Top 10 Most Common Keyboard Shortcuts for Computer Users

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Using keyboard shortcuts can significantly increase your productivity and cut down your working time. For example, to copy text, you can highlight the text and press the Ctrl + C shortcut. The shortcut is faster than moving your hand from the keyboard, highlighting with the mouse, choosing copy from the file menu, and then going back to the keyboard. Below are the top 10 keyboard shortcuts we recommend everyone memorize and use.

Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert and Ctrl + X

Both Ctrl + C and Ctrl + Insert copy the highlighted text or selected item. If you want to cut an item instead of copying it, just press Ctrl + X. This removes the text or item and stores it on the clipboard for you, rather than just copying it to the clipboard while leaving the original in place.

Apple computer users can substitute the command key (cmd) for the Ctrl key on their computers. For example, pressing Cmd + C copies the highlighted text.

Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert

Both Ctrl + V and Shift + Insert paste the text or object stored on the clipboard. On Apple computers, you can use Cmd + V instead.

Use the text input fields above to highlight the text “Cut or copy this text” and press Ctrl + C to copy or Ctrl + X to cut the text. After cutting, move to the next field and press Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert to paste the text.

Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y

Pressing Ctrl + Z undoes any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this key combination undoes the cut. These shortcuts can also be pressed multiple times to undo or redo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y redoes the undo. On Apple computers, use Cmd + Z and Cmd + Y to undo and redo.

Use the text input field above to highlight some or all of the text, then press Ctrl + X to cut the text. Once the text is gone, press Ctrl + Z to undo the cut.

Tip: If you did the first example (cutting and pasting text) and you keep pressing Ctrl + Z, it also undoes that change.

Ctrl + F

Pressing Ctrl + F opens the Find field, which lets you search the text currently shown in any program that supports it. For example, Ctrl + F can be used in your Internet browser to find text on the current page. Press Ctrl + F to open Find in your browser and search for “shortcut” to show each time a shortcut is mentioned on this page.

On Apple computers, use Cmd + F to find.

Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab

Press Alt + Tab to switch between open programs. For example, if you have a browser window open and other programs running in the background, hold down the Alt key, then press the Tab key to cycle through each open program. On Apple computers, instead of the Alt key, use the Command (Cmd) key. For example, Cmd + Tab to switch between open programs.

Tip: Press Ctrl + Tab to switch between tabs within a program. For example, if you have several tabs open in your Internet browser, press Ctrl + Tab to switch between them.

Tip: Adding the Shift key to Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab moves backward. For example, if you are pressing Alt + Tab and pass the program you want to use, press Alt + Shift + Tab to go back to it.

Tip: Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10 users can also press Windows key + Tab to cycle through open programs in a full-screen view of the windows.

Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right Arrow

Note: For PC users only; does not work on Apple computers

Pressing Ctrl + Backspace deletes a whole word instead of a single character. Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow moves the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you want to highlight one word at a time, hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.

Ctrl + S

While working on a document or other file in most programs, pressing Ctrl + S saves that file. Use this shortcut often if you are working on anything important, in case an error, power loss or any other problem causes you to lose any work since your last save.

On Apple computers, use Cmd + S to save the file.

Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End

Ctrl + Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the document, and Ctrl + End moves the cursor to the end of the document. These shortcuts work with most documents, as well as web pages.

On Apple computers, use Command (Cmd) and the up arrow to go to the beginning of the document or text, or Cmd and the down arrow to go to the end of the document or text.

Ctrl + P

Control + P is used to open a preview of the page or document being viewed. For example, press Ctrl + P now to see a print preview of this page. On Apple computers, use Cmd + P to open the print preview.

Up Page, Spacebar, and Page Down

As you might guess, pressing the page up or page down key moves to the next or previous page. When browsing the Internet, pressing the spacebar moves the scroll bar down one page. Likewise, Shift + spacebar moves the scroll bar up one page.