12 Essential Gmail Shortcuts

There are scads of keyboard shortcuts that work with Gmail. Here are a dozen shortcuts we think you’ll find most useful on a regular basis. One caveat: If you have a pop-up blocker, you must disable it so that shortcuts designed to open a new browser window can work properly. For more shortcuts, in Gmail click the Help link; in the window that opens, click What Are The Keyboard Shortcuts? under Gmail Basics.


A or SHIFT-A:
Reply to the message sender and all other message recipients. SHIFT-A
replies to all in a new window.

C or SHIFT-C:
Compose a new message. SHIFT-C opens a new window for your message.

F or SHIFT-F:
Forward the current message. SHIFT-F opens a new window for your forwarded message.

G then C:
Move to Contacts.

G then I:
Move to Inbox.

J:
Move to view the previous conversation.

N:
Move to the next message within a conversation.

O or ENTER:
Open a message or conversation.

P:
Move to the previous message within a conversation.

R or SHIFT-R:
Reply to the message sender. SHIFT-R opens a new window for your reply.

TAB then ENTER:
Sends a newly composed message.

Y:
Archive a selected message in the Inbox; unstar a selected starred message; move a selected message from the Trash to the Inbox; remove the label from a selected conversation.