In computing, a keyboard shortcut is a sequence or combination of keystrokes on a computer keyboard which invokes commands in software.

Most keyboard shortcuts require the user to press a single key or a sequence of keys one after the other. Other keyboard shortcuts require pressing and holding several keys simultaneously (indicated in the tables below by the + sign). Keyboard shortcuts may depend on the keyboard layout.

Comparison of keyboard shortcuts

  • In Windows, it is possible to disable these shortcuts using the Accessibility or Ease of Access control panel.
  • In GNOME, these shortcuts are possible, if Universal Access is enabled on the system.
ActionWindowsmacOSKDEGNOME
Utility Manager⊞ Win+U
Use keyboard to control cursorLeft Alt+Left Shift+Numlock
Allow user to press shortcuts one key at a time⇧ Shift press 5 times⇧ Shift 5 times
Hear beep when -lock key pressedNumlock hold 5 seconds
Stop/slow repeating characters when key is pressedRight Shift hold 8 seconds⇧ Shift hold for 8 seconds
Inverse (Reverse Colors) ModeLeft Alt+Left Shift+PrtScn⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+Ctrl+8Meta+⇧ Shift+i (if enabled)
Inverse (Reverse Colors) Mode (Only current window)Meta+⇧ Shift+u (if enabled)
Accessibility ShortcutCtrl+⊞ Win+C

Keyboard shortcuts are a common aspect of most modern operating systems and associated software applications. Their use is pervasive enough that some users consider them an important element of their routine interactions with a computer. Whether used as a matter of personal preference or for adaptive technology, the pervasiveness of common conventions means that a meaningful comparison of keyboard shortcuts can be made across various widely used operating systems.

General shortcuts

Many shortcuts (such as Ctrl+Z, Alt+E, etc.) are just common conventions and are not handled by the operating system. Whether such commands are implemented (or not) depends on how an actual application program (such as an editor) is written and the frameworks used. Not all applications/frameworks follow (all of) these conventions, so if it doesn't work, it isn't compatible.

Some of the combinations are not true for localized versions of operating systems. For example, in a non-English version of Windows, the Edit menu is not always bound to the E shortcut.

Some software (such as KDE) allow their shortcuts to be changed, and the below list contains the defaults.

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxEmacsVimChromeOS
File menuAlt+F, or F10 then FCtrl+F2, then FAlt+FMeta+`, then fAlt+f (gvim) or Ctrl+e (vim + NERDTree)Ctrl+O
Edit menuAlt+ECtrl+F2, then EAlt+EMeta+`, then eAlt+e (gvim)
View menuAlt+VCtrl+F2, then VAlt+V
Undo the last operationCtrl+Z, or Alt+← Backspace⌘ Cmd+ZCtrl+ZCtrl+x, then u or Ctrl+/ or Ctrl+_ or UndouCtrl+Z
Redo the last operationCtrl+Y, or Alt+Shift+Backspace⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+ZCtrl+⇧ Shift+Z, or Ctrl+YSame as undo, when undo is exhausted, it redoes. Move the cursor after one or more undos, and further undos will be redos. Since version 28, also Ctrl+? or Ctrl+Alt+_.Ctrl+rCtrl+⇧ Shift+Z
Cut the selection and store it in the clipboardCtrl+X, or ⇧ Shift+Del⌘ Cmd+XCtrl+XCtrl+wx or "ax to cut in register "a" or "+x to cut in system clipboardCtrl+X
Copy the selection into the clipboardCtrl+C, or Ctrl+Ins⌘ Cmd+CCtrl+CMeta+w, or Ctrl+Insy or "ay or "+yCtrl+C
Paste contents of clipboard at cursorCtrl+V,or ⇧ Shift+Ins⌘ Cmd+VCtrl+VCtrl+y, or ⇧ Shift+Insp or "ap to paste the content of the "a" register or "+p to paste the content of the system clipboardCtrl+V
Paste special⊞ Win+VShift+Opt+Cmd+VCtrl+⇧ Shift+VMeta+yCtrl+⇧ Shift+VSearch+V
Select all in focused control or windowCtrl+A⌘ Cmd+ACtrl+ACtrl+x, then hggVG, unlikely ever needed as most commands take an optional range parameter. % means "all in focused windows" here so e.g. to copy all the text, use :%yCtrl+A
Cycle through installed keyboard languages / input methodsAlt+⇧ Shift, Ctrl+⇧ Shift, ⊞ Win+Space, ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+SpaceFn or ⌘ Cmd+Space on older devices (not MBR)Configure desired keypress in Keyboard and Mouse Preferences, Keyboard Shortcuts, Select the next source in Input menu.Ctrl+Alt+K via KDE Keyboard Alt+⇧ Shift in GNOMECtrl+\Ctrl+Space
PrintCtrl+P⌘ Cmd+PCtrl+PCtrl+P
Open Help MenuF1 in GNOMECtrl+Search+S
Windows Mobility CenterWindows 7: ⊞ Win+X Windows 10: ⊞ Win+X then B
PowerUser (WinX) MenuWindows 10: ⊞ Win+X
Restart Video DriverWindows 10: Ctrl+⇧ Shift+⊞ Win+B

