Key Takeaways
- Home windows keyboard shortcuts might be big time-savers. For example, key + X will open fast hyperlinks for straightforward entry to instructions, information, and prompts.
- Some shortcuts may also be enjoyable. The Home windows key + interval (.) or semicolon (;) opens emoji, GIF, and clipboard shortcuts for straightforward insertion of textual content additions.
- And, after all, there’s at all times this oldie however a goodie: Ctrl + Shift + Esc, which opens Home windows Process Supervisor to force-stop duties.
Home windows keyboard shortcuts can streamline writing, analysis, and internet shopping to make on a regular basis duties slightly bit simpler. From shortly checking your settings and launching emoji and GIF keyboards to using accessibility instruments, the shortcut updates that include Windows 11 streamline laptop computer and desktop workflows. Whether or not you contemplate your self a professional of Home windows or discover tech intimidating, our listing will help enhance how you utilize your laptop.
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Let’s first be certain that your system is working Home windows 11. To do that shortly, in your keyboard enter the next:
- Press the Home windows key + R on the similar time.
- A search field will pop up so that you can enter textual content.
-
Kind
winver
into the search field and press enter or click on OK.
If the above immediate shows Home windows 11 OS, congratulations, you should utilize all of the shortcuts beneath to optimize your workflow and have slightly enjoyable with Home windows.
Earlier than we get into the very best of Home windows 11 listing, there are a number of tried and true shortcuts that each Home windows PC consumer ought to have of their toolbox, no matter their model of Home windows. As Pocket-lint’s copy editor, I exploit the 5 keyboard shortcuts beneath continuously all through the day to focus on and duplicate textual content, discover particular phrases on pages, and undo errors.
Discover |
Ctrl + F |
Open a search field within the window, so you possibly can find phrases, phrases, and letters |
Spotlight |
Ctrl + A |
Covers all of the textual content and pictures on a webpage or doc |
Undo |
Ctrl + Z |
Reverses latest typing |
Copy |
Ctrl + C |
Makes a duplicate of the highlighted textual content |
Paste |
Ctrl + V |
Provides copied textual content to a web page |
Now that you just’re outfitted with my most used keyboard shortcuts, let’s dive into the most recent and most enjoyable Home windows 11 fast prompts you possibly can launch together with your keyboard.
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1 Open fast hyperlinks
Fast hyperlinks will present a pop-up listing with extremely helpful instructions, information, and prompts you possibly can find with a stroke of two keys as an alternative of digging round making an attempt to recollect the place your community connections, process supervisor, or settings stay. A few of the fast hyperlinks I used most frequently are the File Explorer shortcut, Process Supervisor, and fast shutdown.
2 Open emoji, GIF, and clipboard shortcut
-
Home windows key + interval
(.) or
+ semicolon
(;) — to open the emoji and GIF keyboard -
Home windows key + V
— opens up the identical shortcut field, however brings you to the clipboard part
These three completely different shortcut choices all deliver you to the identical pop-up window. It’s a window that exhibits six tabs overlaying completely different additions you possibly can insert inside your textual content. The six tabs are: not too long ago used, an emoji keyboard 👻, a GIF keyboard through Tenor, a Kaomoji keyboard (❁´◡`❁), particular characters, and your clipboard displaying your most up-to-date 25 copied gadgets. I like including GIFs to pleasant chats and private emails with out downloading extensions or further apps.
3 Screenshots and recording
-
PrtScn
or
Prt Sc
–(relying on mannequin) opens the snipping instrument and copies screenshots to the clipboard -
Home windows key + Shift + S
— opens the snipping instrument to take screenshot particular areas on the display
I spend quite a lot of my day formatting pictures and creating screenshots of merchandise, so we are able to put them into articles. These two shortcut choices can help you take exact screenshots shortly, with out downloading exterior purposes or software program. The time saved to seize a screenshot whereas I am nonetheless inside the applicable window, with out launching a separate program, has saved me hours every week.
4 Open Home windows Process Supervisor
While you need to try your background efficiency or see which window is slowing down your laptop, the Home windows Process Supervisor is the place to go. Earlier than upgrading to my new Acer Swift X this previous fall, I used to verify on the Process Supervisor each day to force-stop duties and verify on my older laptop computer’s efficiency. Whereas I haven’t got to try this so constantly now, it is nonetheless an awesome instrument to shortly entry a helpful report of your system’s features.
5 Solid from Fast Settings
Casting is likely to be new to some, or previous hat to others, nevertheless it’s a cool characteristic that you could make the most of to have your laptop computer display mirror to a different system. This shortcut is a favourite when my associate is looking for a stay school soccer sport that’s best to seek out on a laptop computer as an alternative of a streaming TV app.
