Google Chat keyboard shortcuts
Conversation navigation, threads, replies, and space shortcuts.
24 shortcuts Mac and Windows checked September 14, 2026
Print all 24 shortcuts One sheet with every shortcut in this app, ready for the printer or a PDF.
- Google Chat Documented
| Action | Keys | Row actions |
|---|---|---|
| Show the keyboard shortcut list Not typing in a field | Mac ? 1 more variant | Source |
| Search chats and spaces Not typing in a field | Mac / 1 more variant | Source |
| Focus the direct message list Not typing in a field Keyboard shortcuts must be switched on in the Chat shortcut dialog. | Mac HC 1 more variant | Source |
| Focus the spaces list Not typing in a field Keyboard shortcuts must be switched on in the Chat shortcut dialog. | Mac HR 1 more variant | Source |
| Browse spaces Anywhere in Chat | Mac CmdO 1 more variant | Source |
| Create a space Anywhere in Chat | Mac CmdI 1 more variant | Source |
| Start a new chat Anywhere in Chat | Mac CmdShiftK 1 more variant | Source |
| Go to the previous unread conversation Sidebar | Mac ShiftUp arrow 1 more variant | Source |
| Go to the next unread conversation Sidebar | Mac ShiftDown arrow 1 more variant | Source |
| Move up between sidebar sections Sidebar | Mac CmdUp arrow 1 more variant | Source |
| Move down between sidebar sections Sidebar | Mac CmdDown arrow 1 more variant | Source |
| Focus the main reply box Conversation open | Mac CmdS 1 more variant | Source |
| Open the conversation menu Conversation open | Mac CmdG 1 more variant | Source |
| Focus the last message Conversation open | Mac CmdJ 1 more variant | Source |
| Open the thread navigation panel Space open | Mac HT 1 more variant | Source |
| Return the focus to the sidebar Conversation open | Mac Esc 1 more variant | Source |
| Send the reply Reply box | Mac Enter 1 more variant | Source |
| Insert a new line in the message Reply box | Mac ShiftEnter 1 more variant | Source |
| Edit your previous message Empty reply box | Mac Up arrow 1 more variant | Source |
| Show the emoji picker Reply box | Mac : 1 more variant | Source |
| Switch between the main window and a chat popup Chat popup open | Mac ShiftEsc 1 more variant | Source |
| Go to the next chat popup Chat popup open | Mac Cmd. 1 more variant | Source |
| Go to the previous chat popup Chat popup open | Mac Cmd, 1 more variant | Source |
| Move the focus to the side panel or video call Workspace side panel | Mac CmdOption. 1 more variant | Source |
About Google Chat and its shortcuts
Google Chat keeps a small keyboard focused on moving between conversations, starting a new one, and jumping to unread messages. It shares conventions with Gmail, which is useful if you already work that way.
Chat appears both as its own site and embedded inside Gmail, and the two do not behave identically. Being a web application, it loses some combinations to the browser.
Where the Google Chat keys came from
Read from 1 documentation page published by the makers of Google Chat. Report a key that is wrong
To see how one action is done in other apps as well as Google Chat, browse the shortcuts by task. Shortcuts by task