Using the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac

Apr 27, 2021 - 3 Comments

Using the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac

Do you want to be able to quickly check the size of a file on a Mac? Or perhaps you want to see when a particular app was last opened? Or perhaps you want to see what version an app is? You can use the “Get Info” option on Mac OS for doing this, and so much more.

While you may be already aware of the Get Info command, especially if you are a regular macOS user, you might not know that there’s a faster way to access this information. On Windows, getting the file info is as simple as right-clicking and selecting “Properties”. On macOS however, you select the file and then click on File -> Get Info from the menu bar to access the same information, or you can also right-click, and choose Get Info too. And there’s even a keyboard shortcut.

Once you learn this really useful keyboard shortcut on MacOS (and all Mac OS X versions, it’s been around forever), you’ll be using Get Info on the Mac to get file, folder, and app information faster than ever before.

How to Use the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac

The keyboard shortcut to get info on a file is pretty simple to learn. Follow the steps below to learn how it works, and how to view all the information after using the shortcut.

  1. First, open “Finder” on your Mac from the Dock.

    Using the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac
  2. Next, browse through your computer and single-click on the file, folder, or app you want to get information on.

    Using the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac
  3. Now that the file is selected, press “Command + i” keys simultaneously on your keyboard. This will open the file info directly. General information like file size, kind, and location will be listed here. Several other information is hidden. Click on “More Info” to see when the file was last opened. To check the file extension, expand “Name & Extension” in this window.

    Using the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac
  4. Of course, the other way to get information on a file is by selecting a file and then clicking on “File -> Get Info” from the menu bar, which is a two-step process.

    Using the Get Info Keyboard Shortcut on Mac

As you can see here, the keyboard shortcut makes it quicker to view the file, folder, or drive information.

And of course if you ever forget the shortcut key combination, you can find it right next to Get Info in the dropdown menu. Likewise, there are many other keyboard shortcuts that are indicated in the dropdown menus of all Mac apps, making it easy for you to learn and use.

In addition to these app-specific shortcuts, there are shortcuts that can be used system-wide like cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts. There are shortcuts to shut down and log out of your Mac as well. With specific key combinations, you can perform tasks that would otherwise require a mouse or trackpad. If you’re keen on learning all of them, you might want to bookmark this Apple Support page that lists out many additional shortcuts, and check out our various keyboard shortcuts articles too

Get the hang of the “Get Info” keyboard shortcut to quickly view file size, location, and other details, and you’ll be thanking yourself. And remember, this feature has been around on the Mac since the earliest days, so no matter what version of macOS, Mac OS X, or Classic Mac OS you’re using, you’ll find the Get Info command is available to use.

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Posted by: Hamlin Rozario in Mac OS, Tips & Tricks

3 Comments

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  1. Rudi says:

    Or just right mouse click on any device or file and then get info.

  2. Kurt L Hanson says:

    A #hatTip to Mr. Carrington here.

  3. Patrick Carrington says:

    Thank you for this but remind us all when we want to compare folder or file sizes, we can hold down OPTION COMMAND I and it will show sizes of whatever the finder window has selected. Thank you, again.

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