Friday, March 29, 2024

Best Chromebook keyboard shortcuts to master Chrome OS

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Since Chrome OS was released in 2011, it has grown to become a formidable operating system, giving users access to a full desktop-class web browsing experience, as well as a continuously-growing collection of Android apps from the Google Play Store. Whether you’ve just picked up a Chromebook or have had one for a while, we’ll show you some of the best Chromebook keyboard shortcuts to master your experience.

If you’re having issues with your Chromebook, be sure to check out our guide on the most common Chromebook problems and how to fix them easily.

The Everything button

Arif Bacchus / Digital Trends

In this guide, we refer to the Everything button. It’s now Google’s official name for the button previously referred to as the Search or Launcher key. On a Chromebook, it’s found in the spot customarily inhabited by Caps Lock, sporting a magnifying glass or large dot depending on the Chromebook model.

If you are using an external keyboard with a Mac or Windows layout, pressing the Windows key or the Command key will function the same as pressing the Everything button.

Tab and window shortcuts

Learning to control your windows and their respective tabs is one of the best ways to master your Chromebook. Here are some of the most useful tab and window control keyboard shortcuts for Chromebooks and Chrome OS:

Function
Keyboard shortcut
Open a new window
Ctrl + N
Open a new tab
Ctrl + T
Open a file in the browser
Ctrl + O
Close the current tab
Ctrl + W
Close the current window
Shift + Ctrl + W
Cycle through tabs (#1-8)
Ctrl + (#1-8)
Go to the next tab
Ctrl + Tab
Go to the previous tab
Shift + Ctrl + Tab
Cycle through windows
(Press and hold) Alt + (tap) Tab
Dock a window left
Alt + [
Dock a window right
Alt + ]
Maximize a window
Alt + =
Minimize a window
Alt + –

Chrome web browser shortcuts

Your Chromebook is built around the Google Chrome web browser, and you’ll find yourself using it for the majority of tasks on your machine (unless you’re using Android apps or Linux programs). The following keyboard shortcuts will help you become more efficient when browsing the web with Chrome.

Function
Keyboard shortcut
Go to the previous page in your history
Alt + Left Arrow
Go to the next page in your history
Alt + Right Arrow
Open a link in the background (new tab)
Ctrl + Mouse Click
Open a link in the background (new window)
Shift + Mouse Click
Page up
Alt + Up Arrow
Page down
Alt + Down Arrow
Go to top of page
Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow
Go to the bottom of the page
Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow
Print page
Ctrl + P
Reload page
Ctrl + R
Zoom in
Ctrl + (+)
Zoom out
Ctrl + (-)
Reset zoom
Ctrl + 0 (zero)
Save page as a bookmark
Ctrl + D
Search the page
Ctrl + F
Perform a Google search
Ctrl + K or Ctrl + E
View page source
Ctrl + U
Show the developer tools panel
Shift + Ctrl + I
Show or hide the bookmarks bar
Shift + Ctrl + B
Show the toolbar
Alt + Shift + T
Open the history page
Ctrl + H
Open the downloads page
Ctrl + J
Select address bar
Ctrl + L

Text editor shortcuts

Writing up a long document can be enough of a challenge, so here are a few Chromebook keyboard shortcuts that can make your job a bit easier. These controls work within text editors such as Google Docs, as well as some text boxes on the web.

Remember, the Everything button has a magnifying glass or dot icon on the key depending on your Chromebook model.

Function
Keyboard shortcut
Caps lock on/off
Everything + Alt
Select everything
Ctrl + A
Select the next word or letter
Shift + Ctrl + Right Arrow
Select text to the end of the line
Everything + Shift + Right Arrow
Select text to the beginning of the line
Everything + Shift + Left Arrow
Select previous word or letter
Shift + Ctrl + Left Arrow
Move to end of next word
Ctrl + Right Arrow
Move to the start of the previous word
Ctrl + Left Arrow
Move to the start of the line
Everything + Left Arrow
Move to the end of the line
Everything + Right Arrow
Go to the end of the document
Everything + Ctrl + Right Arrow
Go to the beginning of the document
Everything + Ctrl + Left Arrow
Copy text
Ctrl + C
Paste text
Ctrl + V
Cut text
Ctrl + X
Delete the previous word
Ctrl + Backspace
Delete the next letter
Alt + Backspace
Undo action
Ctrl + Z
Redo action
Shift + Ctrl + Z
Switch to the next keyboard language
Ctrl + Space
Switch to the previous keyboard language
Shift + Ctrl + Space

System and accessibility shortcuts

Chrome OS is loaded with keyboard shortcuts that help you stay in control of your Chromebook experience. Here are the best system and accessibility shortcuts to keep a note of when working on your machine.

Function
Keyboard shortcut
Open the files app
Shift + Alt + M
Preview a selected file
Spacebar
Display hidden files
Ctrl + .
Open status area
Shift + Alt + S
Click icon 1-8 on your shelf
Alt + (#1-8)
View notifications
Shift + Alt + N
Change screen resolution (increase)
Shift + Ctrl + (+)
Change screen resolution (decrease)
Shift + Ctrl + (-)
Reset screen resolution to default
Shift + Ctrl + 0
Rotate screen 90 degrees
Shift + Ctrl + Rotate
Switch to next user
Ctrl + Alt + .
Switch to the previous user
Ctrl + Alt + ,
Turn on/off spoken feedback
Ctrl + Alt + Z
Turn on high contrast mode
Everything + Ctrl + H
Magnify entire screen
Ctrl + Everything + M
Magnify part of the screen
Ctrl +Everything + D
Highlight the launcher
Shift + Alt + L

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