System navigation

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxChromeOS
Lock desktop⊞ Win+LCtrl+⌘ Cmd+Q (macOS High Sierra and greater) or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Eject or MBR Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Pwr (If "Require password after sleep or screen saver" is enabled in "System Preferences — Security & Privacy")Super+L (GNOME) or Ctrl+Alt+LSearch+L
Log out user⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+QCtrl+Alt+DeleteCtrl+⇧ Shift+Q (Twice)
Switch active user⊞ Win+L
Applications menu⊞ Win or Ctrl+EscCtrl+F2, then "n"Super or Ctrl+EscSearch
Run application⊞ Win, enter executable name or ⊞ Win+R, enter executable name⌘ Cmd+Space, enter executable name or ⌘ Cmd+Alt+F2, enter executable name
Search⊞ Win, enter executable name, ⊞ Win+S, or F3, or Ctrl+F⌘ Cmd+Space⊞ Win (Gnome)Search
Show desktop⊞ Win+DFn+H or F11Ctrl+Alt+D
Access SysTray⊞ Win+B⇧ Shift+Alt+S
Switch window (next/previous)Alt+Tab ↹ / ⇧ Shift+Alt+Tab ↹⌘ Cmd+Tab ↹ / ⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ (While in app switching window, ⌘ Cmd+` can be used to select backward, ⌘ Cmd+1 can be used to view selected app's windows)Alt+Tab ↹ / Alt+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ or Alt+Tab ↹ / Alt+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ to switch windows within the same application (Gnome)Hold Alt, then quickly press Tab ↹
Switch window without dialog (next/previous)Alt+Esc / ⇧ Shift+Alt+EscOnly works within single Applications ⌘ Cmd+` / ⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+`
Task managerCtrl+⇧ Shift+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Delete⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+Esc (summons "Force Quit Applications" window)Search+Esc
File manager⊞ Win+ESuper+F⇧ Shift+Alt+M
New folderCtrl+⇧ Shift+N⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+NCtrl+⇧ Shift+NCtrl+E
Rename objectF2↵ Enter or F2F2Ctrl+↵ Enter
Show hidden filesAlt+V, then H, then H again, while in File Explorer, will toggle setting⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+., while in Finder, will toggle settingCtrl+H, Alt+. in KDECtrl+.

