Browse all keyboard shortcut cheat sheets
Android Keyboard Shortcuts and Gestures — Complete Cheat Sheet
Android keyboard shortcuts, gestures, and button combinations for navigation, Quick Settings, screenshots, and accessibility.
103 shortcuts across 9 categories
Android keyboard shortcuts, gestures, and button combinations for navigation, Quick Settings, screenshots, and accessibility.
Essential Gestures
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Go Home | Swipe Up from Bottom Edge | Swipe up from the bottom edge to return to the Home Screen (gesture navigation mode) |
| Open Recent Apps | Swipe Up from Bottom → Pause | Swipe up and pause briefly to open the Recent Apps overview |
| Go Back | Swipe In from Left or Right Edge | Swipe inward from either the left or right edge to navigate back |
| Switch Between Recent Apps | Swipe Right along Bottom Bar | Slide your finger right along the bottom gesture bar to switch between recent apps |
| Open Google Assistant | Swipe Up from Bottom Corner (diagonal) | Swipe diagonally from either bottom corner to open Google Assistant |
| Dismiss an App (Recents) | Swipe App Card Up in Recents | In the Recents screen, swipe any app card upward to close it |
| Close All Recent Apps | Tap 'Clear All' in Recents | In the Recents screen, tap 'Clear All' to dismiss every open app at once |
| Open Notification Shade | Swipe Down from Top | Swipe down from the top of the screen to see all your notifications |
| Open Quick Settings Panel | Swipe Down Twice from Top | Swipe down twice (or use two fingers in one swipe) to fully expand Quick Settings |
| Dismiss a Notification | Swipe Left or Right on Notification | Swipe a notification to dismiss it; tap to open the app |
| Expand a Notification | Swipe Down on Notification | Swipe down on a notification to see more detail and action buttons |
| Open App Drawer / Search | Swipe Up on Home Screen | On Pixel and most launchers: swipe up on the Home Screen to open the app drawer |
Button Combinations
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Take Screenshot | Power + Volume Down | Press both simultaneously to capture the current screen |
| Scrolling Screenshot | Power + Volume Down → Capture More | After taking a screenshot, tap 'Capture More' to create a long scrolling screenshot |
| Power Off / Restart Menu | Power (hold) | Hold the power button to open the power menu (Power Off, Restart, Emergency, Lockdown) |
| Emergency SOS | Power (×5 rapid presses) | Rapidly press the power button 5 times to call emergency services |
| Lockdown Mode | Power (hold) → Lockdown | Disables biometrics — only PIN/password can unlock the phone. Useful in sensitive situations. |
| Force Restart (frozen phone) | Power (hold 10s) | Hold the power button for about 10 seconds to force a restart on an unresponsive phone |
| Open Google Assistant | Power (hold) | On Pixel phones: holding the power button opens Google Assistant (configurable in Settings) |
| Silence Incoming Call | Volume Up or Volume Down (once) | Press either volume button once while the phone rings to silence the ringer without declining |
| Open Camera Quickly (Pixel) | Power (×2 quickly) | Double press the power button on Pixel phones to instantly launch the Camera app |
| Wake Screen | Double Tap Screen | Double tap the display to wake it without pressing any button (if enabled in Settings > Display) |
| Mute / Vibrate Toggle | Volume Down (hold) | Hold Volume Down to cycle into Vibrate or Do Not Disturb mode |
Quick Settings & Notifications
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Wi-Fi | Quick Settings → Wi-Fi tile | Tap to toggle Wi-Fi; long press to open Wi-Fi settings |
| Toggle Bluetooth | Quick Settings → Bluetooth tile | Tap to toggle Bluetooth; long press to manage paired devices |
| Toggle Flashlight | Quick Settings → Flashlight tile | Tap the flashlight tile to turn the rear LED torch on or off |
| Toggle Airplane Mode | Quick Settings → Airplane tile | Turn Airplane Mode on or off without entering Settings |
| Toggle Mobile Data | Quick Settings → Mobile Data tile | Quickly enable or disable cellular data |
| Adjust Brightness | Quick Settings → Brightness Slider | Drag the brightness slider to adjust screen brightness |
| Screen Record | Quick Settings → Screen Record tile | Tap to start recording your display; stop from the notification shade |
| Hotspot | Quick Settings → Hotspot tile | Share your mobile data as a Wi-Fi hotspot; long press to configure |
| Do Not Disturb | Quick Settings → DND tile | Tap to enable DND; long press to configure schedules and exceptions |
| Dark Mode Toggle | Quick Settings → Dark Mode tile | Switch between Light and Dark system theme instantly |
| Auto-Rotate Lock | Quick Settings → Auto-Rotate tile | Lock or unlock screen rotation with a single tap |
| Customise Quick Settings | Quick Settings → Edit (pencil icon) | Add, remove, and reorder Quick Settings tiles including Screen Record, Hearing Aids, and more |
Google Assistant & Search
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Activate Google Assistant | Say 'Hey Google' / Swipe from corner / Hold Power | Summon Google Assistant by voice, corner swipe, or power button hold (device-dependent) |
