With the release of Windows 11, the new operating system of Microsoft carries on several working habits of Windows 10 and Windows 7, in particular on the side of keyboard shortcuts. However, it also comes with some additional new features. In Windows 11, you are offered a large number of keyboard shortcuts which makes it difficult to know them all. Therefore, in this guide, we will list down more than 100+ Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts which will help you in your day-to-day use.
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts List (2022)
A keyboard shortcut is the combination of 2-3 keys together that allows you to perform certain tasks quickly. By using it, users will avoid manipulation of the mouse. Now, with each new version of Windows, Microsoft adds a new Windows 11 keyboard shortcut to improve the overall experience of the user.
In Windows 11 too, you will find a lot of new keyboard shortcuts that you will find very useful, such as Layouts, Quick Settings, Action Center, and Widgets, etc. Below you can check them out in detail.
Traditional keyboard shortcuts
| Key combination | Action |
| Ctrl + X | Keyboard shortcut to Cut the selected item. |
| Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) | Keyboard shortcut to Copy the selected item. |
| Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) | Keyboard shortcut to Paste the selected item. |
| Ctrl + Z | Keyboard shortcut to Cancel an action. |
| Alt + Tab | Switch from one open application to another. |
| Alt + F4 | Close the active element or quit the active application. |
| Windows logo key + L | Lock your PC. |
| Windows logo key + D | Show and hide the desktop. |
| F2 | Rename the selected item. |
| F3 | Search for a file or folder in File Explorer. |
| F4 | View the address bar list in File Explorer. |
| F5 | Refresh the active window. |
| F6 | Navigate screen elements in a window or on the desktop. |
| F10 | Activate the menu bar in the active application. |
| Alt + F8 | Display your password on the login screen. |
| Alt + Esc | Cycle through the items in the order in which they were opened. |
| Alt + underlined letter | Execute the command for this letter. |
| Alt + Enter | Display the properties of the selected element. |
| Alt + Space bar | Open the shortcut menu of the active console window. |
| Alt + Left Arrow | Previous. |
| Alt + Right arrow | Following. |
| Alt + Previous page | Go up one page. |
| Alt + Next page | Go down one page. |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close the active document (in full-screen applications that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously). |
| Ctrl + A | Select all items in a document or window. |
| CTRL + D (or Delete) | Delete the selected item and move it to the Trash. |
| Ctrl + E | Open search (in most applications). |
| Ctrl + R (or F5) | Refresh the active window. |
| Ctrl + Y | Rollback the changes. |
| Ctrl + Right arrow | Advance the cursor to the start of the next word. |
| Ctrl + Left Arrow | Advance the cursor to the start of the previous word. |
| Ctrl + Down Arrow | Advance the cursor to the start of the next paragraph. |
| Ctrl + Up Arrow | Advance the cursor to the start of the previous paragraph. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Tab | Use the arrow keys to switch between all open applications. |
| Alt + Shift + arrow keys | When a group or tile is highlighted in the Start menu, move it in the specified direction. |
| Ctrl + Shift + arrow keys | When a tile is highlighted on the Start menu, move it to another tile to create a folder. |
| Ctrl + arrow keys | Resize the Start menu when it is open. |
| Ctrl + arrow key (to move an element) + space bar | Select multiple items in a window or on the desktop. |
| Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key | Select a block of text. |
| Ctrl + Esc | Open the Start menu. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager. |
| Ctrl + Shift | Change the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available. |
| Ctrl + Space bar | Enable or disable the Chinese Input Method Editor (IME). |
| Shift + F10 | Display the context menu of the selected element. |
| Shift with any arrow key | Select multiple items in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document. |
| Shift + Delete | Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first. |
| Right arrow | Open the next menu on the right, or open a submenu. |
| Left arrow | Open the next menu on the left, or close a submenu. |
| Esc | Stop or interrupt the current task. |
| PrtScn | Allows you to take a screenshot of the entire screen and copy it to the Clipboard.
Note · You can also easily change this shortcut to open the screenshot tool, which allows you to edit your screenshot. To do that click on Start> Settings> Ease of Access> Keyboard, then scroll down to turn on the toggle under the Print shortcut screen. |
Keyboard shortcuts with the Windows key
| Key combination | Action |
| WIN | Press this key on your keyboard to open or close the Start menu. |
| WIN + A | Press this key on your keyboard to open Quick Settings. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + B | Set the focus to the first icon in the corner of the taskbar. |
| WIN + C | Open the conversation from Microsoft Teams. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + Shift + C | Open the icon menu. |
| WIN + Ctrl + C | Enable color filters (enable this shortcut first in color filter settings). |
| WIN + D | Show and hide the desktop. |
| WIN + E | Open File Explorer. |
| WIN + F | Open the Feedback Hub and take a screenshot. |
| WIN + G | Open Xbox Game Bar when a game is open. |
| WIN + H | Start voice input. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + I | Open Settings. |
| WIN + J | Focus on a Windows tip if it’s available.
