Customize your keyboard shortcuts
You can add, edit, delete, reset, or fix your keyboard shortcuts through the Shortcuts app 👁 Image
. When you customize your keyboard shortcuts, you can:
- Tailor your shortcuts to what you're familiar with
- Customize your external keyboard's functionality
- Better support your ergonomic needs
Manage your keyboard shortcuts
Important:
- You can't modify shortcuts with a Lock 👁 Image
. - To avoid potential conflicts with browser apps, system shortcuts should always contain the Search key 👁 Image
. - Some key combinations aren't possible.
- You can't use top row keys as part of a customized shortcut. Use the Function keys instead.
Add a keyboard shortcut
- On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app 👁 Image
. - On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
- In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to edit.
- Select Edit 👁 Image
. - In the customization dialog, select Add shortcut.
- Press and hold 1–4 modifier keys and 1 other key on your keyboard.
- To save, release the keys.
- Select Done.
Tips:
- Shortcuts without a Search key or Launcher key might conflict with some apps' shortcuts.
- You can only add 5 custom shortcuts for each action.
Edit a keyboard shortcut
- On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app 👁 Image
. - On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
- In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to edit.
- Select Edit 👁 Image
. - In the customization dialog, next to the shortcut you want to change, select Edit 👁 Image
. - Press and hold 1–4 modifier keys and 1 other key on your keyboard.
- To save, release the keys.
- Select Done.
Tip: You can’t edit keyboard shortcuts with lock icons.
Delete a keyboard shortcut
- On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app 👁 Image
. - On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
- In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to delete.
- Select Delete 👁 Image
. - In the customization dialog appears, select Delete 👁 Image
👁 and then
Done.
Reset shortcuts for an action
- On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app 👁 Image
. - On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
- In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to edit.
- Select Edit 👁 Image
. - In the customization dialog, select Restore defaults 👁 and then
Done.
Tip: The reset button only appears when there are any custom shortcuts.
Reset shortcuts for all actions
- On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app 👁 Image
. - On the left, select Reset all shortcuts 👁 and then
Reset.
Fix keyboard shortcuts issues
If you encounter an error “Shortcut is used by [name of the shortcut]. Press a new shortcut to replace.,” you need to press a new key combination to assign a new shortcut because the key combination you are trying to use is already used by another locked action.
If you encounter an error “Shortcut is used by [name of the shortcut]. Press a new shortcut to replace or press the same one again to use it for this action instead.,” you need to either:
- Press a new key combination to assign a new shortcut.
- Press again the same key combination. This shortcut is removed from the other action.
Tip: This also applies when you encounter the same error in restore default.
If a notification shows that the keyboard shortcut has changed:
- In the notification, select Edit shortcut.
- When the Key Shortcuts app opens, find the shortcut.
- Select Edit 👁 Image
. - In the customization dialog, select Edit 👁 Image
. - Press and hold 1–4 modifier keys and one other key on your keyboard.
- To save, release the keys.
- Select Done.
Tip: A warning message shows if you assign a shortcut without the Search key or Launcher key.
When you encounter issues with alt + click, you can choose if you want to turn on right-click with your touchpad and keyboard.
- On your Chromebook, select Settings 👁 Image
. - In the “Device” section, select Touchpad.
- Under “Use keyboard and touchpad to right-click,” select from the following:
- Search/Launcher + click
- Alt + click
- Off
Tip: This setting is set to "Off" by default for new users.
When you encounter issues with alt-based 6-pack keys, you can remap the 6-pack keys. This automatically remaps the key based on whether you commonly use Search or Alt to perform 6-pack actions.
- Go to Settings 👁 and then
Keyboard. - Select Customize keyboard keys.
When you encounter issues with F11 and F12 keys, you can remap these keys.
- Go to Settings 👁 and then
Keyboard. - Select in the Customize keyboard keys.
Important: These key options assume that the keyboard has Back in F1 position and Refresh in F2 position.
For Chromebook keyboards with less than 12 top row keys are:
- The key options for F11 if top-row keys as function keys are on:
- Disabled
- Shift + Back
- Alt + Back
- Ctrl + Shift + Back
- The key options for F11 if top-row keys as function keys are off:
- Disabled
- Search + Shift + Back
- Search + Alt + Back
- Search + Ctrl + Shift + Back
- The key options for F12 if top-row keys as function keys are on:
- Disabled
- Shift + Refresh
- Alt + Refresh
- Ctrl + Shift + Refresh
- The key options for F12 if top-row keys as function keys are off:
- Disabled
- Search + Shift + Refresh
- Search + Alt + Refresh
- Search + Ctrl + Shift + Refresh
Tip: This setting is disabled by default.