Looking for the latest Chromebook shortcuts? Whether you’re working, browsing, or multitasking across Virtual Desks, these time-saving combos will help you work smarter, not harder.
In 2026, mastering the Everything Button (🔍) is the key to unlocking features like the Clipboard Manager, Emoji Picker, and Gemini Search instantly.
This guide covers every essential combination to help you ditch the trackpad.
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Includes all legacy shortcuts plus new Virtual Desk commands.
What is the “Everything Button”?
On standard keyboards, it’s the Caps Lock key. On Chromebooks, it’s the Search (🔍) or Launcher (⚪) key. It is the most important modifier key you have for launching apps and searching files.
Pro Tip: Press Ctrl + Alt + / at any time to see an interactive map of all shortcuts on your screen.
Page & Browser Navigation
Navigating web pages without a trackpad is the hallmark of a power user. Use these keys to scroll, zoom, and reload pages instantly.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + ↑ / ↓ | Page Up / Page Down (Scroll quickly). |
| Ctrl + Alt + ↑ / ↓ | Home / End (Jump to Top or Bottom). |
| Ctrl + R | Reload page. |
| Ctrl + Shift + R | Hard Reload: Reloads without using cached data (fixes glitches). |
| Ctrl + + / – | Zoom In / Out. |
| Ctrl + 0 | Reset Zoom to 100%. |
| Esc | Stop page loading. |
| Alt + Click Link | Open link in background tab. |
| Ctrl + D | Bookmark current page. |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Bookmark all open tabs in a new folder. |
| Ctrl + F | Open Find bar. |
| Ctrl + G / Shift + Enter | Find Next / Previous match. |
| Ctrl + K / E | Search from address bar (Google Search). |
| Ctrl + Enter | Add www. and .com to text in address bar. |
| Ctrl + U | View page source code. |
| Ctrl + Shift + I | Toggle Developer Tools. |
Tab & Window Management
Stop clicking the tiny ‘x’ button. Manage your workspace and organize your browsing sessions with these window management keys.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | New window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New Incognito window (Private browsing). |
| Ctrl + T | New tab. |
| Ctrl + O | Open file. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Q (x2) | Sign out of Chromebook (Press twice quickly). |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab. |
| Ctrl + Shift + W | Close current window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen Closed Tab (Restores lost work). |
| Ctrl + 1–8 | Switch to specific tab number. |
| Ctrl + 9 | Switch to the last tab. |
| Alt + 1–8 | Open pinned app from the shelf (bottom bar). |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch to next tab. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to previous tab. |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open windows. |
| Alt + Left / Right | Back / Forward in browsing history. |
| Ctrl + Click | Open link in background tab. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Click | Open and focus link in new tab. |
| Shift + Click | Open link in new window. |
System, Screenshots & Virtual Desks
Modern Chromebooks support “Virtual Desks” to separate work from play. Use these keys to manage files, take screenshots, and organize screens.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Toggle bookmarks bar. |
| Alt + Shift + M | Open Files app. |
| Ctrl + . (period) | Show hidden files (in Files app). |
| Ctrl + H | Open History. |
| Ctrl + J | Open Downloads. |
| Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager. |
| Ctrl + Alt + / | Open keyboard shortcut overlay. |
| Shift + Alt + S | Open System Tray (Quick Settings). |
| Shift + Alt + L | Focus the Launcher. |
| Ctrl + 🔳 (Show Windows) | Take Full Screenshot. |
| Ctrl + Shift + 🔳 | Take Partial Screenshot (Select area). |
| Search + V | New: Open Clipboard Manager. |
| Search + Shift + Space | New: Open Emoji Picker. |
| Shift + Search + = | New: Create Virtual Desk. |
| Search + [ / ] | New: Switch Virtual Desks. |
| Alt + [ / ] | New: Snap Window Left / Right. |
Text Editing Shortcuts
Write faster by keeping your hands on the home row. These keys let you select, delete, and format text without using the mouse.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all content. |
| Ctrl + L / Alt + D | Select address bar text. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Arrow | Select text word-by-word. |
| Shift + Search + Arrow | Select to start/end of line. |
| Ctrl + Arrow | Jump to next/previous word. |
| Ctrl + Search + Arrow | Jump to start/end of document. |
| Ctrl + C / V / X | Copy / Paste / Cut. |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste Plain Text (Removes formatting). |
| Ctrl + Backspace | Delete previous word (Faster than backspace). |
| Alt + Backspace | Delete Forward (Like the “Delete” key on Windows). |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo last action. |