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Use keyboard shortcuts to switch between applications in android:

Don’t forget to bookmark this page, this is a long one!

If you want to create your own shortcuts: Settings > Application settings > Quick launch

Open applications:
Browser SEARCH + b
Contacts SEARCH + c
E-Mail SEARCH + e
Google Mail SEARCH + g
Calendar SEARCH + l
Maps SEARCH + m
Music SEARCH + p
Messaging SEARCH + s
YouTube SEARCH + y
You can add/change these here: Settings > Application settings > Quick launch

Scrolling tips:
Page down SPACEBAR
Page up SHIFT + SPACEBAR
Jump to end of list ALT + TRACKBALL roll DOWN
Jump to top of list ALT + TRACKBALL roll UP

Typing and text navigation tips:
Insert special character ALT + SPACEBAR opens special character selector
Delete character to left DEL
Delete character to right SHIFT + DEL
Delete entire line ALT + DEL
Persistent CAPS Press SHIFT twice; press SHIFT again to escape
Jump cursor to beginning/end of line ALT + roll TRACKBALL left/right
Create tab character ALT + q
Highlight (select) text SHIFT + roll TRACKBALL
Cut text MENU + x, or Highlight text, press & hold TRACKBALL, select Cut
Copy text to clipboard MENU + c, or Highlight text, press & hold
TRACKBALL, select Copy
Paste text copied to clipboard MENU + v, or Highlight text, press & hold
TRACKBALL, select Paste
Undo change MENU + z
Select all text in field MENU + a, or Highlight text, press & hold
TRACKBALL, select Select all

Browser tips:
Open Go to window MENU + s
Open Bookmarks MENU + b
Open Windows MENU + w
View history MENU + h
Refresh or stop page MENU + r
Go back a page MENU + j
Go forward a page MENU + k
Find on page MENU + f
Go to home page MENU + ENTER
Zoom in MENU + i
Zoom out MENU + o
Go to Settings MENU + p
Page down SPACEBAR
Page up SHIFT + SPACEBAR

Map shortcuts
Directions MENU + d
Select map mode MENU + m
History MENU + h
My Location MENU + 0 (zero)
Go to Settings MENU + p
Zoom in MENU + i
Zoom out MENU + o

GMail shortcuts (while viewing message)
Forward F
Reply R
Reply All A
Archive Y (works on list mode too)

Other Google apps:
If you are in the mood for more shortcuts on any google apps like mail, calendar, docs, try typing: “?” in the webbrowser when using that app.
You would need to enable this option in settings for mail. The other apps have this enabled by default.

Jason, an android platform and wifi developer, shows how short cuts work:

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8 Comments

  1. kim wrote:

    Wow. Thanks for the amazing list. I now have this in my delicious bookmarks. am sue to visit this page frequently.

    Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 5:55 am | Permalink
  2. art wrote:

    Since you’re one of the developers; Is there a way to have the program add word selections using the slideout keyboard like it does using the keyboard on the front of the phone?

    Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:58 pm | Permalink
  3. Don' Tread On Me wrote:

    Don’t forget the long-press on the Home button to bring up the task-switcher, to switch between any of the up-to-six-at-a-time running apps.

    Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 4:47 pm | Permalink
  4. Monica wrote:

    WOOOO!! Thank you for this list! I can’t function without keyboard shorcuts like this. I’m hard of hearing so thanks too for the captions in the video!

    Friday, March 12, 2010 at 3:07 pm | Permalink
  5. Hans Galli wrote:

    This is such a terrific resource you are supplying and you give it away at no cost. I appreciate seeing web-sites that comprehend the importance of delivering a useful resource for free. I honestly loved reading your post :) Thanks

    Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 7:33 pm | Permalink
  6. Kayla Pegoda wrote:

    Superb web-site, where did you find the information in this specific article? I’m pleased I found it however, ill be checking back shortly to check out what other blog posts you’ve.

    Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 9:50 pm | Permalink
  7. marcus531 wrote:

    revisions / additions:

    Note that as far as I can tell, none of these quick-actions are possible in keyboard-closed-mode (which also means that Droid-Incredible et al are completely incapable of these shortcuts in any condition when their virtual keyboards aren’t exposed, and maybe not even then.

