PSMReborn
alias act='top -o cpu -s 5 -n 20' Now just type act in Terminal for a clean, updated process list. | Goal | Shortcut | |------|----------| | Launch Activity Monitor | Cmd+Space → “Activity” → Return | | Force quit selected process | Cmd+Option+Q | | Normal quit dialog | Cmd+Delete | | Search processes | Cmd+F | | Process info window | Cmd+I | | Sample process | Option+Cmd+S | | CPU tab | Cmd+1 | | Memory tab | Cmd+2 | | Energy tab | Cmd+3 | | Disk tab | Cmd+4 | | Network tab | Cmd+5 | | Refresh data | Cmd+R | | Switch between processes | ↑ / ↓ | | Show/hide Dock (to access pinned app) | Cmd+Option+D | A Word of Caution With great shortcuts come great responsibilities. Command + Option + Q will not ask for confirmation. If you force quit WindowServer , kernel_task , or your system daemons, your Mac may freeze or force restart. Stick to force-quitting user apps (Safari, Chrome, Word, etc.) unless you know exactly what a system process does. Final Verdict Activity Monitor’s shortcuts turn a good utility into a great one. After one week of using Cmd+1 through Cmd+5 and Cmd+Option+Q , you’ll never go back to clicking tabs and confirmation dialogs.
Open Terminal ( Command + Space → “Terminal”) and type: shortcut for activity monitor mac
With Dock icon set to show CPU, a single click on the Dock icon opens the full Activity Monitor. No shortcuts needed. Power User Shortcut: Command Line via top For the truly shortcut-obsessed, skip the GUI entirely. alias act='top -o cpu -s 5 -n 20'
Command + Space → type “Activity” → Return If you force quit WindowServer , kernel_task ,
Activity Monitor is the Mac’s built-in task manager, resource monitor, and system diagnostic tool rolled into one. While many users know it exists, few use it efficiently. The difference between occasionally poking around and truly mastering it comes down to one thing: shortcuts .