GNOME Orca screen reader keybindings

This page was last edited on March 16, 2026

This section documents the keybindings that I find most useful to navigate my systems with the GNOME Orca screen reader.

Orca Modifier

Desktop layout: Insert or KP_Insert
Laptoplayout: CapsLock

NOTE: KP_Insert is the same as KP_0

Controlling Orca

Press this key:	To do this:
`Super`+`Alt`+`s`	Toggle Orca on and off
`Alt`+`Backspace`	Toggle all Orca command keys

Preferences

Press this key:	To do this:
`Insert`+`Space`	Orca Preferences dialog
`CapsLock`+`Space`	Orca Preferences dialog
`Ctrl`+`Insert`+`Space`	Orca's Preferences dialog for the focused application
`Ctrl`+`CapsLock`+`Space`	Orca's Preferences dialog for the focused application

Learn Mode

Press this key:	To do this:
`Insert`+`h`	Enter Learn Mode
`CapsLock`+`h`	Enter Learn Mode
`Escape`	Exit Learn Mode

Where am I

Press this key:	To do this:
`KP_Enter`	Perform basic Where Am I
`CapsLock`+`Enter`	Perform basic Where Am I
`KP_Enter` (double-clicked)	Perform detailed Where Am I
`CapsLock`+`Enter` (double-clicked)	Perform detailed Where Am I
`Insert`+`KP_Enter`	Present the title bar
`CapsLock`+`Slash`	Present the title bar
`Insert`+`KP_Enter` (double-clicked)	Present the status bar
`CapsLock`+`Slash` (double-clicked)	Present the status bar

Time, Date, and Notification

Press this key:	To do this:
`Insert`+`t`	Present the time
`CapsLock`+`t`	Present the time
`Insert`+`t` (double-clicked)	Present the date
`CapsLock`+`t` (double-clicked)	Present the date

Structural Navigation

Headings

Press this key:	To do this:
`h`	Next heading
`Shift`+`h`	Previous heading
`Alt`+`Shift`+`h`	Display a list of headings
`1`	Next heading at level 1
`Shift`+`1`	Previous heading at level 1
`Alt`+`Shift`+`1`	Display a list of headings at level 1
`2`	Next heading at level 2
`Shift`+`2`	Previous heading at level 2
`Alt`+`Shift`+`2`	Display a list of headings at level 2
`3`	Next heading at level 3
`Shift`+`3`	Previous heading at level 3
`Alt`+`Shift`+`3`	Display a list of headings at level 3
`4`	Next heading at level 4
`Shift`+`4`	Previous heading at level 4
`Alt`+`Shift`+`4`	Display a list of headings at level 4
`5`	Next heading at level 5
`Shift`+`5`	Previous heading at level 5
`Alt`+`Shift`+`5`	Display a list of headings at level 5
`6`	Next heading at level 6
`Shift`+`6`	Previous heading at level 6
`Alt`+`Shift`+`6`	Display a list of headings at level 6

Forms

Press this key:	To do this:
`f`	Next form field
`Shift`+`f`	Previous form field
`Alt`+`Shift`+`f`	Display a list of form fields
`b`	Next button
`Shift`+`b`	Previous button
`Alt`+`Shift`+`b`	Display a list of buttons
`c`	Next combo box
`Shift`+`c`	Previous combo box
`Alt`+`Shift`+`c`	Display a list of combo boxes
`e`	Next entry
`Shift`+`e`	Previous entry
`Alt`+`Shift`+`e`	Display a list of entries
`r`	Next radio button
`Shift`+`r`	Previous radio button
`Alt`+`Shift`+`r`	Display a list of radio buttons
`x`	Next checkbox
`Shift`+`x`	Previous checkbox
`Alt`+`Shift`+`x`	Display a list of checkboxes

Links

Press this key:	To do this:
`k`	Next link
`Shift`+`k`	Previous link
`Alt`+`Shift`+`k`	Display a list of links
`u`	Next unvisited link
`Shift`+`u`	Previous unvisited link
`Alt`+`Shift`+`u`	Display a list of unvisited links
`v`	Next visited link
`Shift`+`v`	Previous visited link
`Alt`+`Shift`+`v`	Display a list of visited links

Lists

Press this key:	To do this:
`l`	Next list
`Shift`+`l`	Previous list
`Alt`+`Shift`+`l`	Display a list of lists
`i`	Next list item
`Shift`+`i`	Previous list item
`Alt`+`Shift`+`i`	Display a list of list items

Tables

Press this key:	To do this:
`t`	Next table
`Shift`+`t`	Previous table
`Alt`+`Shift`+`t`	Display a list of tables
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Left`	Cell on left
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Right`	Cell on right
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Up`	Cell above
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Down`	Cell below
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Home`	First cell in table
`Alt`+`Shift`+`End`	Last cell in table

Text Blocks

Press this key:	To do this:
`p`	Next paragraph
`Shift`+`p`	Previous paragraph
`Alt`+`Shift`+`p`	Display a list of paragraphs
`q`	Next blockquote
`Shift`+`q`	Previous blockquote
`Alt`+`Shift`+`q`	Display a list of blockquotes
`o`	Next "large object"
`Shift`+`o`	Previous "large object"
`Alt`+`Shift`+`o`	Display a list of "large objects"

