Introduction

Have you ever thought about how much time you could save by mastering a few simple keyboard shortcuts? Whether you’re working in Google Docs, Sheets, or even just browsing in Chrome, keyboard shortcuts can drastically enhance your productivity. They’re like little cheat codes that allow you to navigate and perform tasks faster than ever before. Let’s dive into the world of Google keyboard shortcuts and unlock the full potential of your workflow!

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Why Use Google Keyboard Shortcuts?

Keyboard shortcuts are a productivity booster, plain and simple. With just a few taps, you can accomplish tasks that would normally require multiple clicks. These shortcuts help eliminate the constant back-and-forth between mouse and keyboard, allowing you to stay focused and in the flow of your work.

Google Keyboard Shortcuts to Space:

Gmail:

C: Compose – Opens a new compose window straight away so that you can immediately start composing an email.

Shift + I: Mark as Read – Marks the selected email as read without opening it.

/: Search – Places the cursor in the search bar to instantly search for emails or contacts.

Google Drive:

Shift + T: Create New – Opens the menu for “New” so that you could create a new document, spreadsheet, presentation, folder, and others.

P: Preview – Allows opening a preview of the selected file without opening it in another window.

N: Rename – Renames the selected file or folder to make it easier to arrange all your files.

Google Docs:

Ctrl + B: Bold – Highlights, in bold, the text selected.

Ctrl + I: Italicize – Changes the selected text to italics.

Ctrl + Shift + C: Word Count – Gives the overall number of words present within the document, which could be pretty helpful for certain writing assignments and reports.

Google Sheets:

Ctrl + C: Copy – Copies all data selected onto the clipboard.

Ctrl + V: Paste – Pastes the contents of the clipboard into the selected cells.

Ctrl + Shift + L: Add Filter – Applies a filter to the selected range so that sorting and analyzing of data becomes easier.

Google Slides

Ctrl + D: Duplicate Slide – A shortcut to duplicate any selected slide; this saves time while creating presentations.

Ctrl+M: This allows for the insertion of a new slide at any desired point on the presentation. It will open up a new slide immediately after the slide currently being worked on.

Ctrl+Shift+C: This copies the formatting of the selected object, making it easier to maintain similar styling throughout multiple slides.

Boosting Productivity

When you’re on a roll with your tasks, the last thing you want to do is break your concentration by reaching for the mouse. Keyboard shortcuts keep your hands where they belong — on the keyboard — speeding up every little action.

Saving Time with Simple Key Combinations

Think of all the seconds you spend navigating menus or clicking buttons. Now, multiply that by every time you do it. Shortcuts can save you hours in the long run, making your workflow much more efficient.

Basic Google Keyboard Shortcuts for Everyday Use

Google Hotkeys : Cut, Copy, and Paste

Let’s start with the basics. Whether you’re writing a report in Google Docs or creating a spreadsheet in Google Sheets, knowing how to quickly cut, copy, and paste is essential:

• Cut: Ctrl + X (Windows), Cmd + X (Mac)
• Copy: Ctrl + C (Windows), Cmd + C (Mac)
• Paste: Ctrl + V (Windows), Cmd + V (Mac)

Google Hotkeys: Undo and Redo

Made a mistake? No problem! Undo and redo let you fix things quickly without the need for a mouse:

• Undo: Ctrl + Z (Windows), Cmd + Z (Mac)
• Redo: Ctrl + Y (Windows), Cmd + Shift + Z (Mac)

Search Google Shortcut Keys

If you need to find something fast, search shortcuts are your best friend:

• Search within a document or webpage: Ctrl + F (Windows), Cmd + F (Mac)

Navigating with Google Keyboard Shortcuts

Move Between Tabs

Managing multiple tabs in Chrome? Jump between them with ease:

• Move to the next tab: Ctrl + Tab (Windows), Cmd + Option + Right Arrow (Mac)
• Move to the previous tab: Ctrl + Shift + Tab (Windows), Cmd + Option + Left Arrow (Mac)

Open New Tabs and Windows

Sometimes you need a fresh start. Here’s how to open a new tab or window quickly:

• Open a new tab: Ctrl + T (Windows), Cmd + T (Mac)
• Open a new window: Ctrl + N (Windows), Cmd + N (Mac)

Closing Tabs and Windows

Finish browsing? Close things down without touching the mouse:

• Close the current tab: Ctrl + W (Windows), Cmd + W (Mac)
• Close the current window: Ctrl + Shift + W (Windows), Cmd + Shift + W (Mac)

Advanced Google Docs Shortcuts

Google Short Cuts: Formatting Text

Get creative with your text by making it bold, italic, or underlined:

