No one would like to choose the long method when they have shortcuts available to them. The article contains a list of keyboard shortcuts that will help you with Google Sheets. It is to be noted that this isn’t the complete list but includes those shortcuts which are generally used and will help you do your work quicker.

General Program Actions

The shortcuts mentioned below will help you to perform everyday actions, like copying cells or selecting rows or columns. The shortcuts mentioned are available for Windows/Chrome OS and macOS.

Windows/Chrome OS

• Ctrl + C: This helps for copying the selected cells to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl + X: This helps you to cut the selected cells to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl + V: for pasting clipboard contents to the sheet.
• Ctrl + Shift + V: Past the values of the clipboard can be accessed.
• Ctrl + Space: When you want to select the entire column.
• Shift + Space: When you want to select the entire row.
• Ctrl + A: All the cells are selected
• Ctrl + Z: Undo an action.
• Ctrl + Y: To repeat an action.
• Ctrl + F: When you want to find something in the sheet
• Ctrl + H: Find and replace in the sheet.
• Shift + F11: Find and replace content in the sheet
• Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H: This takes you to the revision history of the spreadsheet

macOS

• Cmd + C: This helps for copying the selected cells to the Clipboard.
• Cmd + X: This helps you to cut the selected cells to the Clipboard.
• Cmd + V: for pasting Clipboard contents to the sheet.
• Cmd + Shift + V: Past the values of the clipboard can be accessed.
• Cmd + Space: When you want to select the entire column.
• Shift + Space: When you want to select the entire row.
• Cmd + A: All the cells are selected
• Cmd + Z: Undo an action
• Cmd + Y: To repeat an action
• Cmd + F: When you want to find something in the sheet
• Cmd + H: Find and replace content in the sheet
• Cmd + Option + Shift + H: This takes you to the revision history of the spreadsheet

Also read: Slack keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Linux and Mac

Format Cells

The shortcuts mentioned below will help you to perform functions like italicising or bold text, or format cell data to exponents.

• Ctrl + B (Windows and Chrome OS) or Cmd + B (Mac OS): Formats the contents of the selected cell to Bold.
• Ctrl + I (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd + I (Mac OS): Italicises the contents of the selected cell.
• Ctrl + U (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd + U (Mac OS): Underlines the contents of the selected cell.
• Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd + Shift + E (Mac OS): To align a cell in center.
• Ctrl + Shift + L (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd + Shift + L (Mac OS): To align a cell in left.
• Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac OS): To align a cell in right.
• Ctrl +; (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd +; (Mac OS): For putting current date.
• Alt + Shift + 7 (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd + Shift + 7 (Mac OS): Applying an outer border to the cells which are selected.
• Alt + Shift + 6 (Windows/Chrome OS) or Option + Shift + 6 (Mac OS): Getting rid of a border from the selected cells.
• Ctrl + Shift + 1 (Windows/Chrome OS/Mac OS): Format as a decimal.
• Ctrl + Shift + 2 (Windows/Chrome OS/Mac OS): Format as time.
• Ctrl + Shift + 3 (Windows/Chrome OS/Mac OS): Format as a date.
• Ctrl + Shift + 4 (Windows/Chrome OS/Mac OS): Format as currency.
• Ctrl + Shift + 5 (Windows/Chrome OS/Mac OS): Format as a percentage.
• Ctrl + Shift + 6 (Windows/Chrome OS/Mac OS): Format as an exponent.
• Ctrl +\ (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd +\ (Mac OS): If you want to clear all formats from the selected cells.

Also read: Every Windows 7 shortcut you must know

To move around the spreadsheet

Without touching your mouse, you can quickly move around in the spreadsheet through the shortcuts mentioned below.

