I’ve been playing with keyboard shortcuts since 2014. There was a time when I had to use a laptop without a mouse or touchpad. It forced me to find creative ways around the computer.
What started as a frustrating joke has become a fiery weapon in my geeky arsenal. Today, I want to share 27 Keyboard Shortcuts that will make your work faster and your life easier.
But first, let me give you a brief rundown of keyboard shortcuts and why they’re important.
Table of Contents
What are Keyboard Shortcuts?
Keyboard shortcuts are a combination of keys (the buttons on your keyboard) that help you perform tasks on your computer without going through the long process of scrolling with your mouse, clicking, and selecting multiple options.
For example, if you were to delete a file permanently, the longer step could look like
- Scroll to the file you want to delete.
- Select it by clicking on it.
- Right-click to show the options.
- Click on delete
- Go to desktop icons
- Double-click to open the recycle bin
- Select the file in the recycle bin
- Right-click
- Delete
But with a keyboard shortcut, all you have to do is select the file in its initial folder, then use “Shift + Delete” to delete the file permanently.
Windows keyboard with shift button highlighted
Why Keyboard Shortcuts Are Important
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Saves time
At first glance, you might think using shortcuts as opposed to using conventional methods doesn’t make any real change as per timesaving. But if you’re someone who uses a PC for long periods and embraces keyboard shortcuts, you’ll definitely testify to how much faster you get tasks done.
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Makes your work easier
Imagine doing with 2 buttons what you’d have done with 10 clicks. Yep, that’s how easy life can get when you know keyboard shortcuts. You’d look so cool your friends will think you’re a magician.
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Override unresponsive programs
Every long-term computer user must have experienced moments when his/her computer became unresponsive. The screen freezes, and you can’t even close the program that is running. There’s a keyboard shortcut you can use to force the app/program to close.
How Keyboard Shortcuts Work
You press 2 or 3 keys in a particular order to create the desired effect. For example, Alt + F4 will close any open window. (NOTE:- you’re not typing the plus (+) sign. It just tells you to press and hold Alt, followed by F4)
Now let’s dive into the meat of this post.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows
I know you can’t wait to lay your hands on these shortcuts. But there’s something I want you to do.
To make this interesting and more meaningful, please get your PC and try these shortcuts for yourself as you read through. It will help you understand and appreciate keyboard shortcuts. Also, it will stick better in your memory.
Windows keyboard shortcuts for editing text
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + A | Highlight (select) all text on a page. |
| Ctrl + C | Copy the selected text |
| Ctrl + V | Paste the copied text |
| Ctrl + X | Cut selected text. |
| Ctrl + B | Make the selected text bold |
| Ctrl + I | Italicize the selected text |
| Ctrl + U | Underline highlighted text |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo changes |
| Ctrl + Z | Reverse changes |
| Ctrl + S | Save changes |
| Home | Move the cursor to the first letter of a line |
| End | Move the cursor to the last letter of a line |
| Ctrl + Home | Move the cursor to the beginning of your document/page |
| Ctrl + End | Move the cursor to the end of your document/page |
Keyboard shortcuts for file editing on Windows
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + A | Select all files in a folder |
| Ctrl + C | Copy file |
| Ctrl + V | Paste the copied file |
| Ctrl + X | Cut file (used to move the file instead of copying it) |
| Ctrl + D | Delete the selected item and move it to the recycle bin |
| Shift + Delete | Permanently delete selected file (without moving to recycle bin) |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create new folder |
| F2 | Rename selected item |
| Alt + Enter | Display properties of the selected item |
| ⊞ Win + V | Open the clipboard (see all the items you’ve copied over time) |
| Shift + Arrow (up/down/left/right) | Select files/text towards a particular direction |
Windows keyboard shortcuts for Navigation
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| Alt + Left arrow | Go back |
| Alt + Right arrow | Go forward |
| ⊞ Win + Up arrow | Maximize window |
| ⊞ Win + Down arrow | Minimize window |
| Ctrl + W (or Alt + F4) | Close the active window |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps |
| Ctrl + Mousewheel | Zoom in/out, change the size(appearance of files/icons) |
| Alt + F4 | Close all windows (you might have to press multiple times) |
| Tab | Move around different parts of a window (app). |
Windows keyboard shortcuts for special functions
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| ⊞ Win + ; (or .) | Open Emoji Panel 😁 |
| ⊞ Win + D | Show desktop |
| ⊞ Win + L | Lock your computer |
| ⊞ Win + E | Open file explorer |
| ⊞ Win + T | Select apps from the taskbar |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager (here you can close unresponsive apps) |
| ⊞ Win + S | Open the Search panel |
| ⊞ Win + I | Open settings |
| ⊞ Win + U | Open ease of access centre |
| ⊞ Win + Shift + S (or PrintScreen) | Take a screenshot of your PC (paste it into “paint” to save if you use PrintScreen) |
| ⊞ Win + X | Show hidden menu |
| Ctrl + F | Find (open the find bar) |
| F5 | Refresh (used to reload a page or folder) |
Keyboard shortcuts for special characters on Windows
| Keyboard Shortcut | Special Character |
| Alt + 0169 | © |
| Alt + 0174 | ® |
| Alt + 0177 | ± |
| Alt + 0176 | ° (degree symbol) |
| Alt + 0153 | ™ |
| Alt + 0128 | € |
| Alt + 0163 | £ |
| Alt + 0165 | ¥ |
| Alt + 0191 | ¿ |
Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac
mac keyboard with cmd key highlighted
Note that for Mac, the Command key (⌘Cmd) is equivalent to the Ctrl key in Windows. But some shortcuts are entirely different.
