All Chromebook Short Cut Keys (Command) Combinations That Will Save Your Day

If you are new to the world of Chromebook, you'd discover that it's not just like Windows or any other operating system. Though Chromebook shares most of the common short cut keys combinations with Windows, Mac and other available OSs, there are some custom key combinations that don't just work like Windows or Mac.

So if you are porting from any of these operating systems to Chromebook, you'd find yourself fiddling to get used to these new keys combinations.

The following are some of the key combinations of Chromebook that are worth your attention:

Popular Chromebook Keys Combinations and functions

Ctrl + c = copies selected content to clipboard

Ctrl tab = goes to next tab

Ctrl + I or Alt + d = focuses the address bar

Double tapping the touchpad = pops up the right click menu

Alt + Search = caps lock on/off

Ctrl + Shift + Tab = goes to previous tab

Ctrl + 1 through 8 = goes to tabs 1 through 8

Search + I = lockscreen

Search + v = opens clipboard

Search + v = Opens Google assistant

Ctrl + t = opens new tab

Ctrl + n = opens new window

Alt + Shift while tapping Tab = Opens the window that has been unused for the longest time. It circles through windows to your desired window. Release the keys when you get to the window.

Ctrl + v = paste content from clipboard

Ctrl + k or + e = focuses the search address bar

Ctrl + r = reloads the current page

Ctrl + Alt + / = toggles keyboard short cut helper

Ctrl + screen key = takes full screenshot

Ctrl + Shift + Screen key = takes partial screenshot/recording

Shortcuts Based On Chromebook's Function Keys

The function keys are the keys on the topmost row of your Chromebook. Let's see what the function keys do from left to right.

Esc = Leaves, cancels or escapes an operation or window.

Left Arrow key = Navigates back/ goes to the previous page/window/screen

Right Arrow key = Goes to the next page/window/screen

Refresh key = Refreshes the window/screen

Full screen key = toggles on and off the full screen mode

Screen key = shows all open windows/screens

Dim screen key 🔅 = dims the screen/reduces screen brightness

Screen Brightness key 🔆 = increases the screen brightness

Mute key = mites/silences the system

Volume dim key = reduces the system volume

Volume increment key = increases the system volume

The following key combinations work with the function keys:

Ctrl + Screen key = takes full screenshot

Ctrl + Shift + Screen key = takes partial screenshot/recording

Record button = Takes screenshot/recording

Chromebook's Shortcut Keys Based on Windows and Tabs

Search + [ = Activates the desk on the left

Search + ] = Activates the desk on the right

Ctrl + w = Closes the current tab

Ctrl + Shift + w = closes the current window

Shift + Search + = = Creates a new desk

Alt + [ = Docks a window to the left

Alt + ] = Docks a window to the right

Ctrl + 9 = Goes to the last tab in the window

Alt + = = Maximizes a window

Alt + Search + m = Moves active window between displays

Shift + Search + [ = Moves active window to the desk on the left

Shift + Search + ] = Moves active window to the desk on the right

Ctrl + Alt + t = Opens Crosh window

Ctrl + o = Opens a file in the browser

Ctrl + Shift + n = Opens a new window in incognito mode

Ctrl + t = Opens a new tab

Ctrl + n = Opens a new window

Drag a link to a new area on the tab area/strip  = Open the link in a new tab

Ctrl + Shift + Click on Link = Opens the link in a new tab

Ctrl + Click a link = Opens the link in a new tab in the background

Shift + Click a link = Opens the link in a new window; navigates through opened windows.

Shift + Search + - = Removes the current desk

Drag a link tothe address bar of a tab = Opens the link in the tab

Press Alt + Enter, after entering a web address in the address bar = Opens the webpage in a new tab

Press and hold Alt + Shift then tap the Tab key continuously = Circles through opened tabs, navigates

Ctrl + Shift + t = Reopens the last tab or window closed

Press Esc while dragging a tab = Return the tab to it's original position

Ctrl +Alt + Shift + 🔃 (Reload button) = Rotates the window

Ctrl + Search + a = Searches tabs

Alt + tab continuously = Circles through window and opens highlighted window when released.

