Ubuntu’s most useful desktop shortcuts can open Activities, launch a run-command prompt and switch between windows. The exact assignments you should rely on are the ones shown on your own installation: check Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts in either Ubuntu 26.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS. This guide covers documented examples and how to verify, change or print them.
What are the Ubuntu keyboard shortcuts?
The Ubuntu desktop help documents these useful starting points. They are examples, not a complete list certified as identical across Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) and 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat). Check the shortcut panel on the release you use to confirm its current assignment.
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| Task | Shortcut | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Open Activities | Super | Opens or switches to the Activities overview. Super is commonly the key bearing the Windows logo, usually near Alt. |
| Open the run-command prompt | Alt+F2 | Opens a prompt for entering a command to run. |
| Switch between windows | Super+Tab | Move through windows; hold Shift as well to reverse the order. |
| Switch between windows from the same application | Super+the key above Tab | The physical key above Tab varies by keyboard layout. Use its position rather than assuming a particular symbol. |
These examples come from Ubuntu’s desktop keyboard help. The documentation portal provides release-specific guides for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS; the desktop documentation is in the process of migrating to Ubuntu Desktop documentation. The available references do not establish a shortcut-by-shortcut comparison for both releases, so do not assume every default is the same.
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Where is the Super key?
On most desktop keyboards, Super is the key with the Windows logo, typically positioned near the Alt key. Pressing it opens or switches to Activities. Some keyboards use a different label or layout; if you are unsure which key is mapped to Super, test the key or look up the action in your keyboard-shortcut settings.
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How to check shortcuts in Ubuntu 26.04 or 24.04
Use the settings on your own computer as the final reference for its assignments. Labels may differ slightly by release or interface language.
- Open Activities and search for Settings.
- Open Keyboard.
- Under Keyboard Shortcuts, select View and Customize Shortcuts.
- Search for an action or choose a category, then select the action to view or change its combination.
Ubuntu’s Set keyboard shortcuts help describes this workflow. When entering a new combination, press Backspace to reset an assignment or Esc to cancel.
How to change or add a keyboard shortcut
Change an existing shortcut
- Open Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts.
- Find the action by searching or browsing its category, then select it.
- Press the new key combination you want to assign. Use Backspace to reset the assignment or Esc to cancel.
If a combination does not behave as expected, return to this panel and check the action’s actual assignment. The setting shown there is more reliable than a generic list for a different release, layout or configuration.
Add a custom shortcut
- In the shortcut settings, open Custom Shortcuts.
- Provide a name and a valid system command.
- Assign the key combination you want to use.
Ubuntu’s shortcut help notes that you can check a command in Terminal. A custom shortcut launches the command you specify, so use a command appropriate to the task and your system.
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Ubuntu’s documentation portal lists HTML and PDF documentation for its releases, but that listing does not establish that Ubuntu publishes a dedicated keyboard-shortcuts PDF. Treat any printable shortcut sheet accompanying this guide as this article’s own companion, not as an official Ubuntu shortcut PDF. Confirm the shortcut assignments in your release’s settings before printing a reference.
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