12 Days of Hanutech, Day 6
Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show that has a tech expert in it? In the story, they're usually the ones who need to "hack into the mainframe" to get access to EvilCorp's security system. It takes about 8 dramatic seconds, followed by a triumphant "I'm in!"
One of the funniest parts of watching these scenes (for a tech nerd like me, anyway) is that the "hackers" never use a mouse, even on a computer they've never seen before. They all type faster than Superman after three cups of coffee, but would never consider using the mouse or trackpad that we all rely on.
This trope is based on a trick that expert computer users know: it's usually faster to hit a few keys while your hands are already on the keyboard than to move and click a mouse. So these users enjoy keyboard shortcuts: special key combinations that do things usually accomplished with slower mouse clicks.
It turns out that Chrome (and Chromebooks) have a ton of keyboard shortcuts -- more than any sane person could (or should) memorize. But there are a few that you may find handy, and a few that (I believe) every person on the planet should know.
(Note for Mac users: most of these shortcuts also work on Macs, if you use ⌘ Command instead of Ctrl and ⌥ Option instead of Alt.)
Must-Know Shortcuts
These first four should go into your regular rotation. They were invented back in the 1970s for use on Xerox computers (seriously!) and are nearly universal across all computers and software apps. I use them constantly, and you should too!
I don't use the word "should" casually, but everyone should learn these four and practice them until they are muscle memory!
Handy Chrome Shortcuts
The next shortcuts are useful to learn, though you might not use them nearly as often. They work in the Chrome browser, on Chromebooks as well as on Windows and Mac* computers. My suggestion is to learn one or two that you will find most useful.
* using the ⌘ Command key instead of the Ctrl key, and the ⌥ Option key instead of the Alt key.
Chromebook-Only Shortcuts
Chromebooks also have their own set of shortcuts, since ChromeOS has additional features not found in the browser. The first three are ones that Google thinks everyone already knows, but no one actually does. The others are just some of my favorites.
Bonus shortcut URLs (no extra charge)
These aren't really keyboard shortcuts, but they're so handy that I can't help but include them here. Google has a few shortcut URLs that you can type into the browser address bar. These were life-changing for me when I first started using them, and I know you'll love them too.
Danger! Nerd Zone Ahead!
If you are really loving the keyboard shortcut thing, here are links to the full lists of keyboard shortcuts. This is extra-credit stuff, so to speak; very few sane people learn more than a few of these, but maybe you'll find something helpful! And using esoteric keyboard shortcuts is a great way to increase your nerd street-cred.