Windows 11 provides several keyboard shortcuts that can be useful in everyday life. Microsoft’s operating system kept many of the commands from the previous version, but as you would expect, the software also brought new features, so there are new shortcuts to help with productivity. Below you can see a list of all of them.
new shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows key + A | Open Action Center |
| Windows key + N | Open Notifications Panel |
| Windows key + W | Open Widget Panel |
| Windows key + Z | Quick access to “Snap Layout” |
| Windows key + C | Open Microsoft Teams |
essential shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + X | Cut selected item |
| Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) | Copy the selected item |
| Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) | Paste the selected item |
| Ctrl + Z | undo an action |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps |
| Alt + F4 | Close the active item or exit the active application |
| Windows key + L | lock the computer |
| Windows key + D | Show and hide the desktop |
| F2 | Rename the selected item |
| F3 | Search for a file or folder in File Explorer |
| F4 | Show address bar list in File Explorer |
| F5 | Update active window |
| F6 | Cycle through the screen elements of a window or desktop |
| F10 | Activate the Menu Bar in the active application |
| Alt + F8 | Display your password on the credentials screen |
| Alt + Esc | Cycle through items in the order they were opened |
| Alt + underlined letter | Execute the command for that letter |
| Alt + Enter | Show properties of the selected item |
| Alt + Spacebar | Open the shortcut menu of the active window |
| Alt + Left Arrow | Return |
| Alt + Right Arrow | Advance |
| Alt + Page Up | Move up one screen |
| Alt + Page Down | Move down one screen |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close the active document (in apps that are full-screen and allow multiple documents open at the same time) |
| Ctrl + A | Select all items in a document or window |
| Ctrl + D (or Delete) | Delete selected item and move it to Trash |
| Ctrl + E | Open Search (in most apps) |
| Ctrl + R (or F5) | Update active window |
| Ctrl + Y | redo an action |
| Ctrl + Right Arrow | Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word |
| Ctrl + Left Arrow | Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word |
| Ctrl + Down Arrow | Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph |
| Ctrl + Up Arrow | Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph |
| Ctrl + Alt + Tab | Use arrow keys to switch between all open apps |
| Alt + Shift + arrow keys | When a group or tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it in the specified direction |
| Ctrl + Shift + arrow keys | When a tile has focused on the Start menu, move it to another tile to create a folder |
| Ctrl + arrow keys | Resize Start Menu When It’s Open |
| Ctrl + arrow key (to go to an item) + Spacebar | Select multiple items separately in a window or on the desktop |
| Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key | Select a block of text |
| Ctrl + Esc | open start |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager |
| Ctrl + Shift | Change keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available |
| Shift + F10 | Show shortcut menu for the selected item |
| Shift + any arrow keys | Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document |
| Shift + Delete | Delete the selected item without moving it to Trash first |
| right arrow | Open the next menu on the right or open a submenu |
| left arrow | Open the next menu on the left or close a submenu |
| Esc | Stop or end the current task |
| PrtScn | Take a screenshot of the entire screen and copy it to the clipboard |
Command Prompt Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) | Copy selected text |
| Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) | Paste selected text |
| Ctrl + M | Enter Brand Mode |
| Alt + select key | Start selection in lock mode |
| arrow keys | Move the cursor in the specified direction |
| Page Up | Move cursor up one page |
| Page Down | Move the cursor down one page |
| Ctrl + Home (mark mode) | Move the cursor to start of next buffer |
| Ctrl + End (mark mode) | Move the cursor to the end of next buffer |
| Ctrl + Up Arrow | Move up one line in the output history |
| Ctrl + Down Arrow | Move down one line in the output history |
Windows key shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows key | Open or close Start |
| Windows key + A | Open Quick Settings |
| Windows key + B | Set focus to the first icon in the corner of the Taskbar |
| Windows key + C | Open Microsoft Teams |
| Windows key + Shift + C | Open the buttons menu |
| Windows key + Ctrl + C | Turn on colour filters (activate this shortcut first in colour filters settings) |
| Windows key + D | Show and hide the desktop |
| Windows key + E | Open File Explorer |
| Windows key + F | Open Feedback Hub and take a screenshot |
| Windows key + G | Open the Xbox Game Bar when a game is open |
| Windows key + H | Start voice typing |