If you use Mac instead of Windows, find the corresponding keyboard shortcuts below.
Mac shortcuts for editing text
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| ⌘Cmd + A | Highlight (select) all text on a page. |
| ⌘Cmd + C | Copy the selected items |
| ⌘Cmd + V | Paste the copied items |
| ⌘Cmd + X | Cut the selected items (to move items instead of copying) |
| ⌘Cmd + Z | Undo changes |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + Z | Redo changes |
| ⌘Cmd + S | Save the document |
| ⌘Cmd + B | Make the selected text bold |
| ⌘Cmd + I | Italicize selected text |
| ⌘Cmd + U | Underline selected text |
| ⌘Cmd + K | Add a website link to the selected text (i.e. when someone clicks on the text, he/she goes to a particular website) |
| ⌘Cmd + Up arrow | Move the cursor to the beginning of the document |
| ⌘Cmd + Down arrow | Move the cursor to the end of the document |
| ⌘Cmd + Left arrow | Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line |
| ⌘Cmd + Right arrow | Move the cursor to the end of the current line |
| ⌘Cmd + Semicolon(;) | Find misspelled words in the document. |
Mac shortcuts for file editing
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| ⌘Cmd + A | Select all items |
| ⌘Cmd + C | Copy items |
| ⌘Cmd + V | Paste the copied items |
| ⌘Cmd + X | Cut items (used to move instead of copy) |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + N | Create a new folder |
| Option + ⌘Cmd + Delete | Permanently delete the selected file |
Mac shortcuts for navigation and special functions
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + C | Open the computer window. |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + D | Open desktop folder |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + I | Open iCloud drive |
| Ctrl + ⌘Cmd + Space bar | Open Character Viewer (here you can select emojis) |
| Ctrl + ⌘Cmd + Q | Lock your screen |
| Option + ⌘Cmd + L | Open downloads folder |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + O | Open the Documents folder |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + R | Open the Airdrop window |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + Delete | Empty trash |
| Ctrl + ⌘Cmd + Power button | Force your Mac to restart |
| Ctrl + Option + ⌘Cmd + Power button | Quit all apps automatically, then shut down your Mac |
| Shift + ⌘Cmd + 5 | Take a screenshot or screen recording |
Mac shortcuts for special characters
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
| Option + G | © |
| Option + R | ® |
| Option + 0 | ° (degree symbol) |
| Option + 2 | ™ |
| Option + Shift + 2 | € |
| Option + 3 | £ |
| Option + Y | ¥ |
| Shift + Option + ? | ¿ |
Frequently Asked Questions about Keyboard Shortcuts
Why are keyboard shortcuts not working on my PC?
Common reasons why keyboard shortcuts are not working for you include
- Outdated Operating System: Especially for Mac users, if your PC is way behind, some shortcuts here may not work for you. Consider upgrading or updating. There might be slight variations for some shortcuts as newer products/software emerge.
- Some keys on your keyboard may be faulty. Try a different keyboard.
- You might have accidentally tampered with your keyboard and/or language settings. Reset them in the settings panel.
What are hotkeys?
It’s another term for keyboard shortcuts.
Are keyboard shortcuts faster than mouse?
In my experience, Yes. But if you’re just starting out with them, it can be confusing to recall which key does what. Still, I’d encourage you to play with them for a few days, and you’d be glad you did.
Conclusion – Cut Short Your Computer Stress
In life, we’re mostly advised against taking shortcuts. But today, I’m inviting you to take the plunge and increase your productivity on the keyboard. Learn the keyboard shortcuts most relevant to your everyday tasks on the computer and make your life easier.
You’re welcome.
PS:- I’d love to hear your feedback. Say something in the comments, or even better, join our Whatsapp community and start a conversation. Finally, if you found this helpful, please share.
More Techy Tips for you:
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Edited by Halimat Chisom.
About Author
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Tari Yousuo is an SEO specialist and content writer, writing about Tech and IT, Cloud Computing, AI, and Marketing.
When he's not digging deep into tech and the digital world, you can find him absorbing the beauty of nature or playing with poetry.
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