Command line and power tools

Getting the most from Quick Look

Updated 2026-07-31 · 3 min read

The fastest way to check what a file is, and the feature Mac users most often forget they have.

The basics

Select a file, press Space. Press it again to dismiss. With several files selected, the arrow keys move through them while the preview stays up.

⌥Space opens full screen. ⌘Y does the same as Space and works in a few places Space does not, such as anywhere a text field has focus.

What it can preview

Images, PDFs, video, audio, text, Office documents, iWork documents, fonts, and 3D models. Video and audio play in place. PDFs are scrollable and selectable.

Useful extras

• ⌘C while previewing copies the file
• The Open with button in the corner hands off to the real app
• Markup is available for images and PDFs directly in the preview
• Rotate images with the rotate button, without opening Preview

Extending it

Quick Look plugins add formats. Installed into ~/Library/QuickLook:

brew install --cask qlcolorcode qlstephen qlmarkdown quicklook-json

• qlcolorcode — syntax-highlighted source files
• qlstephen — plain text files with no extension, such as README or .gitignore
• qlmarkdown — rendered Markdown
• quicklook-json — formatted JSON

Then qlmanage -r to reload.

Why it matters for searching

Search gives you a list; Quick Look tells you which one you meant. Being able to arrow through results with the preview open is the difference between finding a file and finding the right file — which is why any search tool worth using binds a preview key.

Common questions

Why does Space not open Quick Look sometimes?

A text field has focus and receives the space instead. ⌘Y works in those cases.

How do I add Quick Look support for new file types?

Install a plugin into ~/Library/QuickLook, then run qlmanage -r to reload.