Google Sheets: Easy Keyboard Shortcuts

Guide to Google Sheets Keyboard Shortcuts

Google Sheets is a powerful tool for organizing data, performing calculations, and collaborating with others. One of the best ways to boost your productivity in Google Sheets is by mastering keyboard shortcuts. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive list of essential keyboard shortcuts to help you work more efficiently.

Viewing Keyboard Shortcuts in Google Sheets

To see a list of keyboard shortcuts in Google Sheets, press Ctrl + / (Windows, Chrome OS) or ⌘ + / (Mac).

Tool Finder

Common Actions

Here are some of the most common actions you can perform in Google Sheets using keyboard shortcuts:

Selection:

1. Select Column: Ctrl + Space

   • Press Ctrl and Space together to select the entire column of the currently selected cell.

2. Select Row: Shift + Space

   • Press Shift and Space together to select the entire row of the currently selected cell.

3. Select All: Ctrl + a or Ctrl + Shift + Space

   • Press Ctrl and a together to select all the cells in the spreadsheet.
   • Alternatively, press Ctrl, Shift, and Space together to achieve the same result.

Editing:

1. Undo: Ctrl + z

   • Press Ctrl and z together to undo the last action you performed.

2. Redo: Ctrl + y or Ctrl + Shift + z

   • Press Ctrl and y together to redo the last action you undid.
   • Alternatively, press Ctrl, Shift, and z together to achieve the same result.

3. Repeat Action: F4

   • Press F4 to repeat the last action you performed.

4. Find: Ctrl + f

   • Press Ctrl and f together to open the find dialog box, allowing you to search for specific text or values within the spreadsheet.

5. Find and Replace: Ctrl + h

   • Press Ctrl and h together to open the find and replace dialog box, allowing you to search for and replace specific text or values within the spreadsheet.

6. Fill Range: Ctrl + Enter

   • Press Ctrl and Enter together to fill the selected range of cells with the current entry.

7. Fill Down: Ctrl + d

   • Press Ctrl and d together to fill the selected cell down from the cell above.

8. Fill Right: Ctrl + r

   • Press Ctrl and r together to fill the selected cell to the right from the cell on the left.

File Management Shortcuts:

1. Save: Ctrl + s

   • Press Ctrl and s together to save the current document. In some applications, like Google Drive, changes are saved automatically.

2. Open: Ctrl + o

   • Press Ctrl and o together to open an existing document.

3. Print: Ctrl + p

   • Press Ctrl and p together to open the print dialog for the current document.

Clipboard Shortcuts:

1. Copy: Ctrl + c

   • Press Ctrl and c together to copy the selected content to the clipboard.

2. Cut: Ctrl + x

   • Press Ctrl and x together to cut the selected content and move it to the clipboard.

3. Paste: Ctrl + v

   • Press Ctrl and v together to paste the content from the clipboard into the selected location.

4. Paste Values Only: Ctrl + Shift + v

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and v together to paste only the values (no formatting) from the clipboard into the selected location.

Tools and Navigation Shortcuts:

1. Show Common Keyboard Shortcuts: Ctrl + /

   • Press Ctrl and / together to display a list of common keyboard shortcuts.

2. Insert New Sheet: Shift + F11

   • Press Shift and F11 together to insert a new sheet into the current spreadsheet.

3. Compact Controls: Ctrl + Shift + f

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and f together to toggle compact controls on or off.

4. Input Tools On/Off (available in spreadsheets in non-Latin languages): Ctrl + Shift + k

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and k together to turn input tools on or off.

5. Select Input Tools: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + k

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and k together to select different input tools.

6. Tool Finder (formerly “Search the Menus”): Alt + /

   • Press Alt and / together to search through the menu options.

Sheet Management Shortcuts:

1. Rename Sheet: Alt + 1
   • Press Alt and 1 together to rename the current sheet.

 

Formatting Cells

Formatting cells can greatly enhance the readability of your data. Here are some shortcuts for formatting:

Formatting Shortcut:

Formatting cells can greatly enhance the readability of your data. Here are some shortcuts for formatting:

1. Bold: Ctrl + b

   • Press Ctrl and b together to make the selected text bold.

2. Underline: Ctrl + u

   • Press Ctrl and u together to underline the selected text.

3. Italic: Ctrl + i

   • Press Ctrl and i together to italicize the selected text.

4. Strikethrough: Alt + Shift + 5

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 5 together to apply strikethrough to the selected text.

5. Center Align: Ctrl + Shift + e

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and e together to center align the selected text.

6. Left Align: Ctrl + Shift + l

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and l together to left align the selected text.

7. Right Align: Ctrl + Shift + r

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and r together to right align the selected text.

Borders Shortcuts:

1. Apply Top Border: Alt + Shift + 1

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 1 together to apply a top border to the selected cells.

2. Apply Right Border: Alt + Shift + 2

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 2 together to apply a right border to the selected cells.

3. Apply Bottom Border: Alt + Shift + 3

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 3 together to apply a bottom border to the selected cells.

