Keyboard shortcuts can significantly increase your productivity by reducing the time spent navigating your computer and performing repetitive tasks. They allow you to access specific features, commands, or functions with just a few keystrokes, streamlining your workflow and enabling you to work more efficiently. In this comprehensive article, we will cover the top keyboard shortcuts for Windows, macOS, and Linux, organized by category for easy reference.
General Shortcuts
These keyboard shortcuts are common across all operating systems and are essential for any user to know.
- Ctrl + C (or Cmd + C on macOS): Copy the selected text or object.
- Ctrl + V (or Cmd + V on macOS): Paste the copied text or object.
- Ctrl + X (or Cmd + X on macOS): Cut the selected text or object.
- Ctrl + Z (or Cmd + Z on macOS): Undo the last action.
- Ctrl + Y (or Cmd + Shift + Z on macOS): Redo the last undone action.
- Ctrl + A (or Cmd + A on macOS): Select all items on the screen or within the active window.
- Ctrl + P (or Cmd + P on macOS): Open the print dialog box for the active document.
- Ctrl + S (or Cmd + S on macOS): Save the active document.
- Ctrl + O (or Cmd + O on macOS): Open a file or document.
- Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on macOS): Open the Find dialog box to search for text within the active document or window.
Navigation Shortcuts
These shortcuts help you navigate your computer and switch between applications more efficiently.
- Alt + Tab (or Cmd + Tab on macOS): Switch between open applications.
- Alt + Shift + Tab (or Cmd + Shift + Tab on macOS): Switch between open applications in reverse order.
- Ctrl + Alt + Delete (or Cmd + Option + Esc on macOS): Open the Task Manager (Windows) or Force Quit Applications window (macOS).
- Windows Key + D (or Cmd + F3 on macOS): Show or hide the desktop.
- Windows Key + L (or Cmd + Ctrl + Q on macOS): Lock the computer.
- Windows Key + E (or Cmd + Space on macOS, then type “Finder” and press Enter): Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS).
On Linux, the specific keyboard shortcuts for navigation may vary depending on the distribution and desktop environment used. However, many of the shortcuts mentioned above for Windows and macOS will also work on Linux.
Text Editing Shortcuts
These shortcuts are particularly useful when working with text documents, emails, or any application where text input is required.
- Ctrl + B (or Cmd + B on macOS): Bold the selected text.
- Ctrl + I (or Cmd + I on macOS): Italicize the selected text.
- Ctrl + U (or Cmd + U on macOS): Underline the selected text.
- Ctrl + Left Arrow (or Option + Left Arrow on macOS): Move the cursor one word to the left.
- Ctrl + Right Arrow (or Option + Right Arrow on macOS): Move the cursor one word to the right.
- Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow (or Option + Shift + Left Arrow on macOS): Select the word to the left of the cursor.
- Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow (or Option + Shift + Right Arrow on macOS): Select the word to the right of the cursor.
- Ctrl + Home (or Cmd + Up Arrow on macOS): Move the cursor to the beginning of the document.
- Ctrl + End (or Cmd + Down Arrow on macOS): Move the cursor to the end of the document.
Browser Shortcuts
These shortcuts will help
you navigate and manage your web browsing experience more efficiently.
- Ctrl + T (or Cmd + T on macOS): Open a new browser tab.
- Ctrl + W (or Cmd + W on macOS): Close the current browser tab.
- Ctrl + Shift + T (or Cmd + Shift + T on macOS): Reopen the last closed browser tab.
- Ctrl + Tab (or Cmd + Option + Right Arrow on macOS): Switch to the next open browser tab.
- Ctrl + Shift + Tab (or Cmd + Option + Left Arrow on macOS): Switch to the previous open browser tab.
- Ctrl + R (or Cmd + R on macOS): Reload the current web page.
- Ctrl + L (or Cmd + L on macOS): Highlight the address bar, allowing you to enter a new URL or search query.
- Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on macOS): Open the Find dialog box to search for text on the current web page.
- Ctrl + + (or Cmd + + on macOS): Zoom in on the current web page.
- Ctrl + – (or Cmd + – on macOS): Zoom out on the current web page.
- Ctrl + 0 (or Cmd + 0 on macOS): Reset the zoom level to the default setting.
Windows-Specific Shortcuts
These keyboard shortcuts are specific to the Windows operating system and can help you navigate and manage your workspace more effectively.
- Windows Key + R: Open the Run dialog box, allowing you to quickly launch applications or open folders by typing their name or path.
- Windows Key + S: Open the Windows Search box.
- Windows Key + X: Open the Quick Link menu, which provides shortcuts to various system settings and utilities.
- Windows Key + I: Open the Windows Settings app.
- Windows Key + M: Minimize all open windows.
- Windows Key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows.
- Windows Key + Left/Right Arrow: Snap the active window to the left or right side of the screen.
- Windows Key + Up/Down Arrow: Maximize or minimize the active window.
