Ubuntu Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List
Quick answer: The most useful Ubuntu shortcuts are Super (open Activities), Super + A (show all apps), Ctrl + Alt + T (open Terminal), Super + L (lock screen), Super + Tab or Alt + Tab (switch apps), Super + Left/Right (tile windows), Super + Page Up/Down (switch workspaces) and Print Screen (screenshot tool). They work on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS.
Ubuntu keyboard shortcuts let you open apps, arrange windows, switch workspaces, take screenshots and control the terminal without touching the mouse. This guide lists 120+ shortcuts sorted by task, so you can jump straight to the ones you need.
Older shortcut lists mix up desktop keys and terminal keys, and many still show shortcuts that no longer work by default. Every shortcut below has been checked against the official Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop Guide and current GNOME defaults.
Top 10 Ubuntu Shortcuts to Learn First
If you only learn ten shortcuts, learn these. They cover launching apps, switching windows, arranging your screen and locking your PC.
| # | Shortcut | What it does |
| 1 | Super | Open or close the Activities overview, then type to search apps and files |
| 2 | Ctrl + Alt + T | Open a new Terminal window |
| 3 | Super + Tab | Switch between open apps (Alt + Tab also works) |
| 4 | Super + A | Show the full list of installed apps |
| 5 | Super + L | Lock the screen |
| 6 | Super + Left / Right | Tile the current window to the left or right half of the screen |
| 7 | Super + Up | Maximize the current window |
| 8 | Super + Page Up / Page Down | Switch to the previous or next workspace |
| 9 | Open the screenshot and screen recording tool | |
| 10 | Alt + F4 | Close the current window |
Learning tip: pick three shortcuts and use them for a full week without falling back to the mouse. Start with Ctrl + Alt + T, Super + Tab and Super + L, then add three more.
What Is the Super Key in Ubuntu?
The Super key is the key with the Windows logo on most keyboards, usually between Ctrl and Alt on the left side. On Ubuntu, pressing Super alone opens the Activities overview, where you can type to search apps, files and settings.
Some laptops and keyboards label it differently: an Ubuntu logo, a rectangle icon, or a plain “Super” key. In GNOME Tweaks you can choose whether the left or right Super key opens the overview.
Example: press Super, type “ter” and press Enter. The Terminal opens without touching the mouse.
Ubuntu Desktop and Activities Shortcuts
These shortcuts control the GNOME desktop itself: the overview, app grid, top bar, notifications and power options.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Super | Toggle the Activities overview |
| Super + A | Show the app grid (all installed apps) |
| Super + S | Open Quick Settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, volume, dark mode) |
| Super + V | Show the notification list and calendar |
| Super + L | Lock the screen |
| Alt + F2 | Open the Run a Command dialog |
| Ctrl + Alt + T | Open a Terminal window |
| Ctrl + Alt + Tab | Move keyboard focus to the top bar |
| Ctrl + Alt + Delete | Show the Power Off dialog (log out, restart, power off) |
| Super + 1 to 9 | Open or switch to the app pinned at that position on the Ubuntu Dock |
| Super + P | Switch display mode (mirror, extend, external only) |
| Super + Space | Switch keyboard input source (language/layout) |
| Menu or Shift + F10 | Open the right-click context menu |
| Esc | Close the overview, a menu or a dialog |
Tip: in Alt + F2, use the Up and Down arrow keys to reuse commands you ran before.
Window Management and Tiling Shortcuts
Ubuntu can snap, resize, move and switch windows entirely from the keyboard. Hold Shift with the switching shortcuts to go in reverse order.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Super + Tab / Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps |
| Shift + Super + Tab | Switch between apps in reverse |
| Super + ` (key above Tab) | Switch between windows of the same app |
| Alt + Esc | Cycle windows on the current workspace without the switcher |
| Super + Up | Maximize the window |
| Super + Down | Restore (unmaximize) the window |
| Super + Left | Tile the window to the left half |
| Super + Right | Tile the window to the right half |
| Super + H | Minimize (hide) the window |
| Alt + F10 | Toggle maximize |
| Alt + F4 | Close the window |
| Alt + Space | Open the window menu |
| Alt + F7 | Move the window with arrow keys (Enter to finish) |
| Alt + F8 | Resize the window with arrow keys (Enter to finish) |
| Shift + Super + Left / Right | Move the window to the monitor on the left or right |
| Ctrl + Q | Quit the current app (in most apps) |
Show desktop: older Ubuntu releases used Super + D or Ctrl + Super + D to hide all windows. On recent releases this action is unbound by default. Add it in Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts > Navigation > Hide all normal windows.
