Navigate the interface using the keyboard

You can navigate the Ubuntu Desktop interface without a mouse, touchpad or another pointing device, using only the keyboard. This is necessary for visually impaired users who are using the screen reader, also known as Orca. However, any Desktop user can use keyboard navigation.

Launch applications using Activities

1. Press the Super key on your keyboard, otherwise known as the Windows key.

   The Activities overview opens, although Orca doesn’t announce it.

2. Start typing keywords to find the application that you are looking for.

   For example, terms such as web browser or email help you find applications for browsing the web such as Firefox and Thunderbird.

   As you type each letter, Orca announces the first available search result.

3. You can use Tab or the arrow keys to browse the search results and find what you are looking for.

Launch applications using the dash

The dash is the panel on the left side of the screen that contains application launchers, removable media and other icons. It’s also known as the dock. You can control it using the keyboard.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Tab to cycle through the user interface elements.

2. Select Dash.

3. Orca announces the first item in the dash, which is Firefox by default.

4. Using the arrow keys or Tab, move through the list of pinned applications, access any connected removable media, and access the Dash.

   Moving through the list of items in the dash, you find commonly used applications and utilities: Files lets you access the content of your home folder, Firefox is Ubuntu’s default web browser, LibreOffice is the office suite.

5. To start an application, select the item and press Enter.

6. If you can’t find the application in the dash, select the Show Apps item. Browse the list of all installed applications using Tab and the arrow keys.

Tip

If you know the position of the application in the dash, you can activate it by pressing Super+Number.

Switch between applications using the application switcher

1. Press Super+Tab.

   Orca announces the currently selected application.

   If only one application is open, the switcher selects it. Otherwise, it sellects the next application in the list.

2. To move through the application, keep holding Super and press Tab.

3. If multiple windows of this application are open, Orca says collapsed. You can then browse the windows using Super + they key between Tab and Escape. On standard English layout, this is the ` key.

4. To activate the application, release Super.

Switch between applications using the dash

1. Activate the dash interface using Ctrl+Alt+Tab.

2. Select an application using the arrow keys or Tab.

3. Open the menu using the Menu key or Shift+F10.

4. If Orca announces All Windows, the application is running.

   You can expand the list of open windows using Enter, Space or →.

   Browse the open windows using the arrow keys.

   To close the list of windows, press Esc or ←.

5. You can remove the application from the dash by selecting Unpin.

   You can quit the application by selecting Quit.

   If an application is running but it isn’t pinned to the dash, you can add it by selecting Pin to Dash.

Navigate application menus

Some applications such as LibreOffice have a menu bar. The menu bar enables you to access different functions of the application. You can access items in the menu bar using the following ways:

• If you know the shortcut for the menu item, press Alt + the letter for the menu item.

  For example, if you want to access the File menu of an application, press Alt+F.

• If you don’t know the menu shortcut, browse the available menus and items.

  Press Alt+F10 to open the menu bar. Use ↑ and ↓ to browse the current menu, and use ← and → to move between menus.

Navigate the panel

The top panel contains the clock, app indicators, system settings and network configuration. You can access it using the keyboard:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Tab to cycle through the user interface elements.

2. Select Top Bar.

3. Use Tab or the arrow keys to navigate the items on the top panel.

4. Press Enter to open a menu.

5. Use Tab to move through the menu options.

   Note

   Depending on the menu layout, you can also browse it using the arrow keys.

   However, in certain menus such as the System Menu, the items are arranged from the top to the bottom, and also from the left to the right. You can only use the arrow keys if you can visually see the elements and know their relative positions.

6. To return to applications, press Super+Tab.

Additional resources

For a complete list of keyboard shortcuts used to navigate the desktop, see Keyboard navigation shortcuts.