Chromebooks are packed with shortcuts that make navigating ChromeOS incredibly fast, but here’s the thing, most users only know a handful of them. What many don’t realize is that ChromeOS includes a built-in shortcut viewer and a powerful customization tool that lets you remap keys, create your own shortcuts, and even tweak the behavior of special keys like Caps Lock, Ctrl, and Alt. If you’ve ever wished your Chromebook worked more like Windows or macOS when it comes to hotkeys, this is where you take control.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to view all system shortcuts, how to edit them, and how to remap or customize keys so your Chromebook truly fits the way you work. And trust me, once you start customizing shortcuts, going back to a stock setup feels painfully slow.
How to View All Keyboard Shortcuts on a Chromebook
ChromeOS includes a built-in shortcut app that displays every system shortcut grouped by category, and it updates dynamically based on your current apps and keyboard layout. If you ever forget a shortcut or want to explore new ones, this tool is your best friend.
1. Click on the Launcher.
2. Open the Key Shortcuts app to view all available shortcuts.
Note: You can also open it instantly by pressing Ctrl + Launcher Key (or Search) + S on your keyboard.
3. As soon as you press the shortcut or open the Keyboard Shortcuts app, ChromeOS displays a full list of shortcuts categorized into sections like General, Device, Browser, Text, Windows & Desks, Accessibility, and more.
4. Scroll through the categories to explore shortcuts. Use the search bar at the top to find specific shortcuts quickly, super helpful when learning new combinations.
How to Edit Keyboard Shortcuts on a Chromebook
For years, Chromebooks didn’t allow shortcut customization, but the new keyboard shortcuts customization feature changes everything. Now, you can open the shortcut manager and modify almost any system shortcut. If you’re switching from Windows or macOS, this lets you bring familiar shortcuts with you.
Here’s how to edit them:
1. Open the Key Shortcuts app.
2. Find the shortcut you want to edit from the categories.
3. Hover over the shortcut and click the Edit (pencil) icon.
4. A box will appear prompting you to edit shortcut. Click on the edit icon and press the new key combination you want to assign. ChromeOS will apply the new shortcut if the combination is valid.
5. If the key combo is already in use, ChromeOS will warn you. You can choose a different combo or override the existing one.
6. Click Done to save your changes.
7. If you experiment with shortcuts and things get messy, ChromeOS makes it easy to reset everything. Just click Reset all shortcuts to restore the default settings.
How to Remap Special Keys on a Chromebook
If you’re coming from Windows, you might miss keys like Caps Lock or Delete. ChromeOS allows you to remap several modifier keys so they behave differently. Here’s how to change special key behavior:
1. Click the Launcher and open Settings.
2. Go to Device and select Keyboard and Inputs.
3. Click Customize keyboard keys. This opens the built-in Keyboard Manager that lets you remap special keys on your Chromebook.
4. Use the drop-down menus to assign new actions to each key. For example, turn the Quick Insert key into a Caps Lock key, make Backspace function like Delete, and more.
5. If you ever want to undo changes, click Reset keys to restore the default behavior.
Customize Keyboard Shortcuts on a Chromebook
Viewing and editing keyboard shortcuts on a Chromebook is much easier than most people think, and the built-in tools give you complete control over how your keyboard works. Once you start exploring the Keyboard Shortcuts app or customizing hotkeys, you’ll quickly realize how much faster and more personalized your Chromebook can feel.
Whether you want Windows style shortcuts, faster productivity workflows, or better accessibility controls, ChromeOS lets you tailor everything with just a few clicks.