Workspace Shortcuts
Workspaces are separate virtual desktops. Ubuntu creates them dynamically: a new empty workspace appears as soon as you move a window into the last one.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Super + Page Up | Switch to the previous workspace |
| Super + Page Down | Switch to the next workspace |
| Ctrl + Alt + Left / Right | Switch to the previous or next workspace |
| Shift + Super + Page Up / Page Down | Move the current window to the previous or next workspace |
| Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Left / Right | Move the current window to the previous or next workspace |
| Super + Home | Go to the first workspace |
| Super + End | Go to the last workspace |
Example workflow: keep your browser on workspace 1 and your code editor plus terminal on workspace 2. Super + Page Up and Page Down then flip between research and coding in one keystroke.
Screenshot and Screen Recording Shortcuts
Since Ubuntu 22.04, pressing Print opens a built-in screenshot tool with three modes (area, screen, window) and a toggle for screen recording. Screenshots are saved to Pictures/Screenshots and copied to the clipboard. Recordings go to Videos/Screencasts.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Open the interactive screenshot tool | |
| Shift + Print | Capture the full screen instantly |
| Alt + Print | Capture the active window instantly |
| Shift + Ctrl + Alt + R | Start or stop a screen recording |
| Enter or Space (inside the tool) | Take the capture |
| Esc (inside the tool) | Cancel |
No Print key on your laptop? Many compact keyboards hide it behind Fn (for example Fn + Insert or Fn + F10). You can also set your own key in Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts > Screenshots.
Files (Nautilus) Shortcuts
Files is Ubuntu’s default file manager, also called Nautilus. Press Ctrl + ? inside Files to see its built-in shortcut list.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + N | Open a new Files window |
| Ctrl + T | Open a new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close the current tab or window |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new folder |
| F2 | Rename the selected file or folder |
| Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V | Copy, cut and paste files |
| Delete | Move selected items to Trash |
| Shift + Delete | Delete permanently (skips Trash) |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo the last file operation |
| Ctrl + A | Select all items |
| Ctrl + H | Show or hide hidden files (dotfiles) |
| Ctrl + L | Type a path in the location bar |
| Ctrl + F | Search in the current folder |
| Ctrl + I or Alt + Enter | Open Properties for the selected item |
| Alt + Left / Alt + Right | Go back / forward |
| Alt + Up | Go to the parent folder |
| Alt + Home | Go to your Home folder |
| Ctrl + 1 / Ctrl + 2 | Switch between list view and grid view |
| Ctrl + + / Ctrl + – | Zoom icons in or out |
| Ctrl + D | Bookmark the current folder |
| F5 or Ctrl + R | Reload the current folder |
| Ctrl + ? | Show all Files shortcuts |
Ubuntu Terminal Shortcuts
Ubuntu terminal shortcuts come in two layers. The terminal app (Ptyxis on Ubuntu 26.04, GNOME Terminal on 24.04 and earlier) handles windows, tabs, copy and paste. The Bash shell inside it handles command-line editing and process control.
The golden rule: in the terminal, add Shift to copy and paste. Ctrl + C does not copy; it stops the running command.