• Bold: Ctrl + B (Windows), Cmd + B (Mac)
• Italic: Ctrl + I (Windows), Cmd + I (Mac)
• Underline: Ctrl + U (Windows), Cmd + U (Mac)

Creating List of Google Hotkeys

Organize your thoughts with bullet points or numbered lists:

• Bullet list: Ctrl + Shift + 8 (Windows), Cmd + Shift + 8 (Mac)
• Numbered list: Ctrl + Shift + 7 (Windows), Cmd + Shift + 7 (Mac)

Adding Link of Google Shortcut Keys

Linking text is as simple as a quick combo:

• Insert a link: Ctrl + K (Windows), Cmd + K (Mac)

Google Chrome Power User Shortcuts

Opening the Developer Tools

For those who love to dive into the code, this shortcut opens the developer tools:

• Developer Tools: Ctrl + Shift + I (Windows), Cmd + Option + I (Mac)

Clearing Browsing Data

Keep your browser clean with this handy shortcut:

• Clear browsing data: Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows), Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac)

Managing Bookmark of Google Hotkeys

Organize your favorite pages faster:

• Bookmark a page: Ctrl + D (Windows), Cmd + D (Mac)

Shortcuts for Google Sheets

Navigating Cells for Google Shortcut Keys

Efficiently move around cells without touching the mouse:

• Move to the next cell: Tab
• Move to the previous cell: Shift + Tab

Formulas Google Short cuts

Need to sum a column? There’s a shortcut for that:

• Insert sum function: Alt + = (Windows), Cmd + Shift + T (Mac)

Formatting Data for Google Shortcut Keys

Quickly apply formats like currency or percentages:

• Format as currency: Ctrl + Shift + 4 (Windows), Cmd + Shift + 4 (Mac)

Shortcuts for Google Slides

Presentation Mode

Go full-screen with a simple shortcut:

• Start presentation: Ctrl + F5 (Windows), Cmd + Shift + Return (Mac)

Rearranging Slides

Easily move slides up and down:

• Move slide up/down: Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow (Windows), Cmd + Up/Down Arrow (Mac)

Inserting Images and Shapes

Add images or shapes without touching your mouse:

• Insert image: Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows), Cmd + Shift + P (Mac)

Google Keep Shortcuts

Creating Notes

Take notes faster than ever:

• Create a new note: Ctrl + Alt + N (Windows), Cmd + Option + N (Mac)

Pinning Notes

Put the most crucial notes at the top of the list:

• Pin a note: Ctrl + Alt + P (Windows), Cmd + Option + P (Mac)

Archiving Notes

Keep your workspace tidy by archiving old notes:

• Archive a note: Ctrl + Alt + A (Windows), Cmd + Option + A (Mac)

Customizing Google Keyboard Shortcuts

How to Set Custom Shortcuts

If you’re looking to create shortcuts that suit your workflow better, you can easily customize them in most Google apps.

• Google Chrome Custom Shortcuts: Go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts and set your custom keyboard shortcuts for extensions.

Third-Party Extensions for Google Keyboard Shortcuts

There are third-party extensions like Vimium that allow even more shortcut customizations, especially for web navigation.

Conclusion

Mastering Google keyboard shortcuts can significantly increase your productivity by allowing you to complete tasks faster and more efficiently. Whether you’re navigating between tabs, formatting text in Google Docs, or even working in Google Sheets, there’s a shortcut for almost everything. Take some time to practice these and integrate them into your daily workflow — you’ll notice a big difference in no time!

FAQs

What is the most useful Google keyboard shortcut?

One of the most useful shortcuts across all Google platforms is Ctrl + F (Windows) or Cmd + F (Mac), which lets you quickly search for specific text within a document or webpage.

How do I create custom keyboard shortcuts in Google Chrome?

You can create custom keyboard shortcuts in Chrome by navigating to chrome://extensions/shortcuts and assigning key combinations for the extensions you use.

Are Google keyboard shortcuts the same across all platforms?

Most Google shortcuts are the same across Windows and Mac platforms, although there are slight variations. For instance, where Windows users press Ctrl, Mac users typically press Cmd.

Can I use Google shortcuts on mobile?

Google apps on mobile devices don’t support the same keyboard shortcuts as on desktop platforms. However, some functions like copy, paste, and undo can still be accessed via touch gestures.

How can I learn Google keyboard shortcuts faster?

Repetition is the most effective method for learning Google keyboard shortcuts. Start by incorporating a few shortcuts into your daily tasks; soon, they’ll become second nature!