| Voice Search | Say 'Hey Google' or 'OK Google' | Google Assistant listens for the hotword when the phone is unlocked or on a charger |
| Google Lens | Hold Power → Google Lens | Identify objects, plants, animals, text, barcodes, and landmarks using the camera |
| Quick Tap (Pixel back tap) | Double Tap Back of Phone | On Pixel: double tap the back to trigger a configurable action (screenshot, assistant, app) |
| Google Pay (tap to pay) | Unlock screen → hold near NFC reader | Unlock your phone and hold near an NFC payment terminal to pay |
| Google Discover Feed | Swipe Right on Home Screen | Swipe right from the first Home Screen page to see Google's personalised news feed |
| App Search | Swipe Up from Home → Type | Open the app drawer and start typing to search for any installed app instantly |
| Screen Search (Now on Tap) | Hold Home / Swipe from Bottom Corner | Activates Assistant's screen context awareness to search for information related to what's visible |
Text & Editing
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Select a Word | Double Tap on Word | Double tap any word to select it and display selection handles |
| Select All Text | Long Press → Select All | Long press in a text field, then tap Select All from the popup |
| Cut | Select text → Cut | Select text and tap Cut — or Ctrl+X on a connected keyboard |
| Copy | Select text → Copy | Select text and tap Copy — or Ctrl+C on a connected keyboard |
| Paste | Long Press → Paste | Long press where you want to insert, then tap Paste — or Ctrl+V on a keyboard |
| Clipboard History (Gboard) | Gboard → Clipboard icon | Tap the clipboard icon in Gboard's toolbar to browse and paste from recent clipboard history |
| Precision Cursor (Gboard trackpad) | Long Press Spacebar → Slide | Long press the Gboard spacebar and slide to move the cursor precisely |
| Voice Input | Microphone key on Keyboard | Tap the microphone on any keyboard to dictate text using Google's speech recognition |
| Emoji Picker | Emoji key on Keyboard | Tap the emoji / smiley key to browse and search the full emoji panel |
| Undo (Shake) | Shake Device | Shake the device to trigger the Undo prompt in some apps |
Chrome Browser
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Open New Tab | Tap + button | Tap the plus icon next to the address bar to open a new tab |
| Switch Tabs | Tap Tab Counter button | Tap the number box next to the address bar to see all open tabs |
| Close Tab | X on tab card | In the tab switcher, tap the X on any tab card to close it |
| Close All Tabs | Tab switcher → ⋮ → Close All Tabs | Open the tab switcher, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Close All Tabs |
| Open Incognito Tab | ⋮ menu → New Incognito Tab | Open the overflow menu and select 'New Incognito Tab' for private browsing |
| Go Back | Swipe In from Left or Right Edge | Use the system back gesture to navigate to the previous page |
| Reload Page | Tap Reload icon | Tap the circular reload arrow in the address bar |
| Bookmark Page | Tap Star icon | Tap the star icon in the address bar to bookmark the current page |
| Share Page | ⋮ menu → Share | Share the current URL via messages, email, copy, or other apps |
| Find in Page | ⋮ menu → Find in Page | Search for text on the current web page |
| Open Downloads | ⋮ menu → Downloads | View all downloaded files from the Chrome overflow menu |
| Open History | ⋮ menu → History | View your full browsing history from the overflow menu |
| Zoom In | Pinch Out (2 fingers) | Spread two fingers on the page to zoom in (if the page supports it) |
| Zoom Out | Pinch In (2 fingers) | Pinch two fingers together on the page to zoom out |
| Scroll to Top | Tap Status Bar | Tap the top status bar area to instantly scroll back to the top of a page |
| Request Desktop Site | ⋮ menu → Desktop Site | Reload the page in its desktop (non-mobile) layout |
Camera Gestures
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Open Camera (Pixel) | Power (×2 quickly) | Double press the power button on Pixel phones to instantly launch the Camera app |
| Open Camera (Samsung) | Power (×2 quickly) | Double press the power/side button on Galaxy phones to launch the Camera |
| Take Photo | Volume Down (in Camera app) | Press the Volume Down button as a physical shutter button while the Camera is open |
| Capture Video | Volume Down (hold) | Hold Volume Down in the Camera app to start recording a video (on supported phones) |
| Take Burst Photos | Volume Down (hold, then release) | Hold Volume Down briefly and release to take a burst of photos (device-dependent) |
| Switch Camera Mode | Swipe Left/Right on Viewfinder | Swipe across the viewfinder to switch between Photo, Video, Night, Portrait, and other modes |
| Switch Front/Rear Camera | Double Twist Wrist (Pixel) | Rotate your wrist twice while holding the phone to flip between front and rear cameras (Pixel) |
| Zoom In | Pinch Out (2 fingers) | Spread two fingers on the viewfinder to zoom in |
| Zoom Out | Pinch In (2 fingers) | Pinch two fingers together on the viewfinder to zoom out |
