Keyboard shortcuts worth learning
A handful of shortcuts will save you more time than any app. Here are the ones that matter most.
Most of us use only a tiny part of what the keyboard can do. Learning a few shortcuts takes minutes, and the time saved adds up over years.
On Windows and Linux the main key is Ctrl. On a Mac it is Command. The letters are the same.
The essentials#
- Copy, cut, paste. C, X and V. Almost everyone knows these, and they are the foundation.
- Undo and redo. Z undoes. Adding Shift usually redoes. Many people never use undo enough, and it makes you braver, because a mistake costs one keystroke.
- Select all. A.
- Save. S. Press it often. It is a good habit for anything you do not want to lose.
- Find. F searches the current page or document for a word.
Moving around#
- New tab and close tab. T and W in most browsers.
- Reopen a closed tab. Add Shift to T. This saves you when you close something by accident.
- Switch between windows. Alt and Tab on Windows, Command and Tab on a Mac.
- Jump to the address bar. L in most browsers.
Text editing#
- Move by a word. Hold Ctrl (or Option on a Mac) while you press the left or right arrow.
- Select by a word. Add Shift to that.
- Jump to the start or end of a line. Home and End on most keyboards.
How to learn them#
Do not try to memorise a list. Pick one shortcut and force yourself to use it for a week, until your hand does it without thinking. Then pick the next. Two minutes of attention a week is all it takes.
You will not notice the saving on any single day. After a few months, though, you will find you rarely reach for the mouse for the things you do all the time.