Gwenview Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List (+ PDF)
Gwenview is the default image viewer for the KDE Plasma desktop, and it’s the tool I reach for whenever I need to view, sort, or do quick edits to images on Linux. It’s fast, lightweight, and almost every action has a keyboard shortcut once you learn them, browsing and editing images becomes far quicker than reaching for the mouse.
You can also download the Gwenview shortcuts cheat sheet as a PDF at the bottom of this page.
What Is Gwenview?
Gwenview is KDE’s built-in image and video viewer. Its main job is viewing and browsing images, but it also handles basic editing rotate, crop, resize, red-eye reduction and file management tasks like copy, move, rename, and delete. It works in two modes: Browse Mode (thumbnail grid, like a file manager) and View Mode (a single image). Most shortcuts behave slightly differently depending on which mode you’re in.
Navigation Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Display the next image | Space |
| Display the previous image | Backspace |
| Display the first image in the folder | Home |
| Display the last image in the folder | End |
| Move to the parent folder | Alt + Up |
| Switch back to Browse Mode | Esc |
| Edit the Location bar (type a file path) | F6 |
| Next image (multiple images in View Mode) | Tab |
| Previous image (multiple images in View Mode) | Shift + Tab |
View & Zoom Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Toggle zoom-to-fit on/off | F |
| Switch into Full Screen Mode | Ctrl + Shift + F |
| Alternative Full Screen toggle | F11 |
| Show or hide the menubar | Ctrl + M |
| Show or hide the Thumbnail bar | Ctrl + B |
| Show or hide the Sidebar | F4 |
| Sync views (multiple images in View Mode) | Ctrl + Y |
| Toggle video playback on/off | P |
Image Editing Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Rotate the image to the right | Ctrl + R |
| Rotate the image to the left | Ctrl + Shift + R |
| Resize the current image | Shift + R |
| Crop the current image | Shift + C |
| Adjust brightness / contrast / gamma | Shift + B |
| Annotate the image | Shift + A |
| Edit tags | Ctrl + T |
| Save changes to the image | Ctrl + S |
| Save as (new file) | Ctrl + Shift + S |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
File Management Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Copy an image (to another folder) | F7 |
| Move an image | F8 |
| Link an image | F9 |
| Rename an image inline | F2 |
| Open an image (file dialog) | Ctrl + O |
| Print the current image | Ctrl + P |
| Move the image to the trash | Del |
| Permanently delete the image (irreversible) | Shift + Del |
| Show file properties | Alt + Return |
How to Customize Gwenview Shortcuts
Every shortcut above can be remapped to keys you prefer:
- Open Gwenview.
- Go to Settings → Configure Shortcuts… (or open the hamburger menu with F10 if the menubar is hidden).
- Find the action you want to change in the list.
- Click it, then press your new key combination.
- Click OK to save.
If you want to copy your custom shortcuts to another computer, the configuration is stored in:
~/.local/share/kxmlgui5/gwenview/gwenviewui.rc
Copy that file to the same location on the other machine to carry your shortcuts over.
Gwenview Shortcuts PDF
Want a printable reference? Download the full Gwenview shortcuts cheat sheet as a PDF and keep it next to your keyboard while you learn the keys.
Download Gwenview Shortcuts PDF →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I go fullscreen in Gwenview?
Press Ctrl + Shift + F to enter Full Screen Mode, or F11 as an alternative. Press Esc to switch back to Browse Mode.
How do I rotate an image in Gwenview?
Press Ctrl + R to rotate the image to the right (clockwise) and Ctrl + Shift + R to rotate it to the left (counter-clockwise). Press Ctrl + S afterward to save the change.
How do I delete an image in Gwenview?
Press Del to move the image to the trash (recoverable) or Shift + Del to delete it permanently from disk. The permanent delete cannot be undone.
Can I change Gwenview’s keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. Go to Settings → Configure Shortcuts…, select the action, and assign your own key combination. Your custom shortcuts are saved in ~/.local/share/kxmlgui5/gwenview/gwenviewui.rc.
What’s the shortcut to fit an image to the window?
Press F to toggle zoom-to-fit on and off.
How do I move between images quickly?
Use Space for the next image and Backspace for the previous one. Home jumps to the first image in the folder and End to the last.
Final Thoughts
Gwenview’s strength is speed, and its keyboard shortcuts are what make it feel instant. Learn the core handful first Space/Backspace to navigate, F to fit, Ctrl+R to rotate, Ctrl+S to save and the rest will follow naturally.
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