Terminal Window and Tab Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + Alt + T | Open a new terminal window (from anywhere) |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Open a new tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Open a new terminal window |
| Ctrl + Shift + W | Close the current tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Q | Close the terminal window |
| Ctrl + Page Up / Page Down | Switch to the previous or next tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Page Up / Page Down | Move the current tab left or right |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Search the terminal output |
| Shift + Page Up / Page Down | Scroll the output up or down |
| Ctrl + + / Ctrl + – / Ctrl + 0 | Zoom in, zoom out, reset text size |
| F11 | Toggle full screen |
Bash Command Line Editing Shortcuts
These come from Bash’s Readline library, so they also work over SSH and in most Linux distros.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + A | Move cursor to the start of the line |
| Ctrl + E | Move cursor to the end of the line |
| Alt + B / Alt + F | Move back / forward one word |
| Ctrl + U | Cut from the cursor to the start of the line |
| Ctrl + K | Cut from the cursor to the end of the line |
| Ctrl + W | Cut the word before the cursor |
| Alt + D | Cut the word after the cursor |
| Ctrl + Y | Paste back the text you last cut (yank) |
| Ctrl + _ | Undo the last edit |
| Ctrl + T | Swap the two characters before the cursor |
| Alt + C | Capitalize the word after the cursor |
| Alt + U / Alt + L | Make the next word uppercase / lowercase |
| Tab | Autocomplete a command, file or folder name |
| Tab Tab | List all possible completions |
| Up / Ctrl + P | Previous command in history |
| Down / Ctrl + N | Next command in history |
| Ctrl + R | Search command history backwards (press again for older matches) |
| Ctrl + G | Exit history search |
| Alt + . | Insert the last argument of the previous command |
| Ctrl + L | Clear the screen |
| Ctrl + X, Ctrl + E | Edit the current command in your text editor |
Process Control: Ctrl + C vs Ctrl + Z vs Ctrl + D
These three are the most confused terminal shortcuts. Many older lists say Ctrl + Z kills a process. It does not; it pauses it.
| Shortcut | What it really does | How to undo or follow up |
| Ctrl + C | Interrupts (stops) the running command | Run the command again |
| Ctrl + Z | Suspends (pauses) the command in the background | Type fg to resume it, or bg to keep it running in the background |
| Ctrl + D | Sends end-of-input; on an empty prompt it closes the shell | Open a new terminal or tab |
| Ctrl + \ | Force-quits the command (stronger than Ctrl + C) | Run the command again |
| Ctrl + S | Freezes terminal output | Press Ctrl + Q to unfreeze |
Example: you start a long download with wget and need the prompt back. Press Ctrl + Z, then type bg. The download keeps running and you can keep working.
Text Editing Shortcuts That Work in Most Ubuntu Apps
These work in Text Editor, LibreOffice, Firefox, Chrome and most other GTK and Qt apps (not inside the terminal).
| Shortcut | Action |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste without formatting (in many apps) |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Shift + Z or Ctrl + Y | Redo (varies by app) |
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + F | Find |
| Ctrl + S | Save |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Save as |
| Ctrl + O | Open a file |
| Ctrl + P | |
| Ctrl + W | Close the tab or document |
| Ctrl + Left / Right | Jump one word left or right |
| Ctrl + Backspace | Delete the previous word |
| Home / End | Jump to the start or end of the line |
| Ctrl + Home / End | Jump to the start or end of the document |
| Ctrl + Shift + U, then hex code, then Space | Type any Unicode character (for example 20b9 for the ₹ sign) |
| F1 | Open help for the current app |
Accessibility Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Alt + Super + S | Turn the Orca screen reader on or off |
| Alt + Super + 8 | Turn screen zoom on or off |
| Alt + Super + = | Zoom in |
| Alt + Super + – | Zoom out |
More options (large text, high contrast, sticky keys, on-screen keyboard) live in Settings > Accessibility.
Language and Input Source Shortcuts
If you type in more than one language, such as English plus Hindi, Marathi, Tamil or Bengali, add the extra layouts in Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources.
| Shortcut | Action |
| Super + Space | Switch to the next input source |
| Shift + Super + Space | Switch to the previous input source |
The current input source appears as a short code (for example “en” or “hi”) in the top bar, so you always know which layout is active.
Ubuntu vs Windows Shortcuts
Switching from Windows or dual booting? Most editing shortcuts are identical. The big differences are the Super key, the terminal and file management.
| Task | Windows 11 | Ubuntu 26.04 |
| Open start menu / overview | Win | Super |
| Show all apps | Win, then All | Super + A |
| Open a terminal | Win + X, then Terminal | Ctrl + Alt + T |
| Open the file manager | Win + E | Unbound by default (pin Files to the Dock and use Super + its number, or add a custom shortcut) |
| Lock the screen | Win + L | Super + L |
| Switch apps | Alt + Tab | Super + Tab or Alt + Tab |
| Snap window left / right | Win + Left / Right | Super + Left / Right |
| Maximize window | Win + Up | Super + Up |
| Minimize window | Win + Down | Super + H |
| Show desktop | Win + D | Unbound by default |
| Close window | Alt + F4 | Alt + F4 |
| Screenshot tool | Win + Shift + S | |
| Screen recording | Win + Alt + R (Game Bar) | Shift + Ctrl + Alt + R |
| Run dialog | Win + R | Alt + F2 |
| Notifications | Win + N | Super + V |
| Quick settings | Win + A | Super + S |
| Virtual desktops | Win + Ctrl + Left / Right | Super + Page Up / Page Down |
| Power / sign-out menu | Ctrl + Alt + Delete | Ctrl + Alt + Delete |
| Switch keyboard language | Win + Space | Super + Space |
| Copy in terminal | Ctrl + C (with text selected) | Ctrl + Shift + C |
Windows users often look for Run commands too. See our Windows Run commands list for the Win + R side of things.
