10+ Chrome keyboard shortcuts that make surfing easier

"Chrome logoChrome, the new kid on the block, is fast. It has a spartan UI, too, which no doubt makes it feel faster -- but at a cost! Chrome, like IE9, has all of its juicier features hidden behind two or three mouse clicks. Having a lightning-fast JavaScript engine is great, but by moving your hand to the mouse you destroy any semblance of actual efficiency.

If you really want to make the most of Chrome's speed, what you need is is a bevy of keyboard shortcuts. Check them out!



  • Alt+F or Alt+E -- Open the Wrench (Tools) menu (you can then use the arrow keys to navigate it...)


  • Ctrl+Shift+B -- Toggles the Bookmarks Bar on and off


  • Ctrl+D -- Bookmark your current Web page


  • Ctrl+Shift+D -- Bookmarks all of your open Web pages in one folder


  • Ctrl+J -- Opens the Downloads tab


  • Shift+Esc -- Opens the 'Task Manager', which you can use to close errant tabs/processes


  • Ctrl+Shift+J -- Opens the Chrome Developer Tools (which are surprisingly good!)


  • Ctrl+L -- Selects your current page's URL (and puts the cursor in the address bar)


  • Ctrl+Backspace -- Deletes one word/phrase to the left of your cursor in the address bar


  • Ctrl+G -- Finds the next instance of your search term (Ctrl+F!) Ctrl+Shift+G finds the previous instance


  • Ctrl+U -- View the source of your current page


  • Ctrl+R -- The same as F5 (might be faster for some people to type)


  • Ctrl+1(2, 3, 4, etc) -- Switch to the tab designated by the number (from the left)


  • Ctrl+Shift+T -- Re-open the most recently closed tab