Power management

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxChromeOS
Place computer into sleep/standby modeWindows 10: ⊞ Win+x > u > s Windows 7: ⊞ Win+++↵ EnterSleep (available on some keyboards)⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+EjectSleep (available on some keyboards, configurable in Control Panel ➢ Power Options ➢ Advanced tab dialog box)
Shut down computerWindows 10: ⊞ Win+x > u > uCtrl+⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+Eject (no confirmation, shutdown is immediate)Ctrl+Alt+⇧ Shift+PageDown (KDE; no confirmation, shutdown is immediate) (GNOME; there is no default shortcut)Power (Hold for 10 seconds)
Restart computerWindows 10: ⊞ Win+x > u > r Windows 7: ⊞ Win++++↵ EnterCtrl+⌘ Cmd+Eject or Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+Power (no confirmation, restart is immediate)Ctrl+Alt+⇧ Shift+PageUp (KDE; no confirmation, restart is immediate)
Place display in sleep modeCtrl+⇧ Shift+Ejectwhere is lined
Bring up power/sleep dialog boxCtrl+Eject
Force shutdownPower (Hold for several seconds)⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+Eject or Hold Power for 10 secondsrefresh+power

Screenshots

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxChromeOS
Save screenshot of entire screen as file⊞ Win+Print Screen⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+3Print ScreenCtrl+Show Windows
Copy screenshot of entire screen to clipboard⊞ Win+Print Screen or Print ScreenCtrl+⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+3Ctrl+Print ScreenCtrl+Show Windows
Copy screenshot of active window to clipboardAlt+Print ScreenCtrl+Alt+Print Screen
Save screenshot of window as file⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+4 then Space then move mouse and clickAlt+Print Screen (GNOME)Ctrl+Alt+Show Windows then move mouse and click
Copy screenshot of window to clipboardCtrl+⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+4 then Space then move mouse and clickAlt+Print Screen (GNOME)Ctrl+Alt+Show Windows then move mouse and click
Save screenshot of arbitrary area as file⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+4 then click+drag mouse over required areaPrint Screen click+drag mouse over required area, then ↵ Enter (GNOME)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Show Windows then click+drag mouse over required area
Copy screenshot of arbitrary area to clipboard (Snip)Windows 10: ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+SCtrl+⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+4 then click+drag mouse over required areaPrint Screen click+drag mouse over required area, then ↵ Enter (GNOME)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Show Windows then click+drag mouse over required area
ScreencastingCtrl+Alt+⇧ Shift+R (GNOME)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Show Windows then select the Screen Record button on the toolbar
Screenshot Utility⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+5Print ScreenCtrl+⇧ Shift+Show Windows
Save screenshot of the Touch Bar as file⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+6

Text editing

Many of these commands may be combined with ⇧ Shift to select a region of text.

In macOS, holding ⌘ Command while dragging mouse can be used to invert selection, and holding ⌥ Option can be used to select by rectangular area in some apps. (These two functionalities may be combined).

In macOS, the default text editing keyboard shortcuts in Cocoa text views can be overridden and new custom shortcuts can be created, by creating and editing related configuration files.

