Keyboard Shortcuts Everyone Should Know
FreeTyper Team··7 min read
Why Keyboard Shortcuts Matter
If you already type at 60+ WPM, reaching for the mouse slows you down dramatically. Keyboard shortcuts let you keep your hands on the keyboard, maintaining your flow and saving significant time over the course of a day.
Studies suggest that heavy keyboard shortcut users can save 8+ seconds per minute of computer use compared to mouse-dependent users. Over a year, that adds up to dozens of hours saved.
Universal Shortcuts (Windows and Mac)
Text Editing
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Select all | Ctrl+A | Cmd+A |
| Copy | Ctrl+C | Cmd+C |
| Cut | Ctrl+X | Cmd+X |
| Paste | Ctrl+V | Cmd+V |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z | Cmd+Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y | Cmd+Shift+Z |
| Find | Ctrl+F | Cmd+F |
| Save | Ctrl+S | Cmd+S |
Navigation
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Switch tabs | Ctrl+Tab | Cmd+Option+Arrow |
| Close tab | Ctrl+W | Cmd+W |
| New tab | Ctrl+T | Cmd+T |
| Reopen tab | Ctrl+Shift+T | Cmd+Shift+T |
| Go to URL bar | Ctrl+L / F6 | Cmd+L |
| Refresh | F5 / Ctrl+R | Cmd+R |
Browser Shortcuts
Tab Management
- Ctrl+1-8: Jump to tab number 1-8
- Ctrl+9: Jump to last tab
- Ctrl+Shift+T: Reopen recently closed tab (works multiple times)
- Ctrl+D: Bookmark current page
Page Navigation
- Space / Shift+Space: Scroll down/up one page
- Home / End: Jump to top/bottom of page
- Ctrl+F: Find on page
- Ctrl+Plus/Minus: Zoom in/out
- Ctrl+0: Reset zoom
Text Navigation Shortcuts
These shortcuts work in most text editors, word processors, and text fields:
- Ctrl+Arrow: Move by word (left/right) or paragraph (up/down)
- Ctrl+Shift+Arrow: Select by word or paragraph
- Home/End: Jump to beginning/end of line
- Ctrl+Home/End: Jump to beginning/end of document
- Ctrl+Backspace: Delete previous word
- Ctrl+Delete: Delete next word
Learning Shortcuts
Do not try to learn all shortcuts at once. Pick 3-5 that you would use most frequently and force yourself to use them for a week. Once they become automatic, add a few more. Within a month, you will have transformed how you interact with your computer.