- Windows Key + Number (1-9): Open the application pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
macOS-Specific Shortcuts
These keyboard shortcuts are specific to the macOS operating system and can help you navigate and manage your workspace more effectively.
- Cmd + Space: Open Spotlight Search, allowing you to quickly search for and launch applications or documents.
- Cmd + Q: Quit the active application.
- Cmd + H: Hide the active application.
- Cmd + M: Minimize the active window.
- Cmd + N: Open a new window in the active application.
- Cmd + Shift + N: Create a new folder in Finder.
- Cmd + Option + Esc: Open the Force Quit Applications window, allowing you to force quit unresponsive applications.
- Cmd + Shift + 3: Take a screenshot of the entire screen.
- Cmd + Shift + 4: Take a screenshot of a selected area of the screen.
- Cmd + Shift + 5: Open the Screenshot utility, providing more screenshot and screen recording options.
Linux-Specific Shortcuts
These keyboard shortcuts are specific to the Linux operating system, though the exact shortcuts may vary depending on the distribution and desktop environment used.
- Ctrl + Alt + T: Open the Terminal.
- Alt + F2: Open the Run dialog box, allowing you to quickly launch applications or run commands.
- Ctrl + Alt + L: Lock the screen.
- Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right Arrow: Switch between virtual workspaces.
- Ctrl + Alt + D: Show or hide the desktop.
- Ctrl + Alt + M: Maximize the active window.
- Ctrl + Alt + N:
Minimize the active window.
- Ctrl + Alt + R: Resize the active window.
- Ctrl + Alt + S: Open the system settings.
- Print Screen (or PrtScn): Take a screenshot of the entire screen.
- Shift + Print Screen: Take a screenshot of a selected area of the screen.
Microsoft Office Shortcuts
These shortcuts are specifically designed for Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and can help you work more efficiently in these programs.
- Ctrl + N (or Cmd + N on macOS): Create a new document or workbook.
- Ctrl + K (or Cmd + K on macOS): Insert a hyperlink.
- Ctrl + B (or Cmd + B on macOS): Bold the selected text.
- Ctrl + I (or Cmd + I on macOS): Italicize the selected text.
- Ctrl + U (or Cmd + U on macOS): Underline the selected text.
- F7 (or Cmd + Shift + ; on macOS): Open the Spelling and Grammar check.
- Ctrl + Shift + > (or Cmd + Shift + > on macOS): Increase the font size of the selected text.
- Ctrl + Shift + < (or Cmd + Shift + < on macOS): Decrease the font size of the selected text.
- Alt + Shift + Left Arrow (or Cmd + Shift + J on macOS): Promote a bullet point or list item in a hierarchy.
- Alt + Shift + Right Arrow (or Cmd + Shift + K on macOS): Demote a bullet point or list item in a hierarchy.
Adobe Photoshop Shortcuts
These shortcuts are specific to Adobe Photoshop and can help you navigate and work more efficiently within the application.
- Ctrl + N (or Cmd + N on macOS): Create a new document.
- Ctrl + Shift + N (or Cmd + Shift + N on macOS): Create a new layer.
- Ctrl + G (or Cmd + G on macOS): Group selected layers.
- Ctrl + E (or Cmd + E on macOS): Merge selected layers.
- Ctrl + T (or Cmd + T on macOS): Activate the Free Transform tool.
- Ctrl + + (or Cmd + + on macOS): Zoom in on the canvas.
- Ctrl + – (or Cmd + – on macOS): Zoom out on the canvas.
- Ctrl + 0 (or Cmd + 0 on macOS): Fit the canvas to the screen.
- Spacebar + Click and drag: Temporarily activate the Hand tool to pan around the canvas.
- Alt + Click (or Option + Click on macOS): Sample a color from the canvas using the Eyedropper tool.
Web Development Shortcuts
These shortcuts are useful for web developers working with code editors and IDEs.
- Ctrl + Space (or Cmd + Space on macOS): Activate the code completion feature in most code editors.
- Ctrl + / (or Cmd + / on macOS): Comment or uncomment the current line or selected block of code.
- Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on macOS): Open the Find dialog box to search for text within the active document.
- Ctrl + H (or Cmd + H on macOS): Open the Replace dialog box to search for and replace text within the active document.
- Ctrl + G (or Cmd + G on macOS): Go to a specific line number in the active document.
- Ctrl + Shift + F (or Cmd + Shift + F on macOS): Search for text across multiple files or the entire project.
- Ctrl + Z (or Cmd + Z on macOS): Undo the last action.
- Ctrl + Y (or Cmd + Shift + Z on macOS): Redo the last undone action.
Conclusion
Mastering keyboard shortcuts is an essential skill for any computer user, regardless of the operating system or applications used. By learning and incorporating these shortcuts into your daily workflow, you can save time, increase productivity, and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries caused by excessive mouse usage. This comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as specific applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and web development tools, is a valuable resource to keep on hand and refer to regularly as you become more proficient with your computer. Remember, practice makes perfect, and the more you use these shortcuts, the more intuitive and efficient your computer usage will become.
