.appCheat sheet
Names of the keys on a keyboard
Shift is the two keys above Ctrl, Tab sits above Caps Lock, and Backspace is in the top right corner of the letter keys, above Enter. Below: where each special key is and what it does.
Press a key - it lights up on the drawing and the page scrolls to its description.
Shift
Where: Two keys: the left one above Ctrl and the right one below Enter. On many keyboards they show an up arrow.
What it does: Hold it for a capital letter or the upper character on a key (Shift + 2 is @). Touch typists press it with the hand opposite the letter.
Mac: The same, with the ⇧ symbol.
Tab (tabulator)
Where: Left edge, above Caps Lock, next to Q.
What it does: Indents text in an editor and moves to the next field in a form (Shift + Tab goes back to the previous one). Alt + Tab switches windows.
Mac: The same; Cmd + Tab switches apps.
Caps Lock
Where: Left edge, below Tab, next to A.
What it does: Turns on capital letters until you press it again - a light next to it usually comes on. Digits and symbols don’t change.
Backspace (left arrow above Enter)
Where: Top right corner of the letter keys, above Enter. Often shows a left arrow instead of a label.
What it does: Deletes the character before the cursor. Ctrl + Backspace deletes the whole word.
Mac: On a Mac this key is called “delete” and works like Backspace.
Delete (Del)
Where: On a full-size keyboard, above the arrow keys, in the block with Home and End. On a laptop, usually in the top right corner.
What it does: Deletes the character AFTER the cursor (Backspace deletes the one before it) or the selected file. Shift + Delete deletes a file without sending it to the Recycle Bin.
Mac: No separate key on a Mac: use Fn + delete.
Enter
Where: Right side of the letter keys, above the right Shift.
What it does: Confirms and starts a new paragraph. In many programs, Shift + Enter starts a new line without a new paragraph.
Mac: On a Mac it’s sometimes labeled “return”.
Esc (Escape)
Where: Top left corner of the keyboard.
What it does: Closes a dialog, a menu or full screen, and stops whatever is in progress.
Ctrl (Control)
Where: Two keys in the bottom corners.
What it does: Does nothing on its own - it’s for shortcuts: Ctrl + C copies, Ctrl + V pastes, Ctrl + Z undoes.
Mac: On a Mac, shortcuts usually use the Cmd key (⌘), not Ctrl.
Win (Windows key, Windows logo key)
Where: Bottom row, between Ctrl and Alt (sometimes there’s a second one on the right).
What it does: Opens the Start menu. In shortcuts: Win + E opens File Explorer, Win + D shows the desktop, Win + L locks the computer, Win + period opens emoji.
Mac: On a Mac, Cmd (⌘) sits in this spot.
Alt and Alt Gr
Where: Next to the space bar: Alt on the left, and on the right Alt or, on many European keyboards, Alt Gr.
What it does: Left Alt: shortcuts (Alt + Tab, Alt + F4) and Alt codes for characters. On a US keyboard the right Alt works the same way. Alt Gr on European layouts types extra characters, such as € or accented letters.
Mac: On a Mac the equivalent is Option (⌥).
Fn (Function)
Where: On laptops, in the bottom left corner, next to Ctrl.
What it does: Changes what F1-F12 and some other keys do: with Fn they control the volume or brightness or turn off the touchpad (the small icon on the key shows what). Fn is handled by the keyboard itself, so the computer doesn’t see it - it won’t light up in the keyboard test either.
Num Lock
Where: Top left key of the numeric keypad; on laptops it often needs Fn.
What it does: Turns on the digits on the numeric keypad. When it’s off, the keypad works as arrow keys and Home/End. Alt codes don’t work without it.
Print Screen (PrtSc, PrtScn)
Where: Above the arrow keys or in the top row, next to F12.
What it does: Copies a screenshot to the clipboard. Win + Print Screen saves it straight to a file, Alt + Print Screen copies just the active window, and Win + Shift + S lets you snip part of the screen.
Mac: On a Mac: Cmd + Shift + 3 (whole screen), Cmd + Shift + 4 (part of it).
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Shift on the keyboard?
- There are two: the left one above Ctrl, in the bottom left corner of the letter keys, and the right one below Enter. They often show an up arrow instead of a label.
- What’s the difference between Backspace and Delete?
- Backspace deletes the character before the cursor, Delete the one after it. On a Mac, Backspace is called “delete”, and Delete is Fn + delete.
- What does the Fn key do?
- It changes what other keys do on a laptop: with Fn, F1-F12 control the volume or brightness or turn off the touchpad. Fn works inside the keyboard, so the computer doesn’t see it.
- Where is the Tab key?
- Tab is the key on the left edge, above Caps Lock, next to the letter Q. It often shows two arrows pointing in opposite directions.
Check that they all work in the keyboard test. Special characters: keyboard symbols.