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxEmacsVimChromeOS
Delete char to the right of cursorDel or Fn+← BackspaceDel or Fn+← Backspace or Ctrl+DDelCtrl+dxAlt+← Backspace or Search+← Backspace or Del
Delete word to the right of cursorCtrl+Del⌥ Opt+Del or ⌥ Opt+Fn+← BackspaceCtrl+DelMeta+ddw (delete space too) or de (keep space)Ctrl+Search+← Backspace
Delete word to the left of cursorCtrl+← Backspace⌥ Opt+← BackspaceCtrl+← BackspaceCtrl+← Backspace or Meta+← Backspacedge (delete space too) or db (keep space)Ctrl+← Backspace
Go to start of lineHome or Fn+⌘ Cmd+ (go to start of line) or Ctrl+A (go to start of paragraph)HomeCtrl+a or Home^ (go to first non-space) or 0 (go to column 0)Search+
Go to end of lineEnd or Fn+⌘ Cmd+ (go to end of line) or Ctrl+E (go to end of paragraph)EndCtrl+e or End$Search+
Go to start of documentCtrl+Home⌘ Cmd+Ctrl+HomeMeta+< or Ctrl+HomeggCtrl+Search+
Go to end of documentCtrl+End⌘ Cmd+Ctrl+EndMeta+> or Ctrl+EndGCtrl+Search+
Go to previous wordCtrl+ or Ctrl+/⌥ Opt+ or Ctrl+⌥ Opt+BCtrl+Meta+b or Ctrl+ or Meta+b or geCtrl+
Go to next wordCtrl+⌥ Opt+ or Ctrl+⌥ Opt+FCtrl+Meta+f or Ctrl+ or Meta+w or eCtrl+
Go to previous line or Ctrl+pCtrl+p or k or
Go to next line or Ctrl+nCtrl+n or j or
Go to previous line break (paragraph)Ctrl+⌥ Opt+Ctrl+ (kword or GNOME)Meta+( or Control+(Ctrl+
Go to next line breakCtrl+⌥ Opt+Ctrl+ (kword or GNOME)Meta+} or Control+)Ctrl+
Move the cursor down the length of the viewportPage Down⌥ Opt+PageDn or ⌥ Opt+Fn+ or Ctrl+VPage DownCtrl+v or Page DownCtrl+f or Page DownSearch+
Move the cursor up the length of the viewportPage Up⌥ Opt+PageUp or ⌥ Opt+Fn+Page UpMeta+v or Page UpCtrl+b or Page UpSearch+
FindCtrl+F⌘ Cmd+F or ⌘ Cmd+E (search with current selection)Ctrl+F Ctrl+K (GNOME; interactive search)Ctrl+s/Ctrl+F
Go to next search resultF3⌘ Cmd+GCtrl+G (GNOME) or F3 (KDE)Ctrl+snCtrl+G or ↵ Enter
Go to previous search result⇧ Shift+F3⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+GCtrl+⇧ Shift+G (GNOME) or ⇧ Shift+F3 (KDE)Ctrl+rNCtrl+⇧ Shift+G or ⇧ Shift+↵ Enter
Search and replaceCtrl+H⌘ Cmd+FCtrl+H (GNOME) or Ctrl+R (KDE)Meta+%%s/fosh/fish/gcCtrl+⇧ Shift+H
Search with a regular expressionCtrl+Meta+sAll searches use regular expressions.
Search and replace with a regular expressionCtrl+Meta+%
Emoji Picker⊞ Win+. or ⊞ Win+;Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+SpaceSearch+⇧ Shift+Space

Text formatting

ActionWindows WordPadmacOSLinuxEmacsVim
BoldCtrl+B⌘ Cmd+BCtrl+BMeta+o, then b
UnderlineCtrl+U⌘ Cmd+UCtrl+UMeta+o, then u
ItalicCtrl+I⌘ Cmd+ICtrl+IMeta+o, then i
Uppercase / LowercaseCtrl+⇧ Shift+A⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+C⇧ Shift+F3Meta+u for upper, Meta+l for lower, Meta+c for capitalized.gU for upper, gu for lower, ~ to toggle.
SuperscriptCtrl+⇧ Shift+=Ctrl+⌘ Cmd++ (some applications only)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+P
SubscriptCtrl+=Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+- (some applications only)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+B
Selected text larger/smallerCtrl+>, Ctrl+< or Ctrl+[, Ctrl/core+]orCtrl+⇧ Shift+>, Ctrl+⇧ Shift+<⌘ Cmd++ ⌘ Cmd+-
Selected text Bullets or Numbered ItemsCtrl+⇧ Shift+L
Insert Linebreak/NewlineCtrl+↵ Enter⇧ Shift+↵ Enter or Ctrl+↵ Enter or ⌥ Opt+↵ Enter (may be able to skip some editor-defined input processing)Ctrl+↵ Enter
Insert UnicodeAlt+X + character codepoint⌥ Opt + character codepoint ("Unicode Hex Input" must be added and active as current input source)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+U + character codepointCtrl+v+u + character codepointCtrl+X+8 + character codepoint

