How do I see every shortcut Windows 11 supports?

Microsoft maintains the canonical list in its support documentation, but it's a flat wall of text — that's why this page groups them by task.

Can I create my own keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11?

Natively, only in a limited way (right-click an app shortcut → Properties → Shortcut key). For real custom hotkeys, Microsoft PowerToys (free) adds Keyboard Manager, which can remap any key or chord.

What's the fastest way to actually memorize Windows shortcuts?

Pick two or three, write them on a sticky note on your monitor, and force yourself to use them for a week before adding more. Our printable PDF works well for this — print it, highlight your three, repeat.

Browse all keyboard shortcut cheat sheets

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts - Printable Cheat Sheet (2026)

Windows 11 shortcut keys for window management, screenshots, virtual desktops, accessibility, and everyday navigation.

145 shortcuts across 11 categories

Windows 11 shortcut keys for window management, screenshots, virtual desktops, accessibility, and everyday navigation.

Official documentation

Official source: Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts

Editing

Action	Shortcut	Description
Cut	`Ctrl` + `X`	Cut the selected item to the clipboard Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Copy	`Ctrl` + `C`	Copy the selected item to the clipboard Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Paste	`Ctrl` + `V`	Paste the clipboard contents at the cursor Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Paste as Plain Text	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste without formatting (app-dependent) Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Undo	`Ctrl` + `Z`	Undo the last action Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Redo	`Ctrl` + `Y`	Redo the previously undone action Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Select All	`Ctrl` + `A`	Select all items or text in the current context Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Delete	`Delete`	Delete the selected item or character after cursor
Delete Word Left	`Ctrl` + `Backspace`	Delete the word to the left of the cursor Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Delete Word Right	`Ctrl` + `Delete`	Delete the word to the right of the cursor Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Bold	`Ctrl` + `B`	Toggle bold formatting on selected text Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Italic	`Ctrl` + `I`	Toggle italic formatting on selected text Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Underline	`Ctrl` + `U`	Toggle underline formatting on selected text Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts

File Management

Action	Shortcut	Description
Save	`Ctrl` + `S`	Save the current file or document
Save As	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `S`	Save the current file with a new name or location
Open File	`Ctrl` + `O`	Open an existing file
New File / Window	`Ctrl` + `N`	Create a new file or open a new window
Close Window / Tab	`Ctrl` + `W`	Close the current window or tab
Close Application	`Alt` + `F4`	Close the active application Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Print	`Ctrl` + `P`	Print the current document or page
Rename	`F2`	Rename the selected file or folder
Delete to Recycle Bin	`Delete`	Move selected file(s) to the Recycle Bin
Permanently Delete	`Shift` + `Delete`	Permanently delete selected file(s), bypassing Recycle Bin Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
New Folder	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `N`	Create a new folder in File Explorer Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Open Properties	`Alt` + `Enter`	Open the properties dialog for the selected item Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts

Navigation

Action	Shortcut	Description
Find / Search	`Ctrl` + `F`	Open the find/search dialog in the current app
Find Next	`F3`	Jump to the next search result
Find Previous	`Shift` + `F3`	Jump to the previous search result
Go to Address Bar	`Alt` + `D`	Focus the address bar in File Explorer or browser Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Back	`Alt` + `Left`	Navigate back in File Explorer or browser history Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Forward	`Alt` + `Right`	Navigate forward in File Explorer or browser history Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Refresh	`F5`	Reload the current page or folder
Switch Tabs	`Ctrl` + `Tab`	Cycle through open tabs
Switch Apps	`Alt` + `Tab`	Cycle through open application windows Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Switch Apps (reverse)	`Alt` + `Shift` + `Tab`	Cycle through open windows in reverse order
Open Task View	`Win` + `Tab`	View all open windows and virtual desktops
Virtual Desktop Left	`Ctrl` + `Win` + `Left`	Switch to the virtual desktop on the left
Virtual Desktop Right	`Ctrl` + `Win` + `Right`	Switch to the virtual desktop on the right
New Virtual Desktop	`Ctrl` + `Win` + `D`	Create a new virtual desktop
Close Virtual Desktop	`Ctrl` + `Win` + `F4`	Close the current virtual desktop

