Adobe Acrobat Reader keyboard shortcuts

Acrobat Reader is Adobe's free app for opening PDFs, filling in forms, and leaving comments. Use these keys to page through and zoom a document, search it, jump with bookmarks, mark it up, and have it read aloud.

Windows, macOS · 134 shortcuts

Tools pane navigation

These keys move focus through Acrobat's global toolbar and All tools pane without selecting a tool by pointer.

ActionShortcuts
Move focus to the next tool in the global toolbar
Windows / macOSTab
Move focus to the previous tool in the global toolbar
Windows / macOSShift + Tab
Expand the focused tool
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Close the open tool when its close button has focus
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Move focus to View more in All tools
Windows / macOSTab
Move to the next touchpoint in All tools
Windows / macOSDown
Move to the previous touchpoint in All tools
Windows / macOSUp
Open the focused All tools item
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Expand or collapse View more
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Expand or collapse View less
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Close the All tools pane
Windows / macOSEsc

Document and editing tools

Reader includes the viewing tool accelerators from Adobe's shared Acrobat keymap. Authoring and paid editing tools are intentionally excluded here.

ActionShortcuts
Temporarily use the Hand tool
Windows / macOSSpace
Select the Hand tool
Windows / macOSH
Select the Select tool
Windows / macOSV
Select the Marquee Zoom tool
Windows / macOSZ
Cycle through Marquee Zoom, Dynamic Zoom, and Loupe
Windows / macOSShift + Z
Temporarily use Dynamic Zoom while Marquee Zoom is selected
Windows / macOSShift
Temporarily zoom out while Marquee Zoom is selected
WindowsCtrl
macOSOption
Temporarily use the Zoom In tool
WindowsCtrl + Space
macOSCmd + Space
Select the 3D tool
Windows / macOSM

Task panes

Task-pane shortcuts depend on keyboard focus. F6 reaches the pane region before Tab and arrow keys move inside it.

ActionShortcuts
Move focus to the next document, task, message, or navigation pane
Windows / macOSF6
Move focus to the previous document, task, message, or navigation pane
Windows / macOSShift + F6
Move focus to the next panel in the Task pane
WindowsCtrl + Tab
macOSOption + Tab
Move focus to the previous panel in the Task pane
WindowsCtrl + Shift + Tab
macOSCmd + Shift + Tab
Move to the next control in an open Task pane
Windows / macOSTab
Move to the previous control in an open Task pane
Windows / macOSShift + Tab
Move to the next command button in a panel
Windows / macOSDown
Move to the previous command button in a panel
Windows / macOSUp
Expand or collapse the focused panel
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Open or close the Task pane
Windows / macOSShift + F4
Open the focused command's menu
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter
Return focus to the parent command
Windows / macOSEsc
Run the focused command
Windows / macOSSpaceorEnter

Comments and markups

Single-letter comment tools use the same accelerator preference as the document tools. Tab navigation applies when comments or form fields can receive focus.

ActionShortcuts
Select the Add a comment tool
Windows / macOSS
Select the Add a stamp tool
Windows / macOSKorJ
Select the current highlighting tool
Windows / macOSU
Cycle through Highlight, Underline, and Strikethrough
Windows / macOSShift + U
Select the current drawing markup tool
Windows / macOSD
Cycle through drawing markup tools
Windows / macOSShift + D
Select the Cloud tool
Windows / macOSQ
Select the Add text comment tool
Windows / macOSX
Cycle through Stamp, Attach file, and Sound Recorder
Windows / macOSShift + J
Move focus to the next comment or form field
Windows / macOSTab
Move focus to the previous comment or form field
Windows / macOSShift + Tab
Add a checkmark to the selected comment
Windows / macOSShift + K
Open the focused comment pop-up or Comments list text field
WindowsEnter
macOSReturn
Reply to the focused comment
Windows / macOSR
Close the focused comment pop-up or text field
Windows / macOSEsc

Pages, scrolling, and zoom

Page keys follow the current PDF view. Arrow keys may scroll instead of changing pages when the document is not in a page-by-page layout.

