The OneNote 2016 shortcut keys allow you to maneuver through OneNote’s tabs and ribbons using the keyboard instead of the mouse. To assist you, I’ve compiled a listing of the OneNote 2016 shortcut keys for the tabs/ribbons.
File Tab / Backstage
The File tab works differently than any of OneNote’s other ribbon tabs as it does not give a set of commands on the ribbon. Instead, when you click File, you are taken to the area that Microsoft calls the “backstage.” This is the area where you work with OneNote as a whole, rather than individual changes within the OneNote. This tab contains many of the common file tasks, including opening and creating new notebooks, printing, setting options, and exporting to a different file format. Information: The circled arrow in the top left corner of the backstage screen will return you to your page.
File tab / backstage commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Access the File tab | File tab | ALT + F |
1. Info – Account information | File tab > Information | ALT + F, I |
2. New – Create a new Notebook | File tab > New | ALT + F, N |
3. Open – Open a Notebook | File tab > Open | ALT + F, O |
4. Print – Print the selected item | File tab > Print | ALT + F, P or CTRL + P |
5. Share – Share the selected Notebook | File tab > Share | ALT + F, H |
6. Export – Export the selected Page, Section or Notebook to another format | File tab > Export | ALT + F, S |
7. Send – Send as email or attachment, PDF, Word or Blog | File tab > Send | ALT + F, D |
8. Account — Manage your Office, Windows and One Drive accounts | File tab > Account | ALT +F, Y2 |
9. Options – Customize the way OneNote looks and functions, including the commands available on the ribbons. | File tab > Options | ALT + F, T |
10. Feedback | File tab > Feedback | ALT + F, K |
Home Tab
The Home tab contains the most used functions/features. It contains the options to apply formatting and styles to text, cut and paste as well as work with tags within your page. The Home tab contains six groups – 1-Clipboard, 2-Basic Text, 3-Styles, 4-Tags, 5-Email and 6–Meetings.
Home tab commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Go to Home tab | Home tab | ALT + H |
Copy selection to the clipboard | Home tab > Clipboard group > Copy | ALT + H, C or CTRL + C |
Delete selection and copy it to the clipboard | Home tab > Clipboard group > Cut | ALT + H, X or CTRL + X |
Paste from the clipboard | Home tab > Clipboard group > Paste | CTRL +V |
Paste from the clipboard and keep source formatting | Home tab > Clipboard group > Paste Option > Keep Source Formatting | ALT + H, VK |
Paste from the clipboard and keep merge formatting | Home tab > Clipboard group > Paste Option > Merge Formatting | ALT + H, VM |
Paste from the clipboard and keep text only | Home tab > Clipboard group > Paste Option > Keep Text Only | ALT + H, VT |
Paste Picture from the clipboard | Home tab > Clipboard group > Paste Option > Paste Picture | ALT + H, VU |
Format Painter | Home tab > Clipboard group > Format Painter | ALT + H, FP |
Format text (font, size, bold, italic, underline, color, highlighting, etc.) | Home tab > Basic Text group | Bold: CTRL + B or ALT + H, 1 Italic: CTRL + I or ALT + H, 2 Underline: CTRL + U or ALT + H, 3 Strikethrough: ALT + H, 4 Subscript: ALT + H, 5 Highlight Text: ALT + H, I Font Color: ALT + H, FC Font: ALT + H, FF Font Size: ALT + H, FS |
Format paragraph (line spacing, left/right alignment, indenting, bulleted/numbered lists, etc.) | Home tab > Basic Text group | Bullets: ALT + H, U Numbering: ALT + H, N Decrease Indent: ALT + H, AO Increase Indent: ALT + H, AI Paragraph Alignment Options: ALT H + P Left Align: ALT + H, PL Center Align: ALT + H, PC Right Align: ALT + H, PR Paragraph Spacing Options: ALT + H, PP |
Clear all formatting | Home tab > Basic Text group > Erase | ALT + H, E |
Delete selected item | Home tab > Basic Text group > Delete | ALT + H, D |
Apply preset styles for normal text, heading, etc. | Home tab > Styles group > Styles | ALT + H, L |
Apply tags to selected text | Home tab > Tags group | ALT + H, T |
Apply To Do tag to selected text | Home tab > Tags group > To Do Tags | ALT + H, B |
Find tags | Home tab > Tags group > Find Tags | ALT + H, G |
Apply Outlook tasks | Home tab > Tags group > Outlook Tasks | ALT + H, O |
Email page | Home tab > Email group > Email Page | ALT + H, M1 |
Email meeting details | Home tab > Meetings group > Meeting Details | ALT + H, M2 |
Insert tab
The Insert tab provides additional functions for things you may need to insert into a page, such as tables, pictures, recordings, links, time stamps, symbols, etc. The Insert tab contains ten groups – 1-Insert, 2-Tables, 3-Files, 4-Images, 5-Media, 6-Links, 7-Recording, 8-Time Stamp, 9-Pages, and 10-Symbols.
