In the fast-paced world of computing, efficiency is the key to productivity. One of the most effective ways to streamline your workflow and become a proficient computer user is by mastering keyboard shortcut keys.
These handy combinations of key presses can save you time and effort, allowing you to navigate and operate your computer with finesse. In this article, we will delve into the world of computer keyboard shortcut keys, exploring their benefits and providing a comprehensive list of essential shortcuts for Windows and macOS.
The Power of Keyboard Shortcut Keys
Keyboard shortcut keys are combinations of one or more keys that trigger specific actions within an application or operating system. They are designed to expedite common tasks and reduce the reliance on the mouse or touchpad, making your interactions with the computer more efficient.
Here are some compelling reasons why mastering keyboard shortcuts is essential:
- Speed and Efficiency: Keyboard shortcuts are significantly faster than using a mouse. With a well-placed key combination, you can execute tasks in a fraction of the time it would take to navigate through menus and click buttons.
- Reduced Strain: Repeatedly reaching for the mouse can lead to wrist strain and discomfort. Keyboard shortcuts reduce the physical strain associated with computer use.
- Precision: Keyboard shortcuts allow for precise navigation and selection, making them indispensable for tasks like text editing, graphic design, and coding.
- Multitasking: Shortcut keys enable seamless multitasking. Quickly switch between applications, windows, or tabs with ease.
- Accessibility: For individuals with certain disabilities or mobility issues, keyboard shortcuts can be a vital tool for using a computer effectively.
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
|
Shortcut Keys of Computer A to Z (Basic) |
|
|---|---|
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut keys |
|
Alt + E |
It Edits options in the current program. |
|
Alt+Tab |
this is used to switch between the open windows. |
| Alt + F | Shows file menu options in the current program. |
| Alt + F4 | This closes the current window. |
| Alt + Page Up | It scrolls up the Entire Screen. |
| Alt + Page Down | It scrolls down the Entire Screen. |
| Alt + Left Arrow | It shows the previous history if it is present in Bowser. |
| Alt + Right Arrow | Go forward in the browser window. |
| Alt + Enter | It shows the property of the selected item. |
| Ctrl + A | It is used to select all text. |
| Ctrl + X | It cuts the selected item. |
| Ctrl + Del | It deletes selected items. |
| Ctrl + C / Ctrl+Ins | Used to copy the selected item. |
| Ctrl + V / Shift + Ins | Used to paste the selected item. |
| Ctrl + Home | It is used to go to the beginning of the document. |
| Ctrl + End | Go to the end of a document |
| Ctrl + S | Open the save as a dialogue box. |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo the last action. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Del | Opens Windows task manager. |
| Ctrl+N | Open a new window/document. |
| Ctrl+H | Open the history tab/bar. |
| Ctrl+J | Open the download tab/bar. |
| Ctrl+F | It starts the find utility. |
| Ctrl+P | Open the print dialogue box. |
| Ctrl+Esc | Open the Windows start menu. |
| Ctrl + “+” | Increases the zoom level. |
| Ctrl + “–” | Decreases the zoom level. |
| Ctrl + W / Ctrl + F4 | Closes the current tab. |
| Ctrl+T | Open a new tab. |
| Home | Takes the user to the start of the current line. |
| End | This is used to go to the end of the current line |
| Shift + Delete | files will be deleted permanently. |
| Ctrl + Y | This redo the last action. |
| Ctrl + K | It insert hyperlink for the selected text. |
| Windows key + L | This lock the computer, requiring password entry to access again. |
| Windows key + X | Access the Power User Tasks Menu in Windows 8 and Windows 10. |
| Windows key + Down arrow | It Minimize the active program window. |
| Windows key + Up arrow | It Maximize the active program window. |
| Ctrl + Left arrow | This key used to move one word to the left at a time. |
| Ctrl + Right arrow | This is used for move one word to the right at a time. |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo the last action. |
| Ctrl + K | Insert hyperlink for the selected text. |
| Windows key + X | Access the Power User Tasks Menu in Windows 8 and Windows 10. |
| Windows key + ↓ | Minimize the active program window. (That format Should be used) |
| Windows key + L | Lock the computer, requiring password entry to access again. |
| Windows key + ↑ | Maximize the active program window. |
| Ctrl + ← | Move one word to the left at a time. |
| Ctrl + → | Move one word to the right at a time. |
| Ctrl + Home | Go to the beginning of the document. |
| Ctrl + End | Go to the end of the document. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Windows Task Manager. |
| Shift + Home | Highlight from the current position to the beginning of the line. |
| Shift + End | Highlight from the current position to the end of the line. |