Other Elements

Press this key:	To do this:
`m`	Next landmark
`Shift`+`m`	Previous landmark
`Alt`+`Shift`+`m`	Display a list of landmarks
`s`	Next separator
`Shift`+`s`	Previous separator
`a`	Next "clickable"
`Shift`+`a`	Previous "clickable"
`Alt`+`Shift`+`a`	Display a list of "clickables"
`g`	Next image
`Shift`+`g`	Previous image
`Alt`+`Shift`+`g`	Display a list of images
`Shift`+`Ctrl`+`,`	Start and end of current container

Table Navigation

Press this key:	To do this:
`Insert`+`c`	Set dynamic row headers to current column
`CapsLock`+`c`	Set dynamic row headers to current column
`Insert`+`r`	Set dynamic column headers to current row
`CapsLock`+`r`	Set dynamic column headers to current row
`Insert`+`c` (double-clicked)	Clear dynamic row headers
`CapsLock`+`c` (double-clicked)	Clear dynamic row headers
`Insert`+`r` (double-clicked)	Clear dynamic column headers
`CapsLock`+`r` (double-clicked)	Clear dynamic column headers
`Insert`+`F11`	Toggle between cell and row reading in a table
`CapsLock`+`F11`	Toggle between cell and row reading in a table

Flat Review

Press this key:	To do this:
`Insert`+`KP_7`	First line (The "home" position)
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl`+`u`	First line (The "home" position)
`KP_7`	Previous line
`CapsLock`+`u`	Previous line
`KP_8`	Current line
`CapsLock`+`i`	Current line
`KP_8` (double-clicked)	Spell current line
`CapsLock`+`i` (double-clicked)	Spell current line
`KP_8` (triple-clicked)	Phonetically spell current line
`CapsLock`+`i` (triple-clicked)	Phonetically spell current line
`KP_9`	Next line
`CapsLock`+`o`	Next line
`Insert`+`KP_9`	Last line (The "end" position)
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl`+`o`	Last line (The "end" position)
`Insert`+`KP_4`	Word above
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl`+`j`	Word above
`KP_4`	Previous word
`CapsLock`+`j`	Previous word
`KP_5`	Current word
`CapsLock`+`k`	Current word
`KP_5 (double-clicked)`	Spell current word
`CapsLock`+`k` (double-clicked)	Spell current word
`KP_5 (triple-clicked)`	Phonetically spell current word
`CapsLock`+`k` (triple-clicked)	Phonetically spell current word
`KP_6`	Next word
`CapsLock`+`l`	Next word
`Insert`+`KP_6`	Word below
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl<`+`l`	Word below
`KP_1`	Previous character
`CapsLock`+`m`	Previous character
`KP_2`	Current character
`CapsLock`+`,`	Current character
`KP_2` (double-clicked)	Phonetically speak current character
`CapsLock`+`,` (double-clicked)	Phonetically speak current character
`KP_2` (triple-clicked)	Speak Unicode value of current character
`CapsLock`+`,` (triple-clicked)	Speak Unicode value of current character
`KP_3`	Next character
`CapsLock`+`.`	Next character
`Insert`+`KP_1`	Last character on current line
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl`+`m`	Last character on current line
`Insert`+`KP_-`	Toggle flat review (refreshes the flat review context)
`CapsLock`+`p`	Toggle flat review (refreshes the flat review context)
`Insert`+`KP_5`	Review current item/widget
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl`+`k`	Review current item/widget
`KP_+` (double-clicked)	Use Say All to review the current dialog or window
`CapsLock`+`;` (double-clicked)	Use Say All to review the current dialog or window

Orca Find

Press this key:	To do this:
`KP_Delete`	Open the Orca Find dialog
`CapsLock`+`(`	Open the Orca Find dialog
`Insert`+`KP_Delete`	Move flat review to the next instance of a string
`CapsLock`+`)`	Move flat review to the next instance of a string
`Insert`+`Shift`+`KP_Delete`	Move flat review to the previous instance of a string
`CapsLock`+`Ctrl`+`)`	Move flat review to the previous instance of a string

Mouse/Pointer-Related Commands

Press this key:	To do this:
`KP_/`	Left-click on current item
`CapsLock`+`7`	Left-click on current item
`KP_*`	Right-click on current item
`CapsLock`+`8`	Right-click on current item
`Insert`+`KP_/`	Route pointer to current item
`CapsLock`+`9`	Route pointer to current item
`Insert`+`KP_*`	Move focus into or away from the current mouse over (web only)
`CapsLock`+`0`	Move focus into or away from the current mouse over (web only)

Live Region

Press this key:	To do this:
`Insert`+`Backslash`	Monitor live regions
`CapsLock`+`Backslash`	Monitor live regions
`d`	Go to next live region in the document's reading order
`Shift`+`d`	Go to previous live region in the document's reading order
`y`	Go to last live region which made an announcement

Baarool Lab

Category: GNOME Orca screen reader keybindings