Tag Archive: shortcuts

Sep 08

Google Chrome Tip #3: Keyboard Shortcuts

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Google Chrome Tips

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September 8, 2008

Keyboard ShortcutsGoogle provides many keyboard shortcuts to move around and work with Google Chrome. For a complete list, you can always jump over to the Google Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts page. In the mean time, read on to see a list of the keyboard shortcuts….

Here is a list of most of Google Chrome keyboard shortcuts:

Window and tab shortcuts Window and tab shortcuts

Ctrl+N Open a new window
Ctrl+Shift+N Open a new window in incognito mode
Press Ctrl, and click a link Open link in a new tab
Press Shift, and click a link Open link in a new window
Alt+F4 Close current window
Ctrl+T Open a new tab
Ctrl+Shift+T Reopen the last tab you’ve closed. Google Chrome remembers the last 10 tabs you’ve closed.
Drag link to tab Open link in specified tab
Drag link to space between tabs Open link in a new tab in the specified position on the tab strip
Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+8 Switch to the tab at the specified position number. The number you press represents a position on the tab strip.
Ctrl+9 Switch to the last tab
Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+PgDown Switch to the next tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab or Ctrl+PgUp Switch to the previous tab
Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4 Close current tab or pop-up
Alt+Home Open your homepage
Ctrl+O, then select file Open a file from your computer in Google Chrome

Address bar shortcuts

Do one of the following actions in the address bar:
Type a search term Perform a search using your default search engine
Type the part of the web address that’s between ‘www.’ and ‘.com’, then press Ctrl+Enter Add www.and .com to your input in the address bar and open the web address
Type a search engine keyword or URL, press Tab, then type a search term Perform a search using the search engine associated with the keyword or the URL. Google Chrome prompts you to press Tab if it recognizes the search engine you’re trying to use.
F6 or Ctrl+L or Alt+D Highlight content in the web address area
Type a web address, then press Alt+Enter Open your web address in a new tab
Shortcuts to open Google Chrome features
Ctrl+B Toggle bookmarks bar on and off
Ctrl+H View the History page
Ctrl+J View the Downloads page
Shift+Escape View the Task manager

Webpage shortcuts

Ctrl+P Print your current page
F5 Reload current page
Esc Stop page loading
Ctrl+F5 or Shift+F5 Reload current page, ignoring cached content
Press Alt, and click a link Download link
Ctrl+F Open find-in-page box
Ctrl+G or F3 Find next match for your input in the find-in-page box
Ctrl+Shift+G or Shift+F3 Find previous match for your input in the find-in-page box
Ctrl+U View source
Drag link to bookmarks bar Bookmark the link
Ctrl+D Bookmark your current webpage
Ctrl++ Make text larger
Ctrl+- Make text smaller
Ctrl+0 Return to normal text size

Text shortcuts

Highlight content, then press Ctrl+C Copy content to the clipboard
Place your cursor in a text field, then press Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert Paste current content from the clipboard
Place your cursor in a text field, then press Ctrl+Shift+V Paste current content from the clipboard without formatting
Highlight content in a text field, then press Ctrl+X or Shift+Delete Delete the content and copy it to the clipboard
Backspace, or press Alt and the left arrow together Go to the previous page in your browsing history for the tab
Shift+Backspace, or press Alt and the right arrow together Go to the next page in your browsing history for the tab
Ctrl+K or Ctrl+E Places a ‘?’ in the address bar. Type a search term after the ‘?’ to perform a search using your default search engine.
Place your cursor in the address bar, then press Ctrl and the left arrow together Jump to the previous word in the address bar
Place your cursor in the address bar, then press Ctrl and the right arrow together Jump to the next word in the address bar
Place your cursor in the address bar, then press Ctrl+Backspace Delete the previous word in the address bar
Space bar Scroll down the web page
Home Go to the top of the page
End Go to the bottom of the page

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/google-chrome-tips/google-chrome-tip-3-keyboard-shortcuts

Mar 06

iPod Touch Tip #5: Quick Keyboard Entry Tips

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iPod Touch Tips, iPod Touch Tips - The Complete Collection

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March 6, 2008

iPod Touch Keyboard

Text entry on the iPod Touch's on-screen keyboard is surprisingly easy, but sometimes, it can be tedious to enter numbers, symbols, or special characters. But did you know that there are a few "shortcuts" that you can use to make this kind of entry quicker and easier? Read on for some tips on "shifting" letters, inserting numbers, symbols, and International characters, and making a quick entry correction….

Quick Shift

While typing on the Alphabetic keyboard, press and hold the Shift key, then slide your finger over to the letter you want to shift then release. The letter will be shifted.

