Important Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts You Must Know

You could be a veteran Windows OS or a newbie exploring Microsoft’s popular operating system. To seamlessly and swiftly use the various Windows 11 features, you must learn the keyboard shortcuts that the system offers.

This guide explains various Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts used to manage actions in the interface, accessibility settings, File Explorer, Gamebar, dialog box, and browser. Instead of holding the mouse and clicking around, use the keyboard shortcuts to quickly complete a specific task.

Common Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are some general keyboard shortcuts that are widely used by Windows s.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Windows Key	View Start Menu
Windows + I	Launch Windows Settings
Windows + A	Open Action Center
Windows + E	Open File Explorer
Windows + V	View the Clipboard History
Windows + M	Minimize All Windows
Windows + S	Launch the Windows Search
Windows + W	Launch Windows Widget
Windows + Z	View Snap Layout
Windows + Tab	Launch Task View
Windows +. (period)	Open Emoji Repository
Windows + Ctrl + D	Add a Virtual Desktop
Windows + Ctrl + F4	Close the Virtual Desktop
Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Launch Task Manager
Ctrl + Alt + Delete	Open Task Manager
Windows + X	View the Power menu
Windows + Z	Launch Game Bar
Windows + Shift + S	Snip and Sketch
Windows + D	View/Hide Desktop
Windows + L	Lock the PC/View lock screen
Alt + Tab	Switch Between the Active Apps
Ctrl +Shift	Change Keyboard Layout
Alt + F4	Shutdown PC
Ctrl + F4	Close a Document (that you have opened)
Alt + Enter	View Properties of the Selected Element
Alt + Spacebar	Open the Shortcut Menu for Active Window
Alt + Right Arrow key	Go forward
Alt + Left Arrow key	Go Back
Alt + Page Up	Go Up One Screen
Alt + Page Down	Go Down One Screen
PrtSc	Take a screenshot/Print Screen
Ctrl + Alt + Tab	Switch Between Open Apps
Ctrl +Shift	Change Keyboard Layout
Ctrl + A	Select All Items
Shift + Delete	Permanent Deletion of Selected Items
Ctrl + R	Refresh the Active Window
Alt + Shift + Left/Right Arrow Keys	Navigate elements in the Start menu
Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys	Group the Start menu elements

File Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

File Explorer is an important element of the Windows operating system. These keyboard shortcuts are very useful to go through the hard drive, directories, and folders to access the files in them.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Alt + P	Display Preview
Alt + D	Select the Address Bar
Ctrl + N	Open a New File Explorer Window
Ctrl + E	Highlight the File Explorer search
Ctrl + W	Close the Current File Explorer Window
Ctrl + Mouse Scroll	Change the Size of the File/Folder Icons
Ctrl + Shift + N	Create a New Folder
Ctrl +Shift + E	Display All Folders above Selected Folders
Num Lock + Asterisk	View Subfolders within a Specific Folder
Alt + Right Arrow key	View the Next Folder
Alt + Left Arrow key	View the Previous Folder
Home key	Display the Top of the Current File Explorer Window
End Key	Display the Bottom of the Current File Explorer Window

Taskbar Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 11

The Windows taskbar needs no introduction. It houses widgets, specific apps for quick access, a notification center, date, time, and start menu. Use these keyboard shortcuts to efficiently use the Taskbar to your advantage.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Shift + Left Click	Launch the Windows Start menu app list
Shift + Right Click	View the menu for an app
Windows + T	Switch between taskbar app icons
Windows + Number key	Launch Taskbar apps based on Pinned number
Ctrl +Shift +Left-click	Open an app as an

Windows 11 Function Keys

Windows computers come with the F key lineup on the keyboard. These are called Function Keys. Pressing these keys will execute a specific action.

You can refer to your computer’s keyboard layout to know which Function key is assigned what exact role. I have included the keyboard shortcut for the actions commonly assigned to Function keys.

