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Best Chromebook keyboard shortcuts to master Chrome OS

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

Google Pixelbook Go keyboard
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:

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.

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.

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.

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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Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
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