Zoom's meeting shortcuts are all Alt-key chords on Windows (Cmd with Shift or Ctrl on macOS) and they matter most in the moments where hunting for a button is embarrassing: unmuting to answer a question, stopping a share, leaving. A setting in Zoom's keyboard preferences lets each of them work globally, even when another application is in front.
Meeting: Video & Audio (5)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + V | Start/stop video | Global shortcut available. |
| Alt + A | Mute/unmute audio | Global shortcut available. |
| Alt + M | Mute/unmute audio for everyone except host | Host only. |
| Alt + N | Switch camera | Cycles cameras when more than one is connected. |
| Ctrl + 2 | Read active speaker name | Reads the name aloud for screen-reader users. |
Meeting: View & Layout (9)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + F1 | Switch to Speaker view | | Switch to Speaker view |. |
| Alt + F2 | Switch to Gallery view | | Switch to Gallery view |. |
| Page Up | View the previous page of video participants in gallery view | | View the previous page of video participants in gallery view |. |
| Page Down | View the next page of video participants in gallery view | | View the next page of video participants in gallery view |. |
| Alt + F | Enter or exit full screen mode | | Enter or exit full screen mode |. |
| Alt | Toggle the option Always show meeting controls | Changes the General setting. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Shift | Change focus to Zoom Meeting controls | On top when sharing screen. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H | Show/hide floating meeting controls | | Show/hide floating meeting controls |. |
| Alt + F4 | Close the current window | | Close the current window |. |
Meeting: Screen Share (5)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + S | Open share screen window or stop screen share | Only when the meeting control toolbar has focus. |
| Alt + Shift + S | Show/hide windows and applications available to share | Only when the meeting control toolbar has focus. |
| Alt + T | Pause or resume screen share | Only when the meeting control toolbar has focus. |
| Alt + Shift + R | Begin remote control | | Begin remote control |. |
| Alt + Shift + G | Revoke/give up remote control permission | | Revoke/give up remote control permission |. |
Meeting: Recording (3)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + R | Start/stop computer recording | | Start/stop computer recording |. |
| Alt + C | Start/stop cloud recording | | Start/stop cloud recording |. |
| Alt + P | Pause/resume recording | | Pause/resume recording |. |
Meeting: Panels & Participants (8)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + H | Show/hide in-meeting chat panel | | Show/hide in-meeting chat panel |. |
| Alt + U | Show/hide participants panel | | Show/hide participants panel |. |
| Alt + I | Open invite window | | Open invite window |. |
| Alt + Shift + I | Copy invitation link | | Copy invitation link |. |
| Alt + Y | Raise/lower hand | | Raise/lower hand |. |
| Alt + Q | Display prompt to end or leave meeting | | Display prompt to end or leave meeting |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Open the AI chat panel in a meeting | | Open the AI chat panel in a meeting |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Y | Open Reactions panel | | Open Reactions panel |. |
Meeting: In-meeting Chat (7)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + + | Increase chat display size | | Increase chat display size |. |
| Ctrl + - | Decrease chat display size | | Decrease chat display size |. |
| Alt + Shift + E | Focus input field | Only in the chat window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + U | Focus last received parent message in the chat history | Only in the chat window. |
| Ctrl + L | Focus list of chats | Only in the chat window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Jump to start of unread messages | Only in the chat window. |
| Ctrl + N | Start new chat with meeting participants | Only in the chat window. |
Meeting: Reactions (6)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + Shift + 4 | Send audible clap | | Send audible clap |. |
| Alt + Shift + 5 | Send thumbs up | | Send thumbs up |. |
| Alt + Shift + 6 | Send heart | | Send heart |. |
| Alt + Shift + 7 | Send joy | | Send joy |. |
| Alt + Shift + 8 | Send open mouth | | Send open mouth |. |
| Alt + Shift + 9 | Send tada | | Send tada |. |
Team Chat (12)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + Shift + T | Screenshot | | Screenshot |. |
| Ctrl + W | Hide current chat session | | Hide current chat session |. |
| Ctrl + Up | Go to previous chat | | Go to previous chat |. |
| Ctrl + Down | Go to next chat | | Go to next chat |. |
| Alt + Left | Back in chat history | | Back in chat history |. |
| Alt + Right | Forward in chat history | | Forward in chat history |. |