Computer Shortcut Keys for Microsoft Windows
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut keys |
|---|---|
|
F2 |
Used to rename the selected icon. |
|
F3 |
This Find anything from our desktop. |
| F4 | This is used in Windows 95 to XP to open the locate window. |
| F5 | It is used to refresh the contents of your Windows system. |
| Alt + F4 | Used to close the ongoing program. |
| Ctrl + F4 | This shortcut is used to swiftly close a document. |
| Ctrl + Plus Key | This adjusts the widths of all columns automatically, in Windows Explorer. |
| Alt + Print Screen / Win+PrtScn | It is used to take a screenshot of the current page. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Del | Used to Reboot/Windows task manager. |
| Ctrl + Esc | It activates the start menu. |
| Alt + Enter | It is used to open the properties window for the selected icon or program. |
| Win + X | It shows shutdown options. |
| Win + L | It Locks the computer screen. |
| Win | This display or hide the Start screen. |
| Win + D | Used to show/hide the desktop. |
| Win + E | This open file explorer. |
| Win + M | It minimizes all open windows. |
| Win + Shift + M | This shortcut restores all minimized windows. |
| Win + P | Select a presentation display mode. |
| Win + Q | It opens the search for the menu. |
| Win + R | It opens the Run dialogue box. |
| Win + Z | This display the commands used in the current open window. |
| Win + Down Arrow | It minimizes the desktop window or clear the current application from the screen. |
| Win + Up Arrow | It is used to maximize the window. |
| Win + Left Arrow | This shortcut maximizes the window to the left side of the screen. |
| Win + Right Arrow | It maximizes the window to the right side of the screen. |
| Win+ | This is used to zoom in using a magnifier. |
| Win- | It zooms out using a magnifier. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | This is used to open Windows Task Manager. |
| Ctrl + Home | This key is used to go to the beginning of the document. |
| Ctrl + End | This key is used to go to the end of the document. |
| Shift + Home | It highlight from the current position to the beginning of the line. |
| Shift + End | It highlight from the current position to the end of the line. |
Computer Shortcut Keys for MS Excel
If you’re new to MS Excel, it can be tough to remember all the keyboard shortcuts. Below is a handy table of all the shortcut keys for MS Excel.
| Shortcuts | Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
|
Ctrl + C |
It is used to copy selected cells. |
|
Ctrl + V |
It is used to paste select cells. |
|
Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys |
It selects multiple cells. |
|
F2 |
This edit the selected cell. |
| F4 | This repeats the last action. |
| F5 | it is used to go to a specific cell. |
| F7 | It is used for Spell check on selected text and/or documents. |
| F11 | Created Chart. |
| Ctrl + Shift + ; | It entered the current time. |
| Ctrl + ; | This entered the current date. |
| Alt + Shift + F1 | It inserts a new worksheet. |
| Shift + F3 | This opens the Excel formula window. |
| Shift + F5 | Bring up the search box. |
| Ctrl + B | It is used for bold highlighted selections. |
| Ctrl + I | It is used for italicizing highlighted selections. |
| Ctrl + D | Fill |
| Ctrl + K | It is used to insert Links. |
| Ctrl + F / Ctrl + H | Used for open find and replace options. |
| Ctrl + G | Used to open go-to options. |
| Ctrl + U | It is used to underline highlighted selections. |
| Ctrl + Y | It is used to underline selected text. |
| Ctrl + 5 | Used to strikethrough highlighted selection. |
| Ctrl + O | It is used to open Options. |
| Ctrl + N | This opens a new document. |
| Ctrl + F9 | It minimizes the current window. |
| Ctrl + F10 | It maximizes the currently selected window. |
| Ctrl + P | It opens the print dialogue box. |
| Ctrl + Z | This undoes the last action. |
| Ctrl + F6 | It switches between open workbooks/windows. |
| Ctrl + | It is used to insert the value of the above cell into the current cell. |
| Ctrl + Page up & Page Down | It moves between Excel sheets. |
| Ctrl + Shift + $ | This format number is in currency format. |
| Alt + = | Used to create the formula to sum all of the above cells. |
| Ctrl + Tab | It is used to move between two or more open Excel files. |
| Ctrl + Shift + ! | Used to format numbers in comma format. |
| Ctrl + Shift + % | This is used to format numbers in a percentage format. |
| Ctrl + Shift + ^ | This is used to format numbers in scientific format. |
| Ctrl + Shift + # | This shortcut is used to format numbers in date format. |
| Ctrl + W | Close document. |
| Ctrl + Space | This is used to select the entire column. |
| Ctrl + Shift + @ | This format number is in time format. |
| Ctrl + Right arrow | It moves to the next section of the text. |
| Shift + Space | It selects the entire row. |
Computer Shortcut Keys for MS Word
MS Word is the basic computer software However and there is a complete list of Computer Shortcut Keys that makes typing on MS Word easier and more comforting.
