Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts:

The Ultimate Guide to Hidden Keyboard Magic

Have you ever seen someone type a degree symbol (°), an arrow (→), or a copyright symbol (©) without opening a single menu, searching Google, or copying and pasting? And you thought, Okay, show-off. How did you do that?

Well, here's a little secret: your keyboard can do a whole lot more than type letters, numbers, and the occasional angry email. Hidden beneath those familiar keys are shortcuts that can save you time, make your documents look more professional, and help you accomplish everyday tasks with less clicking around. Some of these tricks are so useful that you'll wonder why nobody taught you them in school.

Today, we're uncovering keyboard shortcuts for Windows PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks—including how to make arrows, mathematical symbols, special characters, and a few other surprisingly useful things.

1. The Magic of Alt Codes: Symbols Hiding in Plain Sight

If you use a Windows computer with a numeric keypad, you have access to a collection of special characters called Alt codes. These let you type symbols that don't have their own dedicated keys.

Here's how it works:

Turn on Num Lock if your keyboard has it, and hold down the Alt key. While holding down the Alt key type the code using the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard. That's it, when you release the Alt key your symbol will appear.

** Here is a demonstration, hold Alt, while typing 25 and you get ↓, hold Alt, while typing 27 and you get ←.

Here is a more comprehensive list of codes that can be used primarily for Windows. Majority of these keys will not work if you attempt to use the numbers row instead of the number keypad. If you are working on a laptop that does not have a numbers keypad, you may need to use an embedded keypad.

How to type special symbols on a Mac

Macs don't use Windows Alt codes in the same way. Instead, you can use keyboard combinations, the Character Viewer, or text replacement.

Here are some useful examples:

Pro tip: The degree symbol ° and the ordinal indicator º look similar, but they're different characters. For temperatures, use °, as in 72°F. For an ordinal abbreviation, º may be appropriate in certain languages and contexts.

2. Arrow Symbols: Point Your Readers in the Right Direction

Arrows are fantastic for instructions, presentations, spreadsheets, notes, and documents. They help people follow a process without making them read an entire paragraph. Windows Alt codes make several arrows easy to create.

Need to show someone how to navigate a menu: Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options

Want to show an increase or decrease: Sales ↑ Expenses ↓

Need to tell someone which way to go: Turn left ← at the next street.

Just remember that these codes depend on the Windows environment and font. If a code doesn't work in your application, use the symbol insertion menu or copy the character from the table.

3. Windows Shortcuts That Make You Look Like a Computer Wizard

Now that we've covered symbols, let's talk about shortcuts that save actual time. The following shortcuts work in many Windows applications, although a few may behave differently depending on the program.

The shortcut that deserves a standing ovation: Windows + V

Have you ever copied something, copied something else, and then realized you needed the first thing again? Normally, your newest copied item replaces the previous one. But on Windows, Windows + V opens clipboard history when the feature is enabled. You may be able to retrieve several previously copied items instead of losing them forever.

If you use Windows + V, and your clipboard is not enabled, Windows will tell you and should give you the option to enable it. This may not help now, but if enabled, it will definitely help in the future. It's a small feature with a surprisingly big payoff.

Another lifesaver: Windows + Shift + S

Need to capture just one part of your screen instead of sending someone a screenshot of your entire desktop, including 37 open tabs and that embarrassing shopping search? With Windows + Shift + S, you can select only the portion of your screen that matters. The screenshot is copied to your clipboard, and ready to paste.

4. Keyboard Shortcuts for Your Web Browser

If you spend a lot of time online, these shortcuts can save you from a thousand unnecessary mouse clicks.

The Show windows key looks like a rectangle with lines or windows beside it. Its exact appearance depends on the Chromebook model.

Need a special character on a Chromebook?

Chromebooks don't support the standard Windows Alt-code method in the same way. Try these options instead:

• Google Docs: Go to Insert → Special characters, then search for the symbol.

• Google Sheets: Use Insert → Special characters when available, or copy and paste the character.

• ChromeOS: Use the available keyboard and input settings for your language and keyboard layout.

• Any Chromebook: Copy the symbols you need from the cheat sheet in this article.

For example, you can copy these symbols directly:

° º © ® ™ ± ½ ¼ ¾ × ÷ • … € £ ¥

7. The Secret Weapon: Emoji, Symbols, and Special Characters

Sometimes words just aren't enough. You want a check mark. A heart. A warning symbol. Maybe a little celebratory sparkle because you finally finished that spreadsheet.

On Windows:

Press Windows + . (period) to open the emoji and symbol panel on supported Windows versions. Depending on your version, you can browse emoji, symbols, and other special characters.