System & Display

Action	Shortcut	Description
Print Screen (Full)	`PrtSc`	Copy a screenshot of the entire screen to the clipboard Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Print Screen (Window)	`Alt` + `PrtSc`	Copy a screenshot of the active window to the clipboard
Snipping Tool	`Win` + `Shift` + `S`	Open the Snipping Tool for a region, window, or full screenshot Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Lock Screen	`Win` + `L`	Lock your Windows session immediately Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Open Start Menu	`Win`	Open or close the Start menu
Open Settings	`Win` + `I`	Open the Windows Settings app Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Open File Explorer	`Win` + `E`	Open a new File Explorer window Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Open Run Dialog	`Win` + `R`	Open the Run command dialog
Minimize Window	`Win` + `Down`	Minimize the active window
Maximize Window	`Win` + `Up`	Maximize the active window
Snap Left	`Win` + `Left`	Snap the active window to the left half of the screen
Snap Right	`Win` + `Right`	Snap the active window to the right half of the screen
Show Desktop	`Win` + `D`	Minimize all windows and show the desktop Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Open Notification Center	`Win` + `N`	Open the Notification Center and Quick Settings
Open Quick Settings	`Win` + `A`	Open Quick Settings (Wi-Fi, volume, brightness)
Project Display	`Win` + `P`	Open project settings to choose a presentation display mode Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Full Screen (UWP apps)	`Win` + `Shift` + `Enter`	Make the active Universal Windows Platform app full screen, if supported Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Task Manager	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Esc`	Open Task Manager directly
Clipboard History	`Win` + `V`	Open clipboard history to paste previously copied items Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Emoji Picker	`Win` + `.`	Open the emoji and symbol picker
Zoom Out (Magnifier)	`Win` + `-`	Zoom out with the Magnifier

Text Cursor & Selection

Action	Shortcut	Description
Move Word Left	`Ctrl` + `Left`	Move the cursor one word to the left
Move Word Right	`Ctrl` + `Right`	Move the cursor one word to the right
Move to Line Start	`Home`	Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line
Move to Line End	`End`	Move the cursor to the end of the current line
Move to Document Start	`Ctrl` + `Home`	Move the cursor to the very beginning of the document
Move to Document End	`Ctrl` + `End`	Move the cursor to the very end of the document
Select Word Left	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Left`	Extend selection one word to the left
Select Word Right	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Right`	Extend selection one word to the right
Select to Line Start	`Shift` + `Home`	Extend selection to the beginning of the line
Select to Line End	`Shift` + `End`	Extend selection to the end of the line
Select to Document Start	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Home`	Extend selection to the very beginning of the document
Select to Document End	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `End`	Extend selection to the very end of the document
Select Line Up	`Shift` + `Up`	Extend the selection one line up
Select Line Down	`Shift` + `Down`	Extend the selection one line down

Window Management

Action	Shortcut	Description
Snap to Top-Left Quarter	`Win` + `Left` then `Win` + `Up`	Snap window to the top-left quadrant (press both in sequence)
Snap to Top-Right Quarter	`Win` + `Right` then `Win` + `Up`	Snap window to the top-right quadrant
Snap to Bottom-Left Quarter	`Win` + `Left` then `Win` + `Down`	Snap window to the bottom-left quadrant
Snap to Bottom-Right Quarter	`Win` + `Right` then `Win` + `Down`	Snap window to the bottom-right quadrant
Move Window to Left Monitor	`Win` + `Shift` + `Left`	Move the active window to the left monitor
Move Window to Right Monitor	`Win` + `Shift` + `Right`	Move the active window to the right monitor
Shake to Minimize Others	`Win` + `Home`	Minimize all windows except the active one (Aero Shake)
Stretch Window Vertically	`Win` + `Shift` + `Up`	Stretch the window to full height while keeping its width
Restore Vertical Stretch	`Win` + `Shift` + `Down`	Restore the vertically stretched window to its previous size
Open App on Taskbar (1-9)	`Win` + `1-9`	Open or switch to the app pinned at that position on the taskbar
Open New App Instance	`Win` + `Shift` + `1-9`	Open a new instance of the app pinned at that position

