Last Updated on
April 23, 2023
Written by
Tech Assistant for blind Team
YouTube is the go-to platform for watching videos online, with over two billion monthly active users. While most people are familiar with the basic features of YouTube, such as search, browse, and play videos, there are some hidden keyboard shortcuts and keyboard controls that can significantly enhance your viewing experience. In this article, we will explore these hidden features and how you can use them to navigate and control YouTube more efficiently.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are a set of combinations of keys that allow you to perform specific tasks without the need for a mouse. YouTube has several keyboard shortcuts that can make your browsing and viewing experience much more comfortable and efficient. Here are some of the most useful YouTube keyboard shortcuts:
- Spacebar: Pause or play a video
- K: Pause or play a video
- J: Rewind 10 seconds
- L: Fast forward 10 seconds
- F: Full-screen mode
- M: Mute or unmute a video
- C: Turn on or off captions
- Number keys: Jump to a specific percentage of the video (e.g., press 1 to jump to 10% of the video)
These shortcuts can help you navigate YouTube without using your mouse or trackpad. Once you learn these shortcuts, you can quickly move around the platform and perform various tasks without interrupting your workflow.
Note: These keyboard shortcuts will only work with the screen readers in the focus mode, in the browse mode these shortcuts will not work. (the mode name varries on the screen readers, here we have told the focus mode, which is available in NVDA)
Keyboard Controls
Keyboard controls are a feature that allows you to control video playback even when the YouTube window is not in focus. This feature is especially useful if you want to watch a video while working on other tasks. Here’s how you can activate keyboard controls in YouTube:
- Click on the three dots icon in the top right corner of the video player.
- Select “Keyboard controls.”
- Click on “Enable keyboard controls.”
Once you activate keyboard controls, you can use your keyboard to control YouTube playback. Here are some of the most useful keyboard controls:
- Spacebar: Pause or play a video
- K: Pause or play a video
- J: Rewind 10 seconds
- L: Fast forward 10 seconds
- F: Full-screen mode
- M: Mute or unmute a video
- Up arrow: Increase volume
- Down arrow: Decrease volume
These controls allow you to pause, rewind, fast forward, mute, and adjust the volume of a video without having to switch between your work and YouTube window.
Conclusion
In conclusion, YouTube’s keyboard shortcuts and keyboard controls can significantly improve your viewing experience. By learning these shortcuts and controls, you can navigate and control YouTube more efficiently, allowing you to get the most out of the platform. Whether you are watching videos for entertainment or work, these features can make
