The YouTube keyboard shortcuts you'll use most are k to pause or play, j and l to jump back or forward 10 seconds, m to mute, f for full screen and c for captions. Press Shift and ? on any YouTube page to see the full list.
Once you know five or six of these, you'll stop reaching for the mouse every time you want to rewind a tutorial or skip a long intro. They work on youtube.com in any desktop browser, and most of them work the moment the video player has focus.
The shortcuts worth learning first
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| k | Pause or play |
| j | Go back 10 seconds |
| l | Go forward 10 seconds |
| m | Mute or unmute |
| f | Full screen (press f again or Escape to exit) |
| c | Captions and subtitles on or off, if the video has them |
| Shift + ? | Show the full list of shortcuts |
Why k and not the spacebar? YouTube says the spacebar only plays and pauses when the seek bar is selected. If a button has focus instead, the spacebar presses that button. That's why the spacebar sometimes likes a video or opens a menu by mistake. k always controls the player.
Seeking and speed
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Left or right arrow | Back or forward 5 seconds (on the seek bar) |
| 1 to 9 | Jump to 10% through to 90% of the video |
| 0 | Go back to the beginning |
| Home or End | Jump to the start or the last seconds of the video |
| Ctrl + right or left arrow (Windows) | Next or previous chapter |
| Option + right or left arrow (Mac) | Next or previous chapter |
| > (Shift and full stop on most keyboards) | Speed up playback |
| < (Shift and comma on most keyboards) | Slow down playback |
The number keys are the hidden gem here. Press 5 and you're halfway through the video. Press 0 to start again. It's the quickest way to find your place in a long recording, especially one with no chapters. And if the next video keeps starting before you've finished with this one, here's how to turn off autoplay on YouTube.
A small catch: YouTube lists the arrow keys and Home and End as seek bar shortcuts. If they move the page instead of the video, click the video first so the player has focus, then try again. The letter keys are more forgiving, which is another reason to use j and l instead of the arrows.
Frame by frame
Pause the video, then press the full stop (period) key to move one frame forward, or the comma key to go one frame back. This only works while the video is paused. It's brilliant for grabbing a clean screenshot, reading text that flashes up for a moment, or checking a sports replay.
Volume, search and moving between videos
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Up or down arrow | Volume up or down by 5% (on the seek bar) |
| / | Jump to the search box |
| i | Open the miniplayer |
| Shift + N | Next video (next in the playlist, or the next suggested video) |
| Shift + P | Previous video (only works inside a playlist) |
| Media keys | Play or pause, stop, and next track in a playlist |
Why YouTube shortcuts sometimes don't work
- The player doesn't have focus. YouTube says that on the newer computer layout you need to click the video player before shortcuts work. Click once on the video and try again.
- You're typing in a box. If the cursor is in the search bar or a comment box, letters go into the box instead. Click the video first.
- A browser extension is grabbing the keys. Some extensions use the same letters. Try the shortcut in a private window with extensions off.
- You're on the app, not the website. These are computer shortcuts. Phone and TV apps use taps and remote buttons instead.
If the video player itself is misbehaving, rather than the keys, my guide to YouTube stuttering covers playback fixes.
A shortcut routine for tutorials and long videos
If you learn from YouTube, this combination saves the most time:
- Press c to turn captions on, so you can read along when the speaker talks fast.
- Press > once or twice to speed up the slow parts, and < to slow down when it gets technical.
- Press j whenever you miss a step. Ten seconds back is usually exactly enough.
- Press k to pause while you copy what's on screen, then k again to carry on.
- Use Ctrl or Option with the right arrow to skip to the next chapter if the creator has added chapters.
It sounds fussy written down, but after a day you'll do it without thinking. Your hand stays on the keyboard, which matters when you're following along in another window.
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Tip: hover to learn them
You don't have to memorise anything. Hover your mouse over a button in the YouTube player and the tooltip shows the shortcut in brackets. Hover over the full screen icon, for example, and you'll see 'Full screen (f)'. Pick up one new key a week and they'll stick.
My verdict
Learn k, j, l, m and the number keys and you'll save yourself a surprising amount of fiddling with the progress bar. If a shortcut stops working, click once on the video so the player has focus. That's the fix in most cases.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see all YouTube keyboard shortcuts?
Press Shift and ? together on a YouTube page, or open your profile picture menu and choose Keyboard shortcuts.
What is the shortcut to skip 10 seconds on YouTube?
Press l to go forward 10 seconds and j to go back 10 seconds. The arrow keys move 5 seconds.
Why are YouTube keyboard shortcuts not working?
The player usually needs focus. Click once on the video, make sure you're not typing in a box, and check for extensions using the same keys.
How do I go frame by frame on YouTube?
Pause the video, then press the full stop key to go forward one frame or the comma key to go back one.
