How to show keyboard shortcuts in Slack on Mac: the shortcuts list, desktop steps for 2026

Show the keyboard shortcuts list in Slack on Mac

Start with the desktop app. Slack's Help Center gives one instruction for this. Press ⌘ / (Command and slash) from Slack on your desktop, and the list appears in a panel on the right side of the screen. That is the whole answer for most people. The rest of this page covers the steps in detail, the Mac keys worth learning next, and what to do when the list does not open.

Why ⌘ / and not a menu item

You might expect a Keyboard Shortcuts item in the menu bar. Slack's documentation does not describe one. The Help Center documents a key combination, not a menu path, so the shortcut is the reliable route. Spend your time on the keys, not on hunting through menus.

The key itself deserves a second look. Slack's main keyboard shortcuts article has garbled text that seems to show ⌘ , for the list. Two other Slack help pages say ⌘ /. That is the instruction to follow.

Mac keys to learn after the list

Once you know where the list lives, a few keys do most of the daily work. Slack's Mac table lists them. Some work only in the desktop app, which matters if you move between the app and a browser tab. The table below shows each key and where Slack says it works.

Start with ⌘ J if you come back to Slack after a meeting. It jumps to your first unread message, and Slack marks it desktop only. Add ⌘ G for search next, because it saves a trip to the search box.

Turn on Full Keyboard Access for Tab then M

Tab then M opens the Message Actions menu on a Mac. Slack's help article says it works only when Full Keyboard Access is on. Full Keyboard Access is a macOS setting, not a key combination, so you cannot switch it on from inside Slack.

Open System Settings and search for Full Keyboard Access. Turn it on. Apple changes pane names between macOS releases, so search for the name rather than following a fixed route.

Be aware that this setting changes how Tab works in other apps too. Tab moves focus through more controls, not just text fields. If that gets in your way, turn it off again.

When the shortcuts list does not open

Most failures come from three causes. The wrong app is in front, a browser tab has focus instead of the desktop app, or another app takes ⌘ / before Slack sees it. Check them in that order. Each check takes only a few seconds.

• Slack is not the active app, so the keys go somewhere else.
• A browser tab has focus instead of the desktop app.
• Another app or keyboard utility uses ⌘ / first.

Using the list in the web app or on Windows

Slack's instruction applies to the desktop app on Mac. The Help Center names Ctrl / for Windows and Linux, so the key changes on those systems. The Slack pages checked for this page do not confirm ⌘ / in a browser tab, so do not assume it works there.

Two shortcuts are documented as desktop only. They are ⌘ J for the first unread message and ⌘ , for preferences. If you rely on either one, stay in the desktop app. The browser may behave differently.

Move between sections with the keyboard

Slack's navigation article covers moving between sections. In the desktop app, F6 and Shift F6 move between sections, and ⌘ → and ⌘ ← do the same job. In a browser, the Mac keys are ⌘ F6 and ⌘ ⇧ F6. Use the desktop keys inside the app and the browser keys only in a tab.

Why a shortcut list saves real time

Switching between tools has a cost. A Lokalise vendor survey of 1,000 US knowledge workers across 11 industries reports an average of 33 tab, app, or platform switches per day. The same survey puts the time lost to tool fatigue at about 51 minutes per week. Lokalise sells localization software, so treat those figures as directional.

A secondary source citing a 2005 CHI paper says workers are interrupted every 6 to 12 minutes. The original paper was not checked for this page, so verify it before you quote it.

A shortcut will not stop interruptions. It does remove the detour to the mouse and the hunt through menus. That detour is the part you control.

Mistakes people make with Slack shortcuts

• Pressing ⌘ , and expecting the list. In the desktop app, that key opens preferences.
• Looking for a setting to remap keys. Slack says custom keyboard shortcuts are not possible.
• Trusting ⌘ K without checking it. The Navigate article lists it for opening a channel or DM, but the main Mac table leaves it out.
• Using a browser tab and wondering why the list is missing. Slack documents the instruction for the desktop app.
• Assuming Tab then M works by default. It needs Full Keyboard Access in macOS.

Practice the list without risk

Reading the list once does not make the keys stick. Practice in a quiet place where a mistake costs nothing. A draft message or an empty channel works well for this.

1. Open the Slack desktop app and press ⌘ / once.
2. Read the panel for about one minute without touching anything else.
3. Pick three keys you will use every day, such as ⌘ J, ⌘ G and ⌘ F.
4. Press each key once and note whether it did what the panel says.

Repeat the routine for a few days. The keys you use most will start to feel automatic, and the panel becomes a backup instead of a crutch.

Where Lazur fits in

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. It lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and Lazur answers out loud. Ask where something is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it. Ask how to do something, and Lazur guides you one click at a time, waiting for each click.

For this task, that means two useful things. If the shortcuts panel is open, you can ask where it is and Lazur points at it. If you forget which key opens a menu, ask, and Lazur points at that menu on screen. Lazur does not press ⌘ / for you, and it does not change Slack's settings.

Lazur is not a plugin for any app, Slack included. It works across apps on the Mac. It looks at the screen only while you hold the shortcut. Audio and the screenshot go to AI providers so they can answer, and they are not stored.

Next steps after you open the list

If unread messages slow you down, read how to view unread messages in Slack on Mac. For the ⌘ , shortcut and where preferences live, see how to open preferences in Slack on Mac. Search has its own page, how to search messages in Slack on Mac, which covers ⌘ G in context.

Lazur runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. You can download it here, and current plans are on the pricing page. Check the pricing page before you decide, because plan details can change.