Keyboard Shortcuts

EmpiricCommander is designed for keyboard-driven workflows. The tables below describe macOS behavior unless a row says otherwise.

Platform coverage

macOS - full shortcut set via the global keyboard monitor.
iPad- navigation keys via SwiftUI's onKeyPress (arrows, Space, Tab, Esc, Return, Delete). No Cmd-based command shortcuts; iPad users rely on the toolbar. See the dedicated iPad table at the bottom.
iPhone - physical keyboards work for typing, but no app-level command shortcuts.

`Up`or`Down`	Move cursor to previous / next item
`Shift`+`Up`or`Shift`+`Down`	Extend selection up / down
`Page Up`or`Page Down`	Jump one page
`Shift`+`Page Up`or`Shift`+`Page Down`	Extend selection by a page
`Home`or`End`	Jump to first / last item
`Shift`+`Home`or`Shift`+`End`	Extend selection to first / last
`Left`	Go up one directory
`Right`	Open the focused item
`Return`	Open the focused item
`Backspace`	Go up one directory
`Cmd`+`Left`	Go back in history
`Cmd`+`Right`	Go forward in history
`Cmd`+`Up`	Go up
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`H`	Go home
`Tab`	Switch between left and right panes
`Cmd`+`[`or`Cmd`+`]`	Switch panes
`Any letter`	Type-ahead jump to the next item starting with that letter

Selection

`Space`	Toggle selection of the focused item
`Cmd`+`A`	Select all items in the active pane
`Esc`	Clear selection, close any open panel, or exit filter

`F2`	Rename the focused item
`F5`	Copy selection to the other pane
`F6`	Move selection to the other pane
`F7`	New folder
`F8`	Move selection to Trash
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`N`	New folder
`Cmd`+`Backspace`	Move selection to Trash
`Shift`+`Backspace`	Move selection to Trash
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Backspace`	Permanent delete (skip Trash)
`Cmd`+`C`	Copy to clipboard
`Cmd`+`X`	Cut to clipboard
`Cmd`+`V`	Paste here
`Cmd`+`Z`	Undo last move / delete

`Cmd`+`R`	Refresh the active pane
`Cmd`+`.`	Toggle hidden files
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`G`	Cycle view mode (list / grid / tree)
`Cmd`+`Y`	Quick Look
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`P`	Toggle preview panel

`Cmd`+`F`	Filter the current folder
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`F`	Global search

`Cmd`+`O`	Open with default app
`Cmd`+`E`	Open in configured external editor
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`O`	Auto-Organize
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`S`	Add selection to the Shelf
`F9`	Toggle integrated terminal
`Cmd`+`J`	Toggle integrated terminal (VS Code style)
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`T`	Open an external Terminal at the current folder

`Cmd`+`?`	Open EmpiricCommander Help (this page)
`Cmd`+`U`	Check for updates
`Cmd`+`,`	Open Settings
`Cmd`+`Q`	Quit

`Return`	Confirm the default action
`Esc`	Cancel

`Cmd`+`C`or`Cmd`+`V`or`Cmd`+`X`or`Cmd`+`A`	Copy / paste / cut / select-all in the terminal buffer
`Shift`+`Return`	Send a literal newline (multi-line input)
`F9`	Toggle terminal panel even from within terminal focus
`Esc`or`Ctrl`+`C`or`arrows`	Passed through to the running command (vim, less, etc.)

iPad supports a smaller subset via onKeyPress (external keyboard required). No Cmd-based command shortcuts; use the toolbar instead.

`Up`or`Down`	Move cursor
`Left`	Go up one directory
`Right`or`Return`	Open the focused item
`Space`	Toggle selection
`Tab`	Switch panes (when dual-pane layout is active)
`Esc`	Clear selection / close panel
`Backspace`	Go up one directory