Chromebook: Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: the body of this article comes from Google directly.

Popular shortcuts

  • Take a screenshot: Press  Ctrl  + Show windows    (or  Ctrl + F5).
  • Take a partial screenshot: Press  Shift + Ctrl + Show windows    (or  Shift + Ctrl + F5), then click and drag.
  • Take a screenshot (on tablets): Press  Power  button  +   Volume down  button.
  • Turn Caps Lock on or off: Press  Search     +   Alt.
  • Lock your screen: Press  Search     + L.
  • Sign out of your Google Account: Press  Shift + Ctrl + q  (twice).
  • See all keyboard shortcuts: Press  Ctrl + Alt + /  (forward slash).

Shortcuts on external keyboards

If you’re using a Windows or Mac keyboard, press the  Windows  key or  Command  key instead of  Search   .

To change how a specific keyboard key works:

  1. At the bottom right, select the time. Or press  Alt + Shift + s. 
  2. Select Settings  .
  3. Under "Device," choose  Keyboard.
  4. Change the function of one or more keys.

Tabs and windows shortcuts

Open a new window

Ctrl + n

Open a new window in Incognito mode

Shift + 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

Reopen the last tab or window you closed

Shift  +  Ctrl  +  t

Go to tabs 1-8 in the window

Ctrl + 1  through  Ctrl + 8

Go to the last tab in the window

Ctrl + 9

Go to the next tab in the window

Ctrl + Tab

Go to the previous tab in the window

Shift +  Ctrl   + Tab

Switch quickly between windows

Press & hold  Alt, tap  Tab  until you get to the window you want to open, then release.

Open the window you used least recently

Press & hold  Shift + Alt, tap  Tab  until you get to the window you want to open, then release.

Open tabs menu

Press and hold  Ctrl, tap Forward  or Back   until a tab is highlighted. Then press  Search  +  Shift  + Volume up 

Go to previous page in your browsing history

Alt +   Left arrow 

Go to the next page in your browsing history

Alt + Right arrow  

Open the link in a new tab in the background

Press  Ctrl  and click a link

Open the link in a new tab and switch to the new tab

Press  Shift +  Ctrl  and click a link

Open the link in a new window

Press  Shift  and click a link

Open the link in the tab

Drag the link to the tab's address bar

Open the link in a new tab

Drag the link to a blank area on the tab strip

Open the webpage in a new tab`

Type a web address (URL) in the address bar, then press  Alt + Enter

Return the tab to its original position

While dragging the tab, press  Esc

Dock a window on the left

Alt + [ (left square bracket)

Maximize window

Alt + =

Minimize window

Alt + - (minus)

Dock a window on the right

Alt + ] (right square bracket)

Switch windows between screens (when your Chromebook is connected to a monitor)

Search     +   Alt   +   m

Page & web browser

Page up

Search     +   Up arrow    or  Alt   +   Up arrow  

Page down

Search     + Down arrow    or  Alt   +   Down arrow  

Scroll down the web page

Space bar

Go to top of page

Ctrl + Alt + Up arrow  

Go to bottom of page

Ctrl + Alt + Down arrow  

Print your current page

Ctrl + p

Save your current page

Ctrl +  s

Reload your current page

Ctrl +  r

Reload your current page without using cached content

Shift +  Ctrl   +   r

Zoom in on the page

Ctrl   and   +

Zoom out on the page

Ctrl   and   - (minus)

