All Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts: The Chrome OS Cheat Sheet

Keyboard shortcuts are the key to unlocking enhanced productivity on any device. While the mouse is handy, you can accomplish tasks in a fraction of the time without your hands ever leaving the keyboard.

Even though a Chromebook offers a slimmed-down experience compared to Windows or a Mac, it still packs plenty of keyboard shortcuts. Some of them are identical to Chrome offers on other platforms, but plenty of others are unique to Chrome OS.

We're here to help with a mega-cheat sheet of Chromebook shortcuts. With these, you can edit text, access Chrome's various functions, swap apps, and much more. We even have some shortcuts that use the trackpad if you just can't let go of the mouse. Let's take a look!

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download The Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet.

The Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Shortcut	Action
Basic Chrome Functions
Ctrl + P	Open Print dialog
Ctrl + S	Save the current webpage
Ctrl + R	Refresh the page
Ctrl + Shift + R	Refresh the page without loading cache
Ctrl + O	Open a file
Ctrl + H	View History
Ctrl + J	Open Downloads
Ctrl + D	Bookmark current page
Ctrl + Shift + D	Bookmark all open tabs
Ctrl + Shift + B	Toggle bookmarks bar
Alt + E	Open Chrome's menu
Search + Esc	Open Task Manager
Ctrl + U	View page source
Ctrl + Shift + I	Open the Developer Tools panel
Navigating Tabs and Windows
Ctrl + N	Open new window
Ctrl + Shift + N	Open new incognito window
Ctrl + T	Open new tab
Ctrl + W	Close current tab
Ctrl + Shift + W	Close current window
Ctrl + Shift + T	Reopen last closed tab
Ctrl + 1 — Ctrl + 8	Switch to tab 1-8
Ctrl + 9	Switch to last tab
Ctrl +Tab	Move to next tab
Ctrl + Shift + Tab	Move to prior tab
Ctrl + Click	Open link in a new tab
Ctrl + Shift + Click	Open link in a new tab and switch to it immediately
Shift + Click	Open link in a new window
Apps and Shelf
Alt + 1 — Alt + 8	Open shelf apps 1-8
Alt + 9	Open last app on the shelf
Alt + Tab	Switch to last-opened app; keep pressing to cycle through apps
Alt + Shift + Tab	Switch to least recently opened app; keep pressing to cycle through apps
Alt + [	Pin current app to the left side of the screen
Alt + ]	Pin current app to the right side of the screen
Alt + Equals (=)	Maximize current window
Alt + Minus (-)	Minimize current window
Search + Alt + M	Move window between screens (when using multiple monitors)
Webpage Navigation
Ctrl + Plus (+)	Zoom in
Ctrl + Minus (-)	Zoom out
Ctrl + 0 (Zero)	Reset zoom to 100%
Ctrl + F	Search the current page
Alt + Left	Go back one page
Alt + Right	Go forward one page
Alt + Up	Scroll up page. Equivalent to Page Up key in Windows
Alt + Down	Scroll down page. Equivalent to Page Down key in Windows
Ctrl + Alt + Up	Jump to top of page. Equivalent to Home key in Windows
Ctrl + Alt + Down	Jump to bottom of page. Equivalent to End key in Windows
Chrome OS System
Shift + Alt + N	Show notifications
Ctrl + Forward Slash (/)	Open Help
Ctrl + Alt + Forward Slash (/)	Show Chrome OS shortcuts reference window
Search + L	Lock screen
Ctrl + Shift + Q (twice)	Sign out of Google account
Ctrl + Shift + Plus (+)	Increase screen resolution
Ctrl + Shift + Minus (-)	Decrease screen resolution
Ctrl + Shift + Zero (0)	Reset screen resolution
Alt + Brightness Up/Down	Increase/decrease keyboard backlight (if applicable)
Ctrl + Window Switcher	Take screenshot of the entire screen
Ctrl + Shift + Window Switcher	Take screenshot of selected region
Ctrl + Full Screen	Toggle external monitor modes (if applicable)
Text Editing
Alt + Search	Toggle Caps Lock
Alt + Backspace	Delete next character. Equivalent to Delete key on Windows
Ctrl + Backspace	Delete previous word
Ctrl + Alt + Backspace	Delete next word
Ctrl + A	Select all
Ctrl + L	Select all text in the address bar
Ctrl + Right/Left	Move the cursor to the next/previous word
Ctrl + Shift + Right/Left	Select next/previous word
Shift + Search + Right/Left	Select all text to the end/beginning of the current line
Ctrl + Search + Right/Left	Jump to the end/beginnning of a text field/document
Ctrl + C	Copy
Ctrl + X	Cut
Ctrl + V	Paste
Ctrl + Shift + V	Paste without formatting
Ctrl + Z	Undo
Ctrl + Y	Redo
Trackpad Shortcuts
Alt + Click	Equivalent to a right-click
Click with three fingers	Equivalent to a middle-click
Swipe up or down with two fingers	Scroll up or down on the page
Swipe right/left with two fingers	Go forward/back one page
Swipe down with three fingers	Equivalent to the Window Switcher key
Swipe right/left with three fingers	Move between open Chrome tabs
Accessibility/Advanced Navigation
Shift + Alt + B	Highlight bookmarks bar; use arrows to navigate
Shift + Alt + T	Highlight the icons in the address bar row
Shift + Alt + S	Highlight the status area at the bottom-right
Shift + Alt+ L	Highlight the first shelf icon
Ctrl + Back	Move to previous keyboard-accessible area on screen
Ctrl + Forward	Move to next keyboard-accessible area on screen
Shift + Search + Volume Up	Opens right-click menu for highlighted element
Search + Ctrl + H	Toggle high contrast mode
Search + Ctrl + M	Magnify the entire screen
Search + Ctrl + D	Magnify part of the screen
Ctrl + Alt + Z	Toggle ChromeVox, the built-in screen reader
Miscellaneous
Ctrl + Enter	Add "www." and ".com" to text in the address bar and open page
Ctrl + Period (.)	Show hidden files in Files app
Search + 1 — Search + Equals (=)	Use F keys (F1 through F12)
Ctrl + Alt + Period (.)	Switch to next user (if applicable)
Ctrl + Alt + Comma (,)	Switch to previous user (if applicable)
Ctrl + Shift + Space	Cycle between keyboard languages (if applicable)
Alt + Shift + M	Open Files app

Taking Shortcuts on Your Chromebook

Don't be overwhelmed if this seems like a lot. You don't have to commit to learning all these Chrome OS shortcuts at once. Pick a few that integrate into your workflow and will save you the most time. Once you've mastered those, you can add more into your routine.

Even once you've mastered keyboard shortcuts, there's still more to learn about your Chromebook. Check out our ultimate Chromebook how-to guide and a list of commands for the Crosh, i.e. the Chrome OS terminal. You might also like to learn how to install Chrome OS in a virtual machine.