Life changer — Gmail shortcuts
If you are a productivity freak, and you get tons of emails, this article will change your life. Ever since I mastered Gmail’s shortcuts I go over my inbox like a storm. And I’m still not done learning this super-power.
Think about it this way: less time in Gmail = more time for actual work (or just more time on Twitter)
Here’s a quick demo:
Here are the most important shortcuts to remember, IMO:
- arrows — navigate between emails
- x — select (x is like a checkbox)
- e — archive (unfortunately, the most useful command)
- shift+u — mark as unread (why handle now when you can handle later?)
- f — forward (delegate!)
- r — reply (you have the answer!)
- a — reply all (keep everyone in the loop)
- cmd+shift+c — add CC (keep them in the loop as well!)
- cmd+shift+8 — add bullets (make some points)
- cmd+enter — send (careful not to hit by mistake)
- gi — go to inbox (so elegant)
- / — search (cause it’s Google, duh)
- l — apply a label (keep it organized)
- ? — show all shortcuts
And there are many more useful ones.
How to get there
Go to settings => General, and turn Keyboard Shortcuts on. Then hit ‘?’ in your inbox to see all available shortcuts
Your goal is to use Gmail without using the mouse at all. But Rome wasn’t built in a day. I recommend starting with the 3–4 most common shortcuts, memorize them, and practice.
After you feel comfortable with those, learn a few more and practice them — and little by little populate your shortcut arsenal. You might even feel less productive in the beginning, because you’ll have to pause and think, and might get some wrong, but keep at it! The better you get, the easier it will be to learn new shortcuts and the more productive you will feel in your work.
Good luck!
