Where to find keyboard settings on a Chromebook

Chromebooks let you change most keyboard shortcuts through the Settings menu. Open Settings by clicking the time in the bottom right corner, then selecting the gear icon. From there, go to Device on the left side, then Keyboard. This is where you'll find the built-in shortcuts you can customize.

Not all shortcuts can be changed through Settings — some are locked by Chrome OS itself for safety reasons. The ones you can modify appear in the Keyboard menu with a pencil icon next to them. If you don't see a pencil icon, that shortcut is fixed and cannot be reassigned.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, go to Device, then Keyboard to see which shortcuts you can change on your Chromebook.
  • Click the pencil icon next to any shortcut to reassign it to a different key combination.
  • Some shortcuts like Power and Refresh are locked by Chrome OS and cannot be changed.
  • Test your new shortcut right away to make sure it works and doesn't conflict with other commands.
  • You can restore all shortcuts to their defaults by clicking Reset all shortcuts at the bottom of the Keyboard menu.

Steps to reassign a single keyboard shortcut

Click the pencil icon next to the shortcut you want to change. A dialog box will open showing you the current key combination. Press the new keys you want to use instead — for example, if you want to remap Ctrl+N to open a new window, you would press Ctrl+N in the dialog box.

The Chromebook will confirm the new combination and ask if you want to save it. Click Confirm to lock in the change. If you accidentally press the wrong keys, close the dialog without confirming and try again. Your old shortcut stays active until you confirm the new one.

After you confirm, test the new shortcut when ready to make sure it works. Open an app or browser tab and press your new key combination to verify it does what you expect. If it doesn't work or conflicts with something else, go back to the Keyboard menu and reassign it again.

Common shortcuts you can change

Most navigation and window shortcuts can be remapped. These include opening a new tab (Ctrl+T), opening a new window (Ctrl+N), closing a tab (Ctrl+W), and going back or forward in your browser (Alt+Left Arrow and Alt+Right Arrow). You can also change shortcuts for taking screenshots, opening the Files app, and locking your screen.

Shortcuts tied to Chrome OS functions — like Power (the power button), Refresh (the refresh key), and Brightness controls — are locked and cannot be changed. These are protected because they control core device functions that the system needs to access at all times.

What to do if a new shortcut conflicts with an existing one

If you try to assign a key combination that's already in use, Chrome OS will warn you before you confirm. The warning shows which command already uses that combination. You can still save the new shortcut, but it will override the old one — the old command will no longer work unless you reassign it to something else.

To avoid losing shortcuts you use regularly, write down your current setup before making changes. Open the Keyboard menu and take a screenshot or note the shortcuts you use most. That way, if you accidentally overwrite something important, you'll know what to restore.

Resetting shortcuts back to the default setup

If you change multiple shortcuts and want to start over, scroll to the bottom of the Keyboard menu and click Reset all shortcuts. This returns every customizable shortcut to its original Chromebook setting. The reset happens when ready — there's no undo after you confirm, so make sure you really want to restore everything before clicking.

If you only want to reset one shortcut instead of all of them, go back to that shortcut in the Keyboard menu, click the pencil icon, and press the original key combination. You can look up the default shortcut on Google's Chromebook help page if you don't remember what it was.

Keyboard shortcuts that work in specific apps

Some apps and websites have their own shortcuts that you cannot change through Chromebook Settings. Google Docs, Gmail, and other Google apps have built-in keyboard commands that override your Chromebook shortcuts. If you want to change shortcuts in these apps, look for a Settings or Preferences menu inside the app itself.

Third-party apps like Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Office also manage their own shortcuts. Check the app's settings menu — usually found in the profile icon or hamburger menu — to see if keyboard shortcuts can be customized there. These app-level shortcuts work the same way as Chromebook shortcuts: find the command, click to edit it, and press your new key combination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the Ctrl+Alt+Delete shortcut on a Chromebook?

Chromebooks don't use Ctrl+Alt+Delete the way Windows computers do. If you want to force-close an app, use Alt+F4 or open the Task Manager with Search+Esc. Both of these can be remapped through the Keyboard menu if you want to assign them to different keys.

Why can't I change some of my keyboard shortcuts?

Shortcuts without a pencil icon next to them are locked by Chrome OS for security and stability. These include Power, Refresh, Brightness Up, and Brightness Down. They're protected because the system needs may provide access to them at all times, regardless of what app you're using.

Do my keyboard changes sync across multiple Chromebooks?

Yes. If you sign into the same Google account on multiple Chromebooks, your keyboard shortcut changes sync automatically. You don't have to set them up separately on each device — they'll be the same across all your Chromebooks once you sign in.

What if I press a key combination that doesn't exist as a shortcut?

Nothing happens. Chromebooks only respond to key combinations that are assigned to a command. If you press keys that aren't mapped to anything, the Chromebook ignores them. This is why you can safely experiment with new combinations without breaking anything.

Can I use special keys like the Search key in my custom shortcuts?

Yes. The Search key (the magnifying glass key on Chromebook keyboards) can be part of custom shortcuts. You can combine it with other keys — for example, Search+T or Search+N — to create shortcuts that don't conflict with standard keyboard commands.