There are many useful keyboard shortcuts on a Chromebook (screenshots, snipping, cutting, pasting, copying, etc). Many of the shortcuts are the same as on your current laptop / windows device. However, there are some that are different.
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of keyboard strokes and clicks that allow you to complete various functions. Below is a partial list of the most useful shortcuts when using a Chromebook keyboard.
Popular Shortcuts
Take a full screenshot (snipping):
Ctrl + Show windows key (F4)
Take a partial screenshot (snipping):
Ctrl + Shift + Show windows key (F4) ,
then click & drag the area you wish to snip
Turn Caps Lock on / off: Alt + Search
Clear cache: Ctrl + Shift + Backspace
Page and Web Browser
Opens Settings menu when screen is zoomed in:
Alt + Shift + s
Zoom in on the page: Ctrl and +
Zoom out on the page: Ctrl and -
Reset zoom level: Ctrl + 0
(Note: this uses the number zero key)
Move around page when zoomed in:
Ctrl + Alt + Arrow keys
Turn on / off full screen magnifier:
Ctrl + Search + m
- Note: This option can also be turned on / off from Accessibility option in the Settings menu (Alt + Shift + s), and click on Full screen magnifer to return screen to normal size or zoom in.
Open print dialog: Ctrl + p
Open downloads: Ctrl + j
View history: Ctrl + h
Bookmark page: Ctrl + d
Save current page: Ctrl + s
Refresh page: Ctrl + r
Tabs and Windows
Open a new tab: Ctrl + t
Open a new window: Ctrl + n
Open a file in the browser window: Ctrl + o
Dock a window to the left: Alt and [
Dock a window to the right: Alt and ]
Lock your screen: Search + L
Rotate screen:
Ctrl + Shift + Reload (round arrow)
Maximize current window: Alt and =
Minimize current window: Alt and -
View all opened windows: Alt + Tab
Keep pressing Tab to cycle through your windows
Open link in new tab & switch to new tab:
Ctrl + Shift + Click a link
Open link in new tab (in background):
Ctrl + Click a link
Open link in new window: Shift + Click a link
Move to next tab: Ctrl + Tab
Move to previous tab: Ctrl + Shift + Tab
Reopen last closed tab: Ctrl + Shift + t
Close current tab: Ctrl + w
Close all tabs / windows: Ctrl + Shift + w
Text Editing
Cut: Ctrl + x
Copy: Ctrl + c
Paste: Ctrl + v
Paste as plain text: Ctrl + Shift + v
Select everything on page / select all text:
Ctrl + a
Find a word on the page:
Ctrl + f, then enter word / phrase to search & find
Undo last action: Ctrl + z
Redo last action: Ctrl + y or Ctrl + Shift + z
Caps Lock on / off: Alt + Search
Move cursor to previous / next word:
Ctrl + Right or Left Arrows
Delete previous word: Ctrl + Backspace
Delete next word: Ctrl + Alt + Backspace
Additional Shortcuts
To see a list of all keyboard shortcuts, you can use a keyboard shortcut to see the list:
- Press Ctrl +Alt + ? or visit Google Support's list of all shortcuts.
- Once this opens, you can also use the search feature to find specific shortcuts.