Handy Browser Shortcuts Every Gamer Should Know

A few keyboard shortcuts can make playing in a browser faster and more comfortable. Shortcuts below are for Windows and Chromebook-style keyboards; on Mac, use Command in place of Ctrl.

Full screen and zoom

• F11 toggles full screen in most desktop browsers, giving the game more room.
• Ctrl and + or Ctrl and - zooms in and out. Ctrl and 0 resets the zoom.

Tabs

• Ctrl and T opens a new tab.
• Ctrl and W closes the current tab.
• Ctrl and Tab switches to the next tab.
• Ctrl and Shift and T reopens a tab you closed by accident.

Reload and stop

• F5 or Ctrl and R reloads the page if a game freezes.
• Esc stops loading and often exits full screen or pauses a game.

Sound

Most browsers let you right-click a tab and choose to mute the site. This is handy when you want to keep playing without audio.

In-game controls

Many browser games use the arrow keys or WASD to move, the space bar to jump or confirm, and the mouse to aim or click. Check the instructions on the game's start screen, because controls vary.

Learning these few shortcuts takes only minutes, and they make every session smoother.