If you’re like most people, you probably use shift+enter to quickly enter text into a text editor or to open a new window. But there’s a secret shortcut that could save you time and energy in your everyday life – and it’s called shift+enter + left arrow. This combination allows you to quickly move the cursor to the left side of the screen, which is great for entering long lines of text or for moving around on a web page. It also works great when you want to select an element on the screen and then press return without having to wait for the selection to be updated. If you’re not familiar with this shortcut, it’s easy enough to learn: just hold down shift and then use your left arrow key to move the cursor left one position. This will move the cursor all the way down the screen, so you can easily select elements without having to wait for them to update.
Line Feed vs. Submit
If a web form or application defaults to submitting a text field when you hit Enter, then pressing Shift+Enter will usually let you create a line feed (moving the cursor to a new line) without submitting. That way, you can create multiple-line messages.
For example, on the Twitter website, you can use Shift+Enter to make a multi-line tweet. When you’re done, press Enter by itself, and your tweet will be sent.
The same thing works for apps such as Discord, Slack, and Teams. You can impress your friends by composing multi-line masterpieces, huge multi-paragraph diatribes, or whatever fits your fancy with Shift+Enter. Then when you’re ready to send, just hit plain old Enter.
Interestingly, the reverse is often true. If the default behavior for an app or website is to create a line feed when you press Enter, then pressing Shift+Enter usually will submit the text field or form, similar to clicking a “Submit” button (Ctrl+Enter often does this as well). That way, you can quickly submit a form without having to move your hand away from the keyboard to click a “Submit” button with your mouse.
The reason why this behavior exists is due to a historical quirk: The Enter and Return keys originated in two different environments (submitting data on computers vs. creating a carriage return on electric typewriters), but they are often used interchangeably depending on the software. Early on, IBM developed a way to combine both functions into one key (labeled “Enter”) that could be toggled by using the Shift key. The standard stuck and has been adopted by many operating systems and applications ever since.
It’s Handy in Microsoft Word Too
In Microsoft Word, pressing Shift+Enter allows you to enter a plain line feed instead of a paragraph break, which can be useful if you’re doing special formatting on a document. We wouldn’t be surprised if Shift+Enter unlocks hidden functionality in other apps as well. Let us know if you find out!
RELATED: What Does Shift+Enter Do in Word?