ActionShortcuts
Go to the previous screen
WindowsPage UporShift + Enter
macOSPage UporShift + Return
Go to the next screen
WindowsPage DownorEnter
macOSPage DownorReturn
Go to the first page
WindowsHomeorCtrl + Shift + Page UporCtrl + Shift + Up
macOSHomeorCmd + Shift + Up
Go to the last page
WindowsEndorCtrl + Shift + Page DownorCtrl + Shift + Down
macOSEndorCmd + Shift + Down
Go to the previous page
WindowsLeftorCtrl + Page Up
macOSLeftorCmd + Page Up
Go to the next page
WindowsRightorCtrl + Page Down
macOSRightorCmd + Page Down
Open Go to page
WindowsCtrl + Shift + N
macOSCmd + Shift + N
Scroll up
Windows / macOSUp
Scroll down
Windows / macOSDown
Scroll while the Hand tool is selected
Windows / macOSSpace
Zoom in
WindowsCtrl + =
macOSCmd + =
Zoom out
WindowsCtrl + -
macOSCmd + -

PDF portfolios

Portfolio commands apply while focus is in the file list or on its folder controls.

ActionShortcuts
Move to the previous or next portfolio file row
Windows / macOSUporDown
Move up one folder from the portfolio file list
WindowsBackspace
macOSDelete
Activate the focused Go Back button
Windows / macOSEnterorSpace
Open the focused subfolder or attachment
Windows / macOSEnter
Move to the first or last portfolio file row
Windows / macOSHomeorEnd
Move through the portfolio file list one screen at a time
Windows / macOSPage DownorPage Up
Select or deselect all portfolio files
WindowsCtrl + AorCtrl + Shift + A
macOSCmd + AorCmd + Shift + A
Extend the portfolio selection by one row
Windows / macOSShift + UporShift + Down
Toggle whether the focused portfolio row is selected
WindowsCtrl + Space
macOSCmd + Space
Move portfolio row focus without changing the selection
WindowsCtrl + UporCtrl + Down
macOSCmd + UporCmd + Down

Documents and search

These bindings switch document tabs and windows, move focus into the PDF, and step through search results.

ActionShortcuts
Move focus to the toolbar or Home view
Windows / macOSShift + F8
Move to the next open document tab
WindowsCtrl + Tab
macOSControl + Tab
Move to the previous open document tab
WindowsCtrl + Shift + Tab
macOSControl + Shift + Tab
Move to the previous open document window
WindowsCtrl + F6
macOSCmd + F6
Move to the next open document window
WindowsCtrl + Shift + F6
macOSCmd + Shift + F6
Close the current document
WindowsCtrl + F4
macOSCmd + F4
Open the focused hamburger menu
WindowsSpaceorEnter
macOSNot documented
Hide other applications
WindowsNot documented
macOSOption + Cmd + T
Close all open documents
WindowsNot documented
macOSCmd + Option + W
Move among Home, Tools, and Document controls in the top bar
Windows / macOSRightorLeftorTaborShift + Tab
Activate the highlighted top-bar control
WindowsEnterorSpace
macOSReturnorSpace
Move to the next comment, link, or form field in the document
Windows / macOSTab
Move focus to the document pane
Windows / macOSF5
Move to the previous comment, link, or form field in the document
Windows / macOSShift + Tab
Activate the focused tool, item, or command
WindowsSpaceorEnter
macOSSpaceorReturn
Open the context menu for the focused itemOn Windows, press Tab first to move focus to the target menu.
WindowsShift + F10
macOSControl + Click
Close the context menu
WindowsF10
macOSEsc
Return to the Hand or Select tool
Windows / macOSEsc
Move to the next tab in a tabbed dialog
WindowsCtrl + Tab
macOSNot documented
Find in the document
WindowsCtrl + F
macOSCmd + F
Move to and highlight the next search result
WindowsF3orCtrl + G
macOSCmd + G
Search the previous document in multi-file results
WindowsAlt + Shift + Left
macOSCmd + Shift + Left
Search the next document in multi-file results
WindowsAlt + Shift + Right
macOSCmd + Shift + Right
Extend the text selection
Windows / macOSShift + Arrow keys
Select the next word or deselect the previous word
WindowsCtrl + Shift + RightorCtrl + Shift + Left
macOSNot documented
Increase or decrease the focused slider value
WindowsRightorLeft
macOSControl + Option + RightorControl + Option + Left

Open the navigation pane first, then use these keys in file lists, To Do cards, page thumbnails, or bookmarks.

