Keyboard shortcuts help users get things done quickly. Chrome comes with a handful of keyboard shortcuts for your web browsing needs. But did you know you could set shortcuts for your Chrome extensions as well?

Chrome has a built-in setting to add a keyboard shortcut for any extension you have installed in the browser. It allows you to quickly launch any extension without unnecessary movement on the mouse/touchpad. Plus, it can also help in de-cluttering the toolbar by reducing the need to pin extensions next to the address bar since you can quickly launch them from the keyboard as well.

Adding a Keyboard Shortcut for a Chrome Extension

To add a keyboard shortcut for a Chrome extension, you will have to access the extensions page on Google Chrome. Click on the ellipsis at the top-right corner of the screen, select ‘More tools’ from the drop-down menu and finally click on ‘Extensions’ in the menu that appears.

In the extensions screen, click on the ‘Main menu’ icon at the top-left corner to expand and view the various options.

Next, select ‘Keyboard shortcuts’, the second and the last option in the menu.

You will now find all the extensions that you have added listed on the screen. To be able to add a keyboard shortcut, click on the small pencil shaped icon next to the shortcut box.

After clicking on the icon, the box will open up and you can add a shortcut. To add one, press either CTRL, or SHIFT, or both, and then any alphabetic key. Once you press the desired key combination, Chrome will automatically add it as a shortcut.

After the shortcut is added, it will be visible in the box. Also, it’s recommended that you set a shortcut that is somewhat relatable to the extension. For instance, we have used CTRL + B for Bitmoji extension and CTRL + G for Grammarly extension. You can similarly set other shortcuts for the frequently used extensions.

Removing a Keyboard Shortcut for a Chrome Extension

Many a time, you may have to remove a shortcut for some reason, say, you do not use that extension anymore and want to assign to shortcut to another one. Removing the extension is extremely simple and can be done with a single click.

To remove a shortcut, you will have to open the keyboard shortcut window in extension, as discussed earlier. Once there, click on the pencil-shaped icon next to the box that displays the assigned shortcut. The shortcut will be deleted instantly and can be assigned to another extension right away.

Unpinning the Extension from the Chrome Toolbar

Once you have added a shortcut for an extension, the chances are that you wouldn’t be accessing it from the toolbar anymore. Therefore, you can remove the extension from the toolbar and clear up space, which in turn enhances clarity.

To hide/unpin an extension from the toolbar, right-click on it and then select ‘Unpin’ from the menu.

The extension will now be unpinned and you will notice space clearing up on the toolbar.

You can now easily add a keyboard shortcut for any Chrome extension which enhances both effectiveness and accessibility.