Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

Press Alt+Shift+5 while composing an email to apply strikethrough formatting to the selected text. The shortcut is the same on Mac, Windows, and Linux because Gmail runs in your browser. Make sure keyboard shortcuts are turned on in Gmail settings before using it.

Open Gmail, click the gear icon, then click 'See all settings'. Under the General tab, scroll to 'Keyboard shortcuts' and select 'Keyboard shortcuts on'. Click 'Save Changes' at the bottom. Shortcuts will not work until this setting is enabled.

Press # (Shift+3) to delete the currently open email or any selected conversations and move them to Trash. Press Z immediately after to undo the delete if you change your mind. The shortcut is the same on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Press A to reply to all recipients of the currently open conversation. Press R instead to reply only to the sender. Both shortcuts require keyboard shortcuts to be enabled in Gmail settings and only work when you are not typing in a text field.

Press E to archive the currently open email or any selected conversations. Archived messages are removed from your inbox but kept in All Mail (press G then A to view). Press Z immediately after to undo the archive.

Press Z to undo your most recent action in Gmail — including archive, delete, send, label changes, and snooze. Undo works for a short window of time, typically 5 to 30 seconds depending on the 'Undo Send' setting in Gmail.

Yes. Gmail keyboard shortcuts work identically on Mac, Windows, and Linux because Gmail is a web application running in your browser. The single-key shortcuts (like C, R, E) are the same across every operating system. Shortcuts that include a modifier — like Send (Cmd/Ctrl + Enter) — automatically use Cmd on Mac and Ctrl on Windows and Linux.

Start with these: C to compose, R to reply, A to reply all, E to archive, # to delete, J and K to navigate between conversations, / to search, and X to select a conversation. These eight shortcuts cover the most common email tasks and will save significant time once they become muscle memory.

Gmail uses single-key shortcuts (like C, R, E) without modifier keys because it is a web application designed for keyboard-first navigation. These shortcuts only activate when you are not typing in a text field. Since Gmail runs in a browser, the same shortcuts work the same way across Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Yes. Go to Settings > See all settings > Advanced tab, and enable 'Custom keyboard shortcuts'. After saving, a new 'Keyboard Shortcuts' tab will appear in Settings where you can reassign any shortcut to a different key. This is useful if you prefer different keys for delete, archive, or reply.

Gmail has a set of two-key shortcuts that start with G. Press G then I to go to Inbox, G then S for Starred, G then T for Sent Mail, G then D for Drafts, and G then A for All Mail. Press the keys in quick sequence, not simultaneously.