ActionShortcuts
Open the navigation pane and move focus into it
WindowsCtrl + Shift + F5
macOSCmd + Shift + F5
Move among the document, message bar, and navigation panels
Windows / macOSF6
Move to the previous pane or panel
Windows / macOSShift + F6
Move among elements in the active navigation panel
Windows / macOSTab
Switch to the previous or next navigation panel
Windows / macOSUp/Down
Activate the next navigation panel from anywhere in the navigation pane
WindowsCtrl + Tab
macOSNot documented
Select or deselect the focused file
Windows / macOSSpace
Select or deselect the focused To Do card
Windows / macOSSpace
Open the focused file
Windows / macOSEnter
Open the focused To Do card
Windows / macOSEnter
Move to the previous or next file row
Windows / macOSUporDown
Extend the file-row selection
Windows / macOSShift + UporShift + Down
Move file-row focus without changing selection
WindowsCtrl + UporCtrl + Down
macOSCmd + UporCmd + Down
Expand the focused bookmark
Windows / macOSRightorShift + +
Collapse the focused bookmark
Windows / macOSLeftor-
Expand all bookmarks
Windows / macOSShift + *
Collapse the selected bookmark
Windows / macOS/
Move focus to the next item in the navigation panel
Windows / macOSDown
Move focus to the previous item in the navigation panel
Windows / macOSUp

Accessibility and Read Out Loud

These commands change the tagged-PDF view or control Acrobat's built-in Read Out Loud playback.

ActionShortcuts
Edit the selected tag
Windows / macOSF2
Change reading settings for the current document
WindowsCtrl + Shift + 5
macOSCmd + Shift + 5
Toggle reflow for a tagged PDF
WindowsCtrl + 4
macOSCmd + 4
Activate or deactivate Read Out Loud
WindowsCtrl + Shift + Y
macOSCmd + Shift + Y
Read the current page out loud
WindowsCtrl + Shift + V
macOSCmd + Shift + V
Read the whole document out loud
WindowsCtrl + Shift + B
macOSCmd + Shift + B
Pause Read Out Loud
WindowsCtrl + Shift + C
macOSCmd + Shift + C
Stop Read Out Loud
WindowsCtrl + Shift + E
macOSCmd + Shift + E

Filling forms

Form-entry keys apply while a PDF form field has focus. Enter behaves differently in single-line and multiline text fields.

ActionShortcuts
Accept typing and move to the next form field
Windows / macOSTab
Accept typing and move to the previous form field
Windows / macOSShift + Tab
Select the previous radio button in a group
Windows / macOSUporLeft
Select the next radio button in a group
Windows / macOSDownorRight
Reject the entry and deselect the form field
Windows / macOSEsc
Exit full-screen modeAdobe notes that full-screen mode can require pressing Esc twice.
Windows / macOSEsc
Accept a single-line text entry and deselect the field
WindowsEnter
macOSReturn
Insert a paragraph return in a multiline text field
WindowsEnter
macOSReturn
Toggle the focused checkbox
WindowsEnter
macOSReturn
Accept typing and deselect the current field
Windows / macOSNumpad Enter
Insert a tab character into a text field
WindowsCtrl + Tab
macOSCmd + Tab

Source

official Adobe Acrobat Reader keyboard shortcuts · Checked

Current Acrobat Reader desktop defaults checked August 31, 2026. Adobe's June 21, 2026 Reader accessibility guide states that Reader and Acrobat use the same keyboard shortcuts and links to the September 23, 2025 Acrobat table. Enable Use single-key accelerators to access tools for one-letter commands.

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