Google Sheets is a powerful tool for managing data, and keyboard shortcuts can make your work faster and easier. Whether you’re a student, professional, or business owner, learning these shortcuts will save you time. This guide lists all the important shortcuts for Google Sheets in simple Indian English, perfect for beginners and experts. Use Ctrl + / (Windows) or ⌘ + / (Mac) in Google Sheets to see the full shortcut list anytime.
1. Moving Around in Google Sheets
These shortcuts help you move between cells, rows, columns, and sheets quickly.
Basic Navigation
- Move to next cell (right): Tab (same for Windows, Mac, Android)
- Move to previous cell (left): Shift + Tab
- Move up one cell: Shift + Enter
- Move up/down/left/right: Arrow keys
- Jump to start of row: Home (Windows/Android), Fn + Left Arrow (Mac)
- Jump to end of row: End (Windows/Android), Fn + Right Arrow (Mac)
- Jump to start of column: Ctrl + Up Arrow (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Up Arrow (Mac)
- Jump to end of column: Ctrl + Down Arrow (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Down Arrow (Mac)
- Jump to start of sheet: Ctrl + Home (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Fn + Left Arrow (Mac)
- Jump to end of sheet: Ctrl + End (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Fn + Right Arrow (Mac)
Sheet Navigation
- Go to next sheet: Alt + Down Arrow (Windows/Android), Option + Down Arrow (Mac)
- Go to previous sheet: Alt + Up Arrow (Windows/Android), Option + Up Arrow (Mac)
- Show list of sheets: Alt + Shift + K (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + K (Mac)
- Open hyperlink in cell: Alt + Enter (Windows/Android), Option + Enter (Mac)
- Scroll to active cell: Ctrl + Backspace (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Backspace (Mac)
2. Selecting Cells and Data
These shortcuts let you select cells, rows, or columns easily.
Basic Selection
- Select all data: Ctrl + A or Ctrl + Shift + Space (Windows/Android), ⌘ + A (Mac)
- Select entire column: Ctrl + Space (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Space (Mac)
- Select entire row: Shift + Space (same for all)
- Select a range of cells: Shift + Arrow keys
Advanced Selection
- Select to start of row: Shift + Home (Windows/Android), Shift + Fn + Left Arrow (Mac)
- Select to end of row: Shift + End (Windows/Android), Shift + Fn + Right Arrow (Mac)
- Select to start of sheet: Ctrl + Shift + Home (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + Fn + Left Arrow (Mac)
- Select to end of sheet: Ctrl + Shift + End (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + Fn + Right Arrow (Mac)
- Select entire data range: Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + Arrow keys (Mac)
3. Editing Data
These shortcuts help you copy, paste, undo, and make changes quickly.
Copy and Paste
- Copy: Ctrl + C (Windows/Android), ⌘ + C (Mac)
- Cut: Ctrl + X (Windows/Android), ⌘ + X (Mac)
- Paste: Ctrl + V (Windows/Android), ⌘ + V (Mac)
- Paste values only: Ctrl + Shift + V (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + V (Mac)
Other Editing Shortcuts
- Undo: Ctrl + Z (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Z (Mac)
- Redo: Ctrl + Y or Ctrl + Shift + Z (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + Z (Mac)
- Find text: Ctrl + F (Windows/Android), ⌘ + F (Mac)
- Find and replace: Ctrl + H (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + H (Mac)
- Fill range with selected cell’s data: Ctrl + Enter (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Enter (Mac)
- Fill down: Ctrl + D (Windows/Android), ⌘ + D (Mac)
- Fill right: Ctrl + R (Windows/Android), ⌘ + R (Mac)
- Add/edit comment: Ctrl + Alt + M (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + M (Mac)
- Add/edit note: Shift + F2 (same for all)
- Cancel action (before Enter): Esc (same for all)
- Repeat last action: F4 or Ctrl + Y (Windows/Android), Fn + F4 or ⌘ + Y (Mac)
4. Formatting Cells
These shortcuts make your data look neat and professional.
