IT basics
Keyboard shortcuts that save time every day
Reaching for the mouse a few hundred times a day adds up. These shortcuts work in most programs.
1 min readChecklist
The short version
A handful of keyboard shortcuts cover most of what people do all day. Learning ten of them saves real time.
Everyday basics
On Windows use Ctrl. On a Mac use Command (⌘).
- Ctrl + C / ⌘ + C: copy
- Ctrl + V / ⌘ + V: paste
- Ctrl + X / ⌘ + X: cut
- Ctrl + Z / ⌘ + Z: undo
- Ctrl + Y / ⌘ + Shift + Z: redo
- Ctrl + S / ⌘ + S: save
- Ctrl + F / ⌘ + F: find on the page or in a document
- Ctrl + P / ⌘ + P: print
Windows and tabs
- Alt + Tab / ⌘ + Tab: switch between open programs
- Ctrl + T / ⌘ + T: new browser tab
- Ctrl + W / ⌘ + W: close the current tab or window
- Ctrl + Shift + T / ⌘ + Shift + T: reopen the tab you just closed
- Windows key + D: show the desktop (Windows)
Text
- Ctrl + Shift + V / ⌘ + Shift + Option + V: paste without formatting in many programs
- Ctrl + arrow keys / Option + arrow keys: jump a word at a time
- Home and End / ⌘ + left and right arrow: jump to the start or end of a line
Security
- Windows key + L / Ctrl + ⌘ + Q: lock the screen. Use it every time you step away from your desk.
Screenshots
- Windows key + Shift + S (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + 4 (Mac): capture part of the screen
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