Open System Preferences > Mouse and Keyboard, and click the "Keyboard Shortcuts" tab. You are presented with two options at the bottom of the window (in the "Full keyboard access" section): Text boxes and lists only or All controls. By default, "Text boxes and lists" should be selected, but if you want to be able to select other buttons in a window with the tab key then you need to select the "All controls" option.
Now when you encounter a dialog box (or window), just press the tab key to switch between the various buttons on the screen. If you would like to go to a previous button, use shift + tab. When you've got the button you want highlighted, press the
For more tips and tricks like these, visit the Mac 101 section on TUAW.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-06-2008 @ 7:43PM
Darren said...
Additionally, you can use a keyboard command to select the button based on the first letter of the button label. For example, use Command+D to select the "Don't Save" button of a dialog.
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5-06-2008 @ 8:14PM
Tim said...
Wow! I have been lamenting this fact for the last year ever since I switched and now my life will be changed! Thank you so much.
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5-06-2008 @ 8:15PM
RJ said...
For dialog boxes, the spacebar would go with what you tabbed to and enter would still select the one that is selected by default. Isn't this right?
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5-06-2008 @ 10:25PM
Eric said...
I believe you are correct--the author of this article is incorrect.
5-06-2008 @ 10:27PM
Cory Bohon said...
@RJ: You are correct. I have updated the post. Thanks for correcting me!
5-06-2008 @ 8:28PM
Johnny said...
Well slap me silly! That is a very useful trick that has apparently passed me by... well... forever! Until now. Please tell me this hasn't been there all along and is new to Leopard or something.
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5-06-2008 @ 8:32PM
Cory Bohon said...
No, not a new feature with Leopard. It's been there for quite a while ... but that's OK. It is always nice to discover a new trick to make the Mac more productive. :-)
Personally, I think this option should be enabled by default.
5-07-2008 @ 11:08AM
Martin (MKWii 3737-9909-8021) said...
I agree with you, Cory. It would help switchers out substantially.
5-06-2008 @ 8:47PM
Steve Marks said...
Nice! I have been wanting to know how to do this for a LONG time. And I'm not exactly a new mac user, either. Thank you.
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5-06-2008 @ 9:12PM
JorgeLuisBorges said...
To be sure that this tip "sticks" in case of errant keytaps, disable the Ctrl-F7 keyboard shortcut in System Preferences.
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5-07-2008 @ 12:22AM
mattyohe said...
Safari has its own option for this also in:
Safari Preferences > Advanced > Press Tab...
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5-07-2008 @ 3:12AM
Chris said...
To clarify the behaviour:
always invokes the default action (all-blue button)
invokes the highlighted action (blue halo)
, moves the highlight.
First letter often invokes a button. The behaviour here may be inconsistent from one app to another. I most often use it in iTunes, where , , invokes "Delete", "Remove from Library", "Move to Trash". No Command key required. Maybe other apps do need the Command key as Darren said.
Yes/No, OK/Cancel type dialogs often have one button set as the default action and the other one initially highlighted, meaning you can invoke either with a single or - no need to tab around first.
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5-07-2008 @ 3:17AM
Chris said...
My previous post would make a whole lot more sense if my assumption that the TUAW blogging system would auto-encode less-than's and greater-than's, rather than remove them had turned out to be correct...
Let's try that again, with manual ampersand-lt-semi-colon type-stuff...
To clarify the behaviour:
<Enter> always invokes the default action (all-blue button)
<Space> invokes the highlighted action (blue halo)
<Tab>,<Shift-Tab> moves the highlight.
First letter often invokes a button. The behaviour here may be inconsistent from one app to another. I most often use it in iTunes, where <Del>, <R> ,<M> invokes "Delete", "Remove from Library", "Move to Trash".
No Command key required. Maybe other apps do need the Command key as Darren said.
Yes/No, OK/Cancel type dialogs often have one button set as the default action and the other one initially highlighted, meaning you can invoke either with a single <Enter> or <Space> - no need to tab around first.
Reply
5-07-2008 @ 12:05PM
JoshK said...
Funny, I just showed this to a friend yesterday after showing him the Ctrl+Eject option for the shut down dialogue. He said he couldn't tab around to select sleep. I was puzzled but then it just clicked, I took him through the steps and he was floored!
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