Browsers / Go menu

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxChromeOS
Go to Address BarCtrl+L / F6 / Alt+D, Alt+C or Alt+E depending on language⌘ Cmd+L or ⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+GCtrl+L or Alt+D or F6Ctrl+L or Alt+D
Go to the previous location in historyAlt+ or ← Backspace⌘ Cmd+[ or ⌘ Cmd+Alt+Alt+
Go to the next location in historyAlt+ or ⇧ Shift+← Backspace (web browser only)⌘ Cmd+] or ⌘ Cmd+Alt+Alt+
Go up one level in the navigation hierarchyAlt+ (Vista, 7, 8 or 10 only) or ← Backspace (Windows Explorer)⌘ Cmd+Alt+
Go to the starting page defined by the user or applicationAlt+Home⌘ Cmd+HomeCtrl+Home (KDE) / Alt+Home (GNOME)Alt+Search+

Web browsers

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxEmacs-w3mVimperatorChromeOS
Bookmarks menuCtrl+B⌘ Cmd+B (Firefox)Alt+Bv:bmarksCtrl+⇧ Shift+B
URL Shortcuts (Adds www. + .com)Ctrl+↵ Enter⌘ Cmd+↵ Enter (Firefox) or Ctrl+↵ Enter (Chrome)Ctrl+↵ EnterCtrl+↵ Enter
URL Shortcuts (Adds www. + .org)⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+↵ Enter (Firefox)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+↵ Enter
URL Shortcuts (Adds www. + .net)⇧ Shift+↵ Enter (Firefox)⇧ Shift+↵ Enter
Add bookmark for current pageCtrl+D⌘ Cmd+DCtrl+B / Ctrl+Da:bmarkCtrl+D
Add bookmark for current linkMeta+a
Manage bookmarksCtrl+⇧ Shift+O (MS Edge/Chrome/Firefox) or Ctrl+B (Internet Explorer)⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+B (Chrome/Safari) or ⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+B (Firefox)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+R / Ctrl+BCtrl+⇧ Shift+O
Move focus to Web search barCtrl+E⌘ Cmd+E (Opera) or ⌘ Cmd+K (Firefox) or ⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+F (Safari/Chrome)Ctrl+kt (open in a new tab) or T (open in current tab)Ctrl+E or Ctrl+K
Move focus to address barCtrl+L or F6 or Alt+D⌘ Cmd+LCtrl+L or Alt+D or F6gO to alter URL, use y to copy it.Ctrl+L or Alt+D
Refresh a webpageF5 or Ctrl+R⌘ Cmd+RF5 or Ctrl+RRr or Ctrl+R
Refresh a webpage ignoring cacheCtrl+F5 or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+R⌥ Opt+⌘ Cmd+E then ⌘ Cmd+RCtrl+⇧ Shift+F5 or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+RRCtrl+⇧ Shift+R
Open a new windowCtrl+N⌘ Cmd+N (Chrome, hold shift to open new window in Incognito)Ctrl+N:winopenCtrl+N
Zoom Options (zoom in / zoom out / zoom 100%)Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- / Ctrl+0⌘ Cmd++ / ⌘ Cmd+- / ⌘ Cmd+0Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- / Ctrl+0zi / zo / zz (text only) or zI / zO / zZ (text and images)Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- / Ctrl+0

Tab management

ActionWindowsmacOSLinuxEmacs-w3mVimperatorChromeOS
New tabCtrl+T⌘ Cmd+TCtrl+⇧ Shift+N or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+T or Ctrl+TCtrl+c, then Ctrl+ttCtrl+T
Close tabCtrl+W or Ctrl+F4⌘ Cmd+WCtrl+W Firefox& Opera & Chrome & GNOME Web & Midori Ctrl+F4 Firefox & Opera & ChromedCtrl+W
Close all tabs but the current one⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+T (Safari)Ctrl+c, then Meta+w
Go to next tabCtrl+Tab ↹Ctrl+Tab ↹ or ⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+ (Safari)Ctrl+PageDown or Ctrl+Tab ↹ or Ctrl+.Ctrl+c, then Ctrl+ngtCtrl+Tab ↹
Go to previous tabCtrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ or ⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+ (Safari)Ctrl+PageUp or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ or Ctrl+,Ctrl+c, then Ctrl+pgTCtrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹
Go to tab-nCtrl+n (MS Edge,Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer)⌘ Cmd+n (Chrome)Alt+n (Chrome, Firefox) or Ctrl+n (Chrome)First tab: g0 Last tab: g$Ctrl+b
Go to last tabCtrl+9 (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer)⌘ Cmd+9 (Chrome)Alt+9 (Chrome, Firefox) or Ctrl+9 (Chrome)
Move a tab to the leftCtrl+⇧ Shift+Page Up (MS Edge,Chrome, Firefox)
Move a tab to the rightCtrl+⇧ Shift+Page Down (MS Edge,Chrome, Firefox)
Open a previously closed tabCtrl+⇧ Shift+T⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+T (Firefox, Opera, Chrome)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+T (Firefox, Opera, Chrome)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+T (Firefox)uCtrl+⇧ Shift+T
Open a previously closed windowCtrl+⇧ Shift+N (Firefox)Ctrl+⇧ Shift+T