Reset zoom level

Ctrl   +   0

Stop the loading of your current page

Esc

Right-click a link

Press  Alt  and click a link

Open the link in a new tab in the background

Press  Ctrl  and click a link

Save the link as a bookmark

Drag link to bookmarks bar

Save your current webpage as a bookmark

Ctrl +  d

Save all open pages in your current window as bookmarks in a new folder

Shift +  Ctrl  +  d

Search the current page

Ctrl +  f

Go to the next match for your search

Ctrl +  g  or  Enter

Go to the previous match for your search

Shift + Ctrl + g  or  Shift + Enter

Go to an inactive information field

Alt + Shift + a

Perform a Google search

Ctrl   +  k  or  Ctrl   +  e

Add  www.  and  .com  to your input in the address bar, then open the page

Ctrl + Enter

View page source

Ctrl +  u

Show or hide the Developer Tools panel

Shift +  Ctrl   +   i

Navigate to selected section in the Developer Tools panel

Ctrl + Shift + c

Open the Console tab in the Developer Tools panel

Shift +  Ctrl   +  j

Show or hide the bookmarks bar

Shift   +  Ctrl   +  b

Show the toolbar

Alt + Shift + t

Navigate to selected selection in the Developer Tools panel

Ctrl + Shift + c

Open the History page

Ctrl +  h

Open the Downloads page

Ctrl +  j

Delete selected Autofill suggestion when filling out a form

Shift + Alt + Backspace

System & display settings

Open the Files app

Shift + Alt +   m

Preview a file in the Files app

Select the file, then press  Space

Display hidden files in the Files app

Ctrl + .

Open the status area (where the time appears)

Shift + Alt +   s

Click icons 1-8 on your shelf

Alt   + 1  through  Alt   + 8

Click the last icon on your shelf

Alt + 9

Use F keys (F1 to F12)

Search    + 1  through  Search     + =

See your notifications

Shift   + Alt +   n

Change screen resolution

Shift   +  Ctrl  and  +  or  - (minus)

Reset screen resolution to default

Shift   +   Ctrl   +   0

Rotate screen 90 degrees

Shift   +   Ctrl  +   Rotate  

Switch to the next user

Ctrl + Alt + . (period)

Switch to the previous user

Ctrl  +  Alt + , (comma)

Text editing

Turn Caps Lock on or off

Search    + Alt

Select everything on the page

Ctrl +   a

Select the content in the address bar

Ctrl + L  or  Alt +  d

Select the next word or letter

Shift +  Ctrl  + Right arrow  

Select text to the end of the line

Search    + Shift + Right arrow  

Select text to the beginning of the line

Search   + Shift + Left arrow 

Select previous word or letter

Shift  +  Ctrl  + Left arrow 

Move to the end of the next word

Ctrl +   Right arrow  

Move to the start of the previous word

Ctrl + Left arrow 

Move to beginning of the line

Search    + Left arrow 

Move to end of the line

Search    + Right arrow  

Go to end of document

Search     + Ctrl +   Right arrow  

Go to beginning of document

Search    +   Ctrl   + Left arrow 

Copy selected content to the clipboard

Ctrl +   c

Paste content from the clipboard

Ctrl +  v

Paste content from the clipboard as plain text

Shift + Ctrl +   v

Cut

Ctrl +   x

Delete the previous word

Ctrl +   Backspace

Delete the next letter (forward delete)

Alt +   Backspace

Undo your last action

Ctrl +   z

Redo your last action

Shift  +  Ctrl   +   z

Switch between the keyboard languages you've set.

Shift  +  Ctrl  +   Space

Switch to the previous keyboard language you were using.

Ctrl   +   Space

Dim keyboard (for backlit keyboards only)

Alt   +  

Make keyboard brighter (for backlit keyboards only)

Alt   +  

Accessibility

Turn ChromeVox (spoken feedback) on or off

Ctrl   +   Alt   +   z

Turn on high contrast mode

Search   + Ctrl   +   h

Magnify your whole screen

Ctrl  +  Search    +  m

Magnify part of your screen

Ctrl  +  Search    +  d

Highlight the launcher button on your shelf

Shift +   Alt +   L

Highlight the next item on your shelf

Shift   +   Alt   +   L, then  Tab  or  Right arrow  

Highlight the previous item on your shelf

Shift + Alt + L, then  Shift + Tab  or  Left arrow 

Open the highlighted button on your shelf

Shift + Alt + L, then  Space  or  Enter

Remove the highlight from a button on your shelf

Shift + Alt + L, then  Esc

Switch focus between:

  • Status area (where the time appears)
  • Launcher
  • Address bar
  • Bookmarks bar (if visible)
  • The webpage that's open
  • Downloads bar (if visible)

Ctrl + Back    or  Ctrl + Forward  

Highlight the bookmarks bar (if shown)

Shift + Alt + b

Highlight the row with the address bar

Shift + Alt + t

Open right-click menu for highlighted item

Search   + Shift + Increase volume 

Move an app icon up, down or to the side in the launcher

Ctrl + Up ,  Down  ,  Left  ,  or Right 

Move an app in or out of a folder in the launcher

Ctrl + Shift + Up  ,  Down  ,  Left  , or Right