What shortcuts do on a Chromebook and where to find them

A shortcut on a Chromebook is a quick link to an app, website, or file that sits on your desktop or in your app drawer. Instead of opening Chrome and typing a web address every time, you can click a shortcut icon and jump straight there. Shortcuts save you steps when you use the same sites or apps repeatedly.

Chromebooks store shortcuts in two places: on your desktop (the background screen you see when you close all windows) and in your app drawer (the grid of apps you open by clicking the circle icon in the bottom left corner). You can add, remove, and organize shortcuts in both locations.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a website shortcut by right-clicking the address bar in Chrome, selecting "Create shortcut", and choosing whether to place it on your desktop or in your app drawer.
  • Add app shortcuts by opening your app drawer, finding the app you want, right-clicking it, and selecting "Add to desktop" or leaving it in the drawer.
  • Organize shortcuts by dragging and dropping them into folders or rearranging their order in your app drawer.
  • Remove shortcuts by right-clicking them and selecting "Remove from desktop" or by dragging them to the trash.

Creating shortcuts to websites

The fastest way to create a website shortcut is through Chrome's address bar. Open Chrome and navigate to the website you want to shortcut. Click the address bar at the top of the screen where the web address appears, then right-click it. A menu will pop up with several options.

Look for "Create shortcut" in that menu and click it. A small window will appear asking what you want to name the shortcut — the website's name usually fills in automatically, but you can change it to anything you want. Below the name field, you will see two options: "Desktop" and "Open as window". If you choose "Desktop", the shortcut appears on your desktop background. If you leave "Open as window" checked, the website will open in its own window instead of a Chrome tab. Click "Create" when you are done.

The shortcut now appears on your desktop as an icon. Double-click it anytime to open that website. If you want to move it to your app drawer instead, right-click the desktop shortcut, select "Cut", open your app drawer, right-click an empty space, and select "Paste".

Adding app shortcuts to your desktop or app drawer

Apps on a Chromebook live in your app drawer by default. To add an app shortcut to your desktop, open your app drawer by clicking the circle grid icon in the bottom left corner. Find the app you want to shortcut, right-click it, and select "Add to desktop". The app icon now appears on your desktop background.

If you want to keep an app in your app drawer but make it easier to find, you can pin it to the top. Right-click the app in your app drawer and select "Pin to shelf". The app will then appear in your shelf — the row of icons at the bottom of your screen — so you can launch it without opening the app drawer.

You can also create shortcuts to files stored in Google Drive or your Chromebook's local storage. Open the Files app (the folder icon in your shelf), find the file you want to shortcut, right-click it, and select "Create shortcut". Choose where you want the shortcut to appear, and it will open that file when you click it.

Organizing and managing your shortcuts

Once you have several shortcuts, you can organize them to match how you work. On your desktop, drag shortcuts around to arrange them however you want — there is no grid or fixed position. Group related shortcuts near each other, or arrange them in the order you use them most.

In your app drawer, you can create folders to group shortcuts together. Right-click an empty space in your app drawer and select "Create folder". Give the folder a name, then drag app shortcuts into it. This keeps your app drawer from becoming cluttered when you have many apps installed.

You can also rename shortcuts to make them clearer. Right-click any shortcut and select "Rename". Type the new name and press Enter. This is especially useful for website shortcuts — you might rename "Google" to "Gmail" if that is what you actually use it for.

Removing shortcuts you no longer need

Removing a shortcut does not uninstall the app or delete the website — it only removes the quick link. Right-click the shortcut and select "Remove from desktop" or "Remove from shelf", depending on where it is located. The shortcut disappears, but you can always create a new one later.

If a shortcut is in a folder in your app drawer, you can drag it out of the folder to the main app drawer, or drag it to the trash icon that appears at the bottom of your screen when you are dragging. Dragging to trash removes the shortcut permanently.

Shortcuts that open in their own window

When you create a website shortcut with "Open as window" checked, that website opens in a standalone window instead of inside Chrome. This makes the website feel more like a regular app — it has its own window controls and does not share tabs with your other Chrome windows.

This is useful for websites you use constantly, like Gmail or Google Docs. They behave more like desktop apps, and you can switch between them using Alt+Tab just like you would with other programs. If you want to change this setting later, right-click the shortcut, select "Properties", and check or uncheck "Open as window".

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a shortcut to a specific part of a website, like a particular Gmail label?

Yes. Navigate to that specific page or section in Chrome, then right-click the address bar and create a shortcut. The shortcut will open directly to that page, not the website's home page. This works for any URL, including Gmail labels, Google Drive folders, or specific documents.

What is the difference between a desktop shortcut and a shelf shortcut?

A desktop shortcut appears on your background screen. A shelf shortcut appears in the row of icons at the bottom of your screen and is always visible. Shelf shortcuts are faster to access because you do not have to minimize windows to see your desktop. Use the shelf for apps you open frequently.

If I delete a shortcut from my desktop, does it delete the website or app?

No. Deleting a shortcut only removes the quick link. The website still exists online, and the app is still installed on your Chromebook. You can create a new shortcut anytime by following the same steps.

Can I move shortcuts between my desktop and app drawer?

Yes. Right-click a desktop shortcut, select "Cut", then open your app drawer, right-click an empty space, and select "Paste". To move an app shortcut from your app drawer to your desktop, right-click the app and select "Add to desktop".

Why does my website shortcut sometimes open in a tab instead of a window?

This happens if you did not check "Open as window" when you created the shortcut, or if you unchecked it in the shortcut's properties. Right-click the shortcut, select "Properties", and make sure "Open as window" is checked if you want it to open in its own window.