When a Windows tip appears, move the focus to the tip. Press the keyboard shortcuts again to move the focus to the onscreen item where the Windows tip is anchored. |
| WIN + K | Open Cast from Quick Settings. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + L | Lock the PC or change accounts. |
| WIN + M | Minimize all windows. |
| WIN + Shift + M | Restore minimized windows on the desktop. |
| WIN + N | Open the action center and the calendar. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + O | Lock the orientation of the device. |
| WIN + P | Choose a presentation display mode. |
| WIN + Ctrl + Q | Open Quick Assistance. |
| WIN + R | Open the Run dialog box. |
| WIN + Alt + R | Record the video of the game window in focus (using Xbox Game Bar). |
| WIN + S | Open the search functionality. |
| WIN + Shift + S | Take a screenshot of your screen. |
| WIN + T | Browse the applications on the taskbar. |
| WIN + U | Open Accessibility Settings. |
| WIN + V | Open the Clipboard History.
Note · You can open the clipboard history that is not enabled by default. If you want to turn this option on, use this keyboard shortcut and then select the prompt to turn on history. You can also select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard and then turn on the toggle under Clipboard History. |
| WIN + Shift + V | Set the focus on a notification. |
| WIN + W | Open widgets. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + X | Open the Quick link menu. |
| WIN + Y | Switch typing between Windows Mixed Reality and the desktop. |
| WIN + Z | Open the anchor arrangements. Update in Windows 11. |
| WIN + period (.) Or semicolon (;) | Open the emoji panel. |
| WIN + comma (,) | Show a temporary preview on the desktop. |
| WIN + Pause | Open Settings > System > About. |
| WIN + Ctrl + F | Search for PCs (if you are on a network). |
| WIN + number | Open the desktop and start the application pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the application is already running, switch to it. |
| WIN + Shift + number | Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. |
| WIN + Ctrl + number | Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. |
| WIN + Alt + number | Open the desktop, then open the list of shortcuts for the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. |
| WIN + Ctrl + Shift + number | Open the desktop, then open a new instance of the application located at the given position on the taskbar as administrator. |
| WIN + Tab | Open Active Applications. |
| WIN + Up Arrow | Maximize the window. |
| WIN + Alt + Up arrow | Dock the window in focus on the top half of the screen. What’s new in Windows 11. |
| WIN + Down Arrow | Remove the current application from the screen or minimize the desktop window. |
| WIN + Alt + Down arrow | Dock the window in focus on the lower half of the screen. What’s new in Windows 11. |
| WIN + Left arrow | Maximize the application or desktop window on the left side of the screen. |
| WIN + Right arrow | Maximize the application or desktop window on the right side of the screen. |
| WIN + Home | Minimize all except the active desktop window (restores all windows on the second keystroke). |
| WIN + Shift + Up Arrow | Maximize the desktop window at the top and bottom of the screen. |
| WIN + Shift + Down Arrow | Restore/minimize active desktop windows vertically, maintaining width. |
| WIN + Shift + Left Arrow or Right Arrow | Move an application or a window in the desktop from one monitor to another. |
| WIN + Shift + Space bar | Switch backward in language and keyboard layout. |
| WIN + Space bar | Switch between input language and keyboard layout. |
| WIN + Ctrl + Space bar | Edit a previously selected entry. |
| WIN + Ctrl + Enter | Activate Narrator. |
| WIN + More (+) | Open Magnifier and zoom in. |
| WIN + Minus (-) | Zoom out using the Magnifying Glass. |
| WIN + Esc | Close the Magnifying Glass. |
| WIN + forward-slash (/) | Start the IME conversion. |
| WIN + Ctrl + Shift + B | Wake the PC out of the black or empty screen saver. |
| WIN + PrtScn | Save the full-screen screenshot to a file. |
| WIN + Alt + PrtScn | Save game window screenshot in focus to file (using Xbox Game Bar). |
That is everything you need to know about Windows 11 Shortcut Keys. Also, do not forget to check out other Windows 11 Guides like how to turn off S mode in Windows 11, or how to show file extensions in Windows 11