Window management

ActionWindowsmacOSKDEGNOMEEmacsChromeOS
Force window mode (Application requires functionality for set action)Alt+↵ Enter⌥ Opt+Alt+↵ Enter or ⌥ Option+Alt+F or ⌘ Cmd+F or ⌘ Cmd+⌥ Option+F
Pop up window menuAlt+SpaceAlt+F3Alt+SpaceMeta+`, then b
Close the focused windowAlt+F4 or Alt+Space then C⌘ Cmd+WAlt+F4Alt+F4Ctrl+x, then kCtrl+W
Close all windows of current application⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+WCtrl+⇧ Shift+W
Restore the focused window to its previous sizeAlt+Space then RAlt+F3 then XAlt+F5Ctrl+x, then r, then j, then letter of the window state register.
Move the focused windowAlt+Space then M then Arrow Keys. Press ↵ Enter to save new location and Esc to cancelAlt+Mouse / Alt+F3 then M then Arrow KeysAlt+Mouse / Alt+F7 then Arrow Keys
Resize the focused windowAlt+Space then S then Arrow Keys. ↵ Enter to save new size and Esc to cancelAlt+F3 then S then Arrow KeysAlt+F8 then Arrow Keys / Alt+Right Mouse ButtonCtrl+x, then ^ verticallyAlt+] (snap window to right half of screen), Alt+[ (snap window to left half of screen)
Keep window always on topCtrl+Alt+Esc (toggles on/off)
Hide the focused window⌘ Cmd+H (Hides all windows of the currently active application)Meta+x, then bury-buffer, then ↵ Enter
Hide all except the focused window⌘ Cmd+⌥ Option+H
Put the focused window furthest back (in tab order and Z axis)Alt+Esc
Minimize the focused windowAlt+Space then N or ⊞ Win+ (Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows 7+)⌘ Cmd+MAlt+F3 then NAlt+F9Meta+x, then bury-buffer, then ↵ EnterAlt+-
Maximize the focused windowAlt+Space then X or ⊞ Win+ (Windows 7+)⌘ Cmd+LAlt+F3 then XAlt+F10Ctrl+x, then 1Alt
Maximize horizontallyAvailable, but no defaultAvailable, but no default
Maximize vertically⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+ (Windows 7+)Available ('Zoom'), but no defaultAvailable, but no defaultAvailable, but no default
Minimize all⊞ Win+M (minimize all windows) or ⊞ Win+D (show desktop)⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+MAvailable, but no default
Minimize all non focused windows⊞ Win+Home (Windows 7+)Available, but no default
Undo minimize all⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+MAvailable, but no default
Switch fullscreen/normal sizeF11 or ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+↵ Enter (UWP apps only)⌘ Cmd+Ctrl+F or Fn+FF11F11Fullscreen
Show the window in full screen mode, with no border, menubar, toolbar or statusbarDepends on application, system default: ⌘ Cmd+Ctrl+F and Fn+FCtrl+⇧ Shift+FCtrl+F11
Show all open windows⊞ Win+Tab ↹F3 or F9 or Fn+F9 or Move mouse pointer to configured hot corner or active screen corner⊞ Win works per desktop on Gnome 3+Ctrl+x, then Ctrl+bShow Windows
Show all windows of current application⊞ Win+Tab ↹Ctrl+F3 or F10 or Move mouse pointer to configured hot corner or active screen cornerCtrl+`Ctrl+x, then Ctrl+b
Show all workspaces⊞ Win+Tab ↹ (Windows 10)F8 or Move mouse pointer to configured hot corner or active screen corner⊞ WinShow Windows
Move window to left/right/up/down workspace⊞ Win+/ (Windows 7+)Available, but no defaultCtrl+Alt+⇧ Shift+ / ⇧ Shift+Search+[/]
Move window between multiple monitors⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+/ (Windows 7+)⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+//⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+/Alt+Search+M
Move window to workspace nAvailable, but no default
Switch to next/previous workspace listAvailable, but no default
Go to workspace nCtrl+nCtrl+Fn⇧ Shift+Search+n
Go to left/right/up/down workspaceCtrl+ / Ctrl+ / Ctrl+ / Ctrl+ (OS X 10.5 to 10.6), Ctrl+ / Ctrl+ (OS X 10.7 and later)Available, but no defaultCtrl+Alt+ / Search+[/]
Quit application of current windowAlt+F4 or Ctrl+F4 varies⌘ Cmd+QCtrl+Alt+EscAlt+F4 or Ctrl+QqCtrl+⇧ Shift+W
Close dialogEsc (Laptop) ⊞ Win++F4 (Desktop)Esc or sometimes ⌘ Cmd+.EscEsc or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+W
Open/Focus (preview) pinned program on the taskbar⊞ Win+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the Windows Taskbar (Windows 7+)⊞ Win+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the GNOME DashAlt+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the Shelf
Open new program window of pinned program in Quick Launch⊞ Win+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the Quick Launch toolbar (Windows Vista, 7+)⌘ Cmd+A+⇧ ShiftAlt+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the Shelf
Open new program window of the pinned program on the taskbar (if program is already opened)⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the Windows Taskbar (Windows 7+)⊞ Win+Ctrl+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the GNOME DashAlt+(#) where "#" is the position of the program on the Shelf
Focus the first taskbar entry; pressing again will cycle through them⊞ Win+T, then back and forth; hold ⇧ Shift to cycle backwards (Windows 7+)
Peek at the desktop⊞ Win+Space (Windows 7) ⊞ Win+Comma (Windows 8+)⌘ Cmd+F3 or F11 or Move mouse pointer to configured hot corner or active screen corner
Bring gadgets to the front of the Z-order and cycle between gadgets⊞ Win+G (Windows Vista,7) or ⊞ Win+Space (Vista only, no cycling)
External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc.)⊞ Win+P (Windows 7+)Ctrl+Fullscreen

