Dolphin File Manager Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List (KDE Plasma)
Dolphin File Manager supports over 30 keyboard shortcuts covering navigation, tabs, view modes, file operations, and search. The most-used ones are Ctrl + T (new tab), Ctrl + L (edit location bar), F3 (split view), and F4 (toggle terminal panel). Below is the complete list, organized by category, plus how to customize shortcuts and fix the ones that stop working after a KDE update.
What Is Dolphin File Manager?
Dolphin is the default file manager for the KDE Plasma desktop environment, used on Linux distributions such as Kubuntu, Linux Mint (KDE edition), openSUSE, and Manjaro KDE. It replaced Konqueror as KDE’s dedicated file manager and is built around tabbed browsing, split-pane views, an embedded terminal, and deep keyboard-driven navigation which is what makes learning its shortcuts worth the effort.
Navigation Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Alt + Up | Go to the parent folder |
| Backspace | Go to the parent folder (alternative) |
| Alt + Left | Go back |
| Alt + Right | Go forward |
| Alt + Home | Go to your Home folder |
| Ctrl + L | Edit the location/path bar directly |
| Ctrl + G | Go to a folder by typing its path |
| / | Jump straight into path-typing mode from the breadcrumb bar |
Ctrl + L is the one worth memorizing first it swaps Dolphin’s breadcrumb trail for an editable text path, which is faster than clicking through folders when you already know where you’re going.
Tab Management Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + T | Open a new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close the current tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen the last closed tab |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch to the next tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to the previous tab |
| Ctrl + N | Open a new Dolphin window |
| Ctrl + Q | Quit Dolphin entirely |
Some KDE versions also bind next/previous tab to Ctrl + , and Ctrl + . if Ctrl + Tab doesn’t respond on your setup, check Configure Shortcuts for the active binding.
View Mode Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + 1 | Switch to Icons view |
| Ctrl + 2 | Switch to Compact view |
| Ctrl + 3 | Switch to Details view |
| F3 | Toggle split view (two panes side by side) |
| Ctrl + M | Show or hide the menu bar |
Split view (F3) is Dolphin’s answer to dual-pane managers like Krusader drag a file from one pane to the other to copy or move it without leaving the window.
Panel & Sidebar Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| F7 | Toggle the Folders panel |
| F9 | Toggle the Places panel (your bookmarked/pinned locations) |
| F11 | Toggle the Information panel (file previews and metadata) |
These are the shortcuts most likely to differ from what you see documented elsewhere, because KDE has reassigned panel toggles across releases. If one doesn’t fire, it’s worth a 10-second check in Configure Shortcuts rather than assuming it’s broken.
File & Folder Operation Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| F2 | Rename the selected file or folder |
| Ctrl + E | Enter batch/mass rename mode for multiple selected files |
| F5 | Reload the current folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new folder |
| Ctrl + C | Copy selected items |
| Ctrl + X | Cut selected items |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Delete | Move selected items to Trash |
| Shift + Delete | Delete permanently (skip Trash) |
| Ctrl + Click | Select multiple individual items |
| Shift + Click | Select a consecutive range of items |
Ctrl + E is the shortcut most people never discover select several files, hit it, and Dolphin opens a mass-rename dialog using a naming pattern, which beats renaming files one at a time by F2.
Search & Filter Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + F | Open Find to search the current folder |
| Ctrl + I | Toggle the filter bar (narrow visible files by typing) |
| Ctrl + Shift + . | Show or hide hidden files |
| F4 | Toggle the embedded terminal (Konsole) panel |
| Shift + F4 | Open the terminal in a new window instead of embedded |
Ctrl + F and Ctrl + I solve different problems: Find searches file contents/names more broadly, while the filter bar just hides everything in the current view that doesn’t match what you type faster for quickly narrowing a folder you’re already looking at.
How to Customize or Remap Dolphin Shortcuts
If a default shortcut conflicts with your window manager, your desktop environment, or just doesn’t fit your habits, Dolphin lets you rebind almost every command.
- Open Dolphin and go to Settings → Configure Shortcuts.
- Use the search box at the top to find the action you want to rebind (e.g., type “split view”).
- Click the current shortcut cell next to that action.
- Press your new key combination Dolphin will warn you if it conflicts with an existing binding.
- Click Apply to save.
You can also reset any individual shortcut back to its default from the same dialog, or export your full shortcut scheme to reuse it on another machine.
Download the Free Dolphin Shortcuts PDF
Download the complete Dolphin File Manager shortcuts cheat sheet (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut to open a new tab in Dolphin?
Ctrl + T opens a new tab in the same window.
What is the shortcut for split view in Dolphin?
F3 toggles split view, showing two folder panes side by side in one window.
How do I open a terminal inside Dolphin?
Press F4 to toggle an embedded Konsole terminal panel at the bottom of the window, or Shift + F4 to open it in a separate window.
How do I show hidden files in Dolphin?
Ctrl + Shift + . toggles hidden files on and off. On some KDE versions this is bound to F8 instead check Configure Shortcuts if neither responds.
How do I rename multiple files at once in Dolphin?
Select the files, then press Ctrl + E to open batch rename mode, where you can apply a naming pattern to all of them at once.
Why don’t my Dolphin shortcuts work after a KDE update?
KDE occasionally changes default keybindings between Plasma releases, especially for panel toggles. Open Configure Shortcuts to see and reassign the current bindings.
Can I use the same shortcuts across different Linux distributions?
Most core shortcuts (tabs, copy/paste, rename, split view) are consistent because they’re part of Dolphin itself, not the distro. Panel-toggle keys are the ones most likely to vary.
Is there a downloadable list of Dolphin shortcuts?
Yes a free PDF version of this full shortcut list is available above.
Conclusion
Once you’ve got Ctrl + T, Ctrl + L, F3, and F4 under your fingers, the rest of Dolphin’s shortcuts fall into place fast most Linux file management is really just navigation, tabs, and file operations repeated in different orders. If a shortcut on this list doesn’t match what’s on your system, that’s almost always a version difference rather than a mistake on your end head into Settings → Configure Shortcuts to see (and customize) your exact bindings. Bookmark this page or grab the PDF above so you’ve always got the full list on hand while the muscle memory builds.
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