Command Prompt (Windows)

Action	Shortcut	Description
Open Windows Terminal	`Win` + `X` then `I`	Open Windows Terminal from the power menu
Open Terminal (Admin)	`Win` + `X` then `A`	Open Windows Terminal as administrator
Autocomplete (Tab)	`Tab`	Autocomplete file/folder names; press again to cycle through matches
History Search Up	`Up`	Recall the previous command from history
History Search Down	`Down`	Go forward through command history
Clear Screen	`Ctrl` + `L`	Clear the terminal screen (same as 'cls' command)
Interrupt / Cancel	`Ctrl` + `C`	Stop the currently running command
Copy in Terminal	`Ctrl` + `C`	Copy selected text in Windows Terminal
Paste in Terminal	`Ctrl` + `V`	Paste into Windows Terminal
New Terminal Tab	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `T`	Open a new tab in Windows Terminal
Close Terminal Tab	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `W`	Close the current Windows Terminal tab
Move to Word Start	`Ctrl` + `Left`	Move cursor to the start of the previous word in the prompt
Move to Word End	`Ctrl` + `Right`	Move cursor to the end of the next word in the prompt
Delete to Start of Line	`Ctrl` + `Home`	Delete everything from the cursor to the start of the line

Accessibility

Action	Shortcut	Description
Open Ease of Access Center	`Win` + `U`	Open the Ease of Access Center
Turn On / Off Narrator	`Win` + `Ctrl` + `Enter`	Start or stop the Narrator screen reader
Turn Off Magnifier	`Win` + `Esc`	Close the Magnifier
Zoom In (Magnifier)	`Win` + `+`	Turn on Magnifier and zoom in.
Zoom Out (Magnifier)	`Win` + `-`	Decrease the magnification level
Toggle High Contrast	`Alt` + `Left Shift` + `PrtSc`	Turn High Contrast mode on or off
Toggle Sticky Keys	`Shift` + `×5`	Press Shift 5 times to toggle Sticky Keys (allows chord shortcuts one key at a time)
Toggle Filter Keys	`Right Shift (hold 8s)`	Hold the right Shift key for 8 seconds to toggle Filter Keys
Toggle Mouse Keys	`Alt` + `Left Shift` + `Num Lock`	Use the numeric keypad to control the mouse pointer
On-Screen Keyboard	`Win` + `Ctrl` + `O`	Open the On-Screen Keyboard

Browser Controls

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

Clipboard

Action	Shortcut	Description
Copy	`Ctrl` + `C`	Copy the selected text or item to the clipboard Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Cut	`Ctrl` + `X`	Cut the selected text or item to the clipboard Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Paste	`Ctrl` + `V`	Paste the most recent clipboard item at the cursor Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Paste as Plain Text	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste without any formatting (app-dependent) Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Open Clipboard History	`Win` + `V`	Open the clipboard history panel to paste any previously copied item Microsoft Support — Windows keyboard shortcuts
Pin Item in Clipboard History	`Win` + `V` then Pin icon	In the clipboard history panel, pin an item so it persists across reboots and clipboard clears
Clear Clipboard History	`Win` + `V` then Clear All	In the clipboard history panel, click 'Clear All' to wipe the full history
Emoji / Symbol Picker	`Win` + `.`	Open the emoji, kaomoji, and symbol picker to paste characters
Paste from Cloud Clipboard	`Win` + `V`	If Cloud Clipboard is enabled (Settings > System > Clipboard), items copied on other signed-in Windows devices appear here

Printing

Action	Shortcut	Description
Print	`Ctrl` + `P`	Open the print dialog to print the current document
Print Preview	`Ctrl` + `F2`	Open print preview in supported apps (e.g. Word)
Screenshot to File	`Win` + `PrtSc`	Save a full-screen screenshot directly to Pictures > Screenshots

