Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of 2021. With so many features and options available, it can sometimes be difficult to find certain settings or options, like the shortcut options.
What are Facebook keyboard shortcuts?
Keyboard shortcuts, also sometimes referred to as hotkeys or shortcut keys, allow users to quickly perform actions or access different parts of an application or website using specific key combinations on a keyboard.
For Facebook, there are several keyboard shortcuts available that can help make navigating the platform faster and more efficient. These shortcuts allow you to do things like scroll through your News Feed, compose posts and comments, navigate between sections, open and close menus, and more.
Benefits of using Facebook shortcuts
Some of the benefits of using Facebook’s keyboard shortcuts include:
- Saves time – Shortcuts allow you to bypass clicking through menus and quickly jump to different pages or actions.
- Increases productivity – You can get more done in less time by relying on shortcuts instead of mouse clicks.
- Improves accessibility – For users with disabilities or mobility limitations, keyboard shortcuts can make using Facebook much easier compared to only relying on a mouse.
- Convenience – Shortcuts eliminate the need to grab your mouse or trackpad to click tiny buttons or dropdowns.
Where to find the full list of Facebook shortcuts
Facebook has dozens of useful shortcut keys, but unfortunately they are not all listed in oneeasy-to-find place within the interface. However, there are couple ways you can find a full list of all available Facebook shortcuts:
View keyboard shortcuts from Settings menu
- Click on the down arrow in the top right corner of any Facebook page.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
- Click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
- Select “Keyboard” from the different Setting sections.
- You will now see a list of all available Facebook shortcut keys, organized by function.
Visit Facebook’s Help Center
The other way to view all Facebook shortcuts is to visit the Facebook Help Center article titled “What are the Facebook shortcut keys?”. This article contains an exhaustive list of every keyboard shortcut available on Facebook currently.
Commonly used Facebook keyboard shortcuts
While there are many possible shortcut keys, these are some of the most helpful and commonly used Facebook shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| j | Scroll down News Feed |
| k | Scroll up News Feed |
| ↑ | Open comment reply box |
| Enter | Open photo or post |
| p | Create new post |
| o, c | Open Photos/Create Photo Album |
| f | Search for friends |
| / | Search Facebook |
| ? | Open Help Menu |
| Esc | Close current box/menu |
How to enable Facebook keyboard shortcuts
By default, Facebook’s keyboard shortcuts are disabled, so you will need to enable them before you can start using these handy shortcut keys.
To enable Facebook shortcuts:
- Click on the down arrow in the top right of any Facebook page and select “Settings & Privacy”.
- Click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
- Go to the “Keyboard” tab under Settings.
- Check the box next to “Turn on keyboard shortcuts”.
Once that setting is checked, the Facebook shortcut keys will be activated and ready to use whenever you are on Facebook.
Accessing shortcuts on mobile
The Facebook app for iOS and Android also offers several handy keyboard shortcuts for navigating the mobile interface quickly. However, the shortcuts are slightly different than the web version.
Facebook app iOS shortcuts
- L – Like posts
- C – Comment on posts
- S – Share posts
- N – Notifications
- H – Home screen
- P – Profile
Facebook app Android shortcuts
- T – Top of News Feed
- B – Bookmarks
- F – Search for Friends
- D – Drafts
- N – Notifications
Unfortunately, there is no setting to disable these mobile app shortcuts. But now you know they exist if you ever want to utilize them!
Customizing shortcuts
If you find that you frequently use a particular Facebook feature or page that doesn’t have a default shortcut set up, you can create your own custom keyboard shortcut for it.
Here is how to set up a custom shortcut on Facebook:
- Click on the down arrow and go to “Settings & Privacy”.
- Select “Settings” and then go to the “Keyboard” tab.
- Under “Custom Keyboard Shortcuts” click on “Add Shortcut”.
- Choose the specific page or action you want the shortcut to open.
- Enter your desired keyboard shortcut letter or key.
- Click “Add” to save your custom shortcut.
Now your own unique shortcut will be enabled and will take you directly to that commonly used page with a simple keystroke.
Conclusion
Facebook’s keyboard shortcuts allow you to save time and be more productive when using the platform. While the shortcuts are hidden away in the settings by default, enabling them provides you with a great way to quickly navigate Facebook on both desktop and mobile.
Some of the most useful shortcuts include j/k for scrolling the News Feed, p for composing posts, enter for opening items, and / for searching. But you can also create your own custom shortcuts tailored to the Facebook pages you visit most frequently.
So if you haven’t already, go enable Facebook’s keyboard shortcuts and start maximizing your efficiency on the platform!