    I just tried MENU + v with the virtual keyboard in ClipNote Lite and the default web Browser … in each case, it printed a “v” and not the contents of my copy/paste buffer … now THAT is a serious advantage towards keyboarded Android systems

    Editing tips
    Highlight (select) text SHIFT + Arrow-keys
    (adding alt = start/end of line, start/end of text-box)
    Cut text to clipboard = MENU + x, or Highlight text, press & hold DPAD-CENTER, select Cut
    Copy text to clipboard = MENU + c, or Highlight text, press & hold DPAD-CENTER, select Copy
    Paste text copied to clipboard = MENU + v, or Highlight text, press & hold DPAD-CENTER, select Paste
    Undo change = MENU + z (for example, this does not work in ClipNote Lite)
    Select all text in field MENU + a, or Highlight text, press & hold

    Browser tips:
    Add bookmark = MENU + a
    open Bookmarks = MENU + b
    Cut text to clipboard = MENU + c
    Downloads history MENU + d
    sElect-mode for copy = MENU + e … finger-swipe over text, it is auto-copied to your clipboard
    Find on page = MENU + f
    paGe info = MENU + g
    view History = MENU + h
    zoom In = MENU + i
    Jump back a page = MENU + j
    go forward a page = MENU + k (mnemonic suggestions?)
    enter urL = MENU + L
    open New window MENU + n
    Zoom out = MENU + o
    settings Page = MENU + p
    Refresh or stop page = MENU + r
    Share webpage = MENU + s
    open windows (Tabs) = MENU + t
    close current Window = MENU + w
    Go to home page MENU + ENTER
    Page down SPACEBAR
    Page up SHIFT + SPACEBAR
    (m,q,u,z don’t do anything … which is odd, because menu+Z undo would be rather helpful in posting-boxes)

    Map shortcuts
    These worked on Ally / current gmaps version …
    My Location MENU + 0 (zero)
    Directions = MENU + d
    Lattitude (JOIN and use) = MENU + L (not actually upper-case)
    popular categorieS = MENU + s (can someone think of a reasonable mnemonic?)

    Maybe from an older version of gmaps etc, but the following suggested shortcuts failed to do anything … maybe they might work in some context, but I don’t know what that would be:
    Select map mode = MENU + m (did not work on Ally / current gmaps version)
    History MENU + h (did not work on Ally / current gmaps version)
    Go to Settings MENU + p (did not work on Ally / current gmaps version)
    Zoom in MENU + i (did not work on Ally / current gmaps version)
    Zoom out MENU + o (did not work on Ally / current gmaps version)

    GMail shortcuts (while viewing message)
    Reply All = a
    archivE = e (2 keys to archive messages? am I misunderstanding something?)
    Forward = f
    next (older) message = j
    previous (newer) message = k (anyone have a better mnemonic?)
    goto Label = L (not upper case)
    Mute conversation = m
    Reply = r
    assign label = v (better mnemonic?)
    archive = y

    GMail shortcuts (while viewing message-list)
    Compose = c
    goto Label = L
    archive = y

    (by using j and k for down/up, I think google’s engineers havs just declared that ‘vi’ won the vi-vs-emacs multi-year-flame-war)

    Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 2:15 pm | Permalink
  8. Jen Thomas wrote:

    Thank you – you’re my hero of the day!

    Monday, July 12, 2010 at 1:08 pm | Permalink

5 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Terse TMobile G1 / Android Tips. » Popular tips: on Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    [...] Use keyboard shortcuts to switch between applications in android [...]

  2. [...] Und jede Menge weitere Shortcuts werden hier verraten: http://android-tips.com/use-keyboard-shortcuts-to-switch-between-applications/ [...]

  3. Moment FAQ! A guide to common questions. - Android Forums on Friday, November 13, 2009 at 9:22 pm

    [...] attempts to find what I figured had to be present, I finally ran across this pretty good list here: http://android-tips.com/use-keyboard-shortcuts-to-switch-between-applications. Some of the keystrokes may not apply due to the buttons support on the Moment. Appears to be [...]

  4. Zakstudio » Les raccourcis sur Android on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 4:25 am

    [...] source [...]

  5. [...] Android Keyboard Shortcuts Use keyboard shortcuts to switch between applications in Android. It lists shortcuts for applications, scrolling, browser and more. [...]

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