Customize your keyboard shortcuts

You can add, edit, delete, reset, or fix your keyboard shortcuts through the Shortcuts app . When you customize your keyboard shortcuts, you can:

Tailor your shortcuts to what you're familiar with
Customize your external keyboard's functionality
Better support your ergonomic needs

Manage your keyboard shortcuts

Important:

You can't modify shortcuts with a Lock .
To avoid potential conflicts with browser apps, system shortcuts should always contain the Search key .
Some key combinations aren't possible.
You can't use top row keys as part of a customized shortcut. Use the Function keys instead.

Add a keyboard shortcut

On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app .
On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to edit.
Select Edit .
In the customization dialog, select Add shortcut.
Press and hold 1–4 modifier keys and 1 other key on your keyboard.
To save, release the keys.
Select Done.

Tips:

Shortcuts without a Search key or Launcher key might conflict with some apps' shortcuts.
You can only add 5 custom shortcuts for each action.

Edit a keyboard shortcut

On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app .
On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to edit.
Select Edit .
In the customization dialog, next to the shortcut you want to change, select Edit .
Press and hold 1–4 modifier keys and 1 other key on your keyboard.
To save, release the keys.
Select Done.

Tip: You can’t edit keyboard shortcuts with lock icons.

Delete a keyboard shortcut

On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app .
On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to delete.
Select Delete .
In the customization dialog appears, select Delete Done.

Reset shortcuts for an action

On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app .
On the left, select either:
- General
- Device
- Browser
- Text
- Windows and desks
- Accessibility
In the shortcut list, hover over the shortcut you want to edit.
Select Edit .
In the customization dialog, select Restore defaults Done.

Tip: The reset button only appears when there are any custom shortcuts.

Reset shortcuts for all actions

On your Chromebook, open the Shortcuts app .
On the left, select Reset all shortcuts Reset.

Fix keyboard shortcuts issues

Conflict with a locked shortcut

If you encounter an error “Shortcut is used by [name of the shortcut]. Press a new shortcut to replace.,” you need to press a new key combination to assign a new shortcut because the key combination you are trying to use is already used by another locked action.

Conflict with an editable shortcut

If you encounter an error “Shortcut is used by [name of the shortcut]. Press a new shortcut to replace or press the same one again to use it for this action instead.,” you need to either:

Press a new key combination to assign a new shortcut.
Press again the same key combination. This shortcut is removed from the other action.

Tip: This also applies when you encounter the same error in restore default.

Conflict with a changed shortcut

If a notification shows that the keyboard shortcut has changed:

In the notification, select Edit shortcut.
When the Key Shortcuts app opens, find the shortcut.
Select Edit .
In the customization dialog, select Edit .
Press and hold 1–4 modifier keys and one other key on your keyboard.
To save, release the keys.
Select Done.

Tip: A warning message shows if you assign a shortcut without the Search key or Launcher key.

Fix alt + click issues

When you encounter issues with alt + click, you can choose if you want to turn on right-click with your touchpad and keyboard.

On your Chromebook, select Settings .
In the “Device” section, select Touchpad.
Under “Use keyboard and touchpad to right-click,” select from the following:
- Search/Launcher + click
- Alt + click
- Off

Tip: This setting is set to "Off" by default for new users.

Fix alt-based 6-pack issues

When you encounter issues with alt-based 6-pack keys, you can remap the 6-pack keys. This automatically remaps the key based on whether you commonly use Search or Alt to perform 6-pack actions.

Go to Settings Keyboard.
Select Customize keyboard keys.

Fix F11 & F12 issues

When you encounter issues with F11 and F12 keys, you can remap these keys.

Go to Settings Keyboard.
Select in the Customize keyboard keys.

Important: These key options assume that the keyboard has Back in F1 position and Refresh in F2 position.

For Chromebook keyboards with less than 12 top row keys are:

The key options for F11 if top-row keys as function keys are on:
- Disabled
- Shift + Back
- Alt + Back
- Ctrl + Shift + Back
The key options for F11 if top-row keys as function keys are off:
- Disabled
- Search + Shift + Back
- Search + Alt + Back
- Search + Ctrl + Shift + Back
The key options for F12 if top-row keys as function keys are on:
- Disabled
- Shift + Refresh
- Alt + Refresh
- Ctrl + Shift + Refresh
The key options for F12 if top-row keys as function keys are off:
- Disabled
- Search + Shift + Refresh
- Search + Alt + Refresh
- Search + Ctrl + Shift + Refresh

Tip: This setting is disabled by default.

Related resources

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