Windows 10 has so many keyboard shortcuts that it’s practically impossible to remember them all. Many will be familiar with CTRL+C (copy), CTRL+V (paste), CTRL+Z (undo), CTRL+Y (redo) and CTRL+A (select all), so we’ve chosen 20 more that are particularly useful and can be used to your advantage.
Best Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts
Without further ado, here are our favourite keyboard shortcuts on Windows 10:
Windows key + V: Open clipboard historyWindows key + A: Open the Action CentreWindows key + C: Launch Cortana in listening mode (for voice commands)Windows key + I: Open the Settings appWindows key + S: Launch CortanaWindows key + T: Cycle through apps in taskbarWindows key + X: Open Quick Link menu, the list of common functions displayed when right clicking on open appWindows key + Tab: Open Task ViewWindows key + Left arrow: Snap active window to left of screenWindows key + Up arrow: Snap active window to top of screenWindows key + Down arrow: Snap active window to bottom of screenWindows key + Ctrl + D: Create a new virtual desktopWindows key + Ctrl + F4: Close the current desktopWindows key + Ctrl + left or right arrow: switch between virtual desktopsWindows key + Shift + S: Take and annotate screenshotsWindows key + Shift + M: Minimise all windowsWindows key + Alt + R: Manually start and stop recordingWindows key + full stop (.) or semi-colon (;): Open emojisWindows key + (number): Open app in corresponding position in taskbar e.g. adding 1 will open app closest to left in taskbarCtrl + Shift + V: Paste text but keep source formatting (pasted text will look the same as the rest of the document)
How to customise your own keyboard shortcuts
While Windows 10’s keyboard shortcuts are fairly intuitive, there is a way to customise them to launch specific. Here’s how it’s done: Create a shortcut for the app manually. The easiest way of doing this is finding it in the Start Menu and then dragging it onto your desktop. Right-click on the icon you’ve created and choose ‘Properties’ Under ‘Shortcut key’ type the command you’d like to use and click ‘OK’. You may also be interested in how to add special characters. As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.
