Command+B

Updated: 12/31/2020 by Computer Hope
Apple Command key, plus sign, and the letter B

Alternatively known as Cmd+B, Command+B is a keyboard shortcut most commonly used to toggle bold text on and off. Below are other programs that use this keyboard shortcut and related information.

Tip

On Windows computers, the keyboard shortcut for bold is Ctrl+B.

How to use the Command+B keyboard shortcut

To use this keyboard shortcut, press and hold either Command key, and while continuing to hold, press B.

In many programs, this keyboard shortcut has two purposes: change highlighted text to bold or unbold (depending on its current state), or start typing bold text at the cursor's location.

Command+B in Excel and other spreadsheet programs

In Microsoft Excel and all other spreadsheet programs, pressing Command+B when one or more cells is selected will bold or unbold them. If you're editing the contents of a cell with no selected text, Command+B toggles bold on and off.

Command+B in Word and other word processors

In Microsoft Word and other word processors, highlighting text and pressing Command+B makes the text bold. If the text is already bold, pressing Command+B unbolds the text. Pressing Command+B without anything highlighted starts typing bold text at the cursor's location.

Using Command+B in an Internet browser

The Command+B keyboard shortcut serves different purposes depending on the Internet browser. For example, in Firefox, Command+B displays the bookmarks folder. However, in Safari and other browsers, Command+B does not currently have a function.

Below are links to related keyboard shortcuts and individual key pages.

B, Bold, Cmd, Keyboard, Keyboard shortcut, Keyboard terms