Quick Number and Symbol Entry

While typing letters on the Alphabetic keyboard, sometimes you want to quickly insert a number or a symbol such as a comma or period. Just press and hold the Symbol/Number key (.?123) then slide your finger over to the symbol or number you want to insert then release your finger. The symbol or number will then be inserted and the keyboard will revert back to the Alphabetic keyboard for you to continue typing.

International Characters

If you want to enter special letter characters such as those with an accent or grave, press and hold the Alphabetic key you want to accent and a popup showing all the available choices will display. Slide your finger over to the desired choice, release, and the special character will be inserted.

Quick Correction

While typing, if you find that you have entered an incorrect letter but have not yet released the key, you can always slide your finger over to the correct character and then release. The correct character will be inserted.

I hope you find this tip useful in improving your keyboard entry!

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/ipod-touch-tips/ipod-touch-tip-5-quick-keyboard-entry-tips

Apr 18

Gmail Tip #60: Deleting A Message And Moving To The Next

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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April 18, 2007

This tip comes from a question asked by a site visitor, Daree: "I was wondering how you can delete an email and advance to the next email in your folder. Currently when I delete an email I am reading, it takes me back to the inbox. Yahoo has this option but it seems that Gmail doesn’t offer it from the Settings link at the top." The function that Daree asks for is not specifically available, but there is a partial solution–more of a workaround, actually. Read on to learn how to at least get close to this functionality….

First, you need to have "Keyboard shortcuts" turned on. To do this, click the "Settings" link in the upper right of your Gmail screen, and look for the "Keyboard shortcuts:" section. Select "Keyboard shortcuts on", and than click the "Save Changes" button.

Now, while viewing a message, simply press the "#" key (that’s shift-2 on US keyboards) and the message will be deleted. But wait, it takes you back to the list, right? Not exactly what we want. But notice that the message prior to the one you just deleted is now "indicated" by the black arrow next to it. Now, simply press either the "o" key or the "Enter" key, and that indicated message will open up.

While this isn’t exactly the functionality we are looking for, and it does require an extra keypress, the end result is that you are where you want to be, and it is all be done from the keyboard without having to grab the mouse. It also opens up some other (hopefully) powerful functions making things more flexible. For example, to further expand on the above, once you are back at the message list after deleting a message, pressing the "k" and "j" keys will move you up and down respectively through the list of messages. You should notice the black arrow on the left of the list moving up and down when you press those keys. Pressing "o" or "Enter" will opens the indicated message.

Further, if you see a message in the list that you want to delete without opening, you can just delete it using the "#" key…well, almost. In this case, as with using the mouse, the message is "indicated" by the black arrow, but it is not "selected" (ie: the checkbox is not checked) so just first press the "x" key to select the message and the checkbox toggles. You can open it, delete it, archive it, or a host of other things.

Gmail packs a LOT of power, but unfortunately, not all of its functions are intuitive. That said, check out Gmail’s "Keyboard Shortcuts" help screen found here…

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6594

…where you’ll find lots of useful (but not always intuitive) keyboard shortcuts.

Finally, if you feel that this functionality would benefit the Gmail community, consider suggesting it to the Gmail developers by following this link:

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=suggest

Gmail is very powerful, and comparisons with competing solutions are inevitable. While not all features will ever match up exactly, there are often solutions that can provide similar function.

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-60-deleting-a-message-and-moving-to-the-next

Jan 05

Gmail Tip #57: Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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January 5, 2007

Here’s a quick tip inspired by "garfalk" for you Mac users out there…. Gmail’s Mac key combinations are almost the same for the Mac as for the PC with a couple exceptions. "Shift" clicking on the beginning and at the end will "select all". "Command" or "Apple" (same key) clicking will select items one at a time, allowing you to skip some. Also, "Command" + s will Save a draft. Those who tend to be "keyboard-centric" may find this helpful in reducing mouse grabs and clicks.

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-57-mac-keyboard-shortcuts

Nov 10

Gmail Tip #56: Five New Features Launched!

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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November 10, 2006

Gmail has just rolled out 5 new features to add to Gmail’s arsenal including new Mobile Phone access.

-Gmail On Your Mobile Phone
-Forward all
-Reply on top
-Embarrassment-reducing new message notifications
-Chat while your friends are offline

Read on to see the details of these new features….

Gmail On Your Mobile Phone
Point your phone to gmail.com/app, download it the app, and you can access Gmail on your phone with just a click or two.

