Guide to Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts

by AGParts Education | Chromebooks, Tips and Tricks

Ready to work like a pro on your Chromebook? Integrate these common Chromebook keyboard shortcuts to boost your productivity. For more tips, check out our guide to Chromebook basics.

Keyboard overlay of all shortcuts: Press Ctrl + Alt + ? 

Lock your Chromebook’s screen: Press Search + L or Launcher + L

Log out of your Google account: Press Ctrl + Shift + Q twice

Screenshot: Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows, select Screenshot, then full screen, partial, or window screenshot in the bottom menu

Record Screen: Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows, select Screen Record, then full screen, partial, or window screen record in the bottom menu

Toggle Caps Lock: Press Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher (the Search/launcher key is in place of the caps lock key on a Chromebook keyboard)

Launch the Task Manager: Press Shift + Esc

Launch apps 1-8 in the shelf, starting on left: Press Alt + 1-8

Launch last app in the shelf: Press Alt + 9

Split screen: Press Alt + both bracket keys [ ] 

Dock window to the left side of your screen: Press Alt + [

Dock window to the right side of your screen: Press Alt + ]

Open the Files app: Press Alt + Shift + M 

View notifications: Press Alt + Shift + N

Rotate screen 90 degrees: Press Ctrl + Shift + Refresh (F3)

Magnify whole screen: Press Ctrl + Search + M or Ctrl + Launcher + M

Partial magnification: Press Ctrl + Search + D or Ctrl + Launcher + D

Looking for more? Visit the complete library of Chromebook shortcuts.

Web Shortcuts

If you are savvy with keyboard commands on a Windows laptop or MacBook, you may recognize some of these.

Open new window: Press Ctrl + N

Open new tab: Press Ctrl + T

Close current tab: Press Ctrl + W

Activate tabs 1-8, starting on left: Press Ctrl + 1-8

Go to last tab: Press Ctrl + 9

Go to next tab in window: Press Ctrl + Tab

Go to previous tab in window: Press Ctrl + Shift + Tab

Maximize window: Press Alt + = 

Minimize window: Press Alt + – (minus)

For more web shortcuts, learn the 47 keyboard commands that work in all web browsers.

Text-Editing Shortcuts

Just as Chromebooks support a bevy of web shortcuts, they also supports most text-editing shortcuts.

Undo: Press Ctrl + Z

Copy: Press Ctrl + C

Cut: Press Ctrl + X

Paste: Press Ctrl + V

Select All: Press Ctrl + A

Delete previous word: Press Ctrl + backspace

Delete: Press Alt + backspace

AGParts Education is your complete partner for your 1:1 Chromebook initiative. Supporting over 7,500+ U.S. school districts, find out how we can help your district. Contact us today!

Updated on 8/2/22. Originally published on 11/19/20.