20 handy shortcuts to master Chromebook
Anyone using a Windows PC is already familiar with the familiar features that Microsoft's system has to offer, but when we move to a different operating system, it can get a little confusing at first. Fortunately, most modern systems, like Chromebooks' Chrome OS, are pretty easy to learn, especially with all the simple shortcuts they offer. To learn more about the Chromebook and its shortcuts, just check out our tips below!
1. Take a screen print
To make a simple print of the full screen of your Chromebook, simply press the "Ctrl" and "F5" keys, but you can also press "Ctrl", "Alt" and "F5" if you want to select the desired print area.
2. Enable / disable Caps Lock
Unlike other computers, your Chromebook doesn't have a Caps Lock-specific key (which turns uppercase letters on and off). Fortunately, there is a shortcut just for that in the Google system, just press the "Alt" and "Search" keys on your keyboard, either to enable or disable Caps Lock.
3. Start task manager
To start the task manager and see everything that is happening on your computer, just press the "Search" and "Esc" keys at the same time.
4. Open file manager
If you want to open the file manager, it's also very simple! You only need to press the "Alt", "Shift" and "M" keys at the same time. This will allow you to view and organize all files stored on your PC.
5. Open file in browser
If you need to open a file right in the Google Chrome browser, just press the "Ctrl" and "O" keys on your keyboard. This will open a window so you can browse and select the desired file.
6. Open shelf apps
The Chromebook shelf works like the Windows taskbar and lets you pin some of your most used apps there. To open them quickly and without having to click anything, just press the "Alt" key and a number from 1 to 9.
The number you choose must match the position of the app you want to open on the shelf. If you have 5 apps there and want to open the third from left to right, just hit 3 and so on.
7. Lock screen
By pressing the "Search" and "L" keys on your keyboard, you can easily lock your computer screen and prevent others from accessing it without entering your password first.
8. Sign out of your account
To easily sign out of your Chromebook account, simply press the "Ctrl", Shift "and" Q "keys twice. That's right, put your fingers on these keys and click them twice in a row at the same time.
9. Open Status Area
The Chromebook's status area is so you can see all the most basic computer settings like Wi-Fi, speaker volume, screen brightness, etc. To open this window you just need to press the "Shift", "Alt" and "S" keys at the same time.
10. Enable ChromeVox
ChromeVox is a really cool accessibility feature that can help people with vision problems. With it turned on, your Chromebook can read everything on your screen to you. You can easily activate this feature by pressing the "Ctrl", "Alt" and "Z" keys at the same time.
11. Rotate the display
To rotate the display orientation 90 degrees, you just have to click the "Ctrl", "Shift" and "F3" keys at the same time.
12. Change screen resolution
Another very cool possibility of these Google computers is that you can easily change the resolution of your screen with just a shortcut. You can click the "Ctrl", "Shift" and "+" or "-" keys depending on whether you want to increase (+) or decrease (-) the resolution.
13. Change keyboard language
When you buy your computer, it comes with a keyboard set to the default language of the country in which you purchased it, but you can always change this if you prefer. In the case of Brazilian keyboards, we have many accents available, while the American is completely different, for example.
If you want to change the default of your keyboard, just press the "Ctrl", "Shift" and "Space" keys and select the desired language.
14. Enable system help
If you have any questions about your Chrome OS system and how it works, you can get help from your PC instead of searching the web. To enable system help, you just have to press the "Ctrl" and "?" Keys at the same time. You can then research your issue on a variety of topics.
15. Clear Browser History
To clear your Google Chrome browsing history using just a shortcut is very simple: press the "Ctrl", "Shift" and "Backspace" keys.
16. Save Web Pages
You can easily save your favorite web pages with a simple shortcut too. To do this, click the "Ctrl", "Shift" and "D" keys at the same time. If you have multiple pages open on different tabs, you also have the option to save them all at once.
17. Select text from address bar
Instead of clicking on the address bar, selecting the text you want, and then copying it, you can just use a quick shortcut to it all. Click the "Ctrl" and "L" keys to directly copy whatever is in the address bar.
18. Go to a specific tab
If you have many tabs open in Google Chrome, you can simply use a shortcut to switch between them instead of always clicking on each one. To do this, simply press the "Ctrl" key and a number between 1 and 9, which should represent the tab you want to go to.
19. Using Page Up / Page Down
Like Caps Lock, the Page Up and Page Down keys can't be found on Chromebooks, but there's still a shortcut that does the same thing. To use them, just press the "Search" and "Up Arrow" keys for Page Up or "Search" and "Down Arrow" for Page Down.
20. View all Chromebook shortcuts
Want to see these and all other shortcuts available right on your Chromebook? Press the "Ctrl", "Alt" and "?" Keys at the same time. Just keep in mind that you'll be seeing a huge list of many shortcuts, so it's good to have our list handy when you want to access the most useful shortcuts on your computer.
Did you like the tips on the Chromebook?
Could you take all these tips on Chromebooks? These little computers are becoming increasingly popular, so it's always good to have these handy shortcuts around. Don't forget to leave your comment telling us if everything went well or if you had any questions!
