Gmail shortcuts for Apple Mail.
Press E to archive, J and K to move through your inbox, R to reply and # to delete, exactly as you do in Gmail. 4AM is a small Mac menu bar app that adds Gmail’s single-key shortcuts to Apple Mail.
Free for 7 days with everything working. One-time purchase of USD$9.99, no subscription. Requires macOS 27 or later.
Every key
Gmail shortcuts in Apple Mail, key by key
Gmail uses one key where Apple Mail needs two or three. S flags a message, which is the nearest thing Mail has to a Gmail star.
| Action | With 4AM’s Gmail set | Apple Mail by itself | Choose your own |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reply | R | ⌘R | ✓any key |
| Reply all | A | ⇧⌘R | ✓any key |
| Forward | F | ⇧⌘F | ✓any key |
| New message | C | ⌘N | ✓any key |
| Send | ⌘↩ | ⇧⌘D | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
| Archive | E | ⌃⌘A | ✓any key |
| Delete | # | ⌫ | ✓any key |
| Next message | J | ↓ | ✓any key |
| Previous message | K | ↑ | ✓any key |
| Flag | S | ⇧⌘L | ✓any key |
| Mark read | ⇧I | ⇧⌘U | ✓any key |
| Mark unread | ⇧U | ⇧⌘U | ✓any key |
| Mark as spam | ! | ⇧⌘J | ✓any key |
| Undo | Z | ⌘Z | ✓any key |
| Search | / | ⌥⌘F | ✓any key |
| Open message | O or ↩ | ⌘O | ✓any key |
| Copy | ⌘C Apple Mail’s own key | ⌘C | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
| Paste | ⌘V Apple Mail’s own key | ⌘V | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
| Cut | ⌘X Apple Mail’s own key | ⌘X | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
⌃ is Control, ⌘ is Command, ⇧ is Shift, ⌥ is Option and ↩ is Return. Choose your own: every shortcut can be changed to a key you pick. Click Edit Shortcuts in the 4AM menu, click the action and press your key. Send, copy, paste and cut work while you’re typing, so those need ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ held down.
Getting started
How to turn on Gmail shortcuts in Apple Mail
It takes about a minute. 4AM lives in your menu bar, with no Dock icon and no window to manage.
- Install 4AM
Open the download and drag 4AM into your Applications folder, then open it. - Allow Accessibility
macOS asks you to let 4AM control your Mac. Choose Open System Settings and switch 4AM on. If it isn’t in the list, add it with the + button. - Choose Gmail
Click the 4AM icon in the menu bar and choose Gmail under Shortcut Set. It is the set 4AM starts with. Then select a message in Mail and press a key.
Good to know
How the Gmail set behaves
The details that matter when you move your habits over to Apple Mail.
Single keys never get in the way of typing
The single-key shortcuts work when the message list is selected or a message is open in its own window. While you write an email or type in the search field, every letter goes where you’re typing.
Command-Return sends
In a compose window, ⌘↩ sends the message, as it does in Gmail. Apple Mail’s own shortcut, ⇧⌘D, keeps working too.
Stars become flags
Apple Mail has flags rather than stars, so S flags or unflags the selected message.
Nothing you type is recorded
4AM checks each key against the shortcut list and forgets it. Nothing is logged or stored, and it only looks at the keyboard while Mail is the app in front.
Questions
Gmail shortcuts in Apple Mail, answered
The things people ask before trying it.
Can Apple Mail use Gmail keyboard shortcuts?
Not by itself. Apple Mail’s own shortcuts all need a modifier key such as Command. 4AM adds Gmail’s single-key shortcuts, so E archives, J and K move between messages, and R replies.
How do I archive an email in Apple Mail with one key?
Install 4AM, select a message and press E. Without 4AM, Mail’s archive shortcut is Control-Command-A.
Is there a J and K shortcut for Mac Mail?
With 4AM, J moves to the next message and K to the previous one, as in Gmail. Apple Mail by itself uses the down and up arrow keys.
Do I need a Gmail account to use the Gmail shortcuts?
4AM works with Apple Mail itself rather than with a mail provider, so the Gmail keys should work with any account you’ve added to Mail. Try the free trial to check it with yours.
Can I change a key I don’t like?
Yes. Click Edit Shortcuts in the 4AM menu, click the action and press the keys you want. Your changes are saved as a Custom set that starts from the Gmail keys.
Other sets
More shortcuts for Apple Mail
4AM includes every set, and you can switch between them from its menu. More about 4AM.
Outlook for Mac shortcuts for Apple Mail
The Outlook for Mac keys that Apple Mail does differently: ⌃E archives, ⌘J forwards, ⌘T marks as read.
Outlook for Windows shortcuts for Apple Mail
Ctrl shortcuts on the Mac’s Control key: ⌃R replies, ⌃F forwards, ⌃C and ⌃V copy and paste.
Your own shortcuts
Choose Custom, start from any set, then click an action and press the keys you want for it.
4AM is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple, Google or Microsoft. Apple Mail and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Gmail is a trademark of Google LLC. Outlook and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 4AM privacy policy · 4AM license terms