Shortcuts, touch and Apple Pencil
On Windows and Chromebook use Ctrl for ⌘ and Alt for ⌥.
| Action | Keyboard | Touch and Pencil |
|---|---|---|
| Import photos | ⌘O | Import Photos… button |
| Preview a photo full screen | Space | Tap the thumbnail |
| Open a photo | Double-click or Return | Double-tap |
| Rate 0–5 stars | 0–5 | Hold the full-screen photo and slide up |
| Pick / reject / clear flag | P / X / U | Hold the full-screen photo and slide down |
| Next or previous photo | → ← | Filmstrip |
| Back to the library | Esc | Library button |
| Show the original | Hold \ | Touch and hold the photo |
| Compare menu | Y | Compare menu under the photo |
| Zoom to 100% or back | Double-click | Double-tap |
| Zoom in, out, fit, 100% | ⌘+ ⌘− ⌘0 ⌘1 | Pinch with two fingers |
| Move around when zoomed in | Drag (hold Space and drag while using a tool) | Drag (two fingers while painting) |
| Thumbnail size in the library | ⌘+ ⌘− | Slider above the photos |
| Rotate photos left / right | ⌘[ / ⌘] | Rotate buttons above the photos, or in Crop |
| Undo | ⌘Z | Undo arrow, top right |
| Redo | ⇧⌘Z (Ctrl+Y) | Redo arrow, after an undo |
| Copy and paste edits | ⌘C, ⌘V (⇧⌘V to choose) | Copy and Paste… buttons |
| Export | ⌘E | Export button, top right |
| Crop tool / swap orientation / apply | R / X / Return | Crop tool / Swap / Done |
| Heal tool | Q | Heal tool |
| Clipping warning | J | — |
| White balance picker | W | Pick Neutral |
| Mask overlay | O | Overlay button |
| Brush or spot size | [ ] | Size slider |
| Brush softer or harder | Shift+[ Shift+] | Feather slider |
| Visualise Spots / hide spot outlines | A / H | Checkboxes in Heal |
| See what a slider affects | Hold ⌥ while dragging | Press and hold the slider |
On iPhone: drag the handle at the top of the adjustments panel to make it half or nearly full screen, or tap it to hide the panel. The eye button next to the sharpening, Whites and Blacks sliders shows what each one affects.
Apple Pencil: once you use the Pencil, it paints masks and places spots, and fingers only pan and zoom. iPhone: Hide adjustments slides the panel away; while you drag a slider the panel fades so you can see the photo.