Ctrl + Alt + Screen key = Take window screenshot/recording

Screen toggle key = Toggles screen

Alt + Search + c = Toggles menu for resize lock mode

Shift + Search + Esc = Unpins app

Shortcut Keys Based on Web Browser & Page

Ctrl + Enter = Adds www. and .com to your input in the address bar, then opens the page

Ctrl + Shift + b = Focuses on or highlights the bookmarks bar (if shown)

Ctrl + Shift + Backspace = Clears browsing data

Esc = Closes any open find window or stops the loading of the current page

Ctrl + F6 = Focuses web content in the browser

Alt + Back Key = Goes back to the previous page

Alt + Forward key  = Moves forward to the next page

Search + Forward key = Goes to bottom of page

Ctrl + g or Enter = Goes to the next march for your query or search.

Ctrl + Shift + g or Shift + Enter = Goes to the previous match for your

Search + 🔙 (back) key = To to top of page

Ctrl + Shift + 🔙 (back) = Next pane

Alt + Home = Opens homepage 

Ctrl + j = Opens the download page

Ctrl + h = Opens the history page

Search + down key = Page down

Search + Up key = Page up

Ctrl + k or e = Places focus in search address bar

F10 = Places focus on menu bar

Ctrl + back key = Goes to previous pane

Ctrl + p = Opens the print dialogue for printing

Ctrl + r or Reload key = Reloads or refreshes the current pages

Ctrl + Shift + r = Reloads your current page without using cached content

Ctrl + o = Resets zoom level on the page

Alt + Clicking a link = Same function as right clicking a link

Ctrl + Shift + d = Saves all open pages in your current window as bookmarks in a new folder

Dragging a link to the bookmarks bar = Saves the link as a bookmark

Ctrl + s = Saves the current page

Ctrl + d = Saves the current tab as a bookmark

Space key = Scrolls down the web page

Ctrl + f = Searches the current page

Ctrl + e or f = Shows Chrome menu

Ctrl + Shift = o = Shows the bookmark manager

Ctrl + Shift + j = Shows or hide the developer tools console

Ctrl + Shift + c = Shows or hides the developer tools console

Ctrl + Shift + i = Shows or hides the developer tools panel

Ctrl + Shift + b = Shows or hides the bookmarks bar

Ctrl + u = Views page source

Ctrl + = = Zooms in the page

Ctrl + - = Zooms out the page

Shortcut Keys Based on System & Display Settings

Search + Esc = Brings up the task manager

Alt + 1 through 8 = Clicks icons 1-8 on your shelf

Alt + 9 = Clicks the last item on your shelf

Ctrl + Shift + = = Zooms in the display

Ctrl + Shift + - = Zooms out the display

Ctrl + . = Displays hidden files in the Files app

Ctrl + Screen key = Mirrors monitors

Mute key = Mutes the sound

Ctrl + Search + Esc = Opens Diagnostics App

Ctrl + / = Opens the Help Centre

Alt + Shift + m = Opens the files app

Alt + Shift + s = Opens the status area (where your account display picture appears. You shutdown, opens settings, lock the system or sign out of the system from here)

Shift + Search = Opens/closes the full screen launcher. This is handy for quickly launching an app.

Search = Opens or closes the launcher. To open the launcher in full mode, click the upward facing arrow at the top.

Select a file, then press the Space key = Previews the file in the Files app

Shift + Search + i = Suspends or puts the device in sleep mode 

Ctrl + Shift + 0 = Resets zoom level

Ctrl + Shift + Refresh (reload) key = Rotes the screen 90 degrees

Alt + Shift + n = Sees your notifications. You can scroll up or down to see all recent notifications. To configure the notification settings, click the gear icon. You can choose to stop showing notifications from here, or choose keep showing to keep showing notifications. You can also click the snooze button which is the button before the gear icon to snooze you notification for some time.

