YouTube Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List (Windows, Mac & Mobile)
The fastest way to see every YouTube keyboard shortcut is to press Shift + ? while on YouTube. This opens YouTube’s built-in shortcut menu instantly. You can also click your profile picture in the top-right corner and select Keyboard shortcuts.
YouTube keyboard shortcuts (also called hotkeys) are single-key or key-combination presses that let you control video playback, volume, captions, and navigation without touching your mouse. The most-used shortcuts are Space or K (play/pause), F (fullscreen), M (mute), J / L (skip 10 seconds back/forward), and < / > (slower/faster playback).
All shortcuts below were verified against YouTube’s official Shift + ? menu in June 2026.
Playback Shortcuts (Play, Pause, Skip)
These are the shortcuts you’ll use most often. Whether you’re analyzing footage, following a tutorial, or watching a long interview, the J and L keys make rewinding and fast-forwarding far quicker than reaching for the mouse.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play or pause (player focus required) | Spacebar |
| Play or pause (no focus required) | K |
| Move forward 5 seconds | Right Arrow |
| Move backward 5 seconds | Left Arrow |
| Move forward 10 seconds | L |
| Move backward 10 seconds | J |
| Restart the video | Home / 0 |
| Jump to 10%–90% of the video | 1 – 9 |
| Previous video (playlist) | Shift + P |
| Next video (playlist/recommendation) | Shift + N |
YouTube Fullscreen & View Shortcuts
Fullscreen is the most-searched single YouTube shortcut. The key is simply F press it once to enter fullscreen and again to exit. You can also press Esc to leave fullscreen at any time. The table below covers every view mode YouTube supports from the keyboard.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Enter or exit fullscreen | F |
| Exit fullscreen only | Esc |
| Toggle theater (wide) mode | T |
| Toggle miniplayer | I |
Note: If pressing F does nothing, click the video player once so it has keyboard focus, then try again. On YouTube’s newer desktop experience, the player must be selected before any shortcut responds.
Playback Speed Shortcuts
Speed control is a favorite for anyone watching tutorials or lectures. Each press of > or < changes the playback speed by 0.25x.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Increase playback speed | > (Shift + period) |
| Decrease playback speed | < (Shift + comma) |
Volume & Audio Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Turn volume up 5% | Up Arrow |
| Turn volume down 5% | Down Arrow |
| Mute or unmute | M |
Captions & Subtitles Shortcuts
YouTube lets you toggle and even restyle closed captions entirely from the keyboard handy for language learners and accessibility.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Turn captions (CC) on or off | C |
| Increase caption font size | + |
| Decrease caption font size | – |
| Change caption background color | B |
Navigation, Search & Chapter Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Next video in playlist | Ctrl + Right Arrow |
| Previous video in playlist | Ctrl + Left Arrow |
| Move forward through player controls | Tab |
| Move backward through player controls | Shift + Tab |
| Activate selected control | Enter |
| Place cursor in search box | / |
| Exit the search box | Esc |
YouTube Shortcuts on Mac (Key Differences)
YouTube keyboard shortcuts work almost identically on Mac and Windows because they run inside your browser, not the operating system. Single-key shortcuts like F, K, J, L, and M are the same on both. The only differences are with combination shortcuts:
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Next video in playlist | Ctrl + Right Arrow | Ctrl + Right Arrow |
| Previous video in playlist | Ctrl + Left Arrow | Ctrl + Left Arrow |
| Open shortcut menu | Shift + ? | Shift + ? |
Unlike most Mac apps, YouTube’s playlist shortcuts use Ctrl rather than Cmd, since they’re handled by the web player. If a shortcut isn’t working on your Mac, check that no browser extension or system shortcut is intercepting the same key.
