Windows 11 · How-To

Essential Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts

By Muhd Radhi Wahab, Editor · Updated 7 August 2026 · Reference guide

The short answer

The shortcuts worth memorising first: Win+Left/Right to snap windows, Win+Z for the full Snap layouts grid, Win+Tab for virtual desktops, Win+V for clipboard history, Win+Shift+S to grab a screenshot, and Win+. for the emoji panel. Learn those six and you have covered most of what makes Windows 11 fast to drive from the keyboard. The tables below group the rest by the job you are trying to do, so you can find the one you need instead of scrolling a flat list of two hundred combinations.

Throughout this guide, Win means the Windows logo key (usually between Ctrl and Alt on the bottom-left of the keyboard). Every combination here is a built-in Windows 11 shortcut — nothing needs to be installed, though a couple of features have to be switched on the first time, which we call out where it matters.

Print-and-pin tip

The tables on this page are grouped so they fit a single screen or a single printed page. Use your browser's Ctrl+P to print just this article as a one-page cheat sheet — the site's navigation and footer drop away automatically.

Snapping windows and layouts

Snapping is the biggest single productivity win in Windows 11. Instead of dragging and resizing windows by hand, you pin them to halves, quarters or named layouts with one key press. Microsoft's Keyboard shortcuts in Windows reference lists the same combinations: Win + Z opens the snap layouts, and Win + Alt + Up or Down snaps the active window to the top or bottom half of the screen.

Shortcut	What it does
`Win` + `Left`	Snap the active window to the left half of the screen
`Win` + `Right`	Snap the active window to the right half of the screen
`Win` + `Up`	Maximise the active window
`Win` + `Down`	Restore, then minimise the active window
`Win` + `Alt` + `Up`	Snap the active window to the top half of the screen
`Win` + `Alt` + `Down`	Snap the active window to the bottom half of the screen
`Win` + `Z`	Open the Snap layouts grid to pick a multi-window arrangement

To snap two windows side by side quickly:

Click the window you want on one side and press Win + Left (or Win + Right).
Windows shows thumbnails of your other open windows filling the empty half — click one to snap it opposite.
To fine-tune the split, drag the divider between the two windows; both resize together.

For three- or four-window layouts, press Win + Z. A grid of layout options appears (the choices depend on your screen size and orientation). Each zone is numbered, so after the grid opens you can press a number to drop the current window into that zone, then pick windows for the remaining zones from the thumbnails.

Tip — hover the maximise button

Prefer the mouse for layouts but the keyboard for everything else? Hovering the maximise button on any window (top-right, between minimise and close) shows the same Snap layouts grid that Win + Z opens. It is the same feature reached two ways.

Virtual desktops and task switching

Virtual desktops give you separate sets of windows — one for work, one for personal, one for a specific project — without extra monitors. Task View is the hub for managing them.

Shortcut	What it does
`Win` + `Tab`	Open Task View — see every window and desktop
`Alt` + `Tab`	Cycle through open windows (hold `Alt`, tap `Tab`)
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `D`	Create a new virtual desktop
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `Right`	Switch to the next desktop on the right
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `Left`	Switch to the next desktop on the left
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `F4`	Close the current virtual desktop

Closing a desktop does not close its apps

When you close a virtual desktop with Win + Ctrl + F4, the windows on it are not shut down — they move to the desktop on its left. That is usually what you want, but do not rely on closing a desktop to close programs; save your work and quit apps normally first.

Clipboard, emoji and text input

Windows 11 remembers more than the last thing you copied — if you turn the feature on.