| Tap to Focus | Tap on Subject | Tap the area you want to focus on; a circle or square confirms the focus point |
| Lock Focus & Exposure | Long Press on Subject | Long press to lock the focus and exposure so they don't shift when the scene changes |
| Google Lens from Camera | Tap Lens icon | Tap the Google Lens icon inside the Camera app to identify objects, text, plants, and more |
| Open Photos After Capture | Tap Thumbnail (bottom left) | Tap the preview thumbnail in the corner of the Camera app to view your most recent photo |
| Self-Timer | Tap Timer icon | Tap the timer icon to set a 3-second or 10-second delay before the shutter fires |
Accessibility
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| TalkBack On/Off | Volume Up + Volume Down (hold 3s) | Hold both volume buttons for 3 seconds to toggle TalkBack (Android's screen reader) |
| Accessibility Shortcut | Volume Up + Volume Down (hold) | Long press both volume buttons to trigger the configured Accessibility Shortcut |
| Magnification (zoom in) | Triple Tap Screen | Triple tap anywhere to zoom in (enable in Settings > Accessibility > Magnification) |
| Magnification (peek) | Triple Tap and Hold | Triple tap and hold to temporarily zoom — screen returns to normal when you lift your finger |
| Colour Correction | Settings > Accessibility > Colour & Motion → Colour Correction | Adjust display colours for different types of colour vision deficiency |
| Large Text / Bold Text | Settings > Accessibility > Display Size & Text | Increase font size, display size, and enable bold text system-wide |
| Live Caption | Volume Button → Live Caption icon | Tap the Live Caption icon next to the volume slider to auto-caption any audio on the phone |
| Sound Amplifier | Settings > Accessibility > Sound Amplifier | Amplify and filter sounds through headphones to boost speech in noisy environments |
| Switch Access | Settings > Accessibility > Switch Access | Control Android with physical switches instead of touch — for users with motor impairments |
| Hearing Aid Support | Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Aids | Pair Made-for-Android hearing aids directly in Settings for low-latency audio |
Samsung One UI (Galaxy)
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung DeX (Desktop Mode) | Connect to monitor or Quick Settings → DeX tile | Transforms the Galaxy into a desktop with windowed apps on an external display |
| S Pen Air Actions | S Pen button (hold + gesture) | On Galaxy Note/S Ultra: the S Pen button + swipe gestures control camera, media, presentations, and more |
| Bixby Voice | Hold Side Key (if Bixby is configured) | On Galaxy devices, the Side key can open Bixby — configure in Settings > Advanced Features > Side Key |
| Edge Panel | Swipe from Edge Panel Handle | The handle on the right edge slides out to show app shortcuts, contacts, or Smart Select tools |
| Smart Select | Edge Panel → Smart Select | Draw around any screen area to capture it, extract text, or create an animated GIF |
| One-Handed Mode | Swipe Down on Gesture Bar | Swipe down on the home bar to shrink the display for one-handed use |
| Quick Launch Camera | Power (×2 quickly) | Double press the Power/Side button to instantly launch the Camera app |
| Screen Off Memo | Remove S Pen → Write on dark screen | Remove the S Pen and write directly on the turned-off screen to capture a quick note |
| Bixby Routines | Settings > Modes and Routines | Automate actions based on triggers like time, location, or app — Samsung's version of automation routines |
| DeX Keyboard Shortcut | Ctrl + Alt + 1-5 | In Samsung DeX with a Bluetooth keyboard: switch between open app windows using Ctrl+Alt+number |
Android Tips & Tricks
- Gesture Navigation vs. 3-Button Nav: Go to Settings > System > Gestures > System Navigation to switch between Gesture Navigation (swipe up to go home) and 3-Button Navigation. Most users prefer gestures after a short learning period.
- Quick Settings is Fully Customisable: Swipe down twice to open Quick Settings fully, then tap the pencil/edit icon to rearrange tiles. Add Screen Record, Hearing Aids, QR Scanner, and other less-visible controls.
- Live Captions Work on Everything: Android's Live Caption can transcribe any audio the phone plays — podcasts, videos, voice messages, calls — in real time. Tap the Live Caption icon next to the volume slider to activate it.
- Clipboard History with Gboard: Tap the clipboard icon in Gboard's toolbar to browse everything you've recently copied. Pin frequently used items so they never expire. Far easier than a third-party clipboard manager.
- Emergency SOS Setup: Go to Settings > Safety & Emergency to configure Emergency SOS: which services to call, emergency contacts to notify, and whether to auto-share your location when SOS is triggered.
- Quick Tap on Pixel: On Pixel phones, go to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap and assign a double-tap on the back to: screenshot, play/pause media, open an app, or trigger an accessibility action.
- Google Assistant Routines: Say 'Hey Google, manage routines' or open Google Home to create automated routines — e.g. 'When I arrive home, turn on Wi-Fi, disable battery saver, and play music.'