Alt +Shift + p = Shows stylus tools

Shift + Search + k = Shows a menu which displays a list of available IMEs

Ctrl + Shift + q = Signs out

Alt + Shift + i = Submits feedback

Alt + Window key = Swaps primary monitor

Ctrl + Space = Switches to the last used input method

Ctrl + Shift + Space = Switches to the next available input method

Ctrl + Alt + . = Switches to the next user

Ctrl + Alt + , = Switches to the previous user

Small gear icon = Dims the screen (Turns down the screen's brightness)

Bigger gear icon = Increases screen brightness

Small speaker icon = Lowers the volume

Bigger speaker icon = Increases the volume

Shortcut Keys for Text Editing

Ctrl + c = Copies selected content to clipboard

Ctrl + x = Cuts selected content for moving to a new location

Search + Backspace = Deletes the next letter (Executes a forward delete operation)

Ctrl + Backspace = Deletes the previous word

Alt + o = Dims the keyboard for backlit keyboards

Ctrl + l or Alt + d = Focuses the address bar

Ctrl + Search + back key = Goes to beginning of document

Search + Back arrow key = Goes to beginning of line

Ctrl + Search + forward key = Goes to end of document

Search + Forward key = Goes to end of line

Alt + Bigger brightness key = Makes the keyboard brighter to backlit keyboards

Ctrl + Forward key = Moves to the end of the next word

Ctrl + Backward key = Moves to the start of the previous word

Search + v = Opens the clipboard

Shift + Search + Space = Opens the Emoji Picker

Ctrl + v = Pastes content from the clipboard

Ctrl + Shift + v = Pastes content from the clipboard as plain (unformatted) text

Ctrl + Shift + z = Redoes the last action

Ctrl + a = Selects everything on the page

Ctrl + Shift + backward key = Selects previous word or letter

Shift + Search + backward key = Selects text to the beginning of the line

Shift + Search + forward key = Selects text to the end of the line

Ctrl + l or Alt + d = Selects the content in the address bar

Ctrl + Shift + forward key = Selects the next word or letter

Ctrl + Space bar = Switches to the last used input method

Ctrl + Shift + Space bar = Switches to the next available input method

Alt + Search = Turns on/off caps lock

Ctrl + z = Undoes the last action

Shortcut Keys based on Accessibility

Alt + Shift + b = Focuses on or highlights the bookmarks bar (if shown)

Alt + Shift + l = Highlights the launcher button on your shelf

Shift + Alt + l, then tab or forward key = Highlights the next item on your shelf

Shift + Alt + l, then Shift + tab or backward key = Highlights the previous item on your shelf

Alt + Shift + t = Highlights the row with the address bar

Ctrl, then backward key or forward key or upward key or downward key = Moves an app icon around the app grid

Ctrl + Shift, then backward key or forward key or upward key or downward key = Moves an app icon in/out of a folder in the app grid

Alt + Shift + h = Moves focus to a help dialogue

Alt + Shift + a = Moves focus to popups and dialogues

Shift + Search + volume key = Opens right-click menu for selected item

Shift + Alt + l, then Space or Enter = Opens the highlighted item on your shelf

Shift + Alt + l, then Esc = Removes the highlight from an item on your shelf

Ctrl + backward key or Ctrl + Shift + backward key = Switches focus between status area (where your account picture appears), launcher, address bar, bookmarks bar (if visible), the webpage that's open, and downloads bar (if visible). If a focusable dialogue is displayed, moves focus there instead.

Ctrl + Alt + z = Toggles on/off ChromeVox (spoken feedback)

Ctrl + Search + 7 = Turns caret browsing on/off

Ctrl + Search + h = Turns on high contrast mode

Ctrl + Search + d = Turns the docked magnifier on or off

Ctrl + Search + m = Turns the full screen magnifier on/off

Ctrl + Alt + bigger screen brightness key = Zooms in (when docked or full screen magnifiers enabled)

Ctrl + Alt + smaller screen brightness key = Zooms out (when docked or full screen magnifiers enabled)