Guide to a List of Windows 11 keyboard Shortcuts

Windows 11 provides familiar and new shortcut keys to let you work more efficiently and faster. Mostly all of the Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts will work on Windows 11. Right from navigating a setting to switching between snap layouts, there are a plethora of keyboard shortcuts for all commands in Windows.

With a single press of one or a combination of keys, you can execute tasks faster. It may seem daunting to learn all the keyboard shortcuts discussed below. However, you can decide to know only a few which you may need frequently. So, let’s check them out:

Note: Win key is the Windows Logo key on the keyboard.

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – New Keyboard Shortcuts:

Win + W: Displays news, weather forecast, local traffic news, and calendar
Win + A: Toggles the ‘Quick Settings’. It regulates WiFi, Bluetooth, Volume, Focus Assist, Brightness sliders, etc.
Win + N: Opens ‘Notification Center’. It displays all your notifications.
Win + Z: Opens ‘Snap Layouts’. This shortcut lets you organize windows and apps for multitasking
Win + C: Opens ‘Teams Chat app’ from Taskbar. You can rapidly choose a chat thread from the Taskbar.
General keyboard shortcuts:
The most frequently used keyboard shortcuts are as below:
Ctrl + A: Select all contents in a window or document
Ctrl + C: Copies the selected items.
Ctrl + X: Cuts the selected items.
Ctrl + V: Pastes the selected items.
Ctrl + Z: Undo an action.
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action.
Ctrl + S: Saves the current file
Ctrl + B: Boldens selected text
Ctrl + I: Italicize selected text
Ctrl + U: Underlines selected text
Ctrl + Shift + S: Save As
Ctrl + arrow keys: Resizes the Start menu once it’s open.
Win + Tab: Opens Task View.
Alt + Tab: Switches between the running applications.
Win + L: Locks your computer.
Win + D: Displays and hides the desktop.
Win + R: Opens Run window.
Alt + F4: Closes the running app. If you are on a desktop, then you need to open the ‘Shutdown box’ to shut down, restart, and log out or roll your PC to sleep mode.
Shift + Delete: Permanently deletes the selected item
Shift + F10: This shows the shortcut menu for the selected item.
Ctrl + Delete: Deletes the selected item and then transfer it to the Recycle Bin.
Ctrl + O: Opens a file in the current application
Ctrl + N: Opens a new program window of the current application
Win + Shift + S: Captures a specific portion of the screen using built-in Snip & Sketch.
PrtScn or Print: Captures a full screenshot and then saves it in the clipboard.
Windows + X: Opens Start button context menu.
F2: Renames selected item.
F3: Search for a file or folder in File Explorer.
F4: Activates Address bar
F10: Opens Menu bar in the currently running app
Alt + Page Up: Moves up by one screen
Alt + Page Down: Moves down by one screen
Alt + Left arrow: Moves back
Alt + Right arrow: Moves forward
Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Opens Task Manager
Ctrl + Shift: Switches the keyboard layout when there are multiple keyboard layouts are available
Ctrl + F4: Closes the active document
Ctrl + Spacebar: Turns on/off the Chinese input method editor (IME).
Win + P: Projects a screen
Win + I: Opens Windows 11 Settings.
Shift + Arrow keys: Selects multiple items
Alt + F8: Shows your password on the login screen
Alt + Esc: Cycles over the apps on the taskbar.
Alt + Enter: Opens Properties for the selected item.
Alt + Spacebar: Opens the shortcut menu for the current window.
Alt + F10: Opens the context menu for the selected item.
F11: Enter/Exit full-screen mode
Esc: Closes or stops the ongoing task.
Backspace: Go back to the Settings home page
Win + period (.) (or Win + semicolon (;)): Opens Emoji keyboard

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – Taskbar keyboard shortcuts:

Control your taskbar with these shortcuts:

Win + Alt + D: Let’s you see Date and Time from the taskbar.
Win + T: Cycles through apps in the taskbar.
Win + B: Highlights the first item within the Notification Area and uses the Arrow key switch among the item
Win + Number (0 – 9): Opens the app in the number position (0-9) from the taskbar.
Win + 1: Opens a particular app in the first position on the taskbar.
Ctrl + Shift + Left Click app button or icon: Runs an app as administrator from the taskbar.
Shift + Left Click app button: Opens another instance of an app from the taskbar.
Shift + right-click an app icon: This shows the window menu for the app
Shift + Right-click grouped app icon: Displays the window menu for the group apps from the taskbar.
Ctrl + click a grouped taskbar button: Cycles across the windows of the group.
Alt + Windows key + number keys: Opens the application’s menu on the taskbar.