User interface navigation (widgets and controls)

ActionWindowsmacOSKDEGNOME
Moves keyboard focus to next/previous controlTab ↹ / ⇧ Shift+Tab ↹Tab ↹ / ⇧ Shift+Tab ↹Tab ↹ / ⇧ Shift+Tab ↹Tab ↹ / ⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ Ctrl+Tab ↹ / Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹
Pop up tooltip for currently focused control⇧ Shift+F1Ctrl+F1
Show context-sensitive help for currently focused window or control⇧ Shift+F1⌘ Cmd+? (Not context-sensitive, functionally a "Spotlight" for menu bar items and help topics)⇧ Shift+F1⇧ Shift+F1
Give focus to next/previous paneCtrl+F6 / Alt+F5Ctrl+Tab ↹ Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹F5 / Alt+F6
Give focus to splitter bar in paned windowF8
Give focus to window's menu barF10 or AltFn+M or Ctrl+F2 (or Fn+Ctrl+F2 on some keyboards)AltF10
Pop up contextual menu for currently selected objects (aka context menu)⇧ Shift+F10 or ≣ MenuVaries with laptop / extended keyboard type; enable Mouse keys in Universal Access, then Fn+Ctrl+5 or Ctrl+5 (numeric keypad) or Function+Ctrl+I (laptop)≣ Menu≣ Menu or ⇧ Shift+F10
Toggle selected state of focused checkbox, radio button, or toggle buttonSpaceSpaceSpaceSpace
Activate focused button, menu item etc.↵ EnterSpace (also ↵ Enter for menu items)↵ Enter↵ Enter
Expand a drop-down listF4 or Alt+
Select/move to first/last item in selected widgetHome / EndHome / End
Scroll selected view by one page up/left/down/rightPageUp / PageDown ( Fn+ / Fn+ )PageUp / Ctrl+PageUp / PageDown / Ctrl+PageDown
Scroll selected view to top/bottomHome / End ( Fn+ / Fn+ )
Switch focus to the next/previous tab/view within a windowCtrl+Tab ↹Ctrl+Tab ↹ Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹Ctrl+Tab ↹ -> Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ <-
Switch focus to the next/previous panel on the desktopCtrl+Alt+Tab ↹ / Ctrl+Alt+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹
Switch focus to the next/previous panel (without dialog)Ctrl+Alt+Esc / Ctrl+Alt+⇧ Shift+Esc

