Keyboard shortcuts are an invaluable tool that can help you save time and effort when using your computer. However, there are many different keyboard shortcuts available, and it can be hard to keep track of them all, especially after Microsoft began rolling out the Windows 11 2022 Update.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the top keyboard shortcuts for Windows 11 and how you can use them to improve your productivity.
Take screenshots like a ninja
You might already know a couple of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to take screenshots in Windows 11, but my favorite one at the moment is the Win + Shift + S shortcut, which lets you capture screenshots on your Pc using the Snipping tool which recently got a new screen recording capability.
What’s more, this shortcut lets you copy a specific portion of the Windows 11 desktop to the clipboard rather than the full screen thus saving you time that you’d have spent cropping the image.
The Snipping Tool also got a new auto-save feature, which saves the screenshots you take to your Screenshots folder within the Pictures folder. Though you can change this in the settings if you’d prefer the tool to only copy the screenshot to your clipboard.
Make notes without breaking a sweat
If you often have to write notes at school or work, then this keyboard shortcut will definitely come in handy for you. By simply pressing the Win + H keys, you can type using your voice only which is quite similar to OneNote’s dictate feature.
It also comes with an auto punction option which will help you punctuate your work. This will help you save time and allow you to focus more on what is being said.
Search for open and recently closed tabs
With even more organizations taking up the work from home approach, a lot of people are now working online. That said, there are instances when you have to navigate through multiple tabs which can be quite hectic. In that, it is difficult for you to find the tab where you saw an important resource that you want to circle back to.
However, by pressing Ctrl + Shift + A, you’ll be able to search both your open and recently closed tabs in Edge, Chrome, or any Chromium-based browser. While conducting these searches you’ll notice that the tabs playing audio or video will be at the top of the list that appears. You can also use the Ctrl + F shortcut to find specific words or text within the web page.
Re-open a closed tab
We’ve all been in a situation where we mistakenly closed an important tab that we were not done with, Luckily, using the Ctrl + Shift + T keyboard shortcut will help you reopen a closed tab. Though, if you are using the browser in incognito mode, you won’t be able to achieve this. You can also use the Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut to switch between open apps or windows. And finally, if you want to quickly close a tab, hit the Alt + F4 keys.
Elevate your typing experience
While typing you are bound to make a few grammatical and spelling errors. You do not need to make use of your mouse to correct such mistakes, a combination of a few keys on your keyboard will get the job done.
For instance, Ctrl + Delete will help you delete the next word, Ctrl + Backspace will let you delete the previous word, and finally, Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow will allow you to move the cursor to the next or previous word. Additionally, you can add the Grammarly extension to Microsoft Word to help you with your spelling and grammar. And if you want to quickly launch the Microsoft Word App on your PC press Win + Ctrl + Shift + Alt + W.
Lock your PC
If you are rushing out of the office for a quick meeting or lunch break and prefer not to shut down your PC. You can simply hit the Ctrl + H keys to lock your device.
That’s it folks! These are some of my favorite keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11 that I use on a daily basis. Share some of yours in the comment section below.
Bonus Tip: Press Win + V to check your Windows 11 clipboard history.
These are mine, what are yours?
What are your favourite keyboard shortcuts? Let us know in the comments below.