Keyboard ShortcutsGmail keyboard shortcuts
Gmail's shortcuts are single letters: c to compose, r to reply, e to archive. That makes them very fast, and it is also why most of them are switched off until you turn them on. A stray keypress should not archive your mail by accident.
Turn them on first
- In Gmail on a computer, click the gear icon and choose See all settings.
- On the General tab, scroll to Keyboard shortcuts.
- Choose Keyboard shortcuts on.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.
A few shortcuts work even when the setting is off, mainly those used while writing, such as Ctrl + Enter to send. Once the setting is on, press ? (Shift and the slash key) at any time to see the whole list on screen.
The shortcuts act when the cursor is not in a text box. If you are typing a message or a search, the letters are just letters.
The ten to learn first
- c composes a new message.
- / jumps to the search box.
- j and k move to the older and the newer conversation.
- o or Enter opens the conversation.
- r replies, a replies to all, f forwards.
- e archives.
- # deletes.
- x ticks the conversation, so that you can act on several.
- u goes back to the list.
- Ctrl + Enter sends.
| Windows | Mac | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| c | | Compose a new message | |
| d | | Compose in a new tab | |
| Ctrl + Enter | Cmd + Enter | Send |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Cmd + Shift + C | Add Cc recipients |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Cmd + Shift + B | Add Bcc recipients |
| Ctrl + K | Cmd + K | Insert a link |
| Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, Ctrl + U | Cmd + B, Cmd + I, Cmd + U | Bold, italic, underline |
| Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Cmd + Shift + 7 | Numbered list |
| Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Cmd + Shift + 8 | Bulleted list |
| Ctrl + \ | Cmd + \ | Remove formatting |
| Esc | Esc | Leave the text box, or close the compose window (the draft is kept) |
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| j | | Go to the older conversation |
| k | | Go to the newer conversation |
| o or Enter | | Open the conversation |
| u | | Go back to the list |
| n | | Next message within a conversation |
| p | | Previous message within a conversation |
| r | | Reply |
| a | | Reply to all |
| f | | Forward |
| Shift + r, Shift + a, Shift + f | | Reply, reply to all or forward in a new window |
| ; | | Expand the whole conversation |
| : | | Collapse the whole conversation |
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| e | | Archive |
| # | | Delete |
| x | | Select the conversation |
| s | | Star, or move through the star colours |
| ! | | Report as spam |
| Shift + i | | Mark as read |
| Shift + u | | Mark as unread |
| = | | Mark as important |
| - | | Mark as not important |
| m | | Mute the conversation |
| b | | Snooze |
| l | | Open the label menu |
| v | | Open the "move to" menu |
| z | | Undo the last action |
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| / | | Go to the search box |
| g then i | | Go to the Inbox |
| g then s | | Go to starred conversations |
| g then t | | Go to Sent |
| g then d | | Go to Drafts |
| g then a | | Go to All Mail |
| g then n | | Go to the next page |
| g then p | | Go to the previous page |
| * then a | | Select all conversations |
| * then n | | Deselect all |
| * then u | | Select the unread ones |
| ? | | Show the keyboard shortcut help |
"g then i" means press g, release it, and press i.
Clearing an inbox with four keys
With shortcuts on, an inbox can be cleared without the mouse. Open the first conversation with Enter. Then, for each message:
- e to archive it, # to delete it, or r to reply;
- Gmail moves to the next conversation or back to the list, according to a setting called Auto-advance, under Settings, Advanced.
From the list, x ticks conversations as you move down with j, and then e or # deals with all the ticked ones together.
Undo is one key
z undoes the last action, such as an archive or a delete, for a few seconds after it. Sending has its own Undo link, which appears briefly at the bottom of the screen. The length of that delay can be set under Settings, General, Undo Send.
Archive or delete?
Archive (e) takes a message out of the Inbox and keeps it in All Mail, where search still finds it. Delete (#) sends it to the Bin, which Gmail empties after a period. When unsure, archive.
Making your own
Gmail lets you change the keys. In Settings, Advanced, enable Custom keyboard shortcuts and save. A new tab, Keyboard Shortcuts, then appears in Settings, where each action can be given a different key.
On a phone
The Gmail app has no letter shortcuts, since there is no keyboard. With a physical keyboard attached to a tablet, some of them work.
This is an independent reference site. It is not connected with Microsoft, Apple, Google or any other maker of the programs named here. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to say where a shortcut works. Programs change; if a shortcut does not work for you, check the program's own help.