# Gmail keyboard shortcuts: how to turn them on and which to learn

Source: https://donezoinbox.com/how-to/gmail-keyboard-shortcuts/
Updated: 2026-10-19
Note: Gmail steps checked against Google's documentation on October 19, 2026.

Most Gmail single-key shortcuts only work after you switch them on: gear icon, **See all settings**, **Keyboard shortcuts on**, then **Save Changes**. Press ? (Shift + /) to see the full list. The ones worth learning first are C compose, J/K move, E archive, # delete, R reply, / search and Z undo.

## How do you turn on keyboard shortcuts in Gmail?

1. In Gmail on your computer, click the gear icon at the top right, then **See all settings**.
2. Scroll to the **Keyboard shortcuts** section and select **Keyboard shortcuts on**.
3. Click **Save Changes** at the bottom.
4. Press ? (Shift + /) anywhere in Gmail to open the list of shortcuts.

- Sending with Ctrl + Enter (⌘ + Enter on a Mac) works without the setting. The single-letter keys in the table below need it.

> These steps follow [Google's own documentation](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6594?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), read on October 19, 2026 for Gmail on the web (desktop). They were checked against the documentation, not clicked through in a real account. Google's page names the section, not the settings tab it sits on. Menus change now and then; if a label differs, Google's page is the reference.

## Which shortcuts do Gmail and Donezo Inbox share?

Donezo Inbox is built to be run from the keyboard, and its keys are on from the start, with nothing to switch on. The everyday ones are the same as Gmail's, so what you learn carries over. Archive is called Mark done.

1. Open Donezo Inbox (or the demo) and press ? to see the shortcuts on one sheet, grouped by Triage, Calendar, Go to and more.
2. Press ⌘K (Ctrl + K on Windows) to search every command by name. Each result shows its key, which is the quickest way to learn them.
3. Start with the shared keys in the table, then add the Donezo ones below it as you need them.

**Keys Gmail and Donezo Inbox share**

| Action | Gmail (shortcuts on) | Donezo Inbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compose a new message | C | C |
| Next / previous conversation | J / K | J / K |
| Go to the inbox | G then I | G then I |
| Archive (Mark done in Donezo) | E | E |
| Delete (move to Trash) | # | # |
| Search | / | / |
| Reply | R | R (in a conversation) |
| Undo the last action | Z | Z |
| Select a conversation | X | X |
| Send | Ctrl / ⌘ + Enter | ⌘ + Enter (Ctrl on Windows) |

![Donezo Inbox's Keyboard shortcuts sheet with Triage keys such as E mark done, H remind me, # delete and Command U unsubscribe, and Calendar and Go to keys](https://donezoinbox.com/img/howto-shortcuts-sheet.webp)
*The shortcut sheet, opened with ?. Screenshot of the demo mailbox.*

- **Only in Donezo Inbox:** H remind me later (snooze), ⇧E back to the inbox, ⌘⇧L schedule send in a draft, ⌘⇧Z send now and skip the undo wait, ⌘U unsubscribe, ⇧M mute, ⌘J ask the AI, ⌘A select every loaded conversation, and G then E for Done.
- On Windows and Linux, Ctrl stands in for ⌘ in every Donezo shortcut.

Every shortcut works in the demo with sample mail. [Open the live demo](https://donezoinbox.com/demo): it runs with sample mail, no sign-in.

## Why are Gmail keyboard shortcuts not working?

- **The setting is off.** Single-letter shortcuts need Keyboard shortcuts on in See all settings, and the change only counts after Save Changes.
- **The cursor is in a text box.** Letters type into the search box or a draft instead of running a command. Press Esc first.
- **A browser extension or another app takes the key.** Try the same key in a private window without extensions. If it works there, one of them is catching it.
- **The keyboard layout moves a symbol.** Shortcuts such as # and ? sit on different keys on some layouts. Donezo Inbox also matches ⌘ chords by key position, so they keep working on layouts such as AZERTY.

## Questions

### What is the keyboard shortcut for searching in Gmail?

/ puts the cursor in the search box, once shortcuts are on. It is the same key in Donezo Inbox.

### How do you select multiple emails in Gmail with the keyboard?

Move with J and K and press X on each conversation. In Donezo Inbox, X works the same, ⇧J and ⇧K extend the selection, and ⌘A selects every loaded conversation.

### How do you see all Gmail shortcuts?

Press ? with shortcuts on. Google's help page has the full list.

### Do Donezo Inbox's shortcuts need switching on?

No. They work from the first sign-in, and ? opens the sheet.

## Related

- [How to mass delete emails in Gmail](https://donezoinbox.com/how-to/mass-delete-emails-in-gmail/)
- [How to find archived emails in Gmail](https://donezoinbox.com/how-to/find-archived-emails-in-gmail/)
- [How to schedule an email in Gmail](https://donezoinbox.com/how-to/schedule-an-email-in-gmail/)
- [Superhuman alternatives for Gmail, compared](https://donezoinbox.com/alternatives/superhuman/)
- [The best email clients for Gmail, compared](https://donezoinbox.com/gmail-email-client/)

## Try the keys on sample mail

The demo needs no sign-in: press ? for the sheet, then J, K and E. The shortcuts pay off most when [clearing a lot of mail at once](https://donezoinbox.com/how-to/mass-delete-emails-in-gmail/).

Live demo (sample mail, no sign-in): https://donezoinbox.com/demo