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut keys |
|---|---|
|
Ctrl + B |
Bold highlighted selection |
|
Ctrl + C |
Copy selected text |
|
Ctrl + X |
Cut selected text |
|
Ctrl + N |
Open a new/blank document |
| Ctrl + O | Open options |
| Ctrl + P | Open the print window |
| Ctrl + F | Open find box |
| Ctrl + I | Italicize highlighted selection |
| Ctrl + K | Insert link |
| Ctrl + U | Underline highlighted selection |
| Ctrl + V | Paste Selected Text |
| Ctrl + G / Ctrl + H | Find and replace options |
| Ctrl + J | Justify paragraph alignment |
| Ctrl + L | It is used to align selected text or lines to the left |
| Ctrl + Q | It is used to align selected paragraphs to the left |
| Ctrl + E | This shortcut is used to align the selected text or line to the centre. |
| Ctrl + R | This shortcut is used to align selected text or lines to the right |
| Ctrl + M | Indent the paragraph |
| Ctrl + T | Hanging indent |
| Ctrl + D | Font options |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Change the font |
| Ctrl + Shift + > / Ctrl + ] | Increase selected font +1 |
| Ctrl + [ | Decrease selected font -1 |
| Ctrl + Shift + * | View or hide non-printing characters |
| Ctrl + (Left arrow) | Move one word to the left |
| Ctrl + (Right arrow) | Move one word to the right |
| Ctrl + (Up arrow) | It moves to the beginning of the line or paragraph |
| Ctrl + (Down arrow) | Move to the end of the paragraph |
| Ctrl + Del | This Delete the word to the right of the cursor |
| Ctrl + Backspace | This deletes the word to the left of the cursor |
| Ctrl + End | It is used to move the cursor to the end of the document |
| Ctrl + Home | This moves the cursor to the beginning of the document |
| Ctrl + Space | Reset highlighted text to the default font |
| Ctrl + 1 | Single-space lines |
| Ctrl + 2 | Double-space lines |
| Ctrl + 5 | 1.5-line spacing |
| Ctrl + Alt + 1 | Change text to heading 1 |
| Ctrl + Alt + 2 | Change text to heading 2 |
| Ctrl + Alt + 3 | Change text to heading 3 |
| Shift + F3 | Change the case of the selected text |
| Shift + Insert | Paste |
| F4 | Repeat the last action performed |
| F7 | Spell-check selected text and/or document |
| Shift + F7 | Activate the thesaurus |
| F12 | Save as |
| Ctrl + S / Shift + F12 | Save |
| Alt + Shift + D | Insert the current date |
| Alt + Shift + T | Insert the current time |
| Ctrl + W | Close document |
| Ctrl + = | Set chosen text as a subscript. |
| Ctrl + Shift + = | Set chosen text as superscript. |
Computer Shortcut Keys for PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint empowers you to create clean slideshow presentations and detailed pitches and gives you a powerful presentation It becomes more easy and more enjoyable if you are aware of the shortcut key of the PowerPoint. Below is a handy table of all the shortcut keys for MS PowerPoint.
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
|
Ctrl + C |
Copy slide. |
|
Ctrl + V |
Paste slide. |
|
F5 |
Start a slideshow. |
| Ctrl + N | It opens a new, blank slide in a different PowerPoint program window. |
| Esc | Used to exit the slide show and go back to the earlier live view. |
| Ctrl + M | It Includes a new, blank slide after the chosen slide. |
| Ctrl + D | Used to duplicate the current slide |
| Ctrl + K | It is used to enter a hyperlink. |
| Ctrl + Shift + > | It increases the chosen text size by one font size. |
|
Ctrl + Shift + < |
Used to decrease the chosen text size by one font size. |
| CTRL + G | It is used to group things together |
Computer Functions Key (F1 – F12) Uses
Functions Key are used to perform some specific tasks in Computer, Below is the list of them with their functions.
