What Does the Ctrl (Control) Key Do?
Ctrl (Control) is the shortcut key on Windows and Chromebook. Hold Ctrl and tap a letter to copy, paste, undo, save, find and more.
Ctrl + Z is undo. Mistakes are no big deal when you know this one!
Where is the Ctrl key?
The highlighted keys are the Ctrl key on a typical Windows laptop keyboard. Keyboards vary a little by brand.
What the Ctrl key does
| Shortcut | What it does | Memory trick |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + C | Copy | C for copy |
| Ctrl + V | Paste | V looks like a down arrow: drop it here |
| Ctrl + X | Cut | X looks like scissors |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo | Z for "zap it back" |
| Ctrl + A | Select all | A for all |
| Ctrl + F | Find a word | F for find |
| Ctrl + S | Save | S for save |
| Ctrl + + / − | Zoom in / out | plus is bigger |
C, V, X and Z sit side by side in the bottom left, so your left hand can do them all while your pinky holds Ctrl.
Windows, Mac and Chromebook
Windows
Redo is Ctrl + Y. Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager when an app freezes.
Mac
Macs use Command for these shortcuts (⌘ C, ⌘ V). The Mac Control key is used for fewer things, like Control + click to right-click.
Chromebook
Same Ctrl shortcuts as Windows, and redo is Ctrl + Shift + Z. Ctrl + Search + S shows every Chromebook shortcut.
Which finger presses it?
Use your left pinky on the left Ctrl, then press the letter with your other left-hand fingers.
Fun fact
The famous Ctrl + Alt + Delete was created by IBM engineer David Bradley around 1981 so programmers could restart a computer quickly. He made it need three keys so nobody would press it by accident.
Keep learning
- Practice the reach in Lesson 4: Add A and ;.
- More keys: Alt key, Command key, Shift key, Fn key.
- See every keyboard key explained.
- Names of all the symbols: Keyboard Characters and Meanings.
Quick drill: find the Ctrl key
Press the key on your keyboard, or click or tap it below, when Rocky asks. Wrong key? We will tell you what it was.
Ctrl key FAQ
What is Ctrl on a Mac?
For most shortcuts Macs use the Command (⌘) key instead. Macs also have a Control key, but it is used less.
What does Ctrl + Z do?
It undoes your last action, like un-deleting text you just erased.
What does Ctrl + Alt + Delete do?
On Windows it opens a screen where you can lock the computer, switch users or open Task Manager.