Command line shortcuts

Below is a list of common keyboard shortcuts that are used in a command line environment. Bash and Z shell keybindings are derived from Emacs text editing bindings.

ActionWindows (cmd.exe)Windows (PowerShell)Unix-like (bash, zsh)Unix-like (POSIX-compliant shell)
Scroll through history of typed commands/// or Ctrl+P/Ctrl+NESC K / ESC J
Signal end-of-fileCtrl+ZCtrl+D
Abort current command/typingCtrl+CCtrl+CCtrl+CCtrl+C
Erase word to the leftCtrl+← BackspaceCtrl+← BackspaceCtrl+W or Esc+← Backspace
Erase word to the rightCtrl+DeleteCtrl+DeleteAlt+D
Erase line to the leftCtrl+HomeCtrl+HomeCtrl+U
Erase line to the rightCtrl+EndCtrl+EndCtrl+K
Yank/paste previously erased stringCtrl+Y
Move one word to the left (backward)Ctrl+Ctrl+Alt+B
Move one word to the right (forward)Ctrl+Ctrl+Alt+F
Move to beginning of lineHomeHomeCtrl+A or Home
Move to end of lineEndEndCtrl+E or End
Reverse search of historyF8F8Ctrl+R
Pause execution of the current jobCtrl+Z
Insert the next character typed verbatimCtrl+V
Autocomplete command/file nameTab ↹ (enabled by default in Windows XP and later)Tab ↹Tab ↹ (usually once)Esc (usually twice)
Paste contents of clipboard at cursorAlt+Space then E then PCtrl+V⇧ Shift+Ins
Scroll window up⇧ Shift+PageUp (may not work in some versions of Windows XP)PageUp⇧ Shift+PageUp
Scroll window down⇧ Shift+PageDown (may not work in some versions of Windows XP)PageDown⇧ Shift+PageDown
Clear screenCtrl+L

Accessibility

  • In Windows, it is possible to disable these shortcuts using the Accessibility or Ease of Access control panel.
  • In GNOME, these shortcuts are possible, if Universal Access is enabled on the system.
ActionWindowsmacOSKDEGNOME
Utility Manager⊞ Win+U
Use keyboard to control cursorLeft Alt+Left Shift+Numlock
Allow user to press shortcuts one key at a time⇧ Shift press 5 times⇧ Shift 5 times
Hear beep when -lock key pressedNumlock hold 5 seconds
Stop/slow repeating characters when key is pressedRight Shift hold 8 seconds⇧ Shift hold for 8 seconds
Inverse (Reverse Colors) ModeLeft Alt+Left Shift+PrtScn⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+Ctrl+8Meta+⇧ Shift+i (if enabled)
Inverse (Reverse Colors) Mode (Only current window)Meta+⇧ Shift+u (if enabled)
Accessibility ShortcutCtrl+⊞ Win+C

See also

Notes

External links