Last Updated on March 13, 2022 by Asif Iqbal Shaik
It has been a few months since Microsoft released Windows 11, its latest operating system for computers, laptops, and tablets. The adoption rate for Windows 11 has been gradually increasing, and so are questions about how to use it more effectively. Windows 11 comes with a plethora of new features, including a new Start menu, improved multitasking, and new widgets. It also comes with a set of new and unique keyboard shortcuts that make your work experience better.
In this article, we have listed all the important Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts that you should be aware of. Some of these shortcuts have been carried over from Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows, while some are entirely new.
Highlights
- Basic Windows 11 Shortcuts
- Windows 11 Shortcuts Tor Taking Screenshots
- Windows 11 Shortcuts For Multitasking And Managing Windows
- Windows 11 File Explorer Shortcuts
- Windows 11 Shortcuts For Managing Dialog Boxes
- Windows 11 Shortcuts For Using Taskbar
Basic Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts
These are the basic Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts that turn out to be quite useful while navigating through the Windows 11 UI.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all items or text in a window, webpage, or document |
| Ctrl + D | Delete the selected text/item(s) |
| Ctrl + X | Cut the selected text/item(s). |
| Ctrl + C | Copy the selected text/item(s). |
| Ctrl + V | Paste the copied content from the clipboard to a desired location. |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo the last performed action. |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo the last undone action. |
| Esc | Exit an ongoing task. |
| Ctrl + F5/F5/Ctrl + R | Refresh the active webpage, page, or active window (action varies with apps). |
| F2 | Rename the selected file/folder. |
| F4 | Display the address bar list in the File Explorer. |
| F6 | Navigate between various screen elements of the active window. |
| F10 | Activate the menu bar in the active window/app. |
| Alt + Spacebar | Open the shortcut menu. |
| Alt + Shift + Arrow key | Move the pinned app in the direction of the arrow. |
| Ctrl + E | Open search. |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close the document/tab which is active on the screen. |
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts For Taking Screenshots
Taking screenshots on Windows 11 is a fairly easy process. Windows 11 offers a bunch of native solutions to take a screenshot of your machine’s entire screen or part(s) of it. You can even take a screenshot of a particular application window.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| PrtScn | Takes a screenshot of your entire screen and saves it to the clipboard. |
| Windows + PrtScn | Takes a screenshot of your entire screen and saves it to a specified folder on your computer. |
| Windows + Shift + S | Opens up the Snipping Tool menu. |
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts For Multitasking, Managing Windows
Multitasking is quite essential when it comes to using any computer, and Windows 11 offers a hoard of multitasking shortcuts. Whether it’s switching from one app to the other or keeping them side-by-side, Windows 11 has got it all covered.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows + Tab | Open Task View. |
| Alt + Tab | Switch to the last active window. |
| Alt + Esc | Browse through windows in the order they were opened. |
| Alt + F4 | Close the active app/window. |
| Windows + Arrow Up | Maximize the active window. |
| Windows + Arrow Down | Set the active window to a smaller size. |
| Windows + Arrow Left | Snap the active window to the left half of the device’s screen. |
| Windows + Arrow Right | Snap the active window to the right half of the device’s screen. |
| Windows + Home | Minimize all windows except the one that is active. |
| Windows + Ctrl + D | Create a new virtual desktop. |
| Windows + Shift + Arrow Up | Stretch the active window to take up the entire vertical space. |
| Windows + Ctrl + F4 | Close the current virtual desktop. |
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts For File Explorer
There are multiple Windows 11 shortcuts that come in handy while using the File Explorer application. The already extensive list of features that the File Explorer possesses gets even better with these shortcuts.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + D | Sets focus to the address bar. |
| Ctrl + E | Sets focus to the search bar. |
| Ctrl + N | Opens a new window. |
| Ctrl + W | Close the active window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Creates a new folder. |
| Ctrl + mouse scroll wheel | Changes the size of folders/file icons. |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Displays all the folders in the parent directory. |
| Alt + Enter | Views properties. |
| Alt + P | Shows the preview panel. |
| Alt + Arrow Right | Go forward one page. |
| Alt + Arrow Up | View the parent folder. |
| Home | Go to the top of the current page. |
| End | Go to the bottom of the current page. |
| Right arrow | Expand a collapsed folder. |
Also Read: Windows 11 To Get A New Tablet-Friendly Taskbar Soon
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts For Dialog Boxes
There are several apps that open dialog boxes. Windows 11 provides various shortcuts to interact with these pop-ups.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F4/Spacebar | Displays items in an active list. |
| Arrow keys | Selects a button in a group of buttons. |
| Spacebar | Selects or deselects an active item. |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch through different tabs. |
| Alt + Letter | Selects the option with the underlined letter in the description. |
| Tab | Moves through options on the current page. |
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts For Taskbar
There are various shortcuts that you can use to interact with Windows 11’s new taskbar.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows + T | Browse through apps on the taskbar. |
| Windows + B | Sets focus to the first icon on the taskbar. |
| Windows + number | Starts the app pinned to the taskbar at the position indicated by the number. |
| Windows + Shift + number | Starts a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar at the position indicated by the number. |
| Windows + Ctrl + number | Switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar at the position indicated by the number. |
| Windows + Alt + number | Opens the Jump List for the app pinned to the taskbar at the position indicated by the number. |
| Shift + left mouse click | Opens a new instance of the selected app. |
| Shift + right mouse click | Opens the window menu. |
| Ctrl + Shift + left mouse click | Opens the selected app as an administrator. |
| Windows + B | Sets focus to the first icon in the taskbar corner. |
So, these are some of the best Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts that will help you work like a pro. Do let us know which keyboard shortcuts you use the most in the comments section below.
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