Some neat features:

  • It has the same Gmail interface you know and love
  • Your account stays synchronized whether you access it from your computer or the phone
  • You can easily view attachments such as photos, documents and .pdf files

To learn more about Gmail for mobile devices, visit this page: http://www.google.com/mobile/gmail/#utm_source=en-cpp-g4mc-gmnew&utm_medium=cpp&utm_campaign=en

Just be sure to check out the phone compatibility at their Supported Mobile Phone link at http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=50425 Not all phones are supported (mine isn’t.)

Forward all
When viewing a conversation, you can now click the "Forward all" link to forward the entire conversation instead of just one message.

Reply on top
ReplyNow you don’t hacve to scroll all the way to the bottom of a message to find the “Reply” link. Now there’s a Reply button right on top. It also has a nice dropdown menu with many other options. Just click the little dropdown arrow. And don’t forget that if you have Keyboard Shortcuts enabled, you can always press the "r" key to reply.

Embarassment-reducing new message notifications
Have you ever replied to a message only to find out that someone sent a reply right before you? Now, if someone sends a reply while you’re in the middle of reading or replying to a conversation, you’ll get a notification that a new message has arrived. Click "update conversation" to upate the view to see what you’ve missed.

Chat while your friends are offline
If you’re chatting with a friend who goes offline, your friend will be able to see whatever you typed the next time he or she goes online.

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-56-five-new-features-launched

May 02

Gmail Tip #51: Keyboard Shortcuts

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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May 2, 2006

Gmail’s User Interface is quite usable, but sometimes a mouse just seems to get in the way of efficiency. The Gmail developers have included lots of nice keyboard shortcuts that can really make using Gmail quicker and easier. Read on for a detailed list of Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts….

Gmail offers many keyboard shortcuts. To enable keyboard shortcuts, click on the Settings link at the top right of the screen, and click on the "General" tab. Look for the "Keyboard Shortcuts" entry and click on the "Keyboard shortcuts on" radio button.

Below is a table showing the current list as of 25-Jan-2006. Try ‘em out!

(For the most recent version, click here.)


Shortcut Key Definition Action
c Compose Allows you to compose a new message. <Shift> + c allows you to compose a message in a new window.
/ Search Puts your cursor in the search box.
k Move to newer conversation Opens or moves your cursor to a more recent conversation. You can hit <Enter> to expand a conversation.
j Move to older conversation Opens or moves your cursor to the next oldest conversation. You can hit <Enter> to expand a conversation.
n Next message Moves your cursor to the next message. You can hit <Enter> to expand or collapse a message. (Only applicable in ‘Conversation View.’)
p Previous message Moves your cursor to the previous message. You can hit <Enter> to expand or collapse a message. (Only applicable in ‘Conversation View.’)
o or <Enter> Open Opens your conversation. Also expands or collapses a message if you are in ‘Conversation View.’
u Return to conversation list Refreshes your page and returns you to the inbox, or list of conversations.
y Archive*
Remove from current view		 Automatically removes the message or conversation from your current view.
  • From ‘Inbox,’ ‘y’ means Archive
  • From ‘Starred,’ ‘y’ means Unstar
  • From any label, ‘y’ means Remove the label

* ‘y’ has no effect if you’re in ‘Spam,’ ‘Sent,’ or ‘All Mail.’

x Select conversation Automatically checks and selects a conversation so that you can archive, apply a label, or choose an action from the drop-down menu to apply to that conversation.
s Star a message or conversation Adds or removes a star to a message or conversation. Stars allow you to give a message or conversation a special status.
! Report spam Marks a message as spam and removes it from your conversation list.
r Reply Reply to the message sender. <Shift> + r allows you to reply to a message in a new window. (Only applicable in ‘Conversation View.’)
a Reply all Reply to all message recipients. <Shift> +a allows you to reply to all message recipients in a new window. (Only applicable in ‘Conversation View.’)
f Forward Forward a message. <Shift> + f allows you to forward a message in a new window. (Only applicable in ‘Conversation View.’)
<Esc> Escape from input field Removes the cursor from your current input field.

Combo-keys – Use the following combinations of keys to navigate through Gmail.

