Google is highly motivated to improve the Android experience on big-screen devices now that the company has announced its Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. Android 14 has a number of new features that should help in this regard, from split-screen app pairs to using gesture navigation while dragging and dropping. But the biggest improvements in the new version, at least for tablet users, might just be with external physical keyboards.
Android expert Mishaal Rahman has uncovered a completely revamped menu for keyboard shortcuts in Android 14 Beta 2. The new menu is only available for large-screen devices on Android 14 right now, and it replaces the list of shortcuts you can find in Android 13 under Settings -> System -> Languages & input -> Physical keyboard. However, on Android 14, the settings for physical keyboards have been rearranged, so you'll find these shortcuts under Settings -> System -> Keyboard -> Physical keyboard.
Access notification shade |
Search + N |
Take a full screenshot |
Search + Ctrl + S |
Access list of shortcuts |
Search + / |
Back button |
Search + ~ | Search + Backspace | Search + Left Arrow |
Access home screen |
Search + H | Search + Return |
Overview of open apps |
Search + Tab |
Cycle through recent apps (forward) |
Alt + Tab |
Cycle through recent apps (back) |
Alt + Shift + Tab |
Launcher search |
Search |
Hide and show taskbar |
Search + T |
Access system settings |
Search + I |
Access Google Assistant |
Search + A |
Lock screen |
Search + L |
Pull up Notes for quick memo |
Search + Ctrl + N |
Split screen with current app on right |
Search + Ctrl + Right Arrow |
Split screen with current app on left |
Search + Ctrl + Left Arrow |
Switch from split screen to full screen |
Search + Ctrl + Up Arrow |
Move split screen app |
Search + Ctrl + Down Arrow |
Switch input language (next) |
Ctrl + Space | Search + Space |
Switch input language (previous) |
Ctrl + Shift + Space | Ctrl + Search + Space |
Open assist app |
Search + A |
Open browser app |
Search + B |
Open calculator app |
Search + U |
Open calendar app |
Search + K |
Open contacts app |
Search + C |
Open email app |
Search + E |
Open maps app |
Search + M |
Open music app |
Search + P |
Open SMS app |
Search + S |
The list is much more robust than its current implementation, with a total of 34 shortcuts for 29 separate functions, compared to the 13 we see today on Android 13. The key combinations are now also grouped into three tabs for better organization — System, Input, and Open apps — and there's a search bar to quickly sift through the options. However, not all the shortcuts are new, of course.
From our testing, two of the back button shortcuts are new: Search + Backspace already worked, but Search + ~ and Search + Left Arrow aren't available on Android 13. Search + H to go home is also new, but Search + Enter already works.
The option to press Search to quickly open your launcher's search function is also new — pressing Search now opens your Assistant app, but that's been moved to Search + A in Android 14. Currently, the Search + A shortcut opens your calculator app, but that functionality is moving to a new key combo at Search + U.
These new shortcuts arrive alongside the ability to remap modifier keys, so if your keyboard doesn't have a Search button, you can easily map the Ctrl, Alt, Caps Lock, Command, or Windows key to perform that function. By default, the Windows key on PC keyboards or the Command key on Apple keyboards operates as the Search key.