Shortcuts (LibreOffice Accessibility)

You can control LibreOffice without using a mouse device, using only the keyboard.

On each module's main help page (for example, the LibreOffice Writer or LibreOffice Calc main help page) there is a link to access the keyboard shortcuts' help for that module.

In addition, under the keyword "Accessibility" you find step-by-step instructions about how to control the selected module without a mouse device.

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Some of the shortcut keys may be assigned to your desktop system. Keys that are assigned to the desktop system are not available to LibreOffice. Try to assign different keys either for LibreOffice, in Tools - Customize - Keyboard, or in your desktop system.


Working with the LibreOffice user interface without mouse

Activating menu bar, toolbars, windows, and document

Repeatedly pressing F6 switches the focus and circles through the following objects:

Press Shift+F6 to switch through objects in the opposite direction.

Press +F6 to switch to the document.

Press F10 to switch to the menu bar and back.

Escape closes an open submenu, a toolbar, or the current free window.

Calling a menu command

Press or F6 or F10 to select the first menu (the File menu). With right arrow, the next menu to the right is selected; with left arrow, the previous menu.

Arrow down opens a selected menu. Any additional arrow down and up arrow move the selection through the menu commands. With right arrow you open any existing submenus.

Press Enter to execute the selected menu command.

Executing an icon command

Press F6 repeatedly until the first icon on the toolbar is selected. Use the right and left arrows to select an icon on a horizontal toolbar. Similarly, use the up and down arrows to select an icon on a vertical toolbar. The Home key selects the first icon on a toolbar and the End key, the last.

Press Enter to execute the selected icon. If the selected icon normally demands a consecutive mouse action, such as inserting a rectangle, then pressing the Enter key is not sufficient: in these cases press +Enter.

If a toolbar is longer than can be displayed on screen, it shows an icon at the right or lower edge. Select the toolbar and press PageUp or PageDown to display the remaining icons.

Special hints for toolbars

Press the down arrow or right arrow to open the selected toolbar. This is equivalent to a mouse click. In the toolbar use the right arrow and left arrow keys. The Home and End keys select the first and last icon in the toolbar, respectively.

Close the toolbar with Esc. It is not possible to move the toolbar without a mouse.

Selection from a combo box

Combo box

Select the combo box. Press Enter.

Use the down arrow or Page Down key to scroll down the combo box entries, or the up arrow or Page Up key to scroll upwards. The Home key takes you to the first entry and the End key takes you to the last entry.

Press Enter to execute the selected entry.

Selection in Tables

In several windows, dialogs, and in the table control field, there are tables to select data, for instance, in the right part of the Data Source View. The following keys are used for selections in these tables:

Size and Position of Windows and Dialogs

  1. First press +spacebar.

    A system menu opens with menu commands like Move, Resize and Close.

  2. Choose a command (down arrow, then Enter).

  3. Now you can use the arrow keys to move or resize the dialog or window.

  4. Press Enter to accept the change. Press Escape to cancel the changes.

Docking and Undocking Windows and Toolbars

  1. Press F6 until the window or toolbar is selected.

  2. Press +Shift+F10.

Selecting objects

Press Shift+F4 to select the first object in the current document. When an object is selected, press Tab to select the next object, or press Esc to go back to the text.

Edit Objects

A selected OLE object can be activated with the Enter key.

Edit Position and Size of Objects

Edit the Anchors of Objects

You can move the anchor of an object with the arrow keys. First enter the handle edit mode and select the anchor. Depending on the type of anchor, you can then move the anchor in different directions.

  1. Select the object.

  2. Enter the handle edit mode with +Tab.

  3. The upper left handle starts blinking. Press +Tab several times, until no handle blinks. This signals that now the anchor of the object is activated.

  4. Use the arrow keys to move the anchor. The object follows the anchor as appropriate.

You can change the anchor of the selected object for example in the object's context menu.

Controlling the Dividing Lines

Documents of LibreOffice Calc, LibreOffice Draw, and LibreOffice Impress can be split horizontally and vertically into separate views. Each view can show other parts of the document. Using the mouse, you can drag a dividing line from the scrollbar into the document.

Controlling the Data Source View

+ Shift + F4 opens and closes the data source view.

F6: switches between document and toolbars.

+ (plus key): expands the selected entry in the data source explorer.

- (minus key): collapses the selected entry in the data source explorer.

+Shift+E: switches between data source explorer and table.

Shortcuts in the Query Design Window

F6: switches between object bar, table view, and selection area.

+Up arrow or +Down arrow: moves the border between table view and selection area up or down.

Keys in the Table View (upper area of the query design) and in the Relations window

+Arrow key: moves the selected table in the direction of the arrow.

+Shift+Arrow key: resizes the selected table in the table view.

Del: removes the selected table or connection from the table view.

Tab: switches between tables and connections in the table view.

Enter: when a connection is selected, the Enter key opens the Properties dialog of the connection.

Enter: when a table is selected, the Enter key enters the first data field from the list box into the selection area.

Keys in the Selection Area (bottom area of the query design)

+Left Arrow or Right Arrow: moves the selected column to the left or to the right.

Keys in the Table Design Window

F6: switches between toolbar, column view, and properties area.

Controlling the ImageMap Editor

Controlling the Help

Press Shift+F1 to display the Extended Tips for the currently selected command, icon or control.

Navigating the main help pages

Controlling the Text Import dialog (CSV file import)

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Preview

Controlling the Insert - Special Character Dialog

General Shortcut Keys in LibreOffice

Accessibility in LibreOffice

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