Shortcut	What it does
`Win` + `V`	Open clipboard history (multiple copied items, pins and emoji)
`Win` + `.` or `Win` + `;`	Open the emoji, GIF and symbol panel
`Ctrl` + `C` / `Ctrl` + `X` / `Ctrl` + `V`	Copy / cut / paste
`Ctrl` + `Z` / `Ctrl` + `Y`	Undo / redo
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste as plain text (supported in many apps)

The first time you press Win + V, clipboard history is switched off and a panel offers a Turn on button. After that, each thing you copy stacks up in the panel, which holds up to 25 items — older entries drop off automatically unless you pin the ones you reuse so they survive a restart. Microsoft Support's Clipboard in Windows page states the same limit of 25 copied entries, and that history is cleared each time you restart the PC except for pinned items. To enable or clear it manually, go to:

Settings > System > Clipboard

Screenshots and screen capture

Shortcut	What it does
`Win` + `Shift` + `S`	Open Snipping Tool to capture a region, window or full screen
`Win` + `PrtScn`	Capture the whole screen and save it as a file automatically
`PrtScn`	Copy the whole screen to the clipboard
`Alt` + `PrtScn`	Copy just the active window to the clipboard

Files saved by Win + PrtScn land in Pictures\Screenshots. For region captures and annotation, Win + Shift + S is the one to learn — it copies the snip to the clipboard and shows a notification you can click to mark it up. Microsoft Support's Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots page describes the same two keys: Win + Shift + S opens the snipping overlay, while a plain PrtScn puts a static image of the entire screen on the clipboard. Our full screenshot guide covers every method in depth.

System, search and File Explorer

These are the everyday shortcuts for getting around Windows itself — opening files, searching, locking the PC and reaching settings.

Shortcut	What it does
`Win` + `E`	Open File Explorer
`Win` + `L`	Lock the PC and return to the sign-in screen
`Win` + `D`	Show the desktop, then restore your windows
`Win` + `A`	Open Quick Settings (Wi-Fi, volume, brightness, battery)
`Win` + `N`	Open the notification centre and calendar
`Win` + `S`	Open search to find apps, files and settings
`Win` + `I`	Open the Settings app
`Win` + `X`	Open the Quick Link (power-user) menu
`Win` + `R`	Open the Run box
`Win` + `number`	Open the taskbar app in that position (1–9)

Tip — Win+X is the fast route to admin tools

Win + X opens a menu with Device Manager, Disk Management, Terminal, Task Manager and the shutdown options — Microsoft calls it the Quick Link menu and notes the shortcut does the same thing as right-clicking Start. It is the quickest keyboard path to an administrator Terminal — press Win + X then A.

A note for Windows Server

The core Windows key shortcuts — Win + E, Win + L, Win + D, Win + R, Win + X — work the same on Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025 because they share the Windows shell. Features that belong to the client edition, such as Snap layouts (Win + Z) and clipboard history (Win + V), may not be present on a default server install, or may depend on the Desktop Experience being installed rather than Server Core.

Frequently asked

What is the fastest way to snap two windows side by side in Windows 11?

Click the window you want on the left, press Windows key + Left arrow, then choose a window from the thumbnails that appear on the right. Windows fills the other half for you. Press Windows key + Z instead to pick from the full grid of Snap layouts, which also offers three- and four-window arrangements on wider screens.

Why is Win+V (clipboard history) not working?

Clipboard history is off until you switch it on. The first time you press Windows key + V a small panel appears with a Turn on button — click it. You can also enable it under Settings, System, Clipboard, Clipboard history. Until it is enabled, Windows only remembers the single most recent item you copied.

How do I turn off or change a Windows keyboard shortcut?

Windows does not offer a single screen to remap every shortcut. Some can be disabled where the feature lives — for example, sticky-key and toggle-key prompts under Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard. For full remapping, Microsoft's free PowerToys utility includes a Keyboard Manager that lets you reassign keys and shortcuts. Individual apps also have their own shortcut settings.

Do Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts work on Windows Server?

Most core Windows key shortcuts — Win+E for File Explorer, Win+L to lock, Win+D to show the desktop, Win+R to run — behave the same on Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025 because they share the same shell. Features that ship only with the client edition, such as Snap layouts via Win+Z or clipboard history via Win+V, may be absent or need the relevant feature installed.

More Windows help

Browse all how-to guides for step-by-step Windows 11 walkthroughs, or dig into the windows-now.com archive for the restored community posts. Related reading: take a screenshot in Windows 11 and reset File Explorer.