4. Apply Left Border: Alt + Shift + 4

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 4 together to apply a left border to the selected cells.

5. Remove Borders: Alt + Shift + 6

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 6 together to remove borders from the selected cells.

6. Apply Outer Border: Alt + Shift + 7 or Ctrl + Shift + 7

   • Press Alt, Shift, and 7 together to apply an outer border to the selected cells.
   • Alternatively, press Ctrl, Shift, and 7 together to achieve the same result.

Inserting Shortcuts:

1. Insert Link: Ctrl + k

   • Press Ctrl and k together to insert a hyperlink.

2. Insert Time: Ctrl + Shift + ;

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and ; together to insert the current time.

3. Insert Date: Ctrl + ;

   • Press Ctrl and ; together to insert the current date.

4. Insert Date and Time: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ;

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and ; together to insert the current date and time.

Number Formats Shortcuts:

1. Format as Decimal: Ctrl + Shift + 1

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 1 together to format the selected cells as decimal numbers.

2. Format as Time: Ctrl + Shift + 2

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 2 together to format the selected cells as time.

3. Format as Date: Ctrl + Shift + 3

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 3 together to format the selected cells as date.

4. Format as Currency: Ctrl + Shift + 4

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 4 together to format the selected cells as currency.

5. Format as Percentage: Ctrl + Shift + 5

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 5 together to format the selected cells as percentage.

6. Format as Exponent: Ctrl + Shift + 6

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 6 together to format the selected cells as exponent.

7. Clear Formatting: Ctrl + \

   • Press Ctrl and \\ together to clear all formatting from the selected cells.

 

Navigating the Spreadsheet

Efficient navigation is key to managing large datasets. Here are some shortcuts to help you navigate:

Navigation Shortcuts:

1. Move to Beginning of Row: Home

   • Press Home to move the cursor to the beginning of the current row.

2. Move to Beginning of Sheet: Ctrl + Home

   • Press Ctrl and Home together to move the cursor to the beginning of the sheet.

3. Move to End of Row: End

   • Press End to move the cursor to the end of the current row.

4. Move to End of Sheet: Ctrl + End

   • Press Ctrl and End together to move the cursor to the end of the sheet.

5. Scroll to Active Cell: Ctrl + Backspace

   • Press Ctrl and Backspace together to scroll to the active cell.

6. Move to Next Sheet: Alt + Down Arrow

   • Press Alt and Down Arrow together to move to the next sheet.

7. Move to Previous Sheet: Alt + Up Arrow

   • Press Alt and Up Arrow together to move to the previous sheet.

8. Display List of Sheets: Alt + Shift + k

   • Press Alt, Shift, and k together to display a list of sheets.

Hyperlinks and Tools Shortcuts:

1. Open Hyperlink: Alt + Enter

   • Press Alt and Enter together to open a hyperlink.

2. Open Explore: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + i

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and i together to open the Explore tool.

3. Go to Side Panel: Ctrl + Alt + . or Ctrl + Alt + ,

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and . together to go to the side panel.
   • Alternatively, press Ctrl, Alt, and , together to achieve the same result.

4. Move Focus Out of Spreadsheet: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + m

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and m together to move focus out of the spreadsheet.

5. Move to Quicksum (when a range of cells is selected): Alt + Shift + q

   • Press Alt, Shift, and q together to move to the quicksum.

6. Move Focus to Popup (for links, bookmarks, and images): Ctrl + Alt, then press e then p

   • Press Ctrl and Alt together, then press e, followed by p to move focus to the popup.

7. Open Drop-down Menu on Filtered Cell: Ctrl + Alt + r

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and r together to open the drop-down menu on a filtered cell.

Miscellaneous Shortcuts:

1. Open Revision History: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + h

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and h together to open the revision history.

2. Close Drawing Editor: Shift + Esc

   • Press Shift and Esc together to close the drawing editor.

Editing Notes and Comments

Collaboration is easier when you can quickly add and manage notes and comments:

1. Insert/Edit Note: Shift + F2

   • Press Shift and F2 together to insert or edit a note.

2. Insert/Edit Comment: Ctrl + Alt + m

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and m together to insert or edit a comment.

3. Open Comment Discussion Thread: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + a

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and a together to open the comment discussion thread.

4. Enter Current Comment: Ctrl + Alt, then press e then c

   • Press Ctrl and Alt together, then press e, followed by c to enter the current comment.

5. Move to Next Comment: Ctrl + Alt, then press n then c

   • Press Ctrl and Alt together, then press n, followed by c to move to the next comment.

6. Move to Previous Comment: Ctrl + Alt, then press p then c

   • Press Ctrl and Alt together, then press p, followed by c to move to the previous comment.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts on Selected Comments

1. Reply to Current Comment: R

   • Press R to reply to the current comment.

2. Move to Next Comment: J

   • Press J to move to the next comment.

3. Move to Previous Comment: K

   • Press K to move to the previous comment.

4. Resolve Current Comment: E

   • Press E to resolve the current comment.