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
|
F1 |
It displays help. |
|
F2 |
It renames the selected item. |
|
F3 |
This is used to search for a file or folder. |
|
F4 |
It shows the address bar. |
| F5 | This is used to Refresh the windows. |
| F6 | It moves the cursor in the address bar of different browsers |
| F10 | It activates the menu bar in the active application. |
| F11 | Used to enable and disable the fullscreen. |
| F12 | This shortcut is used to save a file as save as. |
Computer Shortcuts Keys for Special Characters
Here are some commonly used computer shortcut keys used for Special Characters:
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
|
Alt + 0224 / Alt + 133 |
à |
|
Alt + 0232 / Alt + 138 |
è |
|
Alt + 0236 / Alt + 141 |
ì |
|
Alt + 0242 / Alt + 149 |
ò |
| Alt + 0241 | ñ |
| Alt + 0228 / Alt + 132 | ä |
| Alt + 0246 / Alt + 148 | ö |
| Alt + 0252 / Alt + 154 | ü |
| Alt+0248 | ø |
| Alt + 0191 | ¿ |
| Alt + 0231 | ç |
| Alt + 0198 / Alt + 146 | Æ |
| Alt + 0223 | ß |
| Alt + 0153 | ™ |
| Alt + 0177 / Alt + 241 | ± (plus/minus symbol) |
| Alt + 0174 | ® |
| Alt + 0176 / Alt + 248 | ° (degree symbol) |
| Alt + 0169 | © |
| Alt + 0128 | €(Euro currency) |
| Alt + 0162 | ¢(Cent symbol) |
| Alt + 0163 | £(British Pound currency) |
| Alt + 0165 | ¥(Japanese Yen currency) |
| Alt+1 |  |
| Alt + 16 | ► |
| Alt + 17 | ◄ |
| Alt + 171 | ½ (Vulgar fraction one half) |
| Alt + 172 | ¼ (Vulgar fraction one fourth) |
| Alt + 224 | α(Alpha) |
| Alt + 225 | ß |
| Alt + 226 | Γ(gamma) |
| Alt + 227 | π(Pie Sign) |
| Alt+228 | Σ(Sigma Sign) |
| Alt + 239 | ∩(Intersection Sign) |
| Alt + 35 | # |
| Alt + 36 | $(Dollar sign) |
| Alt + 37 | %(Percentage sign) |
| Alt + 242 | ≥(Greater than or equal to sign) |
| Alt + 243 | ≤(Less than or equal to sign) |
| Alt + 247 | ≈(Almost equal to sign) |
Computer Shortcut Keys for Gmail
In our day to day, we use to write emails but what if it becomes easier for you by just knowing about the Gmail Shortcut Keys. we list down all the Shortcut Keys below.
|
Shortcuts |
Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
|
.a |
It is used to reply to all. |
|
.c |
Used to compose a new email. |
|
.e |
Archive the email and return it to the inbox. |
|
.g |
Go to inbox. |
|
.r |
This is used to reply to the sender. |
|
+u |
Mark as unread. |
|
++c |
It adds cc recipients. |
|
++b |
It is used to add bcc recipients. |
| .] | It archives the email and proceeds to the next email. |
Computer Shortcut Keys for YouTube
Here are some commonly used YouTube shortcuts keys:
| Shortcut Key | Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
| Space | Play/Pause |
| K | Play/Pause |
| J | Rewind 10 seconds |
| L | Fast forward 10 seconds |
| Left Arrow | Rewind 5 seconds |
| Right Arrow | Fast forward 5 seconds |
| Up Arrow | Increase volume |
| Down Arrow | Decrease volume |
| M | Mute/unmute |
| F | Enter/Exit fullscreen |
| C | Toggle captions/subtitles |
| 0-9 | Seek to 0-90% of the video |
| Home | Go to the beginning |
| End | Go to the end |
| / | Search within the video |
| N | Next video in playlist |
| P | Previous video in playlist |
| +/= | Increase playback speed |
| – | Decrease playback speed |
| Shift + > | Increase playback speed (by 10%) |
| Shift + < | Decrease playback speed (by 10%) |
Computer Shortcut Keys for Google Chrome
Here are some commonly used Google Chrome shortcuts keys:
| Shortcut Key | Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + T | Open a new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close the current tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen the last closed tab |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch to the next tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to the previous tab |
| Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 8 | Switch to specific tab (1 is leftmost) |
| Ctrl + 9 | Switch to the rightmost tab |
| Ctrl + N | Open a new Chrome window |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Open a new Incognito window |
| Ctrl + L or F6 | Highlight the address bar |
| Ctrl + Enter | Add “www.” and “.com” around typed address |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Toggle the bookmarks bar on/off |
| Ctrl + H | Open the browsing history |
| Ctrl + Shift + Delete | Open the Clear browsing data dialog |
| Ctrl + F | Find on the current page |
| Ctrl + G or F3 | Find next occurrence |
