How to Undo on Mac and redo on Mac (Sonoma Updated)

Get the complete guide how to Undo on Mac & redo on Mac for Notes, Finder, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Safari, Photos & Videos Editing etc.

Knowing how to undo and redo actions is crucial when working on a Mac. This can save you time and effort, preventing accidental deletions or edits in apps like Notes, Pages, Mail, Finder, and Keynote. On a MacBook, you can easily go back one step while typing by undoing or redoing specific actions.

Presenting the top ten most practical ways to perform Undo and Redo functions on a MacBook for reverting changes.

Mastering Undo and Redo on Mac: Essential Tips and Tricks

The easiest way to undo and redo an action in a MacBook is by using the keyboard shortcut keys. Using the shortcut keys can save a lot of time and effort for the Mac customers and revert to the previous or the following step in an instant. 

  • Undo Shortcut on Mac

The shortcut for undoing a specific action in a MacBook is by pressing the “Command + Z” keys simultaneously. if you are using windows Keyboard on Mac then use “Alt + Z

  • Redo Shortcut on Apple Mac

The shortcut for redoing a specific action in a Mac is by pressing the “Command + Shift + Z” keys on the keyboard. For Windows Keyboard on Mac using “Alt + Shift + Z

How To Undo in Notes on Mac

Suppose you are using the Notes app on your MacBook for keeping track of certain things like a daily schedule, grocery list, or any other essential items, and you delete some crucial points by mistake. You can revert the changes by sticking to the instructions explained below.

Note: We can’t do undo and redo after closing a note or Switch to another note. We can do it only while on it. Get more tips to Recover Notes on Mac.

  • Undo in Notes on Mac

Step. 1→ Launch the Notes app.

Step. 2→ Then, open the file you want to perform the undo action.

Step. 3→ Now, click on the Edit option at the top of the menu bar.

Step. 4→ Finally, select the “Undo” option to undo the last action.

Or Use Command + Z for Undo and Command + Shift + Z for Redo on your Mac notes app.

  • Redo in Notes on Mac

Step. 1→ Open the Notes app and navigate to the file that you want to perform the redo action.

Step. 2→ At the top menu, click on Edit.

Step. 3→ Now, from the drop-down menu, select redo.

This process will redo any action that you had undone by accident.

How to Undo in Pages on Mac

The process of Undo and Redo in Pages is similar to that of the Notes app on MacBook. Follow the method described below to Undo or Redo something in the Pages app.

  • Undo in Pages

Step. 1→ In the Pages app, tap on the “Edit” label at the menu bar on the top of the screen.

Step. 2→ Then, select the Undo option from the drop-down menu.

Or Use Command + Z for Undo & Command + Shift + Z for Redo in Pages. For Windows Keyboard, Use Alt + Z for Undo & Alt + Shift + Z for Redo.

  • Redo in Pages

Step. 1→ Keep the file in which you want to redo an inevitable step open in the Pages app.

Step. 2→ Move the cursor to Edit at the top of the screen and click on it.

Step. 3→ At last, from the list of available options, tap on the Redo option to redo the last action.

How to Undo Moving Messages in the Mail app

Suppose there are three messages in your Mail app, and you want to Archive one message, move one to the mailbox folder and delete the third message one after the other in the specified order. In that case, you can undo all of these changes in the Mail App by the following process.

Step. 1→ In the Mail app, click on Edit at the menu bar on the top.

Step. 2→ Then, click on “Undo Delete Message.”

Step. 3→ Now, go to Edit again and tap on “Undo Move Message.”

Step. 4→ Finally, click on Edit and hit the “Undo Archive Message” option.

This method will restore or undo the changes and move all three messages back to their original allocated location.

How to Undo in Finder on Mac

The MacBook allows its customers to undo specific actions like moving a file to a folder, deleting a file, renaming a file, etc., in the Finder app. This undoing process is straightforward, and one can carry it out by performing the following functions.

Step. 1→ In the finder app, click on Edit.

Step. 2→ Now select “Undo <specified action>” to undo the desired changes.

How to Undo Changes in the Keynote app on Mac

The process of Undo and Redo is the same for the Keynote app as all the other applications mentioned in this article. Go to Edit > Undo or Command + Z in the Keynote app to undo the last performed action. You can also redo the last undone step by clicking on Edit > Redo or Command + Shift + Z. This method works for almost all of the apps on the MacBook. One can also use the Undo and Redo shortcuts for carrying out this process.

How to Undo Move to Trash action in Finder

The simplest method for undoing the “Move to Trash” action is by pressing “Command + Z” on the keyboard or going to Edit > Undo. However, this method is only effective for individual files and not for a bunch of files. To undo the “Move to Trash” action for multiple files, pay attention to the procedure below.

Step. 1→ First, open the Trash folder on your MacBook.

Step. 2→ Now, click on the file you want to move back to its original location.

Step. 3→ Then, click on the File option at the top menu bar.

Step. 4→ In the drop-down window, look for the “Put Back” option and click on it.

This method moves the desired file from the Trash folder to its original location. You can select multiple files in the Trash folder and perform Steps 3 and 4 to move them all to their default location at once.

How to Undo Browser Tab or Window Closing in Safari

Suppose you closed a tap in your safari browser that you did not want to close in the first place. In that case, you can reopen the closed tab by clicking on Edit > Undo Close Tab. However, there are other ways using which you reopen or restore the previously open window in safari. One of these methods is discussed below.

Step. 1→ In your Safari browser, click on History at the top of the screen.

Step. 2→ Then, click on Recently Closed from the list of available options.

Step. 3→ Now, select the tab or site you want to reopen from the list on the right.

You can also reopen the last closed tab by going to History > Reopen Last Closed Window. Similarly, you can also restore all the tabs from your previous browsing session on safari by History > Reopen All Windows from Last Session.

Revert to Original in the Photos App

Since the Photos app is a non-destructive editor, you can undo the changes made in the photo even after days, months or even years of saving the picture. If you want to undo an action in real-time, you can use the Edit> Undo option. For example, suppose, while editing a photo in the Photos app, you feel like undoing all the changes and reverting to the original image, but you have already saved the changes. In that case, you can revert to the original photo by the simple procedure explained here.

Step. 1→ The initial step involves launching the Photos app on your Mac.

Step. 2→ Now, open the edited photo in the Photos app.

Step. 3→ Tap on the Edit menu at the top right corner of the screen.

Step. 4→ Search for the “Revert to Original” option at the top left corner of the screen and click on it.

Despite the changes being made long ago, the photos app will undo all the edits and revert the photograph to its original form.

How to Undo Changes While Editing Photos and Videos

Consider editing a photo or video in an editing app, and you want to undo or redo the edits like layers, changes, contrast, brightness, etc. This change can be implemented quickly in all the editing software available for the MacBook by following the instructions mentioned below.

Step. 1→ In the editing app, hit the Edit button at the top of the display.

Step. 2→ Finally, click on “Undo <last action>” to revert to the last performed Edit.

Hopefully, with this article, we can give you deep insight into how to use the undo and redo commands for various applications and browsers on your MacBook. Using undo is not just a way to correct mistakes; it is also a way to give you the freedom to experiment, knowing that you can go back a few steps if it does not work out. 

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood is a journalist based in Ohio who specializes in covering Apple and technology trends. With a varied experience in reporting on public safety, government, and education, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, providing readers with a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at karlywood.ohio@gmail.com or through (Facebook)

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