5. Exit Current Comment: U

   • Press U to exit the current comment.

Opening Menus

You can quickly access various menus using these shortcuts:

File Menus Shortcuts:

1. File Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and f together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and f together.

2. Edit Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and e together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and e together.

3. View Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and v together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and v together.

4. Insert Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and i together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and i together.

5. Format Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and o together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and o together.

6. Data Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and d together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and d together.

7. Tools Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and t together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and t together.

8. Form Menu (present when the spreadsheet is connected to a form):

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and m together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and m together.

9. Add-ons Menu:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and n together.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and n together.

10. Help Menu:

    • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and h together.
    • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and h together.

11. Accessibility Menu (present when screen reader support is enabled):

    • In Google Chrome: Press Alt and a together.
    • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, and a together.

Additional Menus and Actions:

• Open insert menu: Ctrl + Alt + = (with cells selected)
• Open delete menu: Ctrl + Alt + - (with cells selected)
• Sheet menu (copy, delete, and other sheet actions): Alt + Shift + s
• Context menu: Ctrl + Shift + \ or Shift + F10
• Table column menu: Ctrl + Alt + \

Adding or Changing Rows and Columns

Manipulate rows and columns efficiently with these shortcuts:

Inserting Rows and Columns

1. Insert Rows Above:

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and = together (with rows selected).
   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt, then i, then r, then r.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, then i, then r, then r.

2. Insert Rows Below:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt, then i, then r, then b.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, then i, then r, then b.

3. Insert Columns to the Left:

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and = together (with columns selected).
   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt, then i, then c, then c.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, then i, then c, then c.

4. Insert Columns to the Right:

   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt, then i, then c, then o.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, then i, then c, then o.

Deleting Rows and Columns Shortcuts

1. Delete Rows:

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and - together (with rows selected).
   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt, then e, then d, then d.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, then e, then d, then d.

2. Delete Columns:

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and - together (with columns selected).
   • In Google Chrome: Press Alt, then e, then d, then e.
   • In Other Browsers: Press Alt, Shift, then e, then d, then e.

Hiding and Unhiding Shortcuts

1. Hide Row: Ctrl + Alt + 9

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and 9 together to hide the selected row.

2. Unhide Row: Ctrl + Shift + 9

   • Press Ctrl and Shift and 9 together to unhide the hidden row.

3. Hide Column: Ctrl + Alt + 0

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and 0 together to hide the selected column.

4. Unhide Column: Ctrl + Shift + 0

   • Press Ctrl, Shift, and 0 together to unhide the hidden column.

Grouping and Ungrouping Shortcuts

1. Group Rows or Columns: Alt + Shift + Right Arrow

   • Press Alt, Shift, and the Right Arrow together to group the selected rows or columns.

2. Ungroup Rows or Columns: Alt + Shift + Left Arrow

   • Press Alt, Shift, and the Left Arrow together to ungroup the selected rows or columns.

3. Expand Grouped Rows or Columns: Alt + Shift + Down Arrow

   • Press Alt, Shift, and the Down Arrow together to expand the grouped rows or columns.

4. Collapse Grouped Rows or Columns: Alt + Shift + Up Arrow

   • Press Alt, Shift, and the Up Arrow together to collapse the grouped rows or columns.

Using Formulas

Google Sheets’ formula capabilities are extensive. These shortcuts will help you work more effectively with 

Formulas Shortcuts

1. 1. Show All Formulas: Ctrl + ~

      • Press Ctrl and ~ together to display all formulas in the spreadsheet.

   2. Insert Array Formula: Ctrl + Shift + Enter

      • Press Ctrl, Shift, and Enter together to insert an array formula.

   3. Collapse an Expanded Array Formula: Ctrl + e

      • Press Ctrl and e together to collapse an expanded array formula.

   4. Show/Hide Formula Help (when entering a formula): Shift + F1

      • Press Shift and F1 together to show or hide formula help.

   5. Full/Compact Formula Help (when entering a formula): F1

      • Press F1 to toggle between full and compact formula help.

   6. Absolute/Relative References (when entering a formula): F4

      • Press F4 to toggle between absolute and relative references.

   7. Toggle Formula Result Previews (when entering a formula): F9

      • Press F9 to show or hide formula result previews.

   8. Resize Formula Bar (move up or down): Ctrl + Up or Ctrl + Down

      • Press Ctrl and Up Arrow or Ctrl and Down Arrow together to resize the formula bar.

   9. Toggle Formula Range Selection (when entering a formula): F2 or Ctrl + e

      • Press F2 or Ctrl and e together to toggle formula range selection.

Help for Screen Readers

Google Sheets offers support for screen readers to make the application more accessible:

Accessibility Shortcuts

1. Turn on Screen Reader Support: Ctrl + Alt + z

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and z together to turn on screen reader support.

2. Enable Braille Support: Ctrl + Alt + h

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, and h together to enable braille support.

3. Read Column: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + c

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and c together to read the current column.

4. Read Row: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r

   • Press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and r together to read the current row.

Conclusion: