Key Controls Guide for Chromebook

About Your Chromebook Keyboard

Chromebook keyboards are a bit different from Mac or Windows keyboards. Here are the key differences:

  • Search/Launcher key: This is where the Caps Lock key usually is on other keyboards. It might have a magnifying glass icon or a circle icon, depending on your Chromebook model. Both work the same way.
  • No dedicated F-keys: The top row has special keys like Back, Reload, Full Screen, and Volume instead of F1-F12.
  • Cursor runs in Linux: Since Cursor runs in a Linux environment on your Chromebook, the keyboard shortcuts inside Cursor use Ctrl (similar to Windows, not Mac).

General OS-level keyboard shortcuts

These shortcuts work anywhere on your Chromebook.

  • Ctrl + C: Copy
  • Ctrl + V: Paste
  • Ctrl + X: Cut
  • Ctrl + Z: Undo
  • Ctrl + Shift + Z: Redo
  • Ctrl + A: Select All
  • Ctrl + S: Save
  • Ctrl + O: Open
  • Ctrl + N: New window
  • Ctrl + W: Close the current tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + W: Close the current window
  • Ctrl + F: Find
  • Ctrl + P: Print
  • Search + L: Lock your screen
  • Ctrl + Alt + /: View all keyboard shortcuts
  • Ctrl + Show Windows: Take a screenshot (full screen)
  • Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows: Take a screenshot (select an area)

The Show Windows key is in the top row and looks like a rectangle with two lines next to it.

See the full list of ChromeOS shortcuts on Google's support page.

Window management shortcuts

These shortcuts help you navigate between apps and manage windows.

Switching apps and windows

  • Alt + Tab: Switch between open apps
  • Alt + Shift + Tab: Switch between apps in reverse order
  • Search: Open the app launcher
  • Search + Esc: Open Task Manager

Window tiling

ChromeOS uses different shortcuts for window tiling than Windows:

  • Alt + [: Snap window to the left half of the screen
  • Alt + ]: Snap window to the right half of the screen
  • Alt + =: Maximize the window
  • Alt + -: Minimize the window

Full screen

  • Full Screen key: Toggle full screen mode (the key with a rectangle icon in the top row)
  • Search + Full Screen key: Toggle full screen in some apps

Virtual desks

ChromeOS has virtual desks, similar to virtual desktops on other systems:

  • Search + ]: Switch to the next desk
  • Search + [: Switch to the previous desk
  • Search + Shift + =: Create a new desk
  • Overview key: View all desks and windows (the key that looks like a rectangle with lines, or use Search + Show Windows)

Text editing shortcuts

These shortcuts work in most text fields and editors on your Chromebook.

  • Home: Jump to the beginning of the line (or Search + Left)
  • End: Jump to the end of the line (or Search + Right)
  • Ctrl + Left: Jump to the previous word
  • Ctrl + Right: Jump to the next word
  • Ctrl + Home: Jump to the beginning of the document (or Ctrl + Search + Left)
  • Ctrl + End: Jump to the end of the document (or Ctrl + Search + Right)

Note: Some Chromebooks don't have Home and End keys. Use the Search key alternatives shown above.

Selection

Add Shift to any navigation shortcut above to select text while moving. For example:

  • Shift + Home: Select from cursor to the beginning of the line
  • Shift + End: Select from cursor to the end of the line
  • Ctrl + Shift + Left: Select the previous word
  • Ctrl + Shift + Right: Select the next word

Deleting text

  • Backspace: Delete the character before the cursor
  • Search + Backspace: Delete the character after the cursor (forward delete)
  • Ctrl + Backspace: Delete the word before the cursor

Code editing shortcuts

These shortcuts work in Cursor and other VS Code-based editors. Since Cursor runs in Linux on your Chromebook, it uses Ctrl-based shortcuts (like Windows).

Essential editing

  • Ctrl + /: Comment or uncomment the selected lines
  • Ctrl + Shift + K: Delete the current line
  • Alt + Up: Move the current line up
  • Alt + Down: Move the current line down
  • Shift + Alt + Up: Copy the current line up
  • Shift + Alt + Down: Copy the current line down

Find and replace

  • Ctrl + F: Find in the current file
  • Ctrl + H: Find and replace in the current file
  • Ctrl + Shift + F: Search across all files in the workspace
  • Ctrl + Shift + H: Find and replace across all files

Multi-cursor and selection

  • Ctrl + D: Select the next occurrence of the current selection
  • Ctrl + Shift + L: Select all occurrences of the current selection
  • Alt + Click: Add a cursor at the clicked location
  • Ctrl + P: Quick open a file by name
  • Ctrl + Shift + P: Open the command palette
  • Ctrl + B: Toggle the sidebar
  • Ctrl + `: Toggle the integrated terminal
  • F12: Go to definition (see note below about F-keys)
  • F2: Rename symbol (see note below about F-keys)

Using F-keys on Chromebook

Chromebooks don't have dedicated F-keys, but you can access them by pressing Search plus a top-row key:

F-KeyChromebook Shortcut
F1Search + Back (back arrow key)
F2Search + Reload (circular arrow key)
F3Search + Full Screen
F4Search + Show Windows
F5Search + Brightness Down
F6Search + Brightness Up
F7Search + Volume Mute
F8Search + Volume Down
F9Search + Volume Up
F10Search + 0 (on some models)

So to use "Go to definition" (F12) in Cursor, you would need to look up the F12 mapping for your specific Chromebook model, or use Ctrl + Click on a symbol instead.

See a comprehensive, printable list in the VS Code Linux keyboard shortcuts PDF.

Cursor-specific shortcuts

These shortcuts are specific to Cursor's AI features.

AI Chat and Composer

  • Ctrl + L: Open AI Chat
  • Ctrl + I: Open Composer (multi-file AI edits)
  • Ctrl + Shift + L: Add selected code to Chat as context

Inline editing

  • Ctrl + K: Open inline edit prompt (works in editor and terminal)
  • Ctrl + Enter: Accept AI-generated changes
  • Esc: Reject or cancel generation

AI autocomplete

  • Tab: Accept the autocomplete suggestion
  • Ctrl + Right: Accept only the next word of the suggestion

See more shortcuts in the Cursor keyboard shortcuts documentation.

Special Chromebook notes

Enabling Caps Lock

Chromebooks don't have a dedicated Caps Lock key, but you can toggle it:

  • Search + Alt: Toggle Caps Lock on or off

Using an external keyboard

If you connect a Windows or Mac keyboard to your Chromebook:

  • The Windows key or Command key works as the Search/Launcher key
  • F-keys work normally without needing the Search key modifier

Keyboard customization

You can customize your keyboard in ChromeOS settings:

  1. Click the clock in the bottom-right corner
  2. Click the gear icon (Settings)
  3. Go to Device → Keyboard
  4. Here you can remap keys like Search, Ctrl, and Alt

Potential shortcut conflicts

Some ChromeOS system shortcuts might conflict with Cursor shortcuts. If a shortcut doesn't work in Cursor, try:

  • Checking if ChromeOS is intercepting it (test in a different app)
  • Using the Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P) to find alternative ways to run commands
  • Remapping the shortcut in Cursor's keyboard settings