Keyboard shortcuts for Gmail

Save time navigating in Gmail by using keyboard shortcuts.

Turn on keyboard shortcuts

Some keyboard shortcuts only work if you've turned them on.

Note: Keyboard shortcuts aren't supported on all keyboards.

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

Shortcuts you can use

You can use keyboard shortcuts to navigate your inbox and messages, format text, and complete actions like archiving and deleting.

To see a complete list of keyboard shortcuts, including which need to be turned on, type ? when you have Gmail open.

Note: Keyboard shortcuts work differently on PC and Mac computers. On PCs, you'll use Ctrl instead of ⌘.

Customize keyboard shortcuts

You can change your default keyboard shortcuts in Gmail.

Step 1: Turn on custom keyboard shortcuts

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. At the top right, click Settings   Settings. 
3. Click Advanced. 
4. Next to “Custom keyboard shortcuts,” click Enable.
5. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

Step 2: Change your keyboard shortcuts

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. At the top right, click Settings   Settings. 
3. At the top, click Keyboard Shortcuts.
4. Next to the action, type the keyboard key to make a new shortcut.
5. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

Note: One key can refer to only one action.