Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts for Students
Most schools hand out Chromebooks, and a few shortcuts save students a surprising amount of time. Here are the ones worth learning, grouped by what you are trying to do. They are checked against Google's official Chromebook help. Tip: press Ctrl + Search + S on any Chromebook to see every shortcut for your model.
First, meet the Chromebook keys
- Search / Launcher key (a magnifying glass or circle, where Caps Lock usually is): opens the launcher and powers many shortcuts. Google's help says Search and Launcher work the same.
- Top row: Back, Forward, Refresh, Full screen, Show windows (a box with two lines), Brightness and Volume. There is no F1–F12 row; hold Search and press a top-row key to get F1 to F10.
- No Caps Lock, Delete, Home or End keys. Shortcuts below replace them.
Typing and editing
| Do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Copy / Cut / Paste | Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V |
| Paste without the formatting (plain text) | Ctrl + Shift + V |
| Clipboard history (last 5 things copied) | Search + V |
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Shift + Z |
| Select everything | Ctrl + A |
| Turn Caps Lock on or off | Alt + Search |
| Delete the previous word | Ctrl + Backspace |
| Delete forward (like a Delete key) | Alt + Backspace |
| Jump to the start / end of a line | Search + Left arrow / Search + Right arrow |
| Jump a word left / right | Ctrl + Left arrow / Ctrl + Right arrow |
| Insert an emoji 😀 | Search + Shift + Space |
Tabs, windows and web pages
| Do this | Press |
|---|---|
| New tab / close tab | Ctrl + T / Ctrl + W |
| Reopen a tab you closed by accident | Ctrl + Shift + T |
| Next tab / previous tab | Ctrl + Tab / Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
| Go to tab 1 to 8 | Ctrl + 1 … Ctrl + 8 |
| Switch between windows | Alt + Tab |
| Put a window on the left / right half of the screen | Alt + [ / Alt + ] |
| Find a word on the page | Ctrl + F |
| Zoom in / out / reset | Ctrl + plus / Ctrl + minus / Ctrl + 0 |
| Page up / page down | Alt + Up arrow / Alt + Down arrow |
| Top / bottom of the page | Ctrl + Alt + Up arrow / Ctrl + Alt + Down arrow |
| Go back a page | Alt + Left arrow (or the Back key) |
Screenshots and system
| Do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Screenshot of the whole screen | Ctrl + Show windows |
| Screenshot of part of the screen | Ctrl + Shift + Show windows, then drag |
| Lock the screen | Search + L |
| Open the Files app | Shift + Alt + M |
| See all keyboard shortcuts | Ctrl + Search + S |
| Use F1 to F10 | Search + a top-row key |
Accessibility shortcuts
- Ctrl + Alt + Z: turn ChromeVox (spoken feedback) on or off.
- Ctrl + Search + M: magnify the whole screen.
- Search + Ctrl + H: high contrast mode.
The five to learn first
If students learn only five, make it Ctrl + Z (undo), Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V (copy and paste), Ctrl + Shift + T (bring back a closed tab), Alt + Search (Caps Lock) and Ctrl + Shift + Show windows (screenshot part of the screen). Shortcuts work best when kids can already find keys without looking, so pair them with the typing lessons.
For teachers
Post the "five to learn first" on the board in the first week, and use Classroom Pro or the free lessons for 10 minutes of typing practice a day. Students on Chromebooks can also play every TypeRockets game in the browser, no install needed.
FAQ
How do I see all shortcuts on a Chromebook?
Press Ctrl + Search + S. You can also go to Settings, then Device, then Keyboard and inputs, and choose View keyboard shortcuts.
How do I turn on Caps Lock on a Chromebook?
Press Alt + Search (or Alt + Launcher).
How do I take a screenshot on a Chromebook?
Press Ctrl + Show windows for the whole screen, or Ctrl + Shift + Show windows to capture part of it.
What is the Search key on a Chromebook?
It is the key where Caps Lock usually is, marked with a magnifying glass or a circle (Launcher). It opens the launcher and is used in many shortcuts.