Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to speed up your workflow and improve task efficiency. In case you are using a browser like Chrome, it’s doubly important because shortcuts are deeply ingrained into how Chrome is supposed to be used. Google Chrome has a bunch of handy shortcuts which lets you open bookmarks, downloads, new tab, etc. Apart from that, there is a neat hack which lets you create custom shortcuts for several Chrome functions. So in this article, we are going to share 18 cool Google Chrome shortcuts you can inculcate in your daily browsing habit to increase productivity in 2020.
Best Google Chrome Shortcuts in 2020
Here, I have covered Google Chrome shortcuts for Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and Linux. As such, Windows, Chrome OS, and Linux have nearly identical keyboard layout so the shortcuts are the same for these platforms. However, macOS has a slightly different keyboard layout having command (Cmd) in place of control (Ctrl) key. So for macOS, make sure to replace the Ctrl key with the Cmd key in the shortcuts below. In cases of other variations, I have mentioned Google Chrome shortcuts for macOS explicitly.
1. Manage Chrome Tabs and Windows
These are some of the best Google Chrome shortcuts to efficiently manage tabs and windows without any hassle. We have compiled basic Google Chrome shortcuts below so that you can achieve your tasks without losing any moment.
- Open new tab: Ctrl+T
- Open new window: Ctrl+N
- Switch chrome tabs: Ctrl+Tab
- Switch chrome tabs on Mac: Cmd+Option+Right or Left arrow
- Open link in a new tab: Ctrl+Click
- Open link in a new window: Shift+Click
If you want to get a unique experience whenever you launch a new Chrome tab then you should look at some cool Chrome new tab extensions that will let you customize the interface.
2. Close Active Tab
To quickly close your tabs, you can use this useful Google Chrome shortcut. Press Ctrl + W and the tab will be instantly closed. And if you want to close the whole Chrome window then press Ctrl + Shift + W. That’s quite simple, right?
3. Reopen Closed Tab
Sometimes in a hurry, we close an active tab that we were supposed to use. But there is a nifty Google Chrome shortcut that allows you to instantly reopen the closed tab. Simply press Ctrl + Shift + T and the last closed tab will be opened. You can run this shortcut as many times as you want until you find your active tab.
4. Open Incognito Mode
Chrome has a cool keyboard shortcut which lets you open the Incognito mode within seconds. Just press Ctrl + Shift + N and you will be on the Incognito mode. And if you want to close it, simply press Ctrl + Shift + W and you will be back to the normal mode.
5. Webpage Shortcuts
These are some of the most helpful Google Chrome shortcuts which can help you expertly navigate through the web pages. If you want to master Google Chrome, you must know the navigational shortcuts.
- Go back: Alt+Left arrow
- Go forward: Alt+Right arrow
- Go back on Mac: Cmd+[
- Go forward on Mac: Cmd+]
- Save the page: Ctrl+S
- Print the page: Ctrl+P
- Search the page: Ctrl+F
6. Refresh the Page
You can comfortably refresh a webpage on Chrome by pressing Ctrl + R keys. No need to reach for the refresh button. And if you want to refresh the page without the cached content then press Ctrl + Shift + R and the webpage will freshly load the content from the webserver. This is arguably one of the best and most used Google Chrome shortcuts.
7. Zoom In and Out
Zoom in and out is one of my favorite Google Chrome shortcuts that I regularly use. If the content of a webpage is too small and unreadable then you can press Ctrl + Plus key to zoom into the page. Similarly, if the content size is too big then you can reduce it by pressing Ctrl + Minus key. And if you want to reset the zoom percentage to the default size then simply press Ctrl + 0.
8. Google Chrome Functions
Here you can find the essential Google Chrome shortcuts for opening and browsing history, downloads, bookmarks, etc with easy key combinations. No need to open Chrome’s menu and going through the hoops. Just use these shortcuts for some time and it will stick with you.
- Open History: Ctrl+H
- Open History on Mac: Cmd+H
- Open Downloads: Ctrl+J
- Open Downloads on Mac: Cmd+Shift+J
- Bookmark the current page: Ctrl+D
- Jump to the Address Bar: Ctrl+L
9. Show/Hide Bookmark Bar
Once in a while, I want to open my list of websites without manually typing their URL. However, if the Bookmark bar is disabled then you will have to open a new tab to access your bookmarks. In such cases, you can quickly show or hide the Bookmark Bar in the current tab using this cool Google Chrome shortcut. Just press Ctrl + Shift + B and Bookmark Bar will show up. And once you are done with the bookmarks, press the same shortcut again to hide it. How cool is that? Also, if you want to create a backup of your bookmarks, learn how you can export Chrome bookmarks and save them by clicking on the link.
