Gmail keyboard shortcuts are a set of commands that allow you to easily and quickly type or access email content. With these commands, you can get more out of your email experience and be more efficient at work. If you’re a desktop user and use a lot of keyboard shortcuts to do your work, then Gmail is an excellent email service. However, if you’re a web user or need more flexibility when using your keyboard, some Gmail keyboard shortcut improvements could be useful.
How To Turn On Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts
Gmail has many features, but keyboard shortcuts are the most popular ones. You can configure them to open a new window or send an email. There are even customisations for specific Gmail channels and users. But how do you turn on useful Gmail keyboard shortcuts for your account? This is a bit more complicated than just opening up the shortcut configuration and adjusting it to your needs, so here’s a quick guide on how to turn on keyboard shortcuts in Gmail:
- Select Settings by clicking the gear in the top-right corner of Gmail.
- Locate the “Keyboard shortcuts” option under the “General” tab and turn it on.
- At the very bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
- Return to Settings, select “Labs” from the menu, then locate and select “Custom keyboard shortcuts” (by Alan S).
- At the very bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts
Open Keyboard Shortcut Help (Shift + ?)
Need assistance at any stage of the shortcut procedure? Hold Shift while pressing the “?” Key. Your screen will display a cheat sheet with all of the Gmail shortcuts. When finished, close it or create a new screen to keep it open and accessible.
Select A Continuous Series Of Messages (Shift)
Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts let you quickly select a continuous series of messages. You can use the +/- signs to indicate how many messages you want to select.
Select A Random Series Of Messages (Command)
On the left sidebar, select Keys and Symbols from the drop-down menu. Under the “keys” heading, select “Random series of messages (Command).” Type “gmx” into the command field and hit ENTER.
You’ll now see a list of all the messages in your Gmail inbox that have been randomised with this command!
Select All Unread Messages (Shift + 8 + u)
The most popular shortcut is the “Select all unread messages (Shift 8 u).” This command will select all unread messages in your mailbox, including sent and received messages.
Archive Selected Messages (e)
The Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts Archive selection of messages (E) allows users to archive selected messages from the past, so users can get a feel for how the keyboard works and what options are available.
Mark Selected Messages As Important (=)
My Gmail keyboard shortcut for important messages is “mark selected messages as important.” This is simple to use; just press “=” (for “mark”) and then type the message you want to keep marked as important.
Compose (c)
To quickly compose an email, just press “c.”
Search For Messages (/)
To quickly transfer your pointer to the search tab, press “/”. Hit / to rapidly move my cursor to the search tab when you need to search my email.
Go To Tasks (g + k)
Press g followed by k to get straight to tasks. You’ll be transported straight to your task list, where you can promptly respond to emails, meet deadlines, and follow up.
Add A Newer Conversation To Tasks (Shift + t)
Simply choose the chats you want to include in tasks and press “t” while holding down Shift. Your chosen job will automatically populate when you arrive at your task list.
Archive Selected Message (e)
Simply press “e” to record the current chat (again, the same shortcut for archiving in Inbox View).
Jump To The Next Message In An Email Thread (n)
Hit “n” to quickly advance to the following email exchange when catching up on a lengthy email thread.
Jump To The Previous Message In An Email Thread (p)
If you need to return to a previous conversation list, press “p” to advance backwards in a lengthy email thread.
Mute The Never-ending-and-not-important Thread (m)
Press “m” to mute a thread if it’s getting too long or irrelevant to you. This thread’s new replies are, therefore, automatically archived.
Jump Back To Inbox View (u)
Simply press “u” to return from the open Conversation View to the Inbox View.
Reply (r)
Press “r” to quickly reply to a message while reading it.
Reply All (a)
Need to respond to multiple people at once? To “respond all” in a message thread, press “a”.
Forward (f)
Do you have an urgent email to forward? The current message will be forwarded to a recipient by pressing “f”.
Mark The Current Message As Unread (Shift + u)
When you don’t have enough time to react to a message but still need to, you can mark it as unread by holding down Shift and pressing “u”.
Mark Selected Message As Important (=)
You will mark a message as essential by tapping the “=” key while reading it if you need to refer to it later (the same shortcut for marking it as important in the Inbox View).
Insert Bullet Points (Command + Shift + 8)
Press “8” while holding down Command and Shift to add a bullet point.
Insert Link (Command + k)
Press “k” while holding down Command to insert a link.
Insert Numbered List (Command + Shift + 7)
Press “7” while holding down Command and Shift to insert a numbered list.
Remove Formatting (Command + Control + \)
Although there is a “remove formatting” option, this keyboard shortcut allows you to continue typing without using the mouse. While pressing the button, keep Command and Control depressed.
Switch Between Send Name, Subject Line, and Body Of The Email (Tab)
When writing an email, you can easily switch between the recipient, subject line, and body by pressing the “Tab” key.
Conclusion
All in all, using keyboard shortcuts can make your life much easier when using Gmail. Whether opening the help document for a specific keyboard shortcut key or saving your last selection, using Keyboard Shortcuts will make your experience more convenient and efficient!
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FAQs
Why do custom Keyboard shortcuts not work on Gmail?
There are a few potential reasons why Gmail may not work with useful Gmail keyboard shortcuts. For example, it could be that the shortcut is not registered properly or that the keyboard shortcut is currently disabled. Additionally, some users’ Gmail settings may not allow keyboard shortcuts to work. In any case, if you are struggling to use keyboard shortcuts on Gmail, it would be worth checking to see whether any user settings could be changed to work around the issue.
What is the shortcut to going to the next email in Gmail?
Hit “n” to quickly advance to the following email.
How do I activate the keyboard shortcut?
To activate a keyboard shortcut, you must know the key combination. The key combination for activating a keyboard shortcut is usually the first letter of the combo (spacebar + key). However, there are a few exceptions. If you want to activate a keyboard shortcut for a specific program, you will need to find that program’s user manual and learn how to Activate Keyboard Shortcuts from that manual.
