Bear keyboard shortcuts
Bear is a Markdown notes app for Mac that sorts your notes with tags instead of folders. Its keys format text, add tables and to-dos, move lines and lists, insert dates, switch notes, and manage files and windows.
macOS · 80 shortcutsText formatting
Heading number keys set levels 1 through 6. These commands apply to selected text or at the editor insertion point.
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Apply heading level 1 through 6 | Cmd + 1-6 |
| Insert a separator | Option + Cmd + S |
| Toggle bold | Cmd + B |
| Toggle italic | Cmd + I |
| Toggle underline | Cmd + U |
| Toggle strikethrough | Shift + Cmd + U |
| Insert a link | Cmd + K |
| Insert a Wiki link | Cmd + D |
| Create an unordered list | Cmd + L |
| Create an ordered list | Shift + Cmd + L |
| Create a quote | Shift + Cmd + T |
| Toggle inline code | Option + Cmd + C |
| Create a code block | Ctrl + Cmd + C |
| Toggle marker highlighting | Shift + Cmd + M |
| Insert a footnote | Shift + Cmd + E |
| Attach a file | Shift + Cmd + V |
Tables and to-dos
Table row and column commands require the insertion point to be inside a table. To-do commands create an item or toggle its completion state.
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Insert a table | Option + Cmd + T |
| Add a table row | Ctrl + Cmd + Down |
| Add a table column | Ctrl + Cmd + Right |
| Delete the current table row | Ctrl + Cmd + Delete |
| Delete the current table column | Ctrl + Shift + Cmd + Delete |
| Create a to-do | Cmd + T |
| Toggle the current to-do | Cmd + . |
Lines and lists
Shift-line commands change indentation or order for the current line. Tab commands change the nesting level of a list item.
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Shift the current line right | Option + Cmd + Right |
| Shift the current line left | Option + Cmd + Left |
| Move the current line up | Cmd + Option + Up |
| Move the current line down | Cmd + Option + Down |
| Indent the current list item | Tab |
| Outdent the current list item | Shift + Tab |
Dates and editor control
Date commands insert Bear's four published relative-date values. Editor control includes selection, printing, folding, links, search, and zoom.
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Insert today's date | Shift + Cmd + 7 |
| Insert tomorrow's date | Shift + Cmd + 8 |
| Insert yesterday's date | Shift + Cmd + 9 |
| Insert the current date and time | Shift + Cmd + 0 |
| Select all text | Cmd + A |
| End editing | Cmd + Return |
| Print the note | Cmd + P |
| Open the link under the insertion point | Shift + Cmd + K |
| Toggle folding for the current section | Cmd + ' |
| Copy the note link | Option + Shift + Cmd + L |
| Copy the note identifier | Option + Shift + Cmd + I |
| Zoom in | Cmd + + |
| Zoom out | Cmd + - |
| Return to actual size | Cmd + 0 |
| Toggle note statistics | Shift + Cmd + I |
| Toggle the table of contents | Shift + Cmd + A |
| Toggle backlinks | Shift + Cmd + B |
| Find in the current note | Cmd + F |
| Find and replace in the current note | Option + Cmd + F |
| Search the note list | Shift + Cmd + F |
Files and windows
Import and export act on notes. Window commands switch Bear's column layout or control the main application window.
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Export notes | Shift + Cmd + S |
| Import notes | Shift + Cmd + O |
| Use the single-column layout | Ctrl + 1 |
| Use the two-column layout | Ctrl + 2 |
| Use the three-column layout | Ctrl + 3 |
| Open Bear settings | Cmd + , |
| Toggle full-screen mode | Ctrl + Cmd + F |
| Show or hide the main Bear window | Cmd + \ |
Source
Bear for Mac keyboard shortcuts · Checked
Current Bear for Mac shortcut reference checked August 31, 2026. Bear Web has a separate beta keymap and is not mixed into this native macOS reference. Back and forward shortcuts can vary with keyboard layout and localization.