Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

Mac Cmd (⌘) for compose and formatting shortcuts, with single-key actions for the inbox.

Windows Ctrl for compose and formatting shortcuts, with the same single-key inbox actions as Mac.

iPad A hardware or Bluetooth keyboard with Cmd (⌘) based compose shortcuts and single-key actions.

Android A physical or Bluetooth keyboard with Ctrl based compose shortcuts and single-key actions.

Compose and send. Opening a new message, replying, replying all, forwarding, and sending without reaching for the mouse.

Inbox actions. Archiving, deleting, marking read or unread, starring, muting, reporting spam, and snoozing conversations.

Labeling and moving. Applying labels, moving conversations, and adding them to Tasks.

Navigation and jumping. Moving between conversations, opening and closing threads, and jumping to the inbox, starred, sent, and drafts with g based shortcuts.

Thread selection. Selecting all, read, unread, starred, or unstarred conversations in the threadlist.

Text formatting. Bold, italic, underline, lists, alignment, indentation, and font size while composing.

On the web, Gmail keyboard shortcuts are turned off by default. Turn them on in Settings: open See all settings, go to the General tab, set Keyboard shortcuts to on, and save. Single-key shortcuts such as c to compose or e to archive only work once this setting is enabled. On the Gmail mobile apps, shortcuts work when a hardware keyboard is connected and do not need this setting.

A printable PDF of Gmail shortcuts is available for each platform.

Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Chrome, and Slack sit near Gmail because email work often connects to documents, spreadsheets, the browser Gmail runs in, and team chat. Google Docs and Google Sheets are where attachments and shared content are written and edited, Chrome is the browser most Gmail sessions run in, and Slack covers the faster team messaging that sits alongside email. These apps are related by workflow and audience, not because every Gmail task uses all of them.

Why aren't my Gmail keyboard shortcuts working?

On the web, keyboard shortcuts are off until you enable them. Open Settings, then See all settings, then the General tab, set Keyboard shortcuts to on, and save. After that, single-key shortcuts such as c, e, and r work in the inbox.

What does pressing g then i do?

It jumps to the inbox. Gmail uses two-key sequences that start with g for navigation: g then s for starred, g then t for sent, and g then d for drafts. Press the keys one after another, not together.

Do Gmail shortcuts work on iPad and Android?

Yes, with a hardware or Bluetooth keyboard. The mobile apps support a smaller set focused on composing, replying, and moving between conversations, and they do not require the web Settings toggle.

This section lists official sources and documentation for Gmail. Use these references to verify shortcut behavior instead of relying on memory, old screenshots, or another person's setup. They are especially helpful when comparing platforms, where the same action may use Cmd on Mac and Ctrl on Windows or depend on a connected keyboard on mobile.

Official references are useful for checking platform differences, keyboard layout issues, browser conflicts, operating system shortcut conflicts, and app-version differences. A shortcut can be correct in one context and still feel wrong because the OS, layout, or active tool gets in the way. When something behaves differently than expected, verify it against the official source before updating personal notes, changing a team cheat sheet, or teaching the workflow.