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – File Explorer shortcuts:

These shortcuts let you quickly navigate your Windows file system:

Ctrl + N: Opens the current window inside a new window.
Ctrl + W: Shuts down the active window.
Ctrl + E: Opens the search box in the file explorer.
Ctrl + M: Starts the mark mode
Ctrl + Shift +E: Expands all subfolders within the navigation pane on the left side.
Ctrl + Shift +N: Creates a new folder.
Ctrl + Mouse Scroll: Changes the appearance and size of file and folder icons.
Ctrl + Shift + Number (1-8): Changes folder view.
Ctrl + Shift + E: Shows all folders above the selected folder
Ctrl + Shift + N: Makes a new folder
Win + E: Opens the File Explorer.
Alt + Enter: Opens the Properties settings for the selected item.
Alt + P: Shows the preview panel.
Alt + D: Activates address bar of the File Explorer.
Alt + Left arrow (or Backspace): Takes you to the previous folder in the browsing history
Alt + Right arrow: This takes you to the following folder in the browsing history
Alt + Up arrow: Goes up to the parent folder.
Num Lock + plus (+): Expands the selected drive or folder
Num Lock + minus (-): Collapses the selected drive or folder
Num Lock + Asterisk (*): Expand all the subfolders under the selected drive or folder.
Left arrow key: Selects the parent folder (if it is collapsed) in the left pane or collapses the current folder tree.
Right arrow key: Selects the first subfolder (if it is expanded) in the left pane or expands the current folder tree.
F4: Switches focus on the address bar.
F5: Refreshes the File Explorer
F6: Switches between left and right panes
Home: Moves to the uppermost of the active window.
End: Moves to the bottom of the active window.
Shortcuts for Desktop and Virtual Desktops:
Window logo key (Win): Opens Start menu
Win + Home: Minimizes or maximizes all but the active window
Win + M: Minimizes all open windows
Win + Shift + M: Maximizes all minimized windows on the desktop.
Win + Tab: Opens Desktop view
Win + S or Win + Q: Opens Windows Search
Win + Left arrow key: Splits the current window or app to the left
Win + Right arrow key: Splits the current window or app to the right.
Win + Shift + Up arrow key: Extends the active window to the top and bottom of the screen.
Win + Shift + Down arrow key: Minimizes or restores active desktop windows vertically (no change in width).
Win + Ctrl + D: Adds a new virtual desktop
Win + Ctrl + F4: Closes the active virtual desktop.
Win + Ctrl + Left arrow: Switches or toggles to the virtual desktops which you have created on the left.
Win + Ctrl + Right arrow: Switches or toggles to the virtual desktops which you have created on the right
Win + comma (,): Glance at the desktop until you liberate the WINDOWS key.
Alt + Tab: Shows all open apps
Ctrl + Shift: Switch keyboard layout.
Ctrl + Arrow keys + Spacebar: Select more than one item on the desktop

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – Command Prompt Shortcuts:

Ctrl + M: Activates Mark mode.
Ctrl + Home (in Mark mode): Moves the cursor to the start of the buffer.
Ctrl + End (in Mark mode): Moves the cursor to the bottom of the buffer.
Ctrl + A: Selects all the contents on the current line
Ctrl + F: Open search for Command Prompt.
Ctrl + Home: Navigates to the top of the Command Prompt (cmd).
Ctrl + End: Navigates to the end of the cmd.
Ctrl + Up arrow: Moves the screen up one line within the output history.
Ctrl + Down arrow: Moves the screen down one line within the output history.
Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys: Moves the cursor one word at once.
Alt + Shift + arrow keys: Whenever a tile or group is in focus over the Start menu, this shortcut moves it in the direction mentioned.
Alt + selection key: Starts selection in block mode
Shift + Up: Moves cursor up one line and then selects the text.
Shift + Down: Moves cursor down one line and then selects the text.
Shift + Page Up: Moves the cursor up a page
Shift + Page Down: Moves the cursor down a page
Shift + Home: Moves your cursor to the beginning of the current line
Shift + End: Moves your cursor to the bottom of the current line
Up/Down arrow keys: Cycles through command history of active session
Left/Right arrow keys: Moves cursor either left or right in the current command line
Page Up: Moves the cursor up a page
Page Down: Moves the cursor down a page