| Windows key + I | Open Settings |
| Windows key + J | Set focus to a Windows tip when one is available |
| Windows key + L | Lock your computer or change your account |
| Windows key + M | Minimize all windows |
| Windows key + Shift + M | Restore minimized windows on the desktop |
| Windows key + N | Open notification centre and calendar |
| Windows key + O | Lock device orientation |
| Windows key + P | Choose a presentation view |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Q | Open Quick Assistance |
| Windows key + R | Open the Run dialog box |
| Windows key + Alt + R | Record video of game window in focus (using Xbox Game Bar) |
| Windows key + S | open search |
| Windows key + Shift + S | Take a screenshot of part of your screen |
| Windows key + T | Cycle through apps on the taskbar |
| Windows key + U | Open Accessibility Settings |
| Windows key + V | Open clipboard history |
| Windows key + W | Open Widgets |
| Windows key + X | Open the Quick Link menu |
| Windows key + Y | Switch input between Windows Mixed Reality and desktop |
| Windows key + Z | Open layout adjustment |
| Windows key + period (.) or semicolon (;) | Open the emoji panel |
| Windows key + comma (,) | Temporarily spy on the desktop |
| Windows Key + Pause | Open the About menu |
| Windows key + Ctrl + F | Search for computers (if you are on a network) |
| Windows key + number | Open the desktop and launch the application pinned to the taskbar, in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, switch to that app |
| Windows key + Shift + number | Open the desktop and launch a new instance of the application pinned to the taskbar, at the position indicated by the number |
| Windows key + Ctrl + number | Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the application pinned to the taskbar, in the position indicated by the number |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + number | Open the desktop and open a new instance of the application located at the specified position on the taskbar as an administrator |
| Windows key + Tab | Open the tasks view |
| Windows Key + Up Arrow | maximize window |
| Windows Key + Alt + Up Arrow | Snap window into focus in the top half of the screen |
| Windows Key + Down Arrow | Remove the current application from the screen or minimize the desktop window |
| Windows Key + Alt + Down Arrow | Snap the window into focus in the lower half of the screen |
| Windows Key + Left Arrow | Maximize application window or desktop on the left side of the screen |
| Windows Key + Right Arrow | Maximize application window or desktop on the right side of the screen |
| Windows + Home key | Minimize all desktop windows except the active one (restore all windows with a second press) |
| Windows Key + Shift + Up Arrow | Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen |
| Windows Key + Shift + Left or Right Arrow | Move an application or window on the desktop from one monitor to another. |
| Windows key + Spacebar | Switch input language and keyboard layout |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Enter | turn on narrator |
| Windows key + Plus sign (+) | Open the magnifying glass and zoom in |
| Windows key + Minus sign (-) | Zoom in on the magnifying glass |
| Windows key + Esc | close the magnifying glass |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B | Wake up PC from a blank or black screen |
| Windows key + PrtScn | Save and Archive a Full Screenshot |
| Windows key + Alt + PrtScn | Save and archive a screenshot of the game window in focus (using Xbox Game Bar) |
File Explorer Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + E | Select the search box |
| Ctrl + N | open a new window |
| Ctrl + W | Close active window |
| Ctrl + mouse scroll wheel | Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Show all folders above the selected folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new folder |
| Num Lock + asterisk (*) | Show all subfolders of the selected folder |
| Num Lock + Plus key (+) | Show the contents of the selected folder |
| Num Lock + minus key (-) | Collapse the selected folder |
| Alt + Enter | Open the Properties dialog for the selected item |
| Alt + Right Arrow | show next folder |
| Alt + Left Arrow | show previous folder |
Taskbar shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift + click a taskbar button | Open an app or quickly open another instance of an app |
| Ctrl + Shift + click a taskbar button | Open an app as an administrator |
| Shift + right-click a taskbar button | Display the application window menu |
| Shift + right-click a grouped taskbar button | Display the group window menu |
| Ctrl + click a grouped taskbar button | Switch group windows |
Virtual desktop shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows key + Tab | Open the tasks view |
| Windows key + Ctrl + D | Add a virtual desktop |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Right Arrow | Switch between virtual desktops created on the right |
| Windows Key + Ctrl + Left Arrow | Switch between created virtual desktops on the left |
| Windows key + Ctrl + F4 | Close the virtual desktop you are using |