On Mac

Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer.

On Chromebook

Use the built-in emoji picker where available, or use the special-character tools in your document editor. On many Chromebooks, Search/Launcher + Shift + Space opens the emoji picker, though availability can vary by version and keyboard configuration.

Here's a collection you can copy and save:

The winner? Ctrl + Shift + T.

Imagine you've spent 20 minutes researching something, have 15 tabs open, and accidentally close the one containing the most important research information you need. Instead of frantically retracing your steps, press Ctrl + Shift + T.

Your last closed tab should reopen. Press it again to restore earlier closed tabs. It's basically an undo button for browser tabs.

You're welcome.

5. Mac Keyboard Shortcuts: Because Apple Likes to Be Different

If you use a Mac, many shortcuts work just like Windows shortcuts, except you generally use the Command (⌘) key instead of Ctrl.

8. The Forgotten Shortcut: Make Text Bigger or Smaller

Ever open a website and find the text so tiny you need to lean toward the screen like you're trying to hear a secret? Or maybe you've accidentally zoomed in so far that one word takes up the entire page. Here's the fix.

• Windows, Mac, and Chromebook browsers

• Zoom in: Ctrl + Plus on Windows and Chromebook

• Command + Plus on Mac

• Zoom out: Ctrl + Minus on Windows and Chromebook

• Command + Minus on Mac

• Reset zoom: Ctrl + 0 on Windows and Chromebook

• Command + 0 on Mac.

You can also often hold Ctrl on Windows or Chromebook, or Command on Mac, while scrolling with a mouse wheel or trackpad gesture to adjust zoom.

This is especially helpful when reading small text, reviewing websites, or presenting something to someone who forgot to bring their reading glasses.

9. Text-Editing Tricks That Feel Like Cheating

These shortcuts will jump through text without endless scrolling, which can be are especially useful when writing emails, blog posts, reports, or long documents.

On Windows: Ctrl + Left Arrow and Ctrl + Right Arrow generally move the cursor one word at a time.

On a Mac: Option + Left Arrow and Option + Right Arrow commonly move one word at a time in text fields.

Want to select entire words at a time, combine those shortcuts with Shift:

Windows: Ctrl + Shift + Left/Right Arrow.

Mac: Option + Shift + Left/Right Arrow.

To selects text word by word, making it easier to replace a phrase or fix a sentence or to delete a whole word instead of one letter

On Windows: Ctrl + Backspace generally deletes the previous word.

On a Mac: Option + Delete usually deletes the previous word.

10. Create Your Own Keyboard Shortcuts

Here's where things get interesting. You don't have to memorize every code or combination. You can create shortcuts for things you type all the time.

Windows text replacement

Windows has several ways to support text replacement, depending on the application and keyboard tools you use. Microsoft Word, for example, has an AutoCorrect feature that can replace a short phrase with a longer one.

You could configure something like:

addr → your mailing address

sig → your standard email sign-off

eml → your email address

deg → °

Be careful when setting up abbreviations: choose combinations you wouldn't normally type by accident.

Mac text replacement

On a Mac, open System Settings and look for Keyboard → Text Replacements. The exact menu wording can vary by macOS version.

Create a shortcut such as omw that expands into “On my way!”

You can use text replacement for frequently typed phrases, not just symbols.

Google Docs

Google Docs also has its own preferences and substitution options. Depending on the feature available in your account, you may be able to create substitutions for frequently typed text. For special characters, the easiest route is often Insert → Special characters, followed by a search for the character you want.

11. Want the Ultimate Keyboard Shortcut List

Subscribe to our website, and we will email you a free printable pdf containing all these shortcuts and more. Just enter you email in the box below. Hope you enjoyed this latest Life Hacks post. Thanks for for all your support.

Keyboard layouts and input settings can affect some combinations. If a shortcut doesn't produce the symbol shown, use the Character Viewer.

The easiest way to find almost any symbol on a Mac:

Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer on many current macOS setups.

Search for words such as “degree”, “arrow,, “copyright”, or “check mark”. Select the character you want, and insert it into your text. You can also use macOS text replacement to create your own shortcuts. For example, you might configure a short phrase to expand into a frequently used symbol or expression. That way, you can type a few characters and let your Mac do the rest.

6. Chromebook Shortcuts: Small Keyboard, Big Tricks

Chromebooks have their own shortcuts, and many are surprisingly useful.

Instead of relying on the Windows or Mac modifier keys, Chromebooks use the Ctrl, Alt, and Search/Launcher keys for many functions.

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