Keyboard Basics
The few keyboard shortcuts you need every day—and what Esc really does.
How to read shortcut notation
- Enter means the Return key.
- Ctrl+O means hold Control, then press O. On many Mac keyboards this is the key labeled control, not ⌘ Command.
- Shift+Tab means hold Shift and press Tab.
- If a shortcut does nothing, click inside Grok’s window so it has keyboard focus (not your browser or another app).
Core shortcuts (learn these first)
| Keys | What it does in plain English |
|---|---|
| Enter | Send your message (or queue it if Grok is already working) |
| Tab | Switch between typing box and history |
| Esc | Stop the current work / close some menus (see table below) |
| Ctrl+N | Start a new empty session |
| Ctrl+O | Toggle “always approve tools” (YOLO). Leave this off while learning |
| Shift+Tab | Cycle modes: normal work → plan-first → always-approve |
| Ctrl+P or ? | Open the command palette (searchable list of actions) |
@ | Attach a file (not a Ctrl chord—just type the character) |
/ | Open slash commands |
Esc and Ctrl+C carefully explained
These keys do different things depending on state. Read slowly—this prevents accidents.
| Situation | Key | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Grok is working on a turn | Esc | Usually cancels that work. Your half-typed draft is often kept |
| Grok is working; you typed a draft | Ctrl+C once | Often clears the draft first, without cancelling |
| Draft already empty; turn still running | Ctrl+C again | Cancels the turn |
| Idle; you typed text; prompt focused | Esc twice quickly | Clears the prompt |
| Idle; prompt empty; you have history | Esc twice quickly | May open rewind (undo turns)—not “go back focus” |
If you only wanted to stop Grok, press Esc once and wait. Avoid mashing Esc repeatedly or you might open rewind by mistake.
Moving in history
First press Tab so history is focused.
- Arrow up/down: select different blocks
- Arrow left/right: collapse or expand a block
- Shift+left/right: jump between your past user messages (“turns”)
There is an optional Vim mode (/vim-mode) that uses letter keys like j/k for people who already use Vim. If you have never heard of Vim, leave it off.
More shortcuts when you are ready
| Keys | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+B | Send a long-running foreground shell job to the background so you can keep chatting |
| Ctrl+S | Open session picker (resume an old chat) |
| Ctrl+M | Model picker when not in prompt; multiline toggle when prompt is focused |
| Ctrl+T | Toggle the to-do list pane |
| Ctrl+G | Full TUI: toggle tasks pane (background work). Minimal mode: may mean “edit draft in external editor” instead—use /tasks or the palette if the chord conflicts |
| Empty prompt + ↑ | Browse prompts you sent earlier |
| Ctrl+. or Ctrl+X | Keyboard shortcuts help (Ctrl+X is the reliable fallback on many terminals) |
Image paste differs by OS (Windows often needs Alt+V for image clipboard in some terminals). If paste fails, drag an image file into the prompt instead. Mid-turn “send now / interject” chords also differ by terminal (e.g. Ctrl+Enter vs Ctrl+L in VS Code family)—see official keyboard docs via /docs.
Practice drill (5 minutes)
- Start Grok and send any short message.
- While it runs (or after), press Tab and move through history with arrows.
- Return to the prompt with Tab. Type a draft sentence, then Esc twice carefully to clear it (or delete with Backspace if you prefer).
- Open the palette with Ctrl+P, then close it with Esc.
- Type
/, look at commands, Esc to close without running one.
You can send, cancel calmly, switch focus, and open @ / / menus without panic. You know YOLO (Ctrl+O) should stay off until you understand permissions.
Quick check
Beginner track is complete. Your first real win: How Game Projects Work, then the First Game walkthrough. (If you only care about apps, use How App Projects Work then the app walkthrough—pick one path and finish it before Intermediate.)