YouTube Music Keyboard Shortcuts
YouTube Music’s web player (music.youtube.com) shares most of YouTube’s core playback shortcuts. The keys below work natively in your browser no extension required. Note that YouTube Music does not support the full set of video-only shortcuts (captions, fullscreen, frame-by-frame), since it’s an audio-first player.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play or pause the track | Spacebar |
| Next track | Shift + N |
| Previous track | Shift + P |
| Seek forward 10 seconds | L |
| Seek backward 10 seconds | J |
| Seek forward 5 seconds | Right Arrow |
| Seek backward 5 seconds | Left Arrow |
| Increase volume | Up Arrow |
| Decrease volume | Down Arrow |
| Mute or unmute | M |
| Jump to a percentage of the track (10%–90%) | 1 – 9 |
| Restart the current track | 0 |
Tip: If a shortcut doesn’t respond, click once anywhere on the player so it has keyboard focus, then try again. Your laptop’s media keys (play/pause, next, previous) also control YouTube Music while it’s open in a background tab.
YouTube Mobile Gestures (Android & iPhone)
The YouTube mobile app doesn’t use a keyboard, but it has touch gestures that do the same jobs. These work in the YouTube app on Android, iPhone, and iPad.
| Action | Gesture |
|---|---|
| Skip forward or back 10 seconds | Double-tap the right or left side of the video |
| Skip to next or previous chapter | Double-tap with two fingers on the right or left |
| Scrub to an exact moment (precise seeking) | Press and hold, then slide left or right |
| Fill the screen / zoom (remove black bars) | Pinch outward in fullscreen |
| Minimize to background player | Swipe down on the video |
| Next or previous video in a playlist | Swipe left or right (fullscreen) |
Tip: You can change the double-tap skip distance from the default 10 seconds to anywhere between 5 and 60 seconds. Go to your profile picture → Settings → General → Double-tap to seek.
Why Your YouTube Shortcuts Aren’t Working
If your YouTube keyboard shortcuts have stopped responding, one of these is almost always the cause:
- The player doesn’t have focus. On YouTube’s newer desktop experience, you must click the video player once before any shortcut works.
- Your cursor is in a text field. Shortcuts are disabled while you’re typing in the search box or a comment. Press Esc to exit the field first.
- A browser extension is intercepting the key. Ad blockers, video controllers, or “Enhancer for YouTube”-type extensions can override native shortcuts. Disable them to test.
- You’re on the mobile site. Keyboard shortcuts only work on the desktop web player. Use the touch gestures above on mobile.
Download the YouTube Shortcuts PDF
Want an offline cheat sheet? Download the YouTube Keyboard Shortcuts PDF and keep every hotkey one click away.
Of course, you can always upgrade to YouTube Premium for ad-free viewing, downloads, and background play across YouTube and YouTube Music.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see all YouTube keyboard shortcuts?
Press Shift + ? while on YouTube to open the built-in shortcut menu. You can also click your profile picture and select Keyboard shortcuts.
Why aren’t my YouTube keyboard shortcuts working?
The most common reason is that the video player doesn’t have focus. On YouTube’s newer desktop experience, you must click the player once before shortcuts respond. Shortcuts also won’t work while your cursor is in the search box or any text field press Esc to exit the field first.
What is the fullscreen shortcut on YouTube?
Press F to enter or exit fullscreen, or press Esc to leave fullscreen. Press T for theater (wide) mode.
How do I change YouTube playback speed with the keyboard?
Press > (Shift + period) to speed up and < (Shift + comma) to slow down. Each press changes the speed by 0.25x.
Are YouTube keyboard shortcuts different on a Mac?
Most YouTube shortcuts are identical on Mac and Windows because they use single letters and arrow keys. Combination shortcuts using Ctrl on Windows generally use the same Ctrl key on Mac within the browser, not Cmd.
How do I skip forward or backward 10 seconds?
Press L to jump forward 10 seconds and J to jump back 10 seconds. Use the Left and Right arrow keys for 5-second jumps.
How do I restart a YouTube video from the beginning?
Press 0 (zero) or the Home key to jump back to the start of the video.
Does YouTube Music have keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. YouTube Music’s web player shares core playback shortcuts like Spacebar (play/pause), J / L (seek), Shift + N (next track), and M (mute).
Conclusion
Once you’ve memorized even a handful of these YouTube keyboard shortcuts, you’ll navigate videos faster and rely on your mouse far less. Start with the essentials Space/K to play and pause, F for fullscreen, and J/L to skip then add the rest as they become second nature.
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