| Ctrl + Shift + G or Shift + F3 | Find previous occurrence |
| Ctrl + Shift + J | Open the Chrome DevTools |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Inspect an element with the DevTools |
| Ctrl + + | Zoom in |
| Ctrl + – | Zoom out |
| Ctrl + 0 | Reset zoom to default |
| Ctrl + Shift + R | Reload the current page, bypassing cache |
| Alt + Left Arrow | Go back one page |
| Alt + Right Arrow | Go forward one page |
| F5 or Ctrl + R | Reload the current page |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Toggle the bookmarks bar on/off |
| Ctrl + D | Bookmark the current page |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Save all open tabs as bookmarks in a folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Open the Bookmarks Manager |
| Ctrl + Shift + P | Open an Incognito window |
| Ctrl + J | Open the Downloads page |
| Ctrl + U | View page source |
| Ctrl + S | Save the current page |
| Ctrl + P | Print the current page |
| Ctrl + F5 | Clear the cache and reload the page |
Computer Shortcut Keys for Competitive Exams
Here are some commonly used computer shortcut keys that can be helpful for competitive exams:
| Shortcut Keys |
Uses of Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + C |
Copy |
| Ctrl + X |
Cut |
| Ctrl + V |
Paste |
| Ctrl + Z |
Undo |
| Ctrl + Y or Ctrl + Shift + Z |
Redo |
| Ctrl + S |
Save |
| Ctrl + P |
|
| Ctrl + A |
Select All |
| Ctrl + F |
Find |
| Ctrl + H |
Replace |
| Ctrl + B |
Bold |
| Ctrl + I |
Italic |
| Ctrl + U |
Underline |
| Ctrl + + (Plus sign) |
Zoom In |
| Ctrl + – (Minus sign) |
Zoom Out |
| Ctrl + W |
Close the current window/Tab |
| Ctrl + N |
New File/Document |
| Ctrl + O |
Open File/Document |
| F5 or Ctrl + R |
Refresh |
| Alt + Tab (Windows) or Command + Tab (Mac) |
Switch between application |
Windows Shortcut Keys
General Shortcuts
- Windows key: Open or close the Start menu.
- Alt + Tab: Switch between open applications.
- Ctrl + C: Copy selected text or items.
- Ctrl + X: Cut selected text or items.
- Ctrl + V: Paste copied or cut text or items.
- Ctrl + Z: Undo the last action.
- Ctrl + Y: Redo the last undone action.
- Ctrl + A: Select all items in a document or folder.
File and Folder Shortcuts
- Ctrl + N: Open a new window or document.
- Ctrl + S: Save the current document.
- Ctrl + O: Open a file or folder.
- Ctrl + P: Print the current document.
- F2: Rename a selected file or folder.
- Shift + Delete: Permanently delete selected files without moving to the Recycle Bin.
Web Browsing Shortcuts
- Ctrl + T: Open a new browser tab.
- Ctrl + W: Close the current browser tab.
- Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopen the last closed tab.
- Ctrl + F: Find text on a webpage.
- Ctrl + R: Refresh the current webpage.
- Alt + D: Select the address bar in your browser.
macOS Shortcut Keys
General Shortcuts
- Command (⌘) + Space: Open Spotlight, a powerful search tool.
- Command (⌘) + Tab: Switch between open applications.
- Command (⌘) + C: Copy selected text or items.
- Command (⌘) + X: Cut selected text or items.
- Command (⌘) + V: Paste copied or cut text or items.
- Command (⌘) + Z: Undo the last action.
- Command (⌘) + Shift + Z: Redo the last undone action.
- Command (⌘) + A: Select all items in a document or folder.
File and Folder Shortcuts
- Command (⌘) + N: Open a new window or document.
- Command (⌘) + S: Save the current document.
- Command (⌘) + O: Open a file or folder.
- Command (⌘) + P: Print the current document.
- Enter: Rename a selected file or folder.
- Command (⌘) + Delete: Move selected files to the Trash.
Web Browsing Shortcuts
- Command (⌘) + T: Open a new browser tab.
- Command (⌘) + W: Close the current browser tab.
- Command (⌘) + Shift + T: Reopen the last closed tab.
- Command (⌘) + F: Find text on a webpage.
- Command (⌘) + R: Refresh the current webpage.
- Command (⌘) + L: Select the address bar in your browser.
Conclusion
Mastering computer keyboard shortcut keys is a valuable skill that can significantly enhance your computing experience. By incorporating these shortcuts into your daily workflow, you can save time, reduce physical strain, and increase your overall efficiency.
Whether you are a Windows or macOS user, the power of keyboard shortcuts is at your fingertips, waiting to transform the way you interact with your computer. Start practicing these shortcuts today and take control of your digital world with ease.
