BEST GUIDE: Page Up and Page Down on a Mac OS X

On a Windows computer, all keyboards come with the page up/page down keys, they are either separate keys or comes built into the Fn (Function) keys. Page Up and Page Down keys saves time, and are very handy when you’re reading, editing or doing document related tasks with a lot of pages – These  keys allows you to quickly jump to next/prev pages.
On Full Mac Keyboards, You will have the page up/page down keys.  On other mac keyboards, you will need to use the Fn Key + the up/down arrow keys to achieve this  functionality.

page up-page down

However, the behavior of these keys are not the same as Windows. On Windows and Linux systems, when you use the Page Up or Page Down keys in a non-editing view port, the window will scroll up or down by a screen BUT when you use the  keys in an editable viewport, such as (word, text editors) etc.. the viewport will move the screen and the cursor.

On a Mac, when you hit the page up or page down keys, (fn + down arrow or fn + up arrow), it will only move the screen, not the cursor. If you would like to move the cursor and the screen both then you will need to use the Option Keys + Page Up or Page Down or (Option Key + Fn + Up Arrow/Down Arrow).

Full Keyboard MacBook Keyboard Action
Page Up fn-Up Arrow Move screen up
Page Down fn-Down Arrow Move screen down
Option-Page Up fn-Option-Up Arrow Move cursor/screen up
Option-Page Down fn-Option-Down Arrow Move cursor/screen down
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Comments

2
    RS
    Richard Schwalb Feb 28, 2021

    As a novice to MacOS (I’m a longtime Windows user), I appreciate this info. I am also amused that an article about using arrow keys was written by a guy whose last name is arrows! 🙂

    GM
    Gennady Meergus Jun 29, 2022

    Option-PageUp does not work for me in TextEdit app on MacBook Pro M1 2021 with MacOS 12.4.
    It just moves cursor one line up/down, not one screen up.
    🙁