Insert tab commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Go to the Insert tab | Insert tab | ALT + N |
Insert spacing | Insert tab > Insert group > Insert Space | ALT + N, N |
Insert table options | Insert tab > Tables group > Table | Insert Table: ALT + N, T1 Insert New Excel Spreadsheet: ALT + N, TN |
Insert file printout | Insert tab > Files group > File Printout | ALT + N, O |
Insert file attachment | Insert tab > Files group > File Attachment | ALT + N, F |
Insert spreadsheet options | Insert tab > Files group > Spreadsheet | Existing Excel Spreadsheet: ALT + N, XE New Excel Spreadsheet ALT + N, XN |
Insert screen clipping | Insert tab > Images group > Screen Clipping | ALT + N, R |
Insert pictures | Insert tab > Images group > Pictures | ALT + N, P |
Insert online pictures | Insert tab > Images group > Online Pictures | ALT + N, L |
Insert online video | Insert tab > Media group > Online Video | ALT + N, J |
Insert a link | Insert tab > Links group > Link | ALT + N, H |
Insert and record audio | Insert tab > Recording group > Record Audio | ALT + N, A |
Insert and record video | Insert tab > Recording group > Online Video | ALT + N, V |
Insert date stamp | Insert tab > Time Stamp group > Date | ALT +N, C |
Insert time stamp | Insert tab > Time Stamp group > Time | ALT +N, I |
Insert date and time stamp | Insert tab > Time Stamp group > Date & Time | ALT +N, D |
Insert page templates | Insert tab > Pages group > Page Templates | ALT + N, G |
Insert equation | Insert tab > Symbols group > Equation | ALT + N, E |
Insert symbol | Insert tab > Symbols groups > Symbol | ALT + N, U |
Draw tab
The draw tab gives you functions for inserting drawings and provides various commands to create graphics, change colors and styles. The design tab contains 4 groups – 1-Tools, 2-Shapes, 3-Edit and 4-Convert.
Draw tab commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Go to Draw tab | Draw tab | ALT + D |
Select object or type text | Draw tab > Tools group > Type | ALT + D, T |
Lasso Select | Draw tab > Tools group > Lasso Select | ALT + D, L |
Eraser | Draw tab > Tools group > Eraser | ALT + D, E |
Pen options | Draw tab > Tools group > Pens | Pens ALT + D, P Pen Mode: ALT + D, PP |
Set color and thickness of shapes and strokes | Draw tab > Tools group > Color & Thickness | ALT + D, C |
Draw with touch | Draw tab > Tools group > Draw with Touch | ALT + D, W |
Draw shapes | Draw tab > Shapes group > Shapes | ALT + D, S |
Insert space | Draw tab > Edit group > Insert Space | ALT + D, N |
Delete selected item | Draw tab > Edit group > Delete | ALT + D, D |
Arrange objects | Draw tab > Edit group > Arrange | ALT + D, A |
Rotate selected picture, drawing or shape | Draw tab > Edit group > Rotate | ALT +D, R |
Convert to ink | Draw tab > Convert group > Ink to Text | ALT + D, X |
Convert ink to math | Draw tab > Convert group > Ink to Math | ALT + D, M |
History Tab
The History tab contains commands that assist you with reading changes, versioning, and reviewing edits by authors. The History tab contains three groups – 1-Unread, 2-Authors, and 3-History.