Shortcut Key Definition Action
<tab> then <Enter> Send message After composing your message, use this combination to send it automatically. (Supported in Internet Explorer and Firefox, on Windows.)
y then o Archive and next Archive your conversation and move to the next one.
g then a Go to ‘All Mail’ Takes you to ‘All Mail,’ the storage site for all mail you’ve ever sent or received (and have not deleted).
g then s Go to ‘Starred’ Takes you to all conversations you have starred.
g then c Go to ‘Contacts’ Takes you to your Contacts list.
g then d Go to ‘Drafts’ Takes you to all drafts you have saved.
g then i Go to ‘Inbox’ Returns you to the inbox.

updated 1/25/2006

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-51-keyboard-shortcuts

May 02

Gmail Tip #48: Reply Without Scrolling

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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May 2, 2006

Here’s a simple one. Do you ever find it annoying that in order to Reply to a message, you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of a message to click the "Reply" link? While reading a message, simply press the "r" key, and the Reply editing box will open ready for you to compose your reply! Oh, and pressing the "f" key will also open the "Forward" editing box!

To enable keyboard shortcuts, click on the Settings link at the top right of the screen, and click on the "General" tab. Look for the "Keyboard Shortcuts" entry and click on the "Keyboard shortcuts on" radio button.

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-48-reply-without-scrolling

Mar 30

Gmail Tip #40: New Feature! Rich formatting!

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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March 30, 2005

It’s the nail in the coffin…the icing on the cake…the “You had me at hello” feature! Gmail finally has Rich Text formatting! But it’s not just for making your messages pretty. Read on to see why the addition of this feature propels Gmail way ahead of the competition…

In this tip, I will briefly explain how to enable Gmail’s new Rich formatting features, but first, I need to get right to the heart of the matter.

One thing that has bugged me all along with Gmail is how it handles the forwarding of richly formatted (HTML) messages. Whenever I received an email from an AOL user or an Outlook user, more often than not, it would contain rich formatting like different fonts, inline images, etc. The problem was that while Gmail would display the message perfectly while reading, when I went to reply to or forward the message, Gmail would convert everything to plain text, completely mangling the message. All formatting, inline images, and anything else that was not plain text was efficiently removed and forever lost. Needless to say, the end result was FAR from what was really sent to me. My biggest gripe was that if I receive a message, I should be able to reply to or forward it without its basic structure and formatting being altered.

Well that has all changed! By adding the Rich formatting editor, Gmail can now handle forwarding as it should. Kuddos to the Gmail developers!

OK, that said, here’s the tip: If you receive a message and reply to or forward it with the plain text editor, all formatting will be stripped and the message will be sent as plain text. That much is the same. There may be cases where you might want to do this, bit not too oftern. If you have the Rich formatting editor enabled, when you reply to or forward the message, Gmail retains all the formatting for you and you can reply to and forward the message with the assurance that it will be received as it was received by you.

To ensure that the Rich editor is enabled, just click on the “Compose mail” link or press “C” if you have Keyboard Shortcuts enabled. Just below the “Attach a file” link, and above the main text entry space, there will be a “Rich formatting >>” link. Click on it, and the Rich formatting tools will display. Next, just discard the message. Gmail will remember your setting between sessions. If you watnt to revert back to Plain Text, just click on the “<< Plain text" link to the right of the Rich formatting tools.

For a list of all the tools and their functions, go to this link where you will see a summary.

So not only do we get a very nice, fast, WYSIWYG editor, with the addition of this feature, Gmail, in my opinion, raises the bar significantly. Before, I simply could not recommend Gmail to anyone other than tech-savvy people, because forwarding some messages was simply too diffucult. People like my parents simply would have been confused and intimidated by the original design because handling such messages took significant effort. But that has all changed. It looks like this may be the answer to open the door to the masses!

With features like Labels, comprehensive Search, Rich formatting, unobtrusive, yet targete ads, and a gig of storage, I now feel that Gmail could be used by basically anyone, and now stands far above the competition.

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-40-new-feature-rich-formatting

Feb 28

Gmail Tip #39: New Feature! Gmail From Most Any Browser!

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Gmail Tips, Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

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February 28, 2005

From the beginning, Gmail has always required a “supported browser” to gain access and work with Gmail. Well, those crazy Gmail developers have done it again! Read on to see a new addition to Gmail that will please many…

Gmail now offers a “basic HTML view” that lets you access Gmail from almost any computer running almost any Web browser. Mozilla users and Safari users will certainly appreciate this one. According to the Gmail Help site, if you log into Gmail using a non-supported browser, Gmail will automatically revert to the basic HTML view. Just be aware that several features cannot be accessed from the basic HTML view, only the “full view”. From Gmail’s help page:

“Since your browser isn’t fully supported, you might notice that some of your favorite features aren?t available in the current view, including the following:

-Filter creation
-Settings
-Spell checker
-Keyboard shortcuts
-Address auto-complete“

Now to see if the basic HTML view works with my PDA…

Permanent link to this article: http://jimstips.com/gmail-tips/gmail-tip-39-new-feature-gmail-from-most-any-browser