Chrome on Windows: Keyboard – Move focus to the shortcuts bar – Google Chrome Community
Posted by jpluimers on 2025/01/31
[Wayback/Archive] Keyboard – Move focus to the shortcuts bar – Google Chrome Community was a great question that I had myself for a long time.
TL;DR: On Windows, you can either cycle focus using F6, Alt + Shift + b to use the keyboard for getting focus to the bookmarks bar.
This is not officially documented for Windows/Linux at [Wayback/Archive] Chrome keyboard shortcuts – Computer – Google Chrome Help:
Action Shortcut … … Show or hide the Bookmarks bar Ctrl + Shift + b Open the Bookmarks Manager Ctrl + Shift + o … … Switch focus to unfocused dialog (if showing) and all toolbars F6 … …
but at the same place for MacOS:
Action Shortcut Show or hide the Bookmarks Bar ⌘ + Shift + b Open the Bookmark Manager ⌘ + Option + b … … Cycle focus to unfocused dialog (if showing) and all toolbars ⌘ + Option + Up arrow or Down arrow … … Focus on inactive dialogs ⌘ + Option + Shift + a
Since Windows keyboard shortcuts are derived from the CUA (IBM Common User Access) standard, the F6 function key cycles focus through input elements
This means that in Chrome F6 you can cycle focus between main browser canvas, address/omni bar, bookmarks bar and back to main browser canvas.
But based on the MacOS keyboard shortcuts I tried Alt + Shift + b on Windows and that works too!
[Wayback/Archive] Access Google Chrome Bookmarks with Keyboard Shortcuts – Super User documents both (thanks [Wayback/Archive] eqzx, [Wayback/Archive] bcmillsand [Wayback/Archive] Pup):
I want to be able to press a configuration of buttons on my keyboard, not my mouse, to select bookmarks. Is this possible?
…
Ctrl+Shift+b opens the Bookmarks Bar.Alt+Shift+b focuses it.From there you can use Tab or arrow keys to select the link you want.…
F6, F6, arrow keys, EnterDetailed Explanation
Press {F6} once to focus on the location bar.
Press {F6} again to focus on the bookmarks bar.
Then use {Arrow} keys and {Enter}.
More on Common User Access and F6
It is hard to find good CUA documentation as back in the days there was no Wayback Machine, other terminology was used (“selection” in stead of “focus”) and lots of paper based documentation is hard to find on-line.
One of the few useful posts was [Wayback/Archive] IBM Common User Access Samples:
These are the key assignments:
F1Get help for field or item or get help on help from help panel
F2Get help for panel from help panel or from help pull-down in action bar
F3Exit current level of program (leave help, return to main menu, end program)
F4See list of alternatives for entry field
F5Update content of panel
F6Move selection cursor between panel body and function key area
F7Scroll backward (up)
F8Scroll forward (down)
F9Display instructions for samples / See key assignments
F10Move selection cursor between panel body and action bar
F11See index of help panels
EnterProcess panel or action bar selection, or continue
EscCancel panel (back up one panel)
Page UpScroll backward
Page DownScroll forward
Shift+F1Switch to another form of function key area – short, long, no displayA few of these are still present in some Windows applications:
F1launches help,F5refreshes content,F6moves selection between window body and URL bar,F10sets focus on a window’s menu.F3was used to exit Windows setup.
Hopefully eventually I am able to find more paper copies of the IBM CUA documentation and add them to the internet archive, then I will update Some links and references to IBM CUA: Common User Access which defines a lot of the UIs and UX we still use.
Via
- [Wayback/Archive] chrome focus bookmarks bar – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] “common user access” “f6” – Google Search
--jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 
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