| Ctrl + N | Start a new chat | | Start a new chat |. |
| Ctrl + L | Focus to list of all chats and channels | | Focus to list of all chats and channels |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + U | Focus keyboard to latest message in current group chat or channel | | Focus keyboard to latest message in current group chat or channel |. |
| Ctrl + Alt + I | Add member to current group chat or channel | | Add member to current group chat or channel |. |
| Alt + N | Jump to start of new messages in the current group chat or channel | | Jump to start of new messages in the current group chat or channel |. |
| Ctrl + K | Insert a hyperlink | | Insert a hyperlink |. |
Phone (7)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + P | Call highlighted phone number | | Call highlighted phone number |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + A | Accept inbound call | | Accept inbound call |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | End current call | | End current call |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Decline inbound call | | Decline inbound call |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Mute/unmute call | | Mute/unmute call |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + H | Hold/unhold call | | Hold/unhold call |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Transfer call | | Transfer call |. |
General (11)
| Shortcut | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Open the AI chat panel (out of meeting) | | Open the AI chat panel (out of meeting) |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + J | Open the Calendar panel | | Open the Calendar panel |. |
| Alt + F4 | Close current window | | Close current window |. |
| Ctrl + F | Search | | Search |. |
| F6 | Navigate among Zoom popup windows | | Navigate among Zoom popup windows |. |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch to next product tab | | Switch to next product tab |. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to previous product tab | | Switch to previous product tab |. |
| Ctrl + 1-8 | Switch to the specified product tab | | Switch to the specified product tab |. |
| Ctrl + 9 | Switch to the last product tab | | Switch to the last product tab |. |
| Alt + L | Switch between Portrait and Landscape views | | Switch between Portrait and Landscape views |. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Shift + D | Start network diagnostic | | Start network diagnostic |. |
Mute, camera and push-to-talk
Alt + A toggles the microphone and Alt + V the camera. If you stay muted by habit, holding Space (hold) unmutes only while the key is down, push-to-talk style, and re-mutes when released — the safest way to interject in a large meeting. Hosts can silence the room with Alt + M, which mutes everyone except the host.
Sharing and meeting controls
Alt + S starts and stops screen sharing, and Alt + T pauses a share so you can open something private without ending it. Alt + Y raises or lowers your hand, Alt + H toggles the chat panel, Alt + U the participants list and Alt + R recording (for hosts or with permission). Alt + Q leaves — or ends, for the host — and asks for confirmation first.
View
Alt + W switches between speaker view and gallery view, Alt + F toggles full screen, and Alt + N switches to the next camera when more than one is connected. On a shared screen these view keys act on your own client only; participants keep their layout.
Frequently asked questions
How do I unmute only while speaking?
Hold the space bar. Zoom unmutes while it is held and mutes again when you release it (enable "press and hold Space to temporarily unmute" in audio settings if it is off).
Do these shortcuts work when Zoom is not the active window?
Only if "Enable Global Shortcut" is ticked for that shortcut in Settings › Keyboard Shortcuts. Otherwise the Zoom window must have focus.
What are the macOS equivalents?
Most use Cmd + Shift or Cmd + Ctrl with the same letter — for example Cmd + Shift + A to mute and Cmd + Shift + V for video. Zoom's settings pane lists them.
How do I pause a screen share without stopping it?
Alt + T pauses the share; press it again to resume. Alt + S stops sharing entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I combine Zoom shortcuts with other tools?
Yes — use My Stack to combine Zoom shortcuts with any other platform on this site into one printable reference, which is useful if your daily workflow spans several tools.
Do Zoom shortcuts differ between Windows and Mac?
Most do not — the underlying key is the same, but Zoom (like most software) maps Ctrl on Windows/Linux to Cmd on Mac for standard operations. Where a shortcut is platform-specific, this page notes the Mac variant next to the Windows one. Since meeting controls matter most in the moment, they are worth drilling until automatic before an important call.