboard

To highlight with the keyboard, move to the starting location using the arrow keys. Then, hold down the Shift key, and press the arrow key in the direction you want to highlight. Once everything you want is highlighted, let go of the Shift key.

Tip

Microsoft Word Mac Shortcut For Highlighting Tool

If you want to highlight one word at a time, press Ctrl key while holding down Shift, and then press the left or right arrow key.

Tip

If you want to highlight a whole line of text, move your cursor to the start of the line, hold the Shift key, and then press the down arrow. You may also use the shortcut key combination Shift+End.

Tip:

If you want to highlight all text, press the shortcut key Ctrl+A.

Note

If you are not working with text that can be edited (e.g., this paragraph), you cannot highlight text using these methods. However, they work in word processor documents, text documents, and any text field.

Practice highlighting text

Below is a text field where you can practice highlighting text using the keyboard.

How to highlight text using your keyboard and mouse

To use the keyboard and mouse in combination, begin by moving the cursor to where you want to start highlighting. Then, hold down the Shift key and then click where you want to finish highlighting.

Tip

You can also practice this technique in the above text box.

How to highlight an icon or another object

To highlight an object such as an icon in Windows, single-click the item. Once clicked, the icon or text should change to a different color indicating it is highlighted.

To highlight multiple icons or other objects, drag a box around all files you want to highlight.

Tip

If you want to individually highlight files, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and while still holding the Ctrl key, single-click each file you want to highlight.

How to highlight multiple e-mails, files, icons, or other objects

Users may highlight multiple objects at once by using the mouse or mouse and keyboard. In many programs, you can draw a marquee around the items you want to highlight. To draw a marquee, click-and-hold the left mouse button outside the area of the items, and then drag the marquee to the opposite diagonal corner. Once you release the mouse button, the items contained in the box are highlighted. In the animated picture, we are selecting nine picture files.

If a program doesn't support a marquee, highlight the first object in the series. Then, hold down the Shift, click the last item you want to selected, and then let go of the Shift key. For example, clicking 'Example' in the select field below, and then holding down Shift and clicking 'Items' highlights all four available options.

Tip

To select only certain items from the list, hold down Ctrl, and click each item you want to highlight. Repeat this action to deselect an item.

How to highlight text on an Android smartphone and tablet

Press and hold down on any text with your finger, drag your finger over the text you'd like to highlight, and then let go. Upon letting go, a menu should appear in the top-right corner of the screen (shown to the right) that allows you to cut or copy.

Tip

You may also press and hold on one word, the use the side bars to adjust the amount of highlighted text.

How to highlight text on an Apple iPhone and iPad

Press and hold down on any text with your finger, drag your finger over the text you'd like to highlight, and then let go. Upon letting go, a menu should appear. Press your finger on the Select option.

Tip

You may also press and hold on one word, the use the side bars to adjust the amount of highlighted text.

How to highlight text on a Chromebook

For Chromebooks that have no mouse buttons, you can copy and paste text by following the steps below.

Press down on the touchpad and keep your finger there. Then, while continuing to hold down on the touchpad, drag your finger in the direction you want to highlight text. When you're finished highlighting, lift your finger.

Tip

You can also use many of the mouse and keyboard tips mentioned in our desktop and laptop section on a Chromebook.

How to highlight text on a Kindle

Press and hold down on the starting word with your finger. Once that word is highlighted, drag your finger over any additional text to select it as well. When you're finished highlighting, lift your finger.

Additional information

  • See our highlight definitions for further information and related links.

By Rachel Guise, PPS Editor

What is a keyboard shortcut?

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of keys that initiate acommand in the program that you’re using. The following lists are keycombinations that can be used in Microsoft programs as well as most searchengines. TurboFutureprovides lists of the most used keyboard shortcuts as well as some that are notcommonly used for all platforms.

As a PC user, Ctrl + S is my most used keyboard shortcut forall three programs. When working on several projects a day, clicking Ctrl + Swhile making edits becomes second nature and ensures none of my changes arelost. Another shortcut that I frequently use is Ctrl + A. This is helpful inWord when you have global edits such as changing the font or font size in adocument. You can also use this shortcut in Excel to change font formatting. Ctrl+ Z is another often used shortcut because, hey, I make mistakes.

Microsoft Word

The following is a list of PC keyboard shortcuts that workin Microsoft Word. HowtoGeekbreaks down keyboard shortcuts by their functions.

