---
title: Modes
description: NORMAL, INSERT, VISUAL, COMMAND and HINT, and who gets your keys in each.
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/concepts/modes
---

# Modes
Like vim, Heed has modes. The status bar always shows which one you are in.

| Mode        | Your keys go to              | Enter                       | Leave                |
|-------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------|
| **NORMAL**  | Heed: every key is a command | (the default)               |                      |
| **INSERT**  | The focused terminal         | `i`, or click a pane        | `⇧⎋` or `⌃\`         |
| **VISUAL**  | Selecting rows to act on     | `v`                         | `⎋`                  |
| **COMMAND** | The command line             | `:`                         | `⎋`, or `↩` to run   |
| **HINT**    | Jump labels                  | `f` (`F` jumps into INSERT) | type a label, or `⎋` |

![NORMAL in the status bar](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/images/shots/concepts/mode-normal.png)
![INSERT](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/images/shots/concepts/mode-insert.png)
![VISUAL](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/images/shots/concepts/mode-visual.png)
![COMMAND](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/images/shots/concepts/mode-command.png)
![HINT](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/images/shots/concepts/mode-hint.png)
In NORMAL no key ever reaches a terminal, so nothing you type there can end up in an agent by accident. The standard
Mac shortcuts (`⌘W`, `⌘Q`, `⌘H`, `⌘M`) work in every mode; see [Mac shortcuts](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/keyboard/mac-shortcuts).