Do you want your PC to work faster? With these Windows 11 shortcut keys, you can do things more quickly without reaching for your mouse.
Navigating your operating system can be tricky and time-consuming, primarily if you rely on your mouse. Thankfully, Windows 11 offers a range of helpful keyboard shortcuts that can make your life easier. By learning just a few shortcuts, you can instantly speed up the navigation process and save yourself time in the long run.
In this article, we will look at some of the most useful Windows 11 shortcuts guaranteed to help make your life easier. With these quick reference tips, you’ll be sailing across Windows 11 with ease in no time!
Why windows 11 shortcut keys needed
Windows 11 shortcuts can save time and increase efficiency when working on your computer. Shortcuts allow you to quickly access frequently used applications, documents, folders and websites by pressing a combination of keystrokes. For example you could press “Alt + F4” to quickly close an open window. In addition to this, shortcut keys can be customized for specific tasks. This can help speed up tedious processes such as renaming multiple files or searching the web without having to type in a full query. Shortcuts are especially useful if you need to repeat the same action numerous times or have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse.
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Basic shortcut Keys in Windows 11
Here are the Windows 11 shortcut keys you’ll use most often to get started.
- Ctrl + A: Select all items in a window at once.
- Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy the selected or highlighted item (text, images, and so on).
- Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: You can paste highlighted or selected items.
- Ctrl + X: Cut selected items or highlighted items.
- Ctrl + Z: Undo or Revert to the previous action.
- Ctrl + Y: You can redo the action.
- Ctrl + N: From File Explorer, open another File Explorer window with the same folder path.
- Alt + F4: Exit the current application or window.
- Alt + Tab: Switch between open apps or windows.
- Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the selected item (skip the Recycle Bin).
Windows 11 Shortcut with Window key
With these Windows 11 shortcut keys, you can launch Windows and third-party apps using the Windows logo key.
- Windows key or Ctrl + Esc: Open the Start menu.
- Windows key + X: Open the secret Start menu.
- Windows key + T: Switch between apps (including pinned apps).
- Windows key + [Number]: Open the app pinned to the [Number] position on the taskbar. When you click the Windows key + 1 while Edge is a pin in the taskbar’s first position, Edge will open. A new instance or window will open if the app is already open.
- Windows key + Alt + [Number]: Select the app pinned in the [Number] position from the right-click menu on the taskbar.
- Windows key + D: Display or hide the desktop (Windows key + displays the desktop briefly).
- Windows key + PrtScn: Save a screenshot of your desktop to a folder.
- Windows key + Shift + S: Use the Snipping Tool menu to take a screenshot of only a section of your screen.
- Windows key + M: Minimize all open windows.
- Windows key + Shift + M: Restore minimized windows.
- Windows key + Home: Minimize all windows except the selected one.
- Windows key + Up arrow: Maximize the selected window.
- Windows key + Shift + Up arrow: Increases the height while maintaining the width of the active window.
- Windows key + Down arrow: Minimize the selected window.
- Windows key + Left arrow: Snap the selected window to the left half.
- Windows key + Right arrow: Snap the selected window to the right half.
- Windows key + Alt + Up: Snap the selected window to the upper half.
- Windows key + Alt + Down: Snap the selected window to the bottom half of the screen.
- Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow: Select a window and move it to the left or right monitor.
- Windows key + Tab: Open Task view (virtual desktops).
- Windows key + Ctrl + D: Add new virtual desktop.
- Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow: Move to the next virtual desktop (to the Right).
- Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow: Move to the previous virtual desktop (to the Left).
- Windows key + Ctrl + F4: Close the current virtual desktop.
- Windows key + A: Open the Action Center.
- Windows key + S: Open Cortana in text mode to type in the search bar. (Windows key + Q does the same thing.)
- Windows key + C: Open Cortana in listening mode (similar to saying “Hey, Cortana”).
- Windows key + E: Open File Explorer.
- Windows key + F: Open the Windows 10 Feedback Hub.
- Windows key + Ctrl + F: Search for PCs on a network.
- Windows key + G: Open the Game bar.
- Windows key + H: Open the Share sidebar.
- Windows key + I: Open the Settings menu.
- Windows key + K: Open the Connect sidebar (for connecting to new Bluetooth devices or Miracast).
- Windows key + L: Lock your computer.
- Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation.
- Windows key + P: Open presentation or projection sidebar.
- Windows key + R: Open the Run window.
- Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access centre.
- Windows key + W: Launch Windows Ink Workspace with a touchscreen on a tablet or laptop.
- Windows key + (+) or (-): Zoom in and out with a magnifier.
- Windows key + Esc: Exit magnifier.
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Windows 11 Shortcuts with function (f1-f12) keys
You can do several things with the Function keys (f1- f12) at the top of your keyboard when they’re used with other keys, but they’re also helpful by themselves.
- F2: Rename the selected item.
- F3: Find files quickly in File Explorer.
- F4: Select the address bar in File Explorer.
- F5: Refresh the current window.
- F6: Switch between windows (tabs, buttons, search bar, etc.).
- Alt + F8: Display login password.
- F10: Open the menu bar in the active window.
Other general Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts
You can use many keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11 and in different applications. Here are some shortcuts helpful for copying and pasting text or files, refreshing a page, etc.
- Ctrl + F5 – This refreshes the active window of some web browsers by forcing them to reload previously cached files. You can use this if you cannot see changes made to a page in your browser.
- F6 — Cycle through the screen elements of the active window or desktop.
- F10 — Activate the menu bar in the active window or app.
- Alt + F8 — Display your password during Windows sign-in
- Alt + (letter) — To select an option from a menu, select the underlined letter in the menu text.
- Alt + Spacebar — Launch the window’s shortcut menu.
- Shift + F10 — Get the shortcut menu for the selected item.
- Left arrow (in menus) — Close a submenu or move to the left.
- Right arrow (in menus) — Open a submenu or move to the right on the menu.
- Ctrl + F4 — Close a document or tab in an app that allows you to open multiple documents or accounts simultaneously.
- Ctrl + E — Open the search field (in some apps).
- Ctrl + Right arrow — Place the text cursor at the beginning of a new word.
- Ctrl + Left arrow — Start typing from the previous word.
- Ctrl + Up arrow — Move the text cursor up one paragraph.
- Ctrl + Down arrow — Move the text cursor down one paragraph.
- Alt + Shift + (arrow key) — In the Start menu, move the pinned app toward the arrow when the focus is on it.
- Shift + (arrow key) — In a document, select text starting from the position of the text cursor.
- Left arrow — Select the previous character. The right arrow deselects the last selected text.
- Right arrow — Select the next character. The left arrow deselects the last selected text.
- Up arrow — Select the last line. The down arrow deselects the previously selected line.
- Down arrow — Select the following line. The up hand deselects the last selected line.
- Ctrl + Shift + (arrow key) — In a document, select a block of text starting from the position of the cursor:
- Left arrow — Select the previous word. The right arrow deselects the last selected text.
- Right arrow — Select the next word. The left arrow deselects the last selected text.
- Up arrow – Select the previous paragraph. Deselects the last paragraph selected with the down arrow.
- Select the next paragraph by pressing the down arrow. Deselect the last paragraph by clicking the up arrow.
- Esc — Stop or leave an ongoing task (use varies by an app).
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Final Thoughts:
These are the most helpful Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts. You can use these shortcuts to navigate certain parts of the operating system or various apps without using a mouse, which can break your focus. You can speed up your work with keyboard shortcuts like these if you want to stay with the flow.