Top Google Chrome Keyboard Keys that Can Make Your Life Easier
Understand the Basics
What are Keyboard Shortcuts?
Well, keyboard shortcuts are hotkeys combined to perform some action in any application-software. Here it is Google Chrome. It means you are not using your mouse, clicking through menus; instead, you are mostly hitting a few keys, and you can almost do it all in no time.
How Keyboard Shortcuts Improve Productivity
This will surely raise your productivity due to the fact that you save so much precious time, which you would use to do some iterative tasks. Just imagine, instead of reaching for the mouse and clicking on the "New Tab" button, you can press a key combination and already be moving with your work without a break in the speed.
General Benefits of Using Keyboard Shortcuts
- Speed: Makes the execution of commands rather swift.
- Efficiency: Keeps you more productive at work by reducing the need to use a mouse.
- Focus: Keeps you in the flow of work without distraction
- Accessibility: It makes it easier to use browsers for those people who do not have much mobility with work on it.
Must-Know Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts
Need-to-Know Chrome Shortcuts for Any User
Some of them are so handy that once you get comfortable with them, you simply can't imagine how you could survive without them. We shall explore some of those must-know shortcuts in this section.
Quick Opening and Closing of Tabs
Tabs constitute the backbone of any browsing session. How you can manage them at your fingertips is shown below.
New Tab Shortcut
New Tab The Keyboard Shortcut for this is: Ctrl + T for Windows/Linux systems, Cmd + T for Mac. Immediately opens another tab in front of the current window to start another browsing session.
Close Current Tab Shortcut
Once finished with the tab, simply use Ctrl + W per Windows/Linux, Cmd + W on a Mac to shut it. You really don't have time to be wasted clicking that teeny 'X' on the tab.
Reopen Recently Closed Tabs Shortcut
Closed a tab accidentally? If you are on Windows/Linux then click Ctrl + Shift + T; if you are on Mac then hit Cmd + Shift + T to reopen it. You can repeat this multiple times in order to recover several recently closed tabs.
Switching between Tabs with Ease
Working with tabs, you often need to switch between the opened tabs fast.
Next Tab Shortcut
If using Windows/Linux, then press Ctrl + Tab, whereas, on Mac, use Ctrl + Option + Right Arrow to jump to the next open tab in your browser.
Previous Tab Shortcut
That is saying that the shortcut of going back to the tab previous to this will be Ctrl + Shift + Tab, if you are using Windows/Linux and Ctrl + Option + Left Arrow if you are using a Mac. Used when one is working between two tabs.
Browser Window Management
You will be saving lots of your time and effort by managing your browser windows in the right way.
Shortcut to Open a New Window
While opening a new browser window, if you are in Windows/ Linux use Ctrl + N or if you are on Mac use Cmd + N.
Shortcut to Go Incognito
Open an incognito window by pressing Ctrl + Shift + N if using Windows/Linux or Cmd + Shift + N if using Mac. Chrome won't save your browsing history or cookies and site data.
Shortcut to Close the Current Window
To quit browsing altogether, Ctrl + Shift + W for Windows/Linux or Cmd + Shift + W for Mac is the hotkey to close the whole window.
Improving Browser with Shortcuts
Browse and Search Like a Pro
Let us go through some of these shortcuts that will make your browsing and searching a lot simpler.
In-Page Search Shortcut
Want to find a certain word or phrase within a web page? Try Ctrl + F for Windows/Linux or Cmd + F for Mac to open the find bar and type your search therein.
Shortcut for Zooming In and Out
To zoom in/out of a page: on Windows/Linux Ctrl + + to zoom in and Ctrl + - to zoom out. On Mac Cmd + + or Cmd + -.
Bookmarking a Page Shortcut
Want to save a page for later on? Hit Ctrl + D on Windows/Linux or Cmd + D on Mac to boomark this page. You will save so much time so that you can ear-mark a lot of other important sites.
Short cut to Open Bookmarks Manager
Manage bookmarks by using Ctrl + Shift + O for Windows/Linux or Cmd + Shift + B for Mac. It opens the manager of bookmarks where you can manage and edit the saved pages.
Advanced Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts
Going Behind the Basics
Having grasped the basics, it is high time that some advanced shortcuts are learnt to give yourself a better experience.
Shortcut for Clearing Browsing Data
Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac), to clear your browsing history along with cookies and cached files. Opens the "Clear browsing data" dialogue.
Open Developer Tools (Shortcut)
If you are a web developer or if you are just curious what's inside the hood of a page, here is how you open Chrome's developer tool with a shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + I for windows/linux and Cmd + Option + I for mac.
Refresh a Page Without Cache
Sometimes you just want to have a fresh reload of a web page without referring to any cached data. For that hit Ctrl + Shift + R if you are using windows/linux and Cmd + Shift + R if you are using Mac to forcefully reload.
Open Chrome's Task Manager
To see which of these tabs/extensions uses more of your resource open up Chrome's task manager by using Shift + Esc for Windows/Linux.
Making the Most of Your Shortcuts
Customizing Your Shortcuts
You also have the ability in Chrome to edit and add your own shortcuts.
How to Customize Chrome Keyboard
Shortcuts
Open settings in Chrome and click on the Extensions section. You can assign your own shortcut for the various extensions that extend your use of web browsing.
Best Practices in Shortcut Customization
- Keep it simple: Do not burden yourself with gazillions of custom keyboard shortcuts.
Be consistent: Try to keep similar shortcuts across many applications so that it may stick in your head.
Only shortcut stuff you do a lot: Of course, the whole point is to save time. There's little use in creating a shortcut that you'll only ever need once or twice. In fact, work out the shortcuts only in things that you do quite often.
Common Errors to Avoid
Abuse of Shortcuts, and How to Avoid It
As much as shortcuts are useful, their application is abused at times.
Memorizing Too Many Shortcuts for Your Memory to Handle
Just memorizing too many shortcuts at a time could bring more chaos. Only learn those that are essential, then build on when necessary, as you get comfortable.
Being Wholly Dependent on Shortcuts Without Knowing the Alternatives
While shortcuts are excellent, it's always good to know the alternative ways through which one can do something. You won't be at a fix if some shortcut fails to work.
Conclusion
Save your time and make your browsing experience with Google Chrome more effective by learning how to apply different keyboard shortcuts in your daily browsing routine. From things like clear cache, open developer tools, to just about everything related to managing tabs and windows, it is doable with one or more of these shortcuts. Once you learn those basic ones, then you are ready for the advanced ones, which really will help you get the most productivity out of your time.
What is the best way to learn keyboard shortcuts in Chrome? Well, the most candid answer to that question would be-the best way of mastering keyboard shortcuts in Chrome is to actually use those repeatedly: that is, get used to the most common ones and then build others over time.
Are there any keyboard shortcuts in Chrome editable? Actually, yes - Chrome does allow some editing of keyboard shortcuts, mainly for the extensions. You edit these through Chrome settings under the "Extensions" section.
What are the most used Chrome keyboard shortcuts?
Some of the common uses on Chrome among others are : Ctrl + T new tab open, Ctrl + W current tab close and Ctrl + Shift + T last closed tab reopen .
How to Reset Keyboard Shortcuts Settings to Default in Chrome?
The fastest way to reset the keyboard shortcuts in Chrome is to delete all personalized shortcuts you have ever created under "Extensions" in the Chrome settings.
Does the Chrome keyboard shortcut work on all devices?
Well, yes, all the Chrome keyboard shortcut keys are going to work for Windows, macOS, and Linux. A few key combinations are just a little bit different because there are requirements by other operating systems.