KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

For the people who know their way around a keyboard

🎯 Nostalgia Alert: These are the commands we all learned back when computers came with manuals. Some still work. Some are gone forever. But they shaped how we think about keyboards.

UNIVERSAL (Windows / Mac / Linux)

🐧 On Linux: use the same Ctrl combos as Windows (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Z…). The Mac equivalents swap Ctrl for ⌘. Scroll down for the Linux Specific section too.

Ctrl+A (⌘A Mac)

Select All

Essential. Use it everywhere.

Ctrl+C (⌘C Mac)

Copy

Copy to clipboard. The foundation of workflow.

Ctrl+X (⌘X Mac)

Cut

Copy AND remove. Move stuff around.

Ctrl+V (⌘V Mac)

Paste

Paste what you copied. Completes the trilogy.

Ctrl+Z (⌘Z Mac)

Undo

The best key ever invented. Press it repeatedly.

Ctrl+Y (⌘Y Mac)

Redo

Undo the undo. For when you change your mind.

Ctrl+S (⌘S Mac)

Save

ALWAYS. Press this constantly. Every 30 seconds.

Ctrl+P (⌘P Mac)

Send to printer. Classic move.

Ctrl+F (⌘F Mac)

Find

Search within document. Game changer.

Ctrl+H (⌘H Mac)

Find & Replace

Find something and swap it out. Powerful.

Alt+Tab (⌘Tab Mac)

Switch Windows

Jump between open apps. Essential multitasking.

Alt+F4 (⌘Q Mac)

Close Window/App

Goodbye. Works on most things.

FUNCTION KEYS (F1-F12)

Help

Open help. If your app has it.

Rename

Rename files in Explorer. Quick rename.

Find Next

Continue searching. Old but still works.

Drop-down List

Open dropdowns in dialogs. Browser address bar.

Refresh

Reload page (browser), refresh file list.

Move to Next Pane

Navigate between panes. Less common now.

Caret Browsing

Browse text with cursor. Niche.

Extended Selection

Hold to extend selection. Obscure.

Refresh All

Varies by app. Less used.

F10

Menu Bar

Activate menu bar. Old school.

F11

Full Screen

Toggle full screen (most browsers).

F12

Developer Tools

Open dev console. Essential for nerds.

WINDOWS SPECIFIC

Win Key

Start Menu

Open Windows menu. Or search when pressed alone.

Win + E

File Explorer

Open file manager. Quick access.

Win + D

Show Desktop

Minimize all. Hide what you're doing.

Win + X

Quick Link Menu

Settings, Device Manager, etc. Power menu.

Win + V

Clipboard History

See your last 25 copied items. Modern feature.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete

Task Manager

Kill a frozen program. The nuclear option.

LINUX SPECIFIC

Ctrl+Alt+T

Open Terminal

The one that matters. Your gateway to everything.

Ctrl+Alt+F2-F6

Switch Virtual Console (TTY)

Drop to a text console. Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or F7) gets you back to the desktop.

Ctrl+C

Kill Running Command

In the terminal, stops whatever is running. A lifesaver.

Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+V

Copy / Paste in Terminal

Plain Ctrl+C/V do other things in a terminal — add Shift.

Ctrl+R

Search Command History

Reverse-search past commands. Start typing to find it.

Tab

Auto-Complete

Completes file names and commands. Press twice to list options.

Super (⊞) Key

Activities / App Menu

Opens the overview on GNOME. The Linux "Start button".

Alt+F2

Run Command

Quick launcher to run an app by name without a terminal.

Ctrl+Alt+L

Lock Screen

Locks your session on most desktops (GNOME, KDE).

BROWSER SHORTCUTS

Ctrl+T

New Tab

Open new tab. Chrome, Firefox, Edge.

Ctrl+N

New Window

Open new browser window.

Ctrl+W

Close Tab

Close current tab. Quick cleanup.

Ctrl+Shift+T

Reopen Closed Tab

Oops, I closed that. Get it back.

Ctrl+Shift+Del

Clear History

Delete browsing history. Useful.

Ctrl+Shift+N

Incognito Mode

Private browsing. Chrome/Edge.

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