Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts: the ones worth knowing

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

Windows has hundreds of keyboard shortcuts, and nobody needs most of them. The ones below are worth the two minutes it takes to learn them, because they replace things you do with the mouse dozens of times a day.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

1. Copy, paste and undo

   Ctrl + C copies, Ctrl + X cuts, Ctrl + V pastes. Ctrl + Z undoes the last step and Ctrl + A selects everything. These work in nearly every program.

   Done

2. Documents

   Ctrl + N starts a new document or window, Ctrl + P prints, and F1 opens the help of the program.

   Done

3. Switch and close windows

   Hold Alt and press Tab to move through the open windows. Add Shift to go backwards. Alt + F4 closes the current program. Windows key + Tab opens Task View with all windows and desktops.

   Done

4. Arrange windows

   Windows key + Up Arrow maximises the window and Windows key + Down Arrow makes it smaller, then minimises it. Windows key + Left or Right Arrow snaps it to one half of the screen. Windows key + M minimises everything and Windows key + D shows or hides the desktop.

   Done

5. Open things quickly

   Windows key + E opens File Explorer, Windows key + I opens Settings, Windows key + S opens Search and Windows key + R opens the Run box.

   Done

6. Emoji and symbols

   Windows key + . (full stop) opens the emoji panel wherever you are typing. It also holds symbols such as the degree sign and arrows, under its Symbols tab.

   Done

7. Screenshots and the clipboard

   Windows key + Shift + S lets you draw a frame around the part of the screen you want to capture. Windows key + V opens the clipboard history with the last things you copied.

   Done

8. Lock the PC

   Windows key + L locks the screen at once. Use it every time you leave your desk.

   Done

Good to know

Windows key + H starts voice typing, so you can dictate text instead of typing it.

Symbols can also be typed with Alt and a code on the number pad, for example Alt + 0169 for the copyright sign.

More detail: how to take a screenshot on Windows 11, how to turn on clipboard history on Windows 11, how to split the screen with Snap layouts and how to use voice typing on Windows 11.

On a Mac the same ideas use the Command key: Mac keyboard shortcuts: the ones worth knowing.

In short: Ctrl with C, X, V, Z, A. Alt + Tab to switch, Alt + F4 to close. Windows key with D desktop, E Explorer, I Settings, S Search, L lock, . emoji, V clipboard, Shift + S screenshot.