Telegram has a keyboard shortcut for a lot of what you click every day. Here are 31 that work on Windows, grouped by what you’re trying to do.
We checked every one against Telegram Desktop wiki (GitHub): Keyboard Shortcuts on October 21, 2026.
Chats
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Tab | Go to the chat below |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Go to the chat above |
| Alt + Down Arrow | Go to the chat below |
| Alt + Up Arrow | Go to the chat above |
| Ctrl + 0 | Open Saved Messages |
| Ctrl + 9 | Open Archived Chats |
| Ctrl + O | Send a file |
| Esc | Go back or cancel the current action |
Folders
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow | Go to the folder below |
| Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow | Go to the folder above |
| Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 7 | Jump straight to folder 1 to 7 |
| Ctrl + 8 | Jump to the last folder |
Messages
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Up Arrow | Edit the last message you sent |
| Ctrl + Up Arrow | Reply to a message |
| Ctrl + Down Arrow | Cancel the reply |
| Delete | Delete the selected message |
Search
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + F | Search the current chat |
| Ctrl + J | Search contacts |
Text Formatting
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + B | Make selected text bold |
| Ctrl + I | Make selected text italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + X | Strike through selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Make selected text monospace |
| Ctrl + Shift + P | Hide selected text as a spoiler |
| Ctrl + Shift + . | Format selected text as a quote |
| Ctrl + K | Turn selected text into a link |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Remove formatting from selected text |
Window
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + W | Close the window to the system tray |
| Ctrl + M | Minimize Telegram |
| Ctrl + L | Lock Telegram (needs a local passcode) |
| Ctrl + Q | Quit Telegram |
Good to know: These keys are for Telegram Desktop. The Telegram Web versions in a browser use different keys.
Good to know: If you have no chat folders, Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 5 jump to your pinned chats instead.
Get the Excel and PDF Version
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If you’d rather have it on your desk, the download below is a sortable Excel file plus a printable one-page PDF of all 31 shortcuts, for $0.99.
Want One Key to Do More?
Built-in shortcuts only work while Telegram is the active window, and you can’t add new ones. These tools let you pick your own hotkeys:
- Prompt Assistant: paste your channel welcome message or a pinned FAQ answer into Telegram with a hotkey you pick
- Second Keyboard Manager: put your most used Telegram replies and app launches on single keys of a spare keypad
