Browser Controls Shortcuts
Compare Browser Controls keyboard shortcuts across Windows, macOS, Linux, with actions, key combinations, and usage notes.
How to use this reference
Use this category reference to compare the same kind of task across your devices. Start with the section for your operating system, read the action and description, and try the shortcut in an appropriate application. Keys joined with a plus sign are held together; alternatives let you choose the combination that works on your keyboard. A gesture requires a compatible touchpad or touch screen rather than a physical keyboard.
Before practicing, check which window has focus. Text fields, browser tabs, terminal sessions, and system dialogs can interpret the same keys differently. Save any open work before testing commands that close a window, delete content, or change system settings. Accessibility commands may need to be enabled in settings first, and a laptop may require the Fn key for function keys. If a combination is intercepted by an application or a custom keymap, consult its built-in help and your operating system settings. Follow the full platform guide for related commands and additional context.
Windows 11
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Tab | Ctrl + T | Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge or Chrome |
| Close Tab | Ctrl + W | Close the current browser tab |
| Reopen Closed Tab | Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen the most recently closed tab |
| New Window | Ctrl + N | Open a new browser window |
| New InPrivate Window | Ctrl + Shift + N | Open a new private/incognito browsing window |
| Focus Address Bar | Ctrl + L | Select the address bar to type a URL or search |
| Find on Page | Ctrl + F | Open the in-page search bar |
| Go Back | Alt + Left | Navigate to the previous page in history |
| Go Forward | Alt + Right | Navigate to the next page in history |
| Reload Page | F5 | Reload the current page |
| Hard Reload (bypass cache) | Ctrl + Shift + R | Reload the page and skip the browser cache |
| Bookmark This Page | Ctrl + D | Add the current page to your bookmarks/favourites |
| Open Bookmark Manager | Ctrl + Shift + O | Open the bookmarks/favourites manager |
| Open History | Ctrl + H | View your browsing history |
| Open Downloads | Ctrl + J | View all downloads |
| Jump to Tab (1–8) | Ctrl + 1-8 | Switch directly to the tab at that position |
| Jump to Last Tab | Ctrl + 9 | Switch to the rightmost open tab |
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | Increase the page zoom level |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + - | Decrease the page zoom level |
| Reset Zoom | Ctrl + 0 | Reset the page zoom to 100% |
| Developer Tools | F12 | Open browser Developer Tools (Elements, Console, Network, etc.) |
| Reading Mode (Edge) | F9 | Toggle Immersive Reader / Reading Mode in Microsoft Edge |
| Collections (Edge) | Ctrl + Shift + Y | Open Edge Collections to save and organise web content |
macOS
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Tab | Cmd + T | Open a new tab in Safari or Chrome |
| Close Tab | Cmd + W | Close the current browser tab |
| Reopen Closed Tab | Cmd + Shift + T | Reopen the most recently closed tab |
| New Window | Cmd + N | Open a new browser window |
| New Private Window | Cmd + Shift + N | Open a new Private Browsing window (Safari) or Incognito window (Chrome) |
| Focus Address Bar | Cmd + L | Select the address bar to type a URL or search |
| Find on Page | Cmd + F | Open the in-page search bar |
| Go Back | Cmd + [ | Navigate to the previous page in history |
| Go Forward | Cmd + ] | Navigate to the next page in history |
| Reload Page | Cmd + R | Reload the current page |
| Hard Reload (bypass cache) | Cmd + Shift + R | Reload and bypass the browser cache |
| Bookmark This Page | Cmd + D | Add the current page to your bookmarks |
| Open Bookmarks (Safari) | Cmd + Option + B | Show the Bookmarks sidebar in Safari |
| Open History | Cmd + Y | View your full browsing history |
| Open Downloads (Safari) | Option + Cmd + L | Show the downloads list in Safari |
| Jump to Tab (1–8) | Cmd + 1-8 | Switch directly to the tab at that position |
| Jump to Last Tab | Cmd + 9 | Switch to the rightmost open tab |
| Zoom In | Cmd + + | Increase the page zoom level |
| Zoom Out | Cmd + - | Decrease the page zoom level |
| Reset Zoom | Cmd + 0 | Reset the page zoom to 100% |
| Developer Tools | Cmd + Option + I | Open browser Developer Tools / Web Inspector |
| Reader View (Safari) | Cmd + Shift + R | Toggle Safari Reader to view a distraction-free version of an article |
| Pin Tab (Safari) | Right-click tab + Pin Tab | Pin the current tab so it stays visible and loads automatically on launch |
Ubuntu Linux
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Tab | Ctrl + T | Open a new tab in Firefox or Chrome |
| Close Tab | Ctrl + W | Close the current browser tab |
| Reopen Closed Tab | Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen the most recently closed tab |
| New Window | Ctrl + N | Open a new browser window |
| New Private/Incognito Window | Ctrl + Shift + P | Open a Firefox Private Window (Ctrl+Shift+N for Chrome) |
| Focus Address Bar | Ctrl + L | Select the address bar to type a URL or search |
| Find on Page | Ctrl + F | Open the in-page search bar |
| Go Back | Alt + Left | Navigate to the previous page in history |
| Go Forward | Alt + Right | Navigate to the next page in history |
| Reload Page | F5 | Reload the current page |
| Hard Reload (bypass cache) | Ctrl + Shift + R | Reload the page bypassing the cache |
| Bookmark This Page | Ctrl + D | Add the current page to your bookmarks |
| Open Bookmark Manager | Ctrl + Shift + O | Open the bookmarks manager |
| Open History | Ctrl + H | View your browsing history |
| Open Downloads | Ctrl + J | View your downloads |
| Jump to Tab (1–8) | Ctrl + 1-8 | Switch directly to the tab at that position |
| Jump to Last Tab | Ctrl + 9 | Switch to the rightmost open tab |
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | Increase the page zoom level |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + - | Decrease the page zoom level |
| Reset Zoom | Ctrl + 0 | Reset page zoom to 100% |
| Developer Tools | F12 | Open browser Developer Tools |
| Reader Mode (Firefox) | F9 | Toggle Firefox Reader View for a distraction-free article view |
Windows 10
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Tab | Ctrl + T | Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge or Chrome |
| Close Tab | Ctrl + W | Close the current browser tab |
| Reopen Closed Tab | Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen the most recently closed tab |
| New Window | Ctrl + N | Open a new browser window |
| New InPrivate Window | Ctrl + Shift + N | Open a new private/incognito browsing window |
| Focus Address Bar | Ctrl + L | Select the address bar to type a URL or search |
| Find on Page | Ctrl + F | Open the in-page search bar |
| Go Back | Alt + Left | Navigate to the previous page in history |
| Go Forward | Alt + Right | Navigate to the next page in history |
| Reload Page | F5 | Reload the current page |
| Hard Reload (bypass cache) | Ctrl + Shift + R | Reload the page and skip the browser cache |
| Bookmark This Page | Ctrl + D | Add the current page to your bookmarks/favourites |
| Open Bookmark Manager | Ctrl + Shift + O | Open the bookmarks/favourites manager |
| Open History | Ctrl + H | View your browsing history |
| Open Downloads | Ctrl + J | View all downloads |
| Jump to Tab (1–8) | Ctrl + 1-8 | Switch directly to the tab at that position |
| Jump to Last Tab | Ctrl + 9 | Switch to the rightmost open tab |
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | Increase the page zoom level |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + - | Decrease the page zoom level |
| Reset Zoom | Ctrl + 0 | Reset the page zoom to 100% |
| Developer Tools | F12 | Open browser Developer Tools |