The Android mobile operating system has an impressive set of keyboard shortcuts to help you fly through your phone without digging through the menus. A couple of quick key presses are all you need for most common tasks.
So what are you waiting for? Bookmark this list and get to know Android in a whole new way.
(Note: Some hotkeys may vary from one Android device to another. Most of the ones listed here, however, should work on any Android handset.)
Android Keyboard Shortcuts: Scrolling
• Spacebar: Page down in any Web page/document view
• Shift + Spacebar: Page up in any Web page/document view
Android Keyboard Shortcuts: Typing
• Alt + Spacebar: Insert a special character
• Shift + Del: Delete the character to the right of the cursor
• Alt + Del: Delete an entire line
• Shift + Shift (press it twice): Activate caps-lock; press shift once more to exit
• Alt + Trackball-Left: Move cursor to beginning of line
• Alt + Trackball-Right: Move cursor to end of line
• Alt + Trackball-Up: Move cursor to top of page
• Alt + Trackball-Down: Move cursor to bottom of page
• Shift + Trackball-Left/Right: Highlight text for cutting or copying
• Menu + X: Cut text (will cut all text on-screen unless specific characters are highlighted)
• Menu + C: Copy text to clipboard (will copy all text on-screen unless specific characters are highlighted)
• Menu + V: Paste text from clipboard
• Menu + A: Select all text in the current field
Android Keyboard Shortcuts: Browsing
• Menu + I: Zoom in
• Menu + O: Zoom out
• Menu + J: Go back a page
• Menu + K: Go forward a page
• Menu + R: Refresh current page
• Menu + F: Find on page
• Menu + B: Open bookmarks
• Menu + S: Open social network sharing menu
• Menu + H: View browsing history
• Menu + S: Open browser settings
Android Keyboard Shortcuts: Gmail
• F: Forward current message (works only while inside the message)
• R: Reply to current message (works only while inside the message)
• A: Reply-all to current message (works only while inside the message)
• Y: Archive message (works from within message or while on main inbox list)
• Menu + U: Refresh inbox
• Menu + C: Compose new e-mail
• Enter: Open an e-mail (from the main inbox list)
• Alt + Trackball-Up: Jump to top of inbox
• Alt + Trackball-Down: Jump to bottom of inbox
Android Keyboard Shortcuts: Apps
• Search + B: Open browser
• Search + C: Open contacts
• Search + E: Open e-mail
• Search + G: Open Gmail
• Search + I: Open calendar
• Search + M: Open maps
• Search + P: Open music
• Search + S: Open text messaging
• Search + Y: Open YouTube
You can also customize the keyboard shortcuts for applications: Just go into "Applications" off the main system settings menu, then select "Quick Launch." From there, you can change any of the above app-controlling hotkeys and add in your own.
JR Raphael is co-founder of geek-humor site eSarcasm . You can keep up with him on Twitter: @jr_raphael .