It is simple to make use of and solely takes a number of directions on the system you’d wish to solid to for it to be absolutely arrange. My casts normally take below 5 seconds to go stay on my TV. To disconnect the solid, merely enter Home windows key + Okay once more and choose Disconnect.
6 Delete with out the Recycle Bin
To completely delete information on a Home windows system, normally it’s essential to first delete the information, then empty the Recycle Bin, in any other case a deleted copy will nonetheless stay in your Recycle Bin. This shortcut skips the preliminary delete and completely deletes a file on the primary attempt.
7 Launch Home windows Copilot
Copilot is a brand new service Microsoft has launched to attempt to keep related within the generative AI sport since they discontinued Cortana. Copilot is a chatbot developed by Microsoft that may reply your questions in a good pure language, summarize content material, customise your settings for you, troubleshoot points, and carry out fundamental actions.
This all is determined by what you enter into Copilot, and it affords three dialog kinds: extra artistic, extra balanced, and extra exact. I largely use Copilot when I’ve questions on Home windows settings or my laptop computer, nevertheless it’s enjoyable to mess around with for foolish questions and prompts.
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8 Navigating Tabs and Home windows
-
Ctrl + Tab
or
Ctrl Web page Down
, cycle by way of present home windows tabs so as from left to proper -
Ctrl + Shift + Tab
or
Ctrl Web page Up
, transfer backwards by way of present window tabs from proper to left -
Home windows + Tab
toggle by way of numerous open program tabs
These are staples in my workday, as like many others, I are likely to have a minimal of 4 home windows open with at the least 10 tabs in every window. I discover the Home windows + Tab a lot simpler to make use of than clicking by way of and opening each program from the taskbar on the backside of the display, because it supplies a fast preview of all working home windows.
9 Rapidly conceal your present display
-
Home windows key + D
hides and shows the desktop -
Home windows key + L
locks laptop -
Home windows key + M
minimizes all home windows -
Home windows key + Shift + M
restore minimized home windows
There are many causes chances are you’ll need to decrease your display shortly from prying eyes. My favourite of the 4 choices above is Home windows key + D, if it is not something vital, but when I am shopping for presents for my household, I are likely to lean towards a fast Home windows key + L to lock the pc display away from the eyes of nosy family members.
10 Accessibility settings
-
Home windows key + U
opens all accessibility settings -
Home windows key + H
launch voice typing -
Home windows key + Ctrl + O
activate the on-screen keyboard
The Home windows 11 replace got here with a slew of accessibility keyboard shortcuts. While you need to look by way of the whole thing of the accessibility settings, use the Home windows key + U, whereas voice typing and the on-screen keyboard are tremendously helpful singular shortcuts discovered inside the principle accessibility settings.
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11 Allow and customise the display narrator
-
Home windows key + Ctrl + Enter
flip narrator on -
Home windows key + Ctrl + N
go to narrator settings for customizations
Voice typing is one accessibility setting you possibly can allow, however the display narrator is one other unbelievable setting you possibly can allow shortly together with your keyboard. As somebody who experiences display sensitivity with migraines, generally turning on the display reader is an absolute present. And it would not damage that you could customise the narrator’s voice to your desire.
12 Open LinkedIn
-
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Win + L
This one’s slightly area of interest, however I discover it thrilling that it exists in any respect. And in case you are job looking out, write this one down. I would like to see extra shortcuts to launch particular websites sooner or later developed normal within the keyboard as an alternative of setting them up in customized shortcuts.
13 Show notifications and calendar
Personally, I must see a calendar to visualise dates and venture timelines. I hold a comparatively up-to-date private calendar, however lugging that out every time I am looking for a selected day is not practical. The Home windows key + N prompts the calendar and your notification field to pop up for fast reference, one thing I exploit at the least two or 3 times a day when planning out deadlines.
14 Fast entry Home windows 11 quantity mixers
Relying on what number of inputs and home windows with numerous sounds you’ve enjoying, it would present you tons of volume-level mixers to regulate as you please.
15 Xbox Sport Bar settings
-
Home windows key + G
opens Xbox Sport Bar -
Home windows emblem key + Alt + B
turns HDR on and off (when Sport Bar is open) -
Home windows key + Alt + PrtScn
saves screenshots of video games in focus to file (when Sport Bar is open) -
Home windows emblem key + Alt + R
data video of video games in focus (when Sport Bar is open)
This one is for the Xbox avid gamers. If you have not explored the Xbox Sport Bar on Home windows, that is your signal to test it out. For the particular shortcuts above, you need to first open the Xbox Sport Bar with Home windows key + G, then the world (or the bar) is your oyster.
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