History tab commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Go to the history tab | History tab | ALT + S |
Jump to the next page with unread notes in this notebook | History tab > Unread group > Next Unread | ALT + S, N |
Mark as read options | History tab > Unread group > Mark as Read | Mark notebook as read: ALT + S, K Show unread changes in this notebook: ALT + S, S |
Recent edits options | History tab > Authors group > Recent Edits | ALT + S, E |
Find changes by author | History tab > Authors group > Find by Author | ALT + S, F |
Toggle to hide or show other authors’ initials next to their changes in this notebook | History tab > Authors group > Hide Authors | ALT + S, A |
Page version options | History tab > History group > Page Versions | ALT + S, V |
Notebook recycle options | History tab > History group > Notebook Recycle Bin | Recover deleted sections or pages: ALT + S, B Empty Recycle bin ALT + S, E Disable history for this notebook: ALT + S, D |
Review Tab
The Review tab contains commands to proof, translate, and password protect. The Review tab contains four groups – 1-Spelling, 2-Language, 3-Section and 4-Notes.
Review tab commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Go to the Review tab | Review tab | ALT + R |
Spell check | Review tab > Spelling group > Spelling | ALT + R, S |
Research | Review tab > Spelling group > Research | ALT + R, R |
Thesaurus | Review tab > Spelling group > Thesaurus | ALT + R, E |
Translate text to a different language | Review tab > Language group > Translate | ALT + R, L |
Choose the language for proofing tools | Review tab > Language group > Language | ALT + R, U |
Password protect this section | Review tab > Section group > Password | ALT + R, P |
Take notes that automatically link to Word documents, PowerPoint presentations or web pages that you have open | Review tab > Notes group > Linked Notes | ALT + R, N |
View Tab
The View tab contains commands to change the views such as full page and dock to desktop, zooming in and out and splitting the window. The View tab contains four groups – 1-Views, 2-Page Setup, 3-Zoom and 4-Window.
View tab commands
Action | Ribbon location | Keyboard shortcut |
Go to the View tab | View tab | ALT + W |
Switch normal view | View tab > Views group > Normal View | ALT + W, A |
Switch to full page view | View tab >Views group > Full Page View | ALT + W, F |
Dock to desktop | View tab > Views group > Dock to Desktop | ALT + W, D |
Change the color of the page | View tab > Page Setup group > Page Color | ALT + W, PC |
Add rule lines or gridlines to this page | View tab > Page Setup group > Rule Lines | ALT + W, R |
Toggle to Show or hide the page’s title | View tab > Page Setup group > Hide Page title | ALT + W, T |
Change the paper and margin size | View tab > Page Setup group > Paper Size | ALT + W, PS |
Zoom out | View tab > Zoom group > Zoom Out | ALT + W, W |
Zoom in | View tab > Zoom group > Zoom In | ALT + W, E |
Specify the zoom level | View tab > Zoom group > (type percent to zoom) | ALT + W, Q |
View the document to 100% | View tab > Zoom group > 100% | ALT + W, 1 |
Zoom the document so that the width of the page matches the width of the window | View tab > Zoom group > Page Width | ALT + W, I |
Open a second window for your document so you can work in different places at the same time | View tab > Window group > New Window | ALT + W, N |
Open a new OneNote window and anchor it to the side of your desktop | View tab > Window group > New Docked Window | ALT + W, C |
New quick note | View tab > Window group > New Quick Note | ALT + W, U |
Keep this window always on top | View tab > Window group > Always on Top | ALT + W, O |
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