Ubuntu

Whether you are navigating the desktop, managing windows, or tearing it up in the terminal, these default keyboard shortcuts will help you fly through your workflow.

🚀 System & Launchers

Shortcut	Action
Super (Windows Key)	Open the Activities overview / Search bar
Super + A	Show all installed applications (App Grid)
Super + E	Open the Files app (Nautilus)
Ctrl + Alt + T	Open a new Terminal window
Super + L	Lock the screen
Super + V	Open the Notification/Calendar menu
Ctrl + Alt + Del	Bring up the Log Out confirmation dialog

🪟 Window Management

Shortcut	Action
Alt + Tab	Switch quickly between open windows
Alt + ` (Tilde)	Switch between windows of the same application
Super + ↑	Maximize the current window
Super + ↓	Restore / Minimize the current window
Super + ← / →	Snap window to the left or right half of the screen
Super + Shift + ↑	Snap window to the upper half of the screen
Super + Shift + ↓	Snap window to the lower half of the screen
Alt + F4	Close the active window
Alt + F7	Move the current window (using arrow keys)

💻 Workspaces (Virtual Desktops)

Shortcut	Action
Super + Page Up / Down	Move to the workspace above or below
Super + Scroll Wheel	Move between workspaces while hovering over the panel
Super + Shift + Page Up	Move the active window to the workspace above
Super + Shift + Page Down	Move the active window to the workspace below

📸 Screenshots & Screen Recording

Ubuntu utilizes a built-in, interactive screenshot tool.

Shortcut	Action
Print Screen	Open the interactive Screenshot/Screen Recording UI
Alt + Print Screen	Take a screenshot of the current window immediately
Shift + Print Screen	Take a screenshot of the entire screen immediately

⌨️ Terminal Essentials

These are standard terminal shortcuts that save massive amounts of time when working on the command line.

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + Shift + C	Copy selected text
Ctrl + Shift + V	Paste copied text
Ctrl + Shift + T	Open a new terminal tab
Ctrl + Shift + W	Close the current terminal tab
Ctrl + C	Interrupt / Kill the currently running command
Ctrl + Z	Suspend the current foreground process
Ctrl + L	Clear the terminal screen (same as typing clear)
Ctrl + R	Reverse-search your command history

💡 Pro-Tip: Want to customize these or add your own? Press the Super key, type Keyboard, navigate to Keyboard Shortcuts, and click View and Customize Shortcuts to tweak them to your liking.