The Windows 8 keyboard-shortcut cheat sheet
If there’s one feature of Windows 8 that plays no favorites with finger-swiping on touch screens, it’s the vastly expanded keyboard shortcuts. Although most work with a combination of the Windows key (shortened below to WinKey) and one other key, the Ctrl and Alt keys are there to help you navigate quickly, too.
- WinKey — The most important keyboard shortcut; toggles between Metro and Desktop
- WinKey + B — Go to the Desktop from the Metro Start Screen
- WinKey + C — Bring up the Charms menu (where you can search, share, and change settings)
- WinKey + D — Go to the Desktop from the Start screen
- WinKey + E — Launch File Explorer with Computer view displayed
- WinKey + F — Bring up the Files search box
- WinKey + H — Open the Start Share panel
- WinKey + I — Open the Settings panel (to adjust settings for the current app, change volume, access wireless networks, shut down, or adjust the brightness)
- WinKey + J — Switch focus between snapped Start applications (see further Window Snap navigation below)
- WinKey + K — Open the Devices panel (for connecting to a projector or some other device)
- WinKey + L — Lock PC and return to Lock screen
- WinKey + M — Minimize all Windows on the desktop
- WinKey + O — Lock device orientation on tablets
- WinKey + P — Choose between available displays if you have the proper graphics card and an additional monitor attached.
- WinKey + Q — Bring up the Start App Search screen
- WinKey + R — Switch to Desktop and display the Run box
- WinKey + U — Switch to Desktop and launch the Ease of Access Center
- WinKey + V — Cycle through app notifications (these appear in the upper-right corner when appropriate to a particular app)
- WinKey + W — Bring up the Start Settings search box
- WinKey + X — Launch Start shortcuts menu
- WinKey + Y — Temporarily peek at the desktop
- WinKey + Z — Open the App bar for the current Start application
- WinKey + Tab — Open the Metro application switcher menu (toggles between applications)
- WinKey + Page Up/Down — Moves tiles to the left or right
- WinKey + , (comma) — Aero Peek at the desktop
- WinKey + . (period)* — snap right
- WinKey + Shift + , (comma)* — snap left
* On keyboards with separate arrow and numeric keypads, use WinKey + right or left arrow.
- Ctrl + Tab — Show the Apps window
- Ctrl + F1 — Expand the ribbon in File Explorer, Paint, and other native Win8 apps
- Ctrl + + (plus) — Zoom in
- Ctrl + – (minus) — Zoom out (or hold down Ctrl and use Mouse wheel to zoom in and out)
- Alt + F4 — Close an application