There’s something to be said about just using a browser and using a browser proficiently. Google Chrome on Windows and Mac doesn’t keep that too far out of reach with its plethora of different keyboard shortcuts you can learn. Here are the basics.
Table of contents
What are keyboard shortcuts in Google Chrome?
Just about every single application on your desktop or laptop has keyboard shortcuts; it’s one of the main forms of navigation that has stuck around since the earlier days of personal computers. In essence, a keyboard shortcut allows you to press a combination of keys in order to perform an action. For instance, you’re likely familiar with Ctrl + s or Cmd + s to save something you’re working on.
Now, something that’s interesting about web browsers – especially Chrome – is that depending on what site you’re visiting, basic shortcuts like the one listed above won’t work in the way you might think.
In web browsers, websites are allowed to define their own keyboard shortcuts. This means that hitting Ctrl + S on one website is different from hitting it on another, and neither usually affects Google Chrome on Windows or Mac. For example, if you were to hit Ctrl + s in Google Docs, your page would be manually saved. However, on a photo editing website, you might find that hitting Ctrl + s would open File Explorer or Finder for you to save your work. Because of this, Chrome has a special subset of keyboard shortcuts.
Basic Google Chrome keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Mac
While there are a lot of shortcuts available for Google Chrome, you won’t need to know every single one of them. There are basic shortcuts that help you navigate your way around the browser or access certain features and won’t implode your brain every time you try to remember them.
Navigation
One of the main things you might want to learn shortcuts for is navigating around Google Chrome. These shortcuts are generally pretty easy to remember and don’t often include more than a couple of keys.
| Purpose | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Open a new window | Ctrl + n | Cmd + n |
| Open a new incognito window | Ctrl + Shift + n | Cmd + Shift + n |
| Open a new tab | Ctrl + t | Cmd + t |
| Open your homepage | Alt + Home | N/A |
| Close the current tab | Ctrl + w | Cmd + w |
| Close the current window | Alt + Shift + w | Cmd + Shift + w |
| Quit Chrome | Alt + f then x | Cmd + q |
Chrome features
Google Chrome feature shortcuts on Mac and Windows are pretty useful, especially if you have a lot of downloads or generally look back at your history to revisit sites.
| Purpose | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Open the Chrome menu | Alt + f | N/A |
| Toggle the Bookmarks bar | Ctrl + Shift + b | Cmd + Shift + b |
| Open Bookmarks manager | Ctrl + Shift + o | Cmd + Option + b |
| Open History | Ctrl + h | Cmd + y |
| Open Downloads | Ctrl + j | Cmd + Shift + j |
| Chrome Task Manager | Shift + Esc | N/A |
| Open the Find bar to search the page | Ctrl + f or F3 | Cmd + f |
| Clear Browsing Data | Ctrl + Shift + Delete | Cmd + Shift + Delete |
| Log in as a different user | Crl + Shift + i | Cmd + Shift + m |
Webpage and Address Bar shortcuts
This last table combines a couple of different categories and pick out the best ones you can learn how to use immediately. Address Bar shortcuts are any shortcuts you use to define something in the bar at the top of the page; some of these shortcuts allow you to do immediate Google searches.
Webpage shortcuts let you complete actions using the webpage. For instance, you can set a Bookmark using shortcuts and even refresh the page right from your keyboard. Here are Address Bar and Webpage shortcuts for Google Chrome on Windows and Mac:
| Purpose | WIndows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Add “www.” and “.com” to a site name | Type site name + Ctrl + Enter | Type a site name + Control + Enter |
| Add “www.” and “.com” to a site name and open in a new tab | N/A | Type a site name + Shift + Control + Enter |
| Open a new tab and search | Type a search term + Alt + Enter | N/A |
| Jump to Address Bar | Ctrl + l | Cmd + l |
| Open print options (only if the printer is hooked up) | Ctrl + p | Cmd + p |
| Reload the current page | F5 or Ctrl + r | Cmd + Shift + r |
| Delete autocomplete suggestions | Down arrow to highlight the suggestion and Shift + Delete | Down arrow to highlight the suggestion and Shift + fn + Delete |
| Save the webpage as a bookmark | Ctrl + d | Cmd + d |
| Make everything on the page bigger | Ctrl plus + | Cmd plus + |
| Make everything on the page smaller | Ctrl plus – | Cmd plus – |
| Return to the default size | Ctrl + 0 | Cmd + 0 |
| Scroll horizontally | Shift + scroll mouse wheel | N/A |
That’s it! Well, those are the basics. By themselves, it’s already a lot to remember, so hit Ctrl + d and check back every once in a while to refresh your memory and use new shortcuts. There’s no need to remember all of them, only the ones you think you’ll use most often, such as saving bookmarks, reloading your page, or even scrolling horizontally.
More on Google Chrome
- Google Lens now opens as a side panel in desktop Chrome
- Chrome for Android will soon let you remove the Discover feed from New Tab Page
- Google Chrome will let you easily create virtual cards for safer online shopping
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