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April 24, 2025 23:42
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YouTube Cheatsheet: Shortcuts, Tips & Tricks
A handy guide to essential YouTube keyboard shortcuts, playback controls, browsing tips, and useful features to enhance your viewing experience.
Playback Shortcuts
Basic Controls
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Toggle Play/Pause |
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m |
Toggle Mute/Unmute |
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j |
Seek Back 10 seconds |
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l |
Seek Forward 10 seconds |
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Left Arrow |
Seek Back 5 seconds |
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Right Arrow |
Seek Forward 5 seconds |
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Home |
Go to start of video |
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End |
Go to end of video |
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0-9 |
Jump to 0-90% of video (e.g., 5 for 50%) |
Speed & Seeking
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< |
Decrease playback speed (.25x increments) |
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> |
Increase playback speed (.25x increments) |
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, |
Previous frame (when paused) |
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. |
Next frame (when paused) |
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Ctrl + Left Arrow |
Previous chapter |
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Ctrl + Right Arrow |
Next chapter |
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Shift + , |
Decrease speed (alt) |
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Shift + . |
Increase speed (alt) |
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Shift + p |
Previous video in playlist |
Display & Volume
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Up Arrow |
Increase volume (5%) |
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Down Arrow |
Decrease volume (5%) |
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f |
Toggle Fullscreen |
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Esc |
Exit Fullscreen |
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t |
Toggle Theater mode |
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i |
Toggle Miniplayer |
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c |
Toggle captions/subtitles |
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Shift + c |
Cycle through caption tracks |
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Shift + n |
Next video in playlist |
Navigation & Features
Browsing & Searching
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/ |
Focuses the search bar (press Esc to unfocus) |
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Enter |
Play the currently selected video thumbnail |
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Tab |
Navigate through focusable elements on the page |
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Shift + Tab |
Navigate backward through elements |
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Right-click (twice) |
Access HTML5 video player context menu (Loop, PiP, etc.) |
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Search Filters |
Refine search results by Type, Upload Date, Duration, Features, etc. |
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Search Operators |
Use |
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Shortened URLs |
Use |
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Timestamp Links |
Add |
Miniplayer & PiP
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Press |
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Click the ‘X’ on the Miniplayer to close it and return to the main video page. |
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Click anywhere on the Miniplayer window to return to the main video page. |
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Picture-in-Picture (PiP) is a browser feature, often initiated by a dedicated button or right-clicking the video. |
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PiP allows the video to play in a small floating window on top of other applications. |
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Availability of PiP depends on your web browser and operating system. |
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Standard OS controls (play/pause, close) manage the PiP window. |
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The PiP window can typically be resized and moved around your screen. |
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Exiting the PiP window usually returns you to the browser tab where the video originated. |
Comments & Engagement
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Scroll down below the video player to access the comments section. |
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Use the “Sort by” option to switch between Top comments and Newest comments. |
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Click the “Reply” button under a comment to post a response directly below it. |
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Like or Dislike comments to show your reaction. |
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Click the three dots next to a comment to report it if it violates guidelines. |
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Interact with posts on a channel’s “Community” tab. |
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Click “Subscribe” to follow a channel and see their new videos in your feed. |
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Click the notification bell next to the subscribe button to customize alerts for new uploads. |
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Share videos easily using the “Share” button below the player. |
Account & Settings
General Settings
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Click your profile icon (top right) to access settings, switch accounts, etc. |
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Manage your Google Account linked to YouTube. |
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Go to “Settings” to adjust playback, privacy, notifications, and connected apps. |
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Under “Playback and performance,” adjust default quality, video format preferences. |
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Under “Privacy,” view/clear Watch History, Search History, and manage blocked users. |
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Customize email and push notifications under “Notifications.” |
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Enable “Restricted Mode” to help filter out potentially mature content. |
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Set reminders to take a break from watching (in mobile app or desktop settings). |
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Enable/disable “Autoplay” for the next video in a series/playlist. |
Player Customization
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Click the gear icon on the video player for quick access to Quality and Playback speed. |
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Change video quality manually (from Auto up to 8K, depending on video/connection). |
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Adjust playback speed from 0.25x (slowest) to 2x (fastest). |
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Toggle and select caption tracks using the ‘c’ key or the CC icon. |
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Customize subtitle appearance (font, size, color, background) in Settings > Playback and performance > Subtitles. |
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Toggle ‘Theater mode’ ( |
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In standard mode, drag the player edges to resize it on the page. |
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Use the ‘Miniplayer’ ( |
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Use Picture-in-Picture (browser dependent) to watch while using other applications. |
Tips & Tricks
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Watch “Premiere” videos live with chat before they become standard uploads. |
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Explore channel memberships for exclusive content and perks. |
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Utilize the YouTube mobile app for features like offline downloads (with Premium). |
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Use the ‘Cast’ feature to watch videos on a smart TV or other device. |
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If you’re a creator, explore YouTube Studio for analytics and channel management. |
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Check out YouTube Music, YouTube Kids, and YouTube TV for specialized content. |
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Create and manage playlists to organize videos you want to watch or save. |
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Queue videos to watch next by right-clicking thumbnails or using the ‘Add to queue’ option. |
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Access your library to find Watch History, Watch Later, Liked videos, and playlists. |