Home·Keyboard shortcuts

macOS · Put the Mac to sleep

System

Windows · Linux

Not on this system

Mac

Cmd+Option+Power

Puts the Mac to sleep; on a keyboard with no power button, Cmd+Option with the media eject key takes its place.

Group
System
Keys held
3

Cmd sits where Windows puts Ctrl. Text movement is the exception: end of line is Ctrl+A/E or Cmd+←/→, not a Cmd version of the Windows key.

Reading the key names

  • Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
  • On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
  • Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
  • With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
  • When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.

Common questions

Q. What is the shortcut for Put the Mac to sleep in macOS?

Puts the Mac to sleep; on a keyboard with no power button, Cmd+Option with the media eject key takes its place. It is — on Windows and Cmd+Option+Power on a Mac.

Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?

No — — on Windows, Cmd+Option+Power on a Mac.

Q. How many keys is that?

3 pressed together. The combination sits under System in macOS.

Shortcuts nearby