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – Dialog box Shortcuts:

If you want to navigate to the Dialog box of any application, then use the below shortcuts:

Ctrl + N (number 1-9): Switches to nth tab.
Ctrl + Tab: Moves forward through tabs.
Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Moves backward through tabs.
F4: Shows the items in the active list.
Tab: Moves forward across options of the dialog box
Shift + Tab: Moves backward across options of the dialog box
Alt + underlined letter: Runs the command which is being used with the underlined letter.
Arrow keys: Selects or moves to a button within a group of active buttons.
Spacebar: Checks or unchecks the check box provided the active option is a check box.
Backspace: Opens the parent folder if a folder is selected in the Open or Save As dialog box.

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts:

Win + U: Opens Ease of Access Centre
Win + Enter: Opens Narrator
Win + A: Opens Action Center
Win + plus (+): Turns on Magnifier and Zoom in
Win + minus (-): Zooms out using Magnifier
Win + Esc: Exits Magnifier
Win + Ctrl + O: Opens on-screen keyboard
Ctrl + Alt + L: Switches to lens mode in Magnifier
Ctrl + Alt + F: Switches to full-screen mode in Magnifier
Ctrl + Alt + D: Switches to the docked mode in Magnifier
Ctrl + Alt + M: Cycles through views in Magnifier
Ctrl + Alt + I: Inverts colors in Magnifier
Ctrl + Alt + R: Resizes the lens through the mouse in Magnifier
Ctrl + Alt + mouse scroll: Zooms in or out using mouse
Ctrl + Alt + arrow keys: Pans in the direction of the arrow keys in Magnifier.
Left Alt + left Shift + Num Lock: Turns Mouse Keys on/off
Left Alt + left Shift + PrtSc: Turn High Contrast on/off
Press Right Shift for 8 seconds: Turns Filter Keys on and off
Press Num Lock for 5 seconds: Turns Toggle Keys on/off
Press Shift 5 times: Turns Sticky Keys on/off

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – Browser Shortcuts:

Ctrl + F: Finds the content you type on the page
Alt + D: Selects the URL specified in the address bar for editing
Ctrl + H: Opens History
Ctrl + J: Opens Downloads in a new tab
Ctrl + P: Prints the current page
Ctrl + R or F5: Refreshes the active window
Ctrl + T: Open a new tab and switch to it

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts – Additional Keyboard Shortcuts:

Win + C: Opens Cortana app
Win + V: Opens Clipboard History
Win + Y: Switches input between Windows Mixed Reality and your desktop.
Win + O: Locks your device orientation
Win + H: Launches Voice Typing
Win + F: Opens Feedback Hub
Win + K: Opens Connect quick setting
Win + G: Opens Game bar
Win + Pause: Shows the System Properties Page
Win + Ctrl +F: Searches for PCs (if you’re on a network)
Win + Alt + T: Shows/hides recording timer of the game
Win + Alt + R: Starts or stops recording the active game
Win + Alt + G: Records the last 30 seconds of the active game
Win + Alt + PrtSc: Captures a screenshot of the active game
Win + Spacebar: Switches input language and keyboard layout
Win + forward slash (/): Starts IME reconversion
Win + Shift +Left or Right arrow key: Moves a window or app from one monitor to another
Win + Shift + Number key (0-9): Opens another instance of the app that is pinned to the taskbar in the number position.
Win + Alt + Number key (0-9): Opens Jump List of the app pinned to the taskbar in the number position.
Win + Ctrl+ Number key (0-9): Switches to the last active window of the app that is pinned to the taskbar in the number position.
Win + Ctrl+ Shift + Number key (0-9): Opens another instance as an administrator of the specific app that is pinned to the taskbar in the number position.

Conclusion

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