The following table lists the essential keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate the desktop. The keyboard shortcuts that you use to navigate specific elements and controls are described in the appropriate sections of this chapter.
| Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| Tab | Give focus to the next element or control. |
| Shift+Tab | Reverse the navigation direction and give focus to the previous element or control. In general, the Shift key reverses the navigation direction. |
| Ctrl+Tab |
Give focus to the next element or control if the Tab key has a specific purpose in a control. For example, if you press Tab in a text box, the system inserts a tab space. To give focus to the previous element or control, press Shift+Ctrl+Tab. |
| arrow keys | Navigate within an element or control. |
| spacebar | Activate the element or control that has focus. For example, if the current control is a button, this action is the equivalent of clicking on the button with a mouse. |
| Esc | Close a window, menu, or drawer. |
| F7 | Switch to caret navigation mode. In computing, caret navigation is a kind of keyboard navigation where a caret (also known as "text cursor", "text insertion cursor", or "text selection cursor") is used to navigate and select text within a document. For more information about caret navigation mode, see Section 2.3.8 ― Caret Navigation Mode. |