Shortcut Keys	Action
F1	Turn on/off Sound
F2	Decrease the Volume
F3	Increase the Volume
F4	Turn off Microphone
F5	Refresh the Window
F6	Move focus to the Address bar
F7	Enable flight Mode
F8	Turn off the Web Camera
F9	Lock the Computer
F10	Screen Cast
F11	Decrease Brightness
F12	Increase Brightness

Windows 11 Dialog Box Shortcuts

Dialog boxes are common throughout the Windows operating system. They appear temporarily to accept input and execute an action. A dialog box offers various options, lists, and buttons. Knowing these keyboard shortcuts will help you use them swiftly.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Tab	Navigate through the options
Ctrl +Shift + Tab	Navigate through the dialog box tabs
Arrow Keys	Select a button from a group of option buttons
Space bar	Select or Clear the Checkbox
Backspace	Open a folder one level up when a folder is selected in the Save As/Open dialog box
Ctrl + any number between 1 to 9	Move to the x number of tabs depending on the number of tabs in the dialog box

Windows 11 Command Prompt Shortcuts

Command Prompt is a command-line interpreter popularly associated with the Windows operating system.

Normally, to make changes to the files, folders, and other system settings at the istrative level, commands are issued through the command prompt.

If you frequently use Command Prompt, learn these keyboard shortcuts to make your command shell experience more engaging.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Page Up	Move the cursor one page up
Page Down	Move the cursor one page down
Ctrl + Home	Place the cursor at the beginning of the buffer
Ctrl + End	Place the cursor at the end of the buffer
Ctrl + Up Arrow	Move up one line in the Output history
Ctrl + Down Arrow	Move down one line in the Output history
Ctrl + C	Copy a line of command
Ctrl + V	Paste a command
Ctrl + M	Enter the Mark mode
Arrow Keys	Move left/right/up/down as per the key

Windows 11 Gambar Keyboard Shortcuts

Gamebar is an inbuilt feature that is available on Windows 11. It was introduced with Windows 10. When playing games, you can capture screenshots and record the video of gameplay. Know the keyboard shortcuts to manage the recording on the Gamebar smoothly.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Windows + Alt + G	Record the Last 30 seconds of the active game
Windows + Alt + R	Start/Stop Recording the Game
Windows + Alt + T	Show/Hide the Recording timer of the game
Win + Alt + Prtsc	Capture a Screenshot of the Active Game

Windows 11 Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts

Accessibility features in Windows 11 help s with physical disabilities use the operating system easily. For such s, learning these keyboard shortcuts will be more beneficial.

Shortcut Keys	Actions
Windows + U	Open the Ease of Access Center in Windows Settings
Alt + Ctrl + D	Switch to the docked mode in magnifier
Alt + Ctrl + F	Switch to the full-screen mode in the magnifier
Windows + Plus Key	Enable the Magnifier and zoom in
Windows -Minus key	Zoom out of the Magnifier
Shift Pressed Five Times	Turn on Sticky keys
Windows + Esc	Exit the Magnifier
Windows + Enter key	Open the Narrator
Alt + Ctrl + L	Switch to Lens Mode in Magnifier
Alt + Ctrl + I	Invert Colors in Magnifier
Alt + Ctrl + M	Switch through Magnifier Views
Alt + Ctrl + R	Resize the Lens of the Magnifier
Windows + Ctrl + O	Launch the On-screen keyboard
Press the Right Shift Key	Enable/Disable Filter Keys
Press the Num Lock	Turn the Toggle keys on/off
Left Alt + left Shift + Num Lock	Toggle the Mouse Keys on/off
Left Alt + Left Shift + PrtSc	High Contrast On/Off
Ctrl + Alt + scroll the mouse	Zoom-in or Zoom Out

Useful Browser Shortcuts in Windows 11

All of these shortcuts will work on all the prominent browsers to execute various actions quickly without depending on the mouse to scroll and click.

Shortcut Keys	Action
Ctrl + J	Open the s
Ctrl + H	Access the browsing history
Ctrl + T	Open a New Browser Tab
Ctrl + R	Refresh the Page
Ctrl + P	Print the page currently viewing
Ctrl + N	Launch a New Tab
Ctrl + Shift + N	Open a New Incognito Window
Alt + D	Highlight the address bar to edit the URL
Ctrl + F	Access Search and Find utility to search for words on a webpage
Ctrl +Shift +Delete	Clear Browsing Data

Bottom Line

It may be overwhelming for you to all these keyboard shortcuts at once. Implement these shortcuts whenever possible while using your PC. Eventually, with practice, you will learn them all by heart. These Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts will vastly improve your experience.

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