Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Overview

AssisT provides keyboard shortcuts for all major features. Shortcuts can be customized in Settings and are designed to avoid conflicts with Chrome and common applications.

Modifier key required: All shortcuts include at least one modifier (Ctrl, Alt, or Shift). Exception: Escape works alone.

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Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+Shift+Space	Play/Pause	Start, pause, or resume reading
Ctrl+Shift+S	Stop	Stop TTS completely

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Reading & Accessibility

Shortcut	Action	Description
Alt+O	OCR Screenshot	Capture screen area to extract text
Alt+R	Reading Mode	Enter/exit distraction-free reading
Escape	Exit Reading Mode	Also closes modals and overlays
Alt+Shift+D	Dictionary Lookup	Get definition for selected text
Ctrl+Shift+W	Text Statistics	Show/hide word count and stats
Ctrl+Shift+H	Highlight Menu	Show/hide selection toolbar

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Writing Tools

Shortcut	Action	Description
Alt+N	New Sticky Note	Create note on current page
Alt+T	Translation	Translate selected text

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Display Modes

Shortcut	Action	Description
Alt+F	Focus Mode	Dim surroundings, highlight focus
Alt+G	Reading Guide	Show/hide horizontal ruler
Alt+Shift+O	Screen Overlay	Toggle color overlay
Alt+Y	Dyslexia Mode	Toggle dyslexia-friendly styling

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Speech-to-Text (STT)

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+Shift+P	Profile Quick Switch	Cycle through STT profiles

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Reading Mode Shortcuts

When Reading Mode is active:

Shortcut	Action
Escape	Exit Reading Mode
Space	Scroll down one screen
Shift+Space	Scroll up one screen
↑ ↓ ← →	Navigate content

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OCR Modal Shortcuts

When viewing extracted text:

Shortcut	Action
Escape	Close modal
Ctrl+C	Copy extracted text
Space	Play/Pause TTS for text

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Dictionary Modal Shortcuts

When viewing definitions:

Shortcut	Action
Escape	Close popup
Tab	Navigate elements
Enter	Activate focused item

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Translation Modal Shortcuts

When viewing translations:

Shortcut	Action
Escape	Close modal
Ctrl+C	Copy translation

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Customizing Shortcuts

How to Change a Shortcut

1. Click the AssisT icon in Chrome toolbar
2. Click Settings (gear icon)
3. Go to Shortcuts tab
4. Click Edit next to any shortcut
5. Press your desired key combination
6. Click Save

Shortcut Requirements

• Must include at least one modifier key (Ctrl, Alt, or Shift)
• Escape is the only exception (works alone)
• System validates for conflicts automatically
• Cannot override Chrome’s reserved shortcuts

Reset to Defaults

Click Reset to Defaults in the Shortcuts section to restore all original shortcuts.

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Reserved Chrome Shortcuts

These cannot be used by AssisT:

Tab Management

• Ctrl+T — New tab
• Ctrl+W — Close tab
• Ctrl+Tab — Next tab
• Ctrl+Shift+T — Reopen closed tab

Navigation

• Ctrl+L / Alt+D — Focus address bar
• Alt+Left/Right — Back/Forward

Page Actions

• Ctrl+R / F5 — Refresh
• Ctrl+P — Print
• Ctrl+S — Save page
• Ctrl+F — Find

Text Editing

• Ctrl+A/C/V/X/Z/Y — Select/Copy/Paste/Cut/Undo/Redo

Developer

• F12 — DevTools
• Ctrl+Shift+I — Open DevTools

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Voice Commands Alternative

For hands-free control, AssisT supports 60+ voice commands through Speech-to-Text:

Common voice commands:

• “delete last word”
• “new paragraph”
• “bold that”
• “undo”

See Writing Help for the full voice command reference.

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Troubleshooting

Shortcut Not Working?

1. Check feature is enabled — Shortcuts only work when the feature is on
2. Check for conflicts — Another extension may use the same shortcut
3. Refresh the page — Shortcuts register when page loads
4. Check modal state — Some shortcuts only work when modals are open

Shortcut Seems Unresponsive?

• Make sure the browser window is focused (click inside the page)
• Check if a text input field is selected (some shortcuts don’t work in forms)
• Try pressing the keys more deliberately (modifier first, then letter)

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For Educators & Parents

Teaching shortcuts to students:

1. Start with 3-4 most useful shortcuts based on their needs
2. Print this reference or bookmark for easy access
3. Practice together — have students use shortcuts while you observe
4. Consider voice commands for students who find keyboard shortcuts difficult

Recommended first shortcuts:

Need	Start With
Reading support	Ctrl+Shift+Space (TTS), Alt+R (Reading Mode)
Visual comfort	Alt+F (Focus Mode), Alt+G (Reading Guide)
Writing support	Alt+N (Notes), Alt+T (Translation)