Where Is The Alt Key On Mac

Where is the Alt Key on Mac Keyboard?

Macs do not have an Alt key. Rather, they have an Alt key equivalent key named – “Option”. The Alt key, i.e., the Option key on macOS, is located on both sides of the Space key. Newer Macs have the ⌥ symbol on the Option key, whereas, the older devices have an alt label above the Option key.

What Does Alt Key Do on Mac?

If you’ve been on Windows, you’ll have a habit of using the Alt key combinations to restart, move to the top/bottom of a window, or switch between apps. On Macs, many of these functions are fulfilled by the Command key. So, the Alt key serves a different purpose.
In fact, the Alt (Option) key can perform important functions like inserting special characters & symbols. Also, it offers some really handy shortcuts, for instance, the Option + Shift + K shortcut lets you type the Apple logo on a Mac.
Besides, you can use the Alt key on your Mac keyboard to enter various boot modes. For instance, while selecting a drive in the startup options screen, if you hold down the Option key and choose Always Use, it will be set as your default startup disk. We’ve mentioned some of the most common Alt keyboard shortcuts in the next sections.

Why Are There Two Alt Keys on the Mac?

You might have noticed there are two Option keys on the Mac keyboard, on the left and right of the Space key. This is because the Alt or the Option key is used for several key combinations.
Sometimes, it’s easier to use the one on the left and in some cases, you may wish to use the one on the right. Also, left-handed and right-handed people have different preferences while typing, so two Option keys can accommodate everyone’s needs. Both the Option keys perform the same functions on a Mac.

What About Ctrl + Alt + Del Shortcut?

On Windows computers, people use the Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut to bring up the Task Manager to force quit an app or check what has slowed down the system. On Macs, there’s no such keyboard shortcut.
That said, Macs have a Task Manager equivalent called Activity Monitor. It’s a built-in macOS utility that offers a detailed look over your Mac’s processes. It lets you force quit apps on your Mac, check the currently running processes & apps, and check their resource consumption in real time. For more details, you can visit our dedicated guide on how to open and use Task Manager on Mac.

Useful Shortcuts with Alt Key

Type Special Characters with Option Key

The Alt equivalent key on Mac also lets you insert some special characters and symbols which aren’t readily available on the keyboard. Below are some symbols you can type using the Alt keyboard shortcuts on Mac. Putting it simply, the Alt key is called the Option key on Macs. It serves various purposes like typing special characters or opening a sub-menu in the System Settings app. Also, when combined with the Command key, you can perform a ton of other actions with the Alt key equivalent on your Mac.