Zoom keyboard shortcuts

Zoom is the default video conferencing app for millions of meetings, webinars, and remote classes every day. When you are live on camera, reaching for on-screen controls is slow and visible to everyone. These default desktop-client shortcuts let you mute, share, record, and manage views instantly from the keyboard. This cheat sheet covers 40 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

General

Jump to chat with someone	`Ctrl`+`KCmd`+`K`
Search	`Ctrl`+`FCmd`+`F`
Close current chat session	`Ctrl`+`WCmd`+`W`
Go to previous chat	`Ctrl`+`Up`no default
Go to next chat	`Ctrl`+`Down`no default
Move between tabs	`Ctrl`+`Tab`no default
Open settings/preferences	no default`Cmd`+`Comma`
Join a meeting	no default`Cmd`+`J`
Take a screenshot	`Alt`+`Shift`+`TCmd`+`T`

Audio

Mute or unmute my audio	`Alt`+`ACmd`+`Shift`+`A`
Temporarily unmute (push to talk)	`SpaceSpace`
Mute or unmute everyone except host (host only)	`Alt`+`MCmd`+`Ctrl`+`M`

Video

Start or stop my video	`Alt`+`VCmd`+`Shift`+`V`
Switch camera	`Alt`+`NCmd`+`Shift`+`N`
Switch to speaker view	`Alt`+`F1`no default
Switch to gallery view	`Alt`+`F2`no default
Toggle speaker/gallery view	no default`Cmd`+`Shift`+`W`
View previous 25 video participants	`PageUp`no default
View next 25 video participants	`PageDown`no default

Screen Sharing and Recording

Start or stop screen share	`Alt`+`SCmd`+`Shift`+`S`
Pause or resume screen share	`Alt`+`TCmd`+`Shift`+`T`
Start or stop local recording	`Alt`+`RCmd`+`Shift`+`R`
Start or stop cloud recording	`Alt`+`CCmd`+`Shift`+`C`
Pause or resume recording	`Alt`+`PCmd`+`Shift`+`P`

Meeting Controls

Raise or lower hand	`Alt`+`YOption`+`Y`
Show or hide in-meeting chat panel	`Alt`+`HCmd`+`Shift`+`H`
Show or hide participants panel	`Alt`+`UCmd`+`U`
Open invite window	`Alt`+`ICmd`+`I`
Always show meeting controls	`AltCtrl`+`\`
Show or hide meeting controls	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`HCtrl`+`Option`+`Cmd`+`H`
Gain remote control (while viewing a share)	`Alt`+`Shift`+`RCtrl`+`Shift`+`R`
Stop remote control	`Alt`+`Shift`+`GCtrl`+`Shift`+`G`
Move focus to Zoom meeting controls	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`no default
Read active speaker name aloud	`Ctrl`+`2`no default
End or leave meeting	`Alt`+`QCmd`+`W`

Window and View

Enter or exit full screen	`Alt`+`FCmd`+`Shift`+`F`
Exit full screen	`EscEsc`
Switch to portrait or landscape view	`Alt`+`LCmd`+`L`
Switch to minimal window	no default`Cmd`+`Shift`+`M`
Navigate among Zoom popup windows	`F6`no default

Put your top Zoom shortcuts on real keys

The five Zoom actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:

Alt+ACmd+Shift+A Mute or unmute my audio The most-used control in any meeting; a physical mute key ends the scramble when someone says your name.

Alt+VCmd+Shift+V Start or stop my video Camera toggling is a constant reflex on camera-optional calls.

Alt+SCmd+Shift+S Start or stop screen share Presenters share and stop sharing many times per session; one key makes it seamless.

Alt+YOption+Y Raise or lower hand Instant signaling in large meetings and webinars without touching the toolbar.

Alt+RCmd+Shift+R Start or stop local recording One press to capture a meeting the moment it matters, no menu digging.

I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.

See the macropads

Zoom shortcut FAQs

How do I mute myself quickly in Zoom?

Press Alt+A on Windows or Cmd+Shift+A on Mac to toggle your microphone. While muted, hold the Space bar to talk temporarily, like a walkie-talkie.

Can Zoom keyboard shortcuts work when the app is not in focus?

Yes. In Zoom settings under Keyboard Shortcuts, you can enable a global shortcut option per shortcut so keys like mute work even while you are in another app.

How do I share my screen in Zoom with the keyboard?

Press Alt+S on Windows or Cmd+Shift+S on Mac to start or stop screen sharing, and Alt+T (Cmd+Shift+T) to pause or resume the share.

Can I change Zoom's keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. Open Settings, go to Keyboard Shortcuts, click a shortcut, and press your preferred key combination to rebind it.

How do I switch between speaker view and gallery view in Zoom?

On Windows press Alt+F1 for speaker view and Alt+F2 for gallery view. On Mac, Cmd+Shift+W toggles between the two views.