Windows/Chrome OS

• Left/Right/Up/Down Arrow: Move one cell to the left, right, up, or down.
• Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow: To move to the first or last cell (which has data) in a row.
• Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow: For moving to the first or last cell (which has data) in a column.
• Home Button (Windows), Search + Left Arrow (Chrome OS): Going to the origin of a row.
• End Button (Windows), Search + Right Arrow (Chrome OS): Going to the end of a row.
• Ctrl + Home (Windows), Ctrl + Search + Left Arrow (Chrome OS): Moving at the top of the sheet (A1).
• Ctrl + End (Windows), Ctrl + Search + Right Arrow (Chrome OS): For moving towards the end of the sheet.
• Ctrl + Backspace (Windows/Chrome OS): Getting back to the active cell.
• Alt + Down/Up Arrow (Windows/Chrome OS): To move to the next or previous sheet if you have more than one page in the current file.
• Alt + Shift + K (Windows/Chrome OS): List of all sheets is displayed
• Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M (Windows/Chrome OS): Helps in moving focus out of the spreadsheet.

macOS

• Left/Right/Up/Down Arrow: Move one cell to the left, right, up, or down.
• Ctrl + Option + Left/Right Arrow: To move to the first or last cell (which has data) in a row.
• Ctrl + Option + Up/Down Arrow: For moving to the first or last cell (which has data) in a column.
• Fn + Left Arrow: Going to the origin of a row.
• Fn + Right Arrow: Going to the end of a row.
• Cmd + Fn + Left Arrow: Moving at the top of the sheet (A1).
• Cmd + Fn + Right Arrow: For moving towards the end of the sheet.
• Cmd + Backspace: Getting back to the active cell.
• Option + Down/Up Arrow: To move to the next or previous sheet if you have more than one page in the current file.
• Option + Shift + K: List of all sheets is displayed
• Ctrl + Cmd + Shift + M: Helps in moving focus out of the spreadsheet.

For using formulas

When you type formulas, these are the shortcuts that can be used.

Windows/Chrome OS

• Ctrl + ~: This is used for inserting an array formula that is when you input a formula, type “=” first.
• Ctrl + Shift + Enter: For inserting an array formula (when you input a formula, type “=” first).
• F1 button: When you want a full or compact formula help then use this function.
• F9 button: Previews for toggle formula.

macOS

• Cmd + Shift + Enter: This is used for inserting an array formula that is when you input a formula, type “=” first.
• Fn + F1: When you want a full or compact formula help then use this function.
• Fn + F9: Previews for toggle formula.

Also read: VLC Keyboard shortcuts: A comprehensive list

Access the Menus

Windows

The following shortcuts can be used on a PC to access each menu item. It is to be noted that most are slightly different in case of Chrome:

• Alt + F (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + F (Other browsers):  Access the File menu.
• Alt + E (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + E (Other browsers): Access the Edit menu.
• Alt + V (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + V (Other browsers): Access the View menu.
• Alt + I (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + I (Other browsers): Access the Insert menu.
• Alt + O (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + O (Other browsers): Access the Format menu.
• Alt + T (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + T (Other browsers): Access the Tools menu.
• Alt + H (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + H (Other browsers): Access the Help menu.
• Alt + A (Chrome) or Alt + Shift + A (Other browsers): Access the Accessibility menu.
• Shift + Right-click: Show your browser’s context menu.
• Ctrl + Shift + F: Switch to Compact mode.

macOS

Following shortcuts can be used on a Mac to access each menu item:

• Ctrl + Option + F: To open the File menu.
• Ctrl + Option + E: To open the Edit menu.
• Ctrl + Option + V: To open the View menu.
• Ctrl + Option + I: To open the Insert menu.
• Ctrl + Option + O: To open the Format menu.
• Ctrl + Option + T: To open the Tools menu.
• Ctrl + Option + H: To open the Help menu.
• Ctrl + Option + A: To open the Accessibility menu.
• Cmd + Option + Shift + K: Open the Input Tools menu (accessible in all documents that contain non-Latin languages).
• Cmd + Shift + F: Switch to Compact mode.
• Shift + Right-click: Show the browser’s context menu.

Also read: Every Chromebook keyboard shortcut you need to know