Select text with the keyboard
Holding Shift while you move the cursor selects everything it passes over.
WindowsShift+Arrows
Mac⇧+Arrows
How to use it
- Put the cursor where the selection should start.
- Hold Shift.
- Use the arrows to grow the selection a letter or line at a time.
Pro tip
Shift works with every movement shortcut: Shift + End selects to the end of the line, Shift + Ctrl + End to the end of the document.
Next up in Text Editing
- Paste as plain textCtrl+Shift+V
- Open the emoji and symbol pickerWin+.
- Delete to the start of the line⌘+Delete
- Jump one word at a timeCtrl+← / →
+ 4 more in this section. See the whole library, or get all 107 on one printable sheet.
Want all 107? The full Shortcut Cheat Sheet
Windows 10 & 11 and Mac on 2 color-coded, printable pages, with a "learn these 6 first" strip. One-time $7, 30-day refund.
Free: the Top 10 keyboard shortcuts (PC & Mac)
The 10 shortcuts that save me hours every week, on one printable page. Stick it by your keyboard.