Ctrl + A = Select all text in document

Ctrl + B = Bold highlighted text

Ctrl + C = Copy highlighted text

Ctrl + D = Opens Font preferences box

Ctrl + E = Align highlighted text center

Ctrl + Enter = Insert new page within current document

Ctrl + F = Opens Find tool (opens the Navigation pane)

Ctrl + G = Opens Go to tool (in the Navigation pane)

Ctrl + H = Opens Replace tool (in the Navigation pane)

Ctrl + I = Italic highlighted text

Ctrl + J = Justify highlighted text

Ctrl + K = Opens Insert Hyperlink box

Ctrl + L = Align highlighted text left

Ctrl + M = Inserts paragraph indent

Ctrl + N = Opens new document

Ctrl + O = Opens Open file window

Ctrl + P = Opens Print window

Ctrl + R = Align highlighted text left or right

Ctrl + S = Savesthe document as it is currently named

Ctrl + U = Underline highlighted text

Ctrl + V = Paste copied or cut text

Ctrl + W = Close document

Ctrl + X = Cut (text must be selected to use this shortcut)

Ctrl + Y = Redo last action

Ctrl + Z = Undo last action

Ctrl + + = Set highlighted text subscript

F1 = Opens the Help windowpane

F7 = Spellcheck (opens the Editor pane to check spelling andgrammar)

F12 = Save as (opens the Save As window, so that thedocument can be saved using a new name or in a new location)

Shift + arrow keys = Select multiple letters

Ctrl + arrow keys = Select multiple words

MAC (also known as Apple) computers use many of the sameshortcut keys as PCs. Note that Ctrl on a PC keyboard and control on a MACkeyboard do not always serve the same function. Where you would use Ctrl on aPC, you’ll use the ⌘ command key on a MAC. Microsoftprovides a complete list of shortcuts for MAC users, but here is a list of themost often used shortcuts.

⌘ + A = Select all

⌘ + B = Bold

⌘ + C or Shift + F2 =Copy selected text

⌘ + F = Find

⌘ + H = Hide windows

⌘ + I = Italic

⌘ + N = Opens newdocument or window

⌘ + O = Open

⌘ + P = Print

⌘ + Q = Quit

⌘ + S = Save

⌘ + T = Switch between open apps

⌘ + U = Underline

⌘ + V = Paste copied orcut text

⌘ + X = Cut

⌘ + Z = Undo last action

⌘ + + = Set subscript

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Option + ⌘ +G = Opens Go to box

Option + ⌘ +L = Opens Spelling and Grammar box

Control + F = Find

Microsoft Excel

Several of the PC keyboard shortcuts used in Word also applyto Excel(e.g., Ctrl + S).

Ctrl + D = Delete cell text

Ctrl + F = Find

Ctrl + G = Opens Go to box

Ctrl + H = Opens Replace box

Ctrl + K = Opens Insert Hyperlink box

Ctrl + L = Create table

Highlighting

Ctrl + N = Opens new workbook

Ctrl + O = Opens selected workbook

Ctrl + W = Closes workbook

Ctrl + Y = Redo last action

Ctrl + Z = Undo last action

Ctrl + ; = Insert the current date

Ctrl + : = Insert the current time

F7 = Spellcheck

Alt + F = Opens selected File

Likewise, Excel keyboard shortcuts are similar for MACusers as well.

⌘ + A = Select all

⌘ + C = Copy

⌘ + P = Opens Printwindow

⌘ + Q = Quit

⌘ + S = Save

⌘ + U = Underline

⌘ + V = Paste copied orcut text

⌘ + Z = Undo last action

Some, however, are different from Word or are specific toExcel.

Option + G = Opens Go to box

F7 = Opens Check Spelling and Grammar box

Control + Shift = Insert cell

⌘ + 1 = Format Cells box

Shift + F3 = Display Formula Builder

Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat’s click for Websiteprovides instructions to use shortcuts while working in PDFs. The website usestables to organize which shortcuts work with different types of tools. Itincludes a column for PC functions as well as MAC. Like Excel, some of the Wordkeyboard shortcuts work in Adobe.

Ctrl/⌘ +A = Select all

Ctrl/⌘ +C = Copy

Ctrl/⌘ +N = New

Ctrl/⌘ +S = Save

Ctrl/⌘ +Z = Undo

Adobe also provides instructions to use single-keyshortcuts while working in PDFs. Many are the same for PC and MAC.

C = Crop tool

H = Hand tool

S = Stick Note tool

U = Highlighting tool

X = Textbox tool

Ctrl/⌘ +equal sign = Zoom in

Ctrl/⌘ +hyphen = Zoom out

Ctrl/⌘ +F4 = Close file