Windows Tips & Tricks

Clipboard History: Press Win + V to see your full clipboard history — not just the last item you copied. You can pin frequently used snippets so they persist across reboots.
Virtual Desktops: Use Ctrl + Win + D to create a new virtual desktop for different tasks (e.g. work vs. personal). Switch between them with Ctrl + Win + Arrow keys without losing your window layout.
Snap Layouts: Hover your mouse over a window's maximize button to see Snap Layout presets. You can quickly arrange 2, 3, or 4 windows side by side without dragging.
God Mode Folder: Create a folder named GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} on the desktop to get a single control panel with every Windows setting in one place.
Run Commands: Press Win + R and type shortcuts like 'msconfig' (startup), 'regedit' (registry), 'mstsc' (remote desktop), 'devmgmt.msc' (device manager), or 'cleanmgr' (disk cleanup).
Focus Assist: Set up Focus Assist (Settings > System > Focus) to automatically silence notifications during specific hours or when an app is in full screen, so you can work without interruptions.
PowerToys: Microsoft's free PowerToys utility adds powerful shortcuts: FancyZones for advanced window snapping, PowerRename for batch file renaming, and a Color Picker (Win + Shift + C).

Frequently Asked Questions — Windows

How do I see every shortcut Windows 11 supports?: Microsoft maintains the canonical list in its support documentation, but it's a flat wall of text — that's why this page groups them by task.
Can I create my own keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11?: Natively, only in a limited way (right-click an app shortcut → Properties → Shortcut key). For real custom hotkeys, Microsoft PowerToys (free) adds Keyboard Manager, which can remap any key or chord.
What's the fastest way to actually memorize Windows shortcuts?: Pick two or three, write them on a sticky note on your monitor, and force yourself to use them for a week before adding more. Our printable PDF works well for this — print it, highlight your three, repeat.

If you only learn ten, learn these

Win + V (Clipboard History) — the single most underused shortcut in Windows. Instead of re-copying things one at a time, you get a panel of everything you've copied recently. Turn it on once and copy-paste-heavy work gets dramatically faster.
Win + Shift + S (Snipping Tool) — screenshot exactly the region you want, straight to the clipboard. Faster and cleaner than PrtSc for almost every real-world screenshot.
Alt + Tab — the classic app switcher. Hold Alt and keep tapping Tab to walk through open windows.
Win + Left / Right (Snap) — put two windows side by side instantly. This is the shortcut that makes a laptop screen feel twice as big.
Win + D (Show Desktop) — everything minimized at once. Press again to bring it all back.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Task Manager) — skip the Ctrl+Alt+Del menu and go straight to Task Manager when something freezes.
Win + E (File Explorer) — a new Explorer window from anywhere.
Win + L (Lock) — lock your PC instantly when you step away.
F2 (Rename) — select a file, tap F2, type the new name. Renaming with the mouse is slower every single time.
Ctrl + Shift + V (Paste as plain text) — paste without dragging along fonts and formatting. App-dependent, but supported almost everywhere that matters now.

Windows 11 vs Windows 10: what actually changed

Most shortcuts carried over unchanged, but a few behave differently and trip people up. Win + A now opens Quick Settings only (Wi-Fi, volume, brightness), while notifications moved to Win + N — in Windows 10, Win + A opened both together. Win + Z is new: it opens Snap Layouts, the grid of window arrangements Windows 11 added. And Widgets got Win + W. If your muscle memory is from Windows 10, those three are the ones to retrain. See our Windows 10 cheat sheet for the older mappings.

Common problems and fixes

Win + Shift + S does nothing? The Snipping Tool app may be disabled or broken — check Settings → Apps, and make sure "Use the Print screen key to open screen capture" isn't conflicting in Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard.
Win + V shows an empty panel? Clipboard History ships turned off. Enable it at Settings → System → Clipboard, or just click "Turn on" in the panel itself.
Shortcuts with the Win key don't work at all? Some gaming keyboards have a "game mode" switch that disables the Windows key — look for a lock icon or Fn toggle on your keyboard.