How to View, Create and Reset Shortcuts in Ubuntu
Ubuntu shows every system shortcut in one place, and you can change any of them or add your own.
View or change a built-in shortcut
- Open Settings (Super, then type “Settings”).
- Go to Keyboard.
- Click View and Customize Shortcuts.
- Pick a category, such as Navigation, Screenshots or Windows.
- Click a shortcut, press the new key combination, then click Set. Press Backspace instead to disable it.
Create a custom shortcut
- In View and Customize Shortcuts, scroll to Custom Shortcuts.
- Click Add Shortcut.
- Enter a Name (for example “Open Files”).
- Enter the Command (for example nautilus).
- Click Set Shortcut, press your keys (for example Super + E), then click Add.
Useful custom shortcuts to add: Super + E for Files, Super + D for “Hide all normal windows” (under Navigation), and Ctrl + Shift + Esc for System Monitor with the command gnome-system-monitor.
Download the Ubuntu Shortcuts PDF
Get every shortcut on this page in a printable two-page cheat sheet, sorted by category. Keep it next to your keyboard until the shortcuts become muscle memory.
Download Ubuntu Keyboard Shortcuts PDF
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut to open Terminal in Ubuntu?
Press Ctrl + Alt + T. It opens a new terminal window from anywhere on the desktop. On Ubuntu 26.04 it opens Ptyxis; on 24.04 and earlier it opens GNOME Terminal.
How do I take a screenshot in Ubuntu?
Press Print to open the screenshot tool and choose area, window or full screen. Shift + Print captures the whole screen instantly, and Alt + Print captures the active window. Images are saved in Pictures/Screenshots.
How do I copy and paste in the Ubuntu terminal?
Use Ctrl + Shift + C to copy and Ctrl + Shift + V to paste. Plain Ctrl + C stops the running command instead of copying.
What is the Super key in Ubuntu?
The Super key is the Windows logo key on most keyboards. Pressing it alone opens the Activities overview, and it combines with other keys for window, workspace and system shortcuts.
How do I show the desktop in Ubuntu?
Recent Ubuntu releases leave “Hide all normal windows” unbound. Assign Super + D to it in Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts > Navigation.
How do I switch keyboard language in Ubuntu?
Add languages in Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, then press Super + Space to switch between them.
How do I change keyboard shortcuts in Ubuntu?
Open Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts, click the shortcut, press the new keys and click Set. Custom commands go under Custom Shortcuts.
Does Ctrl + Z kill a process in the Ubuntu terminal?
No. Ctrl + Z pauses the process; type fg to resume it. Use Ctrl + C to stop a command.
Do Ubuntu shortcuts work on Linux Mint?
Terminal and Bash shortcuts work the same. Desktop shortcuts differ because Mint uses Cinnamon instead of GNOME. See our Linux Mint keyboard shortcuts guide.
Do these shortcuts work on Ubuntu 22.04 and 20.04?
Most do. The window, terminal and editing shortcuts are the same. Ubuntu 20.04 used Print to save a screenshot directly and Super + D to show the desktop, and Quick Settings (Super + S) did not exist yet.
Summary
- Super opens everything: the overview, apps (Super + A), settings (Super + S) and notifications (Super + V).
- Super + arrow keys tile and maximize windows; Super + Page Up/Down switches workspaces.
- Print opens the screenshot tool; Shift + Ctrl + Alt + R records the screen.
- In the terminal, add Shift to copy and paste, and remember that Ctrl + Z pauses rather than kills.
- Change or add any shortcut in Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts.
Start with the Top 10, add a few shortcuts each week, and you’ll rarely need the mouse on Ubuntu.
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