Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts: The Full List and How to Turn Them On

Here's the catch. There are two separate switches. The one above turns the standard shortcuts on. Changing the keys is a different setting, Custom keyboard shortcuts, which lives on the Advanced tab and has to be enabled before a Keyboard Shortcuts tab appears. Google also notes that shortcuts aren't supported by all languages or keyboards, and that PCs use Ctrl wherever a Mac uses Cmd (the ⌘ key).

How to turn on Gmail shortcuts

1. On a computer, go to Gmail.
2. In the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
3. On the Settings tab, scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts section.
4. Select Keyboard shortcuts on.
5. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

There's a keyboard-only route too. Press ? to open the Keyboard shortcuts dialog, press Tab once to reach the link named Enable or Disable, and if it says Enable, press Enter.

Compose and chat shortcuts

Action	PC	Mac
Send	Ctrl + Enter	Cmd + Enter
Add cc recipients	Ctrl + Shift + c	Cmd + Shift + c
Add bcc recipients	Ctrl + Shift + b	Cmd + Shift + b
Access custom from	Ctrl + Shift + f	Cmd + Shift + f
Insert a link	Ctrl + k	Cmd + k
Open spelling suggestions	Ctrl + m	Cmd + m
Go to next misspelled word	Not available	Cmd + ;
Previous or next message in an open conversation	p or n	p or n
Focus main window	Shift + Esc	Shift + Esc
Focus latest chat or compose	Esc	Esc
Next or previous chat or compose	Ctrl + . or Ctrl + ,	Ctrl + . or Ctrl + ,

Text formatting shortcuts

Action	PC	Mac
Bold, italics, underline	Ctrl + b, i or u	Cmd + b, i or u
Previous or next font	Ctrl + Shift + 5 or 6	Cmd + Shift + 5 or 6
Decrease or increase text size	Ctrl + Shift + minus or plus	Cmd + Shift + minus or plus
Numbered list	Ctrl + Shift + 7	Cmd + Shift + 7
Bulleted list	Ctrl + Shift + 8	Cmd + Shift + 8
Quote	Ctrl + Shift + 9	Cmd + Shift + 9
Indent less or more	Ctrl + left or right square bracket	Cmd + left or right square bracket
Align left, center or right	Ctrl + Shift + l, e or r	Cmd + Shift + l, e or r
Remove formatting	Ctrl + \	Cmd + \

Action shortcuts for your messages

These single keys are the same on PC and Mac.

Action	Key
Select conversation	x
Archive	e
Delete	#
Report as spam	!
Reply, reply all, forward	r, a, f
Reply, reply all or forward in a new window	Shift + r, Shift + a, Shift + f
Undo last action	z
Star, or rotate among superstars	s
Mute conversation	m
Mark as read or unread	Shift + i or Shift + u
Mark unread from the selected message	_
Mark as important or not important	+ or =, and -
Snooze (not in classic Gmail)	b
Archive and go to the previous or next conversation	right or left square bracket
Expand or collapse the entire conversation	; or :
Add conversation to Tasks	Shift + t
Update conversation	Shift + n
Move focus to toolbar	,

Jumping between Gmail views

Go to	Keys
Inbox	g then i
Starred	g then s
Snoozed	g then b
Sent	g then t
Drafts	g then d
All mail	g then a
Tasks	g then k
A label	g then l
Calendar, Keep or Tasks sidebar and back	Ctrl + Alt + , or . (Cmd on Mac)

Selecting conversations in your inbox list

Select	Keys
All conversations	* then a
None (deselect all)	* then n
Read	* then r
Unread	* then u
Starred	* then s
Unstarred	* then t

Moving around and opening menus

Action	Key
Compose, or compose in a new tab	c or d
Search mail	/
Search chat contacts	q
Open the label as, move to or more actions menu	l, v or .
Open keyboard shortcut help	?
Newer or older conversation	k or j
Open conversation	o or Enter
Back to threadlist	u
Next or previous page	g then n, g then p
Next or previous Inbox section	` or ~

How to change Gmail's shortcuts

Customising is a two-step job, and the first step is the one people miss.

1. On your computer, go to Gmail, click Settings at the top right, then Settings.
2. Click Advanced, and next to Custom keyboard shortcuts, click Enable. Click Save Changes.
3. Go back into Settings. A Keyboard Shortcuts tab now sits at the top; click it.
4. Next to the action you want, type the key for your new shortcut.
5. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

One rule from Google: one key can refer to only one action. If you give a key to a new action, it can't keep its old job too. That z for undo pairs well with knowing how to unsend an email in Gmail when you've hit send too soon.

My verdict on Gmail shortcuts

I'd turn them on today and learn five keys this week: c to compose, r to reply, e to archive, / to search and g then i to get back to your inbox. That's most of a working day without touching the mouse. Skip custom shortcuts unless a default clashes with something you rely on, because the defaults are what every help page assumes. If you want your inbox in better shape to fly through, here's how I'd organise Gmail.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on keyboard shortcuts in Gmail?

Go to Settings, See all settings, scroll to the Keyboard shortcuts section, select Keyboard shortcuts on and click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

How do I see all Gmail keyboard shortcuts?

With Gmail open, type ? (Shift + slash) to open the full list of keyboard shortcuts.

Why aren't my Gmail keyboard shortcuts working?

They're off until you switch them on in Settings, and Google notes they aren't supported by all languages or keyboards.

Can I change Gmail keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. Enable Custom keyboard shortcuts on the Advanced tab, save, then set new keys on the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. One key can refer to only one action.

What is the shortcut to send an email in Gmail?

Ctrl + Enter on a PC, or Cmd + Enter on a Mac.