We all have our favorite keyboard shortcuts. Ctrl+S (or Command+S on a Mac) saves, while Ctrl/Command+A selects everything. And don’t forget Ctrl/Command+P to print.
There’s a similar equivalent for your favorite social media websites, but you may not be as aware.
For example, you can start a new tweet by just tapping the letter n. And you can comment on a Google Plus post with the letter r. Keep in mind, these shortcuts are for twitter.com, facebook.com and plus.google.com. They may not work on third-party sites or apps, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful.
Here is a full list of supported shortcuts for Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.
Actions
n = New Tweet
f = Favorite
r = Reply
t = Retweet
m = Direct message
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b = Block User
u = Unblock User
Enter = Open Tweet details
l = Close all open Tweets
Navigation
? = See the on-screen shortcut menu
j = Next Tweet
k = Previous Tweet
Space = Page down
/ = Search
. = Load new Tweets
Timelines (note: Don’t press both keys at once, tap one and then the other in quick succession)
g h = Home
g c = Connect
g a = Activity
g r = Mentions
g d = Discover
g p = Profile
g f = Favorites
g l = Lists
g m = Messages
g s = Settings
g u = Go to user…
(Note: The keys are the same, but the key/key combinations to activate the shortcuts vary by computer type and browser)
Internet Explorer for PC: Alt + key, then Enter
Firefox for PC: Shift + Alt + key
Safari for Mac: Ctrl + key
Firefox for Mac: Ctrl + key
Chrome: Alt + key
/ = Search
Enter = Focus on the text box when making a post
0 = Help
1 = Home
2 = Timeline
3 = Friends
4 = Inbox
5 = Notifications
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6 = Account Settings
7 = Privacy
8 = About
9 = Terms
c = Comment when on a story in news feed
j and k = Scroll between News Feed stories
l = Like or unlike a selected story
m = New Message
Google Plus
/ = Select the search box at the top of the page
? = Navigate to the icons on the left (such as Home or Photos); scroll between icons with the ? and ? keys
Press enter to open the selected page
? = Navigate from the icons on the left side to the main page; scroll the main page with the ? and ? keys
j = Move to the post above the current post
k = Move to the post below the current post
n = Move to the next comment on the current post
p = Move to the previous comment on the current post
r = Comment on the current post
? = Open the full list of keyboard shortcuts
As with many programs, undocumented or lesser known shortcuts exist. If you find anything that’s not on these lists, please let me know.
What questions do you have about social media? Tweet them to @scottkleinberg or @amyguth. We might select yours for use in a future column.