25 Keyboard Shortcuts Every Computer User Should Know

Programmer, content creator, or student this is for you

Keyboard shortcuts have become a part of my life, and it has made my work easy and fast. The research says that keyword shortcuts can save 8 entire workdays every year.

Imagine, you will get 8 days more to work. The article says it is almost 3.3% of total productivity.

I know many people don’t use many of the shortcuts and go the normal way and spend much of the time, but I want to specify the basic keyboard shortcut that everyone should use daily.

To begin, know this first:

• Ctrl — This is the main key on Windows PC that helps to activate shortcut keys. It is the abbreviation of Control.
• Command (⌘) — On Mac, this is the main key that helps for controlling shortcuts.

Now, let’s dive into the most useful shortcut keys.

1. Ctrl+A (or Command+A on Mac)

This command will select all text, pictures, files, or any other object of the document.

Pro tip: If you want to select only a few lines then use this: (Replace Ctrl by Command on Mac)

• Ctrl+Shift+left or right arrow key to select words.
• Ctrl+Shift+up or down arrow key to select a paragraph.
• The best tip — Point your cursor on the starting point of text, then press Ctrl+Shift and then point your cursor to the end of your text. This will select your text as big or as small as you want.

2. Ctrl+S (or Command+S on Mac)

Pressing this command will save your document. It’s the most usable and important key. The Medium editor is smart there you don’t need to save but on every other platform, you need to save your content every time.

3. Ctrl+C (or Command+C on Mac)

It will copy your text, images, files, folders, and anything you want to copy.

4. Ctrl+V (or Command+V on Mac)

It will paste the item you copied by hitting the Ctrl+C command. And one more tip — Sometimes we copy some different font text from various websites, but when we want to paste it in the normal font, then hit — Ctrl+Shift+V or Command+Shift+V.

5. Ctrl+X (or Command+X on Mac)

This command will cut your item from the clipboard, and it will also copy your item. So, that you can hit the Ctrl+V command and paste your item somewhere else.

6. Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac)

Pressing Ctrl+Z will undo all your changes. Multiple changes can be undone by clicking Ctrl+Z various times.

7. Ctrl+Y (or Shift+Command+Z on Mac)

If you have undone changes and need to redo it back, hit Ctrl+Y to get your text, document, or object. You can redo changes multiple times by clicking Ctrl+Y several times.

8. Ctrl+P (or Command+P on Mac)

It will print your web page or the documents you want.

9. Ctrl+N (or Command+N on Mac)

If you are in a browser, this command will open a new window, and if you are in a word document-based type application, it will create a new document.

10. Windows Key+Down Arrow (or Command+M on Mac)

I use multiple screens and apps at the same time. So, instead of minimizing windows separately, press this command and minimize your current application, you are working.

• On windows, if you want to minimize all windows then use — Windows Key+M, and on Mac use — Option+Command+M)
• To restore all the minimized applications back on Windows hit, Shift+Windows key+ M

11. F5 (or Command +R on Mac)

Refresh your browser with this simple keyword or you can use Ctrl+F5.

12. Ctrl+Backspace (or Option+Delete on Mac)

When you don’t want to highlight, then just place your cursor at the desired location and use this command to quickly delete the bulk of words.

13. Alt+F4 (or Command+Q on Mac)

If you want to quit your current browser window or incognito tab, then press Alt+F4 or Command +Q as per your computer. Click multiple times to close all the open applications, files, web browsers, etc.

14. Ctrl+K (or Command +K on Mac)

In Medium you can add hyperlinks via the button but even on Medium or any other application when you want to add a hyperlink just click Ctrl+K, paste your link via Ctrl+V, and you are done.

15. Ctrl+Shift+T (or Command+Shift+T on Mac)

If you have closed your last tab mistakenly and need it back, just press Ctrl+Shift+T to get all your close tabs back. Press multiple times to get one, two, three, four tabs back.

16. Alt+Tab (or Command +Tab on Mac)

This command is most useful I used this on a daily basis to switch between different open programs. The command will help you switch task in the way you have opened.

• But if you want to switch between tasks in a backward direction, then just add the shift key. Alt+Tab+Shift or Command+Tab+Shift.
• If you want to go to a specific tab number between one to nine, just hit — Ctrl+1–9 on Windows at Command+1–9 on Mac.
• If you want to change between tabs, only use Ctrl+Tab on windows or Command+Shift+Right Arrow on Mac.
• On Windows, you can even use Alt+Esc to switch between different open applications.

17. Ctrl+Shift+N (or Command+Shift+N on Mac)

• If you want to open the incognito window, click this command when you are in the browser.
• If you want to create a new folder, then go to a specific location and hit this command it will create a new folder.

18. Ctrl+T (or Command +T on Mac)

Will open up a new tab in the browser window.

19. Ctrl+W (or Command +W on Mac)

If you want to close the currently open tab, then hit this command.

20. Ctrl+F (or Command+F on Mac)

If you want to search for a specific word in a document or the browser, just hit this and find what you want.

21. Ctrl+G (or Command+G on Mac)

After finding the specific keyword in a document, you need to navigate that word correctly. So, this command will help you to navigate all your selected words. For moving back to previously selected word hit — Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows and Command+Shift+G on Mac.

22. Windows+L (or Control+Command+Q on Mac)

Lock the computer by hitting this command. If you want to listen to music in the background, then hit — Command+Option+Power button on Mac. Remember, you will need to enter a password to unlock it again.

23. Ctrl+D (or Command+Option+B on Mac)

Add a bookmark to the current page.

24. Ctrl+Left/Right arrow (or Option+Left/Right Arrow on Mac)

It will let you move between words in the left and right direction at a time.

25. These are some commands for windows user

• Windows+ Left/Right Arrow — Snap your windows to left, right, and minimize it.
• Windows+E — Opens a file explorer window.
• Windows+I — Opens us a Settings menu.
• Windows+R — Opens up a Run box.

Conclusion

As a computer user, these are the commands which make my work efficient and time-saving. I hope someone out there will find it useful. If you know any more shortcut keys, let me know in the comment section below.