- Undo and redo shortcuts
- Undo step by step
- What undo works in
- Undo in Finder: rescue a deleted file
- Redo isn't the same as Command-Y
- Why undo sometimes doesn't work
- Undo send in Mail
- Undo in your web browser
- Undo in Photos and screenshots
- Undo in Notes and Messages
- Undo on a Windows keyboard
- Habits that make undo less necessary
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To undo on a Mac, press Command-Z, or choose Edit, Undo from the menu bar. To redo what you just undid, press Shift-Command-Z. In many apps you can press Command-Z several times to step back through more than one change.
Undo is the shortcut that saves the day after a wrong delete, a paste in the wrong place or a paragraph you didn't mean to lose. On a Mac it's Command-Z rather than Ctrl-Z, and it works far beyond text: in Finder it can bring back a file you just moved to the Trash. Here's what it can and can't undo.
Undo and redo shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut | Menu |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Command-Z | Edit, Undo |
| Redo | Shift-Command-Z | Edit, Redo |
| Undo several steps | Press Command-Z again | Edit, Undo again |
The Edit menu is the safety net when you're not sure what you're about to undo. Most apps name the action there, for example Undo Typing or Undo Move of a file, so you can see what will change before you click.
Undo step by step
- Make sure the right window is in front: click once inside it.
- Press Command-Z. The last change is reversed.
- Press it again to go back another step, if the app allows it.
- Gone too far? Press Shift-Command-Z to redo.
What undo works in
- Typing and editing: Pages, Word, Notes, Mail, Google Docs in a browser and nearly every app with text.
- Paste mistakes: pasted in the wrong place? Command-Z removes it straight away.
- Finder: undo a file move, a rename, or moving an item to the Trash, as long as you do it straight after.
- Photos and design apps: undo crops, filters and edits one at a time.
Undo in Finder: rescue a deleted file
If you've just pressed Command-Delete on the wrong file, press Command-Z at once and it comes back out of the Trash to where it was. If you've done other things since, open the Trash from the Dock, Control-click the file and choose Put Back. Once you've emptied the Trash (Shift-Command-Delete), undo can't help; you'll need a backup such as Time Machine. For files that live in cloud folders, my guide to deleting files from Google Drive explains how long Drive keeps them in its own bin.
Redo isn't the same as Command-Y
On Windows, redo is often Ctrl-Y. On a Mac, Apple's shortcut list gives Shift-Command-Z as redo. A few apps, including Microsoft Office, also accept Command-Y, but don't rely on it everywhere. Shift-Command-Z is the one that works across the system.
Why undo sometimes doesn't work
- The wrong window is active. Undo works on the front window only. Click inside the one you mean.
- The app only remembers one step. Apple notes that some apps can undo multiple commands; others can't.
- You saved and closed the file. Most apps forget their undo history when the document closes. Pages, Numbers and many others keep older versions instead: choose File, Revert To, Browse All Versions.
- The action can't be reversed. Sending an email or emptying the Trash is final.
Undo send in Mail
Apple Mail gives you a short window to undo a sent email: click Undo Send at the bottom of the sidebar straight after sending. You can change the delay in Mail settings. Gmail in a browser has its own Undo button that pops up after you send.
Undo in your web browser
Undo works inside text boxes on websites too: if you clear a long comment or form by mistake, click back into the box and press Command-Z before you do anything else. What it won't do is undo closing a browser tab. For that, Safari and Chrome both use Shift-Command-T to reopen the last closed tab, and you can press it repeatedly to bring back several. If you closed the whole window, the History menu has an option to reopen it.
Undo in Photos and screenshots
In the Photos app, Command-Z undoes your last edit while you're still editing, and Revert to Original takes a photo all the way back to how it was, even weeks later, because Photos keeps the original. Screenshots work the same way in Preview: each crop or markup can be undone one step at a time until you close the file.
Undo in Notes and Messages
Apple's Notes app keeps undo history for the note you're in, so you can step back through several edits. In Messages, recent versions of macOS let you undo send for a short time after you hit Return: Control-click the message and choose Undo Send. After that window closes, you can still edit or delete the message on your side, but the other person may already have seen it.
Undo on a Windows keyboard
If you use a PC keyboard with your Mac, the Windows logo key usually acts as Command, so undo is Windows key and Z. Ctrl-Z won't work in most Mac apps.
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Habits that make undo less necessary
Press Command-S often in apps that don't save automatically. Use the Versions feature in Apple's own apps. And for big edits, duplicate the file first (Command-D in Finder) so you've got the original to fall back on. There are more small habits like this in my round-up of office productivity hacks.
My verdict
Command-Z undoes, Shift-Command-Z redoes, and pressing undo again steps further back in most apps. In Finder it's the fastest way to rescue a file you just binned. Just remember that it works on the front window only, and that emptying the Trash or sending an email can't be undone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the undo shortcut on a Mac?
Command-Z. You can also choose Edit, Undo from the menu bar.
How do I redo on a Mac?
Press Shift-Command-Z. Some apps also accept Command-Y.
Can I undo a deleted file on a Mac?
Yes, press Command-Z straight away, or use Put Back in the Trash.
How many times can I undo on a Mac?
It depends on the app. Many let you undo multiple steps.
Why is undo not working on my Mac?
The wrong window may be active, or the app can't undo that action.
