Stop Ignoring the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down Buttons

Even when you grew up round computer systems, you could have no concept what the Residence, Finish, PgUp, and PgDn keys really do. I used to think about them as relics of the previous hardly ever used in the present day, like Pause/Break and Sys Rq. Not anymore.

What Do These Keys Do?

Residence, Finish, PgUp, and PgDn are navigation keys that can help you transfer shortly by way of internet pages and paperwork. Residence takes you to the highest of the web site or read-only doc, and Finish does the precise reverse. If the textual content is editable, they take you to the start or finish of the road.

PgUp and PgDn scroll up and down incrementally, similar to a standard scroll wheel. So, in the event that they serve the identical operate as a scroll wheel, what is the level of getting them?

With these keys, you do not have to depend on your mouse, eliminating the necessity to transfer your hand away from the keyboard whereas typing (one thing that the AutoKeybo from CES 2025 additionally goals to resolve). When you discover ways to use these 4 keys, you will navigate paperwork extra effectively.

PgUp and PgDn may solely prevent a second or two with every scroll, however contemplating how a lot a few of us scroll in a typical workday, these seconds add up shortly. Since you do not have to succeed in to your mouse on a regular basis, it may possibly additionally cut back hand and wrist pressure, particularly when you’ve got an ergonomic keyboard. They’re additionally nice for caret browsing.

Residence and Finish are significantly helpful for navigating internet pages. As a substitute of scrolling for 5 seconds or utilizing the scrollbar to unravel a prolonged How-To Geek article, you may simply hit “Finish” to be immediately taken there.

In the event you’ve by no means used these keys earlier than, you may be stunned by simply what number of packages make the most of them (although not all the time in the identical method). As anticipated, these keys work in document-oriented instruments like Microsoft Office/365 and Google Workspace, however additionally they work in most video and audio enhancing apps, file administration apps (like Home windows’ File Explorer), code editors, and extra. They even work on YouTube, permitting you to skip by way of a video, so there is a good likelihood your steadily used apps assist them, too.

Use Them in Mixture With Different Keys

All proper, scrolling by way of a doc is a enjoyable occasion trick, nevertheless it’s not that spectacular. The excellent news is that they’ll do much more if you mix them with different keys like Ctrl and Shift.

As an example, I typically use Ctrl+Shift+Finish after I wish to shortly choose textual content however skip the highest sections—it is like a extra exact model of Ctrl+A.

If a doc is editable, you need to use Ctrl+Residence/Finish to leap to the start or finish of the doc or spreadsheet immediately. Listed here are just a few extra useful key combinations and what they usually do:

• Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn: Switch between tabs in internet browsers or sheets in Excel. For Google Sheets, it is Ctrl+Shift+PgUp/PgDn as a substitute.
• Ctrl+Shift+PgUp/PgDn: Transfer tabs in internet browsers or choose the present and former/subsequent sheet in Excel.
• Alt+PgUp/PgDn: Scroll horizontally in some apps like Excel and Sheets.
• Shift+Residence/Finish: Choose the textual content from the present cursor place to the start or finish of the road.
• Ctrl+Shift+Residence/Finish: Choose all of the textual content out of your cursor to the highest or finish of the doc.
• Alt+Residence: Opens your set homepage within the present tab in internet browsers.

Keep in mind, the precise habits relies upon totally on the app, so check out totally different mixtures or learn a useful information to determine precisely what they do. As an example, I discovered that Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn in Phrase strikes your cursor to the highest of the earlier/subsequent web page, whereas PgUp and PgDn with out Ctrl merely scroll by way of the doc as a substitute.

These Keys Are Excellent for Bindings and Macros

In the event you do not see the worth of those keys to your use case, that is completely superb. As an example, in case your PC is only for gaming, you do not really want a barely quicker technique to bounce round an online web page. Personally, I do not use PgUp and PgDn as a result of I discover the moment jumps in scrolling too unpredictable. Nonetheless, my buddy, who’s an accountant, finds them invaluable for horizontal scrolling in Excel.

The excellent news is that you could nonetheless use these keys by rebinding them to features which might be extra helpful to you. Keys will be scarce, particularly on a tenkeyless or 75% keyboard, so it is a good suggestion to search out extra inventive makes use of for these keys.

You need to use your keyboard’s software program or a third-party instrument like VIA (if supported) to rebind these keys or set up macros. For instance, you could possibly assign them to carry out actions like Print Display screen (for screenshots), play/pause media, skip songs, or open an online browser or calculator.

Residence, Finish, PgUp, and PgDn will be tremendous useful when you “get to know them,” and I hope that I’ve impressed you to begin utilizing them. Fellow writers, programmers, accountants, and anybody else who works with paperwork, spreadsheets, and displays, can all profit from these keys. So, the subsequent time you are in a doc, remember to present these keys a attempt!