10. Switch Chrome User
I use two Chrome profiles at my workplace and every time, I have to switch between my work and home account, I have to manually reach the profile section. But using Ctrl+Shift+M shortcut, I can easily change the user without touching the mouse. It’s really seamless and I love it.
11. Perform Google Search from Anywhere
This handy Google Chrome shortcut has saved so much time for me. Just press Ctrl+K and you will be on the Google Omnibox, ready to enter your search query. The best part is that you can be anywhere on a webpage and just summon Google search with this effective shortcut. Note that some web apps keep the Ctrl+K shortcut for different actions (such as adding links). In those cases, this shortcut will not work.
12. Paste Without Formatting
This is a really useful shortcut if you copy content from the web but dread the text formatting that comes with it. Well, just press Ctrl+Shift+V and voila, you have plain text without weird composition in your word processor. Awesome, right?
13. Delete Browsing Data
Sometimes we are in a hurry and want to delete the browsing data instantly. In such cases, you can use this awesome Google Chrome shortcut. Just press Ctrl+Shift+Del and you will be offered the “clear browsing data” window with a pre-selected time range of 1 hour. Now click on Clear data and you have deleted the browsing data in seconds.
14. Scroll Horizontally
There are times when we face horizontally laid out pages and we have no idea how to go about it. Well, just press and hold the shift button and scroll the mouse wheel. The web page will start scrolling horizontally. Now you should remember it the next face time you come across such web pages.
15. Open Chrome’s Menu and Settings
Many users hate the fact that there is no proper Google Chrome shortcut for opening the Settings page. Well, I have found this ingenious way you can open the Settings page in no time. Just press Alt+E to open Chrome’s menu and then press the “S” key to open Settings. You are welcome.
Note: This shortcut does not work on Mac.
16. Open the Home Page
Using this cool Google Chrome shortcut, you can open your Chrome home page, just by pressing Alt + Home buttons on Windows and Linux computers. And on macOS, press Cmd + Shift + H to open the home page in the current tab. This way, you will not have to keep opening a new tab for accessing the home page.
Note: This shortcut does not work on Chrome OS.
17. Add “www” and “.com” to a site name in Address Bar
If you are too lazy to type out the whole URL, well Chrome has something for you. Type a site name in the address bar and hit Ctrl+Enter. It will directly open the relevant website. For example, if you type beebom and press Ctrl+Enter, Chrome will directly open www.beebom.com.
18. Open Chrome Task Manager
Similar to the Windows Task Manager, Chrome also has its dedicated Task Manager and you can open it through a Google Chrome shortcut. Just press Shift + Esc and you can check which apps and extensions are eating your RAM and spiking the CPU usage. In case a tab becomes unresponsive, you can easily end the process from here.
Note: This shortcut does not work on macOS.
Create Your Own Google Chrome Shortcuts
Google Chrome has a great feature that lets users assign custom keyboard shortcuts to Chrome extensions. For example, I use the Dark Reader extension to darken all the webpages. However, at times, the extension darkens the content of a webpage and it becomes harder to read. In that case, I have to jump through the hoops and turn off the dark reader extension manually. But with this feature, I can assign a custom shortcut, say Ctrl+B to turn off dark mode instantly on any page.
1. To access the settings, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts and assign your custom shortcut key to the extension of your choice. Keep in mind, the shortcut should not conflict with other shortcut key combinations. Now, you can comfortably use the custom keyboard shortcuts on Google Chrome.
2. Besides that, you can use Shortkeys, a third-party extension to customize Google Chrome shortcuts. If you want to create your own keyboard shortcuts which you can remember easily, you can do so. In fact, you can disable all the native Google Chrome shortcuts and replace them with your own set of shortcuts using this extension.
Install Shortkeys: (Free)
Use Chrome to the Full Potential with Keyboard Shortcuts
We use Google Chrome at our own speed, but there are ways like keyboard shortcuts to enhance our workflow and be more productive. Keyboard shortcuts are useful not only for Chrome but for any application you work on. So it’s better to personalize it with our own preference. I hope you liked the Chrome shortcuts which are mentioned in this list. And if you want to create your own shortcuts, you can very well do that too. Anyway, if you found this article interesting, you can comment down below and let us know your thoughts.