Text Formatting
- Bold: Ctrl + B (Windows/Android), ⌘ + B (Mac)
- Italic: Ctrl + I (Windows/Android), ⌘ + I (Mac)
- Underline: Ctrl + U (Windows/Android), ⌘ + U (Mac)
- Strikethrough: Alt + Shift + 5 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 5 (Mac)
- Clear formatting: Ctrl + \ (Windows/Android), \ (Mac)
Borders
- Add top border: Alt + Shift + 1 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 1 (Mac)
- Add right border: Alt + Shift + 2 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 2 (Mac)
- Add bottom border: Alt + Shift + 3 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 3 (Mac)
- Add left border: Alt + Shift + 4 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 4 (Mac)
- Remove borders: Alt + Shift + 6 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 6 (Mac)
- Add all borders: Alt + Shift + 7 (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + 7 (Mac)
Alignment
- Align left: Ctrl + Shift + L (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + L (Mac)
- Align center: Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + E (Mac)
- Align right: Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + R (Mac)
Number Formats
- Number format: Ctrl + Shift + 1 (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + 1 (Mac)
- Time format: Ctrl + Shift + 2 (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + 2 (Mac)
- Date format: Ctrl + Shift + 3 (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + 3 (Mac)
- Currency format: Ctrl + Shift + 4 (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + 4 (Mac)
- Percentage format: Ctrl + Shift + 5 (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + 5 (Mac)
- Scientific format: Ctrl + Shift + 6 (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + 6 (Mac)
- Show/hide formulas: Ctrl + (Windows/Android), Ctrl + (Mac)
5. Adding and Removing Rows/Columns
These shortcuts help you add or delete rows, columns, and sheets.
Inserting
- Add new sheet: Shift + F11 or Alt + Shift + S (Windows/Android), Shift + F11 (Mac)
- Add rows above: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + = or Alt + I, R (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + = (Mac)
- Add rows below: Alt + I, W (Windows, Chrome), Ctrl + Option + I, W (Mac)
- Add columns to the left: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + = or Alt + I, C (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + = (Mac)
- Add columns to the right: Alt + I, O (Windows, Chrome), Ctrl + Option + I, O (Mac)
- Insert current date: Ctrl + ; (Windows/Android), ⌘ + ; (Mac)
- Insert current time: Ctrl + Shift + : (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + : (Mac)
- Insert date and time: Ctrl + ; then Ctrl + Shift + : (Windows/Android), ⌘ + ; then ⌘ + Shift + : (Mac)
Deleting
- Delete rows: Ctrl + Alt + – (select rows first, Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + – (Mac)
- Delete columns: Ctrl + Alt + – (select columns first, Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + – (Mac)
6. Viewing and Interface Shortcuts
These shortcuts help you navigate the Google Sheets interface.
- Show keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl + / (Windows/Android), ⌘ + / (Mac)
- Search menus (Tool Finder): Alt + / (Windows/Android), Option + / (Mac)
- Toggle full screen: Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Ctrl + F (Mac)
- Hide menus (compact mode): Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Ctrl + F (Mac)
- Open Explore panel: Alt + Shift + X (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + X (Mac)
- Show revision history: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + Shift + H (Mac)
- Show notifications: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + Shift + N (Mac)
7. Working with Data and Formulas
These shortcuts are useful for formulas and data management.
- Insert array formula: Ctrl + Shift + Enter (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Shift + Enter (Mac)
- Show formula help: Shift + F1 (Windows/Android), Shift + Fn + F1 (Mac)
- Auto sum: Alt + = (Windows/Android), Option + = (Mac)
- Create filter: Ctrl + Alt + R or Alt + D, F (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + R (Mac)
- Data validation: Alt + A, V or Alt + D, L (Windows/Android), Option + A, V (Mac)
- Define named range: Alt + M, N or Alt + D, N (Windows/Android), Option + M, N (Mac)
- Toggle absolute/relative reference: F4 (Windows/Android), Fn + F4 (Mac)
8. Macros
These shortcuts are for running macros (automated tasks).
- Run macro (assigned to number): Ctrl + Alt + Shift + [0-9] (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + Shift + [0-9] (Mac)
Note: You can only assign macros to number keys (0-9) with these combinations.
9. Accessibility Shortcuts
These shortcuts help users with screen readers.
- Turn on screen reader: Alt + Shift + Z (Windows/Android), Option + Shift + Z (Mac)
- Read row header: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + Shift + R (Mac)
- Read column header: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C (Windows/Android), ⌘ + Option + Shift + C (Mac)
Tips for Using Shortcuts
Check Latest Shortcuts: Open Google Sheets and press Ctrl + / (Windows) or ⌘ + / (Mac) to see the latest shortcut list.
Enable Excel Shortcuts: Go to Help > Keyboard shortcuts and turn on Enable compatible spreadsheet shortcuts for Excel-like shortcuts (e.g., Alt + I, R for inserting rows).
Mac Users: Replace Ctrl with ⌘ and Alt with Option for most shortcuts.
Android Users: Most Windows shortcuts work with an external keyboard, but some may depend on your keyboard type.
No Custom Shortcuts: Google Sheets doesn’t allow custom shortcuts except for macros. Try add-ons like SheetWhiz for more options.
Uppercase/Lowercase: There’s no shortcut for changing text case. Use formulas like =UPPER() or =LOWER() instead.
