Reference
Keyboard reference
Fullscreen composer, scrollback, approval, and picker shortcuts with terminal compatibility notes.
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These shortcuts describe the fullscreen interface. The footer shows the actions available in the current context; an open dialog can change what a key does. Minimal mode uses a different terminal interface. This page documents built-in behavior, not a configurable keymap format.
Composer
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Send when idle. While running, steer the turn, or queue a separate follow-up when Apple Intelligence is available |
| Shift+Enter | Insert a newline when supported by the terminal |
| Escape / Ctrl+C | Cancel a running turn from the composer |
| Tab | Move into scrollback navigation when the normal composer footer offers it |
| Page Up / Page Down | Scroll conversation history |
| Cmd+K / Alt+K | Open Meta Console when the terminal reports the corresponding sequence |
| Ctrl+R | Start or stop dictation; availability depends on voice configuration |
In scrollback, Ctrl+U/Ctrl+D move half a page, and Home/End go to the oldest history/latest output. Left, Right, and Enter each toggle the selected block's expanded state. These keys are context-sensitive: Ctrl+D here navigates, but in an empty composer it exits.
Minimal-mode editor
The inline editor has its own decoder, not the fullscreen scrollback map. Use Ctrl+A/Ctrl+E for endpoints, Ctrl+B/Ctrl+F for character movement, and Alt+B/Alt+F for word movement. Ctrl+P/Ctrl+N are its Up/Down alternatives. Ctrl+U, Ctrl+K, and Ctrl+W kill to the start, end, or previous word; Ctrl+Y yanks. Ctrl+L clears the display, Ctrl+R invokes dictation, and Ctrl+C interrupts. Shift+Enter inserts a newline and Shift+Tab cycles mode when the terminal reports those sequences. Do not assume a fullscreen-only shortcut is implemented by this editor.
Cancel versus exit
During a turn, the first Ctrl+C requests cancellation. Pressing it again while cancellation is already pending requests exit. At an idle composer the first Ctrl+C shows a warning; a second within two seconds confirms exit. Escape cancels a running turn, dismisses an open slash menu when idle, and otherwise preserves the draft. It is not a universal clear-input shortcut.
Editing, history, and interruptive send
Ctrl+Enter or Ctrl+O sends immediately, interrupting the active turn rather than merely steering it. With an empty draft it can promote the oldest queued prompt. Check /queue first if you are unsure what will run. Terminal support for modified Enter varies; Ctrl+O is the alternative.
| Key in composer | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Q | Request exit |
| Ctrl+D | Exit on an empty draft; otherwise delete the character after the cursor |
| Left / Right, Ctrl+B / Ctrl+F | Move one character |
| Home / End, Ctrl+A / Ctrl+E | Move to the beginning/end of the current line |
| Alt+Left / Alt+Right, Alt+B / Alt+F | Move by words; Meta variants also work when reported |
| Backspace / Delete | Delete before/after the cursor |
| Ctrl+W, modified Backspace | Kill the previous word; Ctrl, Alt, or Meta Backspace are recognized |
| Alt+D / Meta+D | Kill the following word |
| Ctrl+U / Ctrl+K | Kill to the start/end of the line |
| Ctrl+Y | Insert the kill buffer; consecutive kills accumulate until another key breaks the chain |
| Ctrl+_ | Undo a draft edit, not a conversation turn or file edit |
| Ctrl+L | Invalidate the rendering cache and redraw |
| Up / Down | Move between draft lines, then prompt history at its boundaries |
| Ctrl+V / Meta+V | Paste clipboard text or attach supported images; a fullscreen hint appears when a raster is already on the clipboard |
| Shift+Tab | Cycle prompt mode while awaiting input |
When slash suggestions are open, Up/Down select a suggestion and Tab accepts it instead of focusing scrollback. Escape dismisses that menu while idle and otherwise preserves the draft. During a running turn it cancels the turn. Do not assume idle Escape clears text.
Scrollback navigation
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Up / Down | Move between blocks |
| Ctrl+J / Ctrl+K | Move by lines |
| Page Up / Page Down | Move by pages |
| Ctrl+Y | Copy the selected content |
| Tab / Escape, or typing | Return to the prompt |
Pickers and approvals
Use arrow keys to select and Enter to confirm. Searchable pickers accept typing to filter. Escape cancels a picker; in an approval dialog it denies the request. Read the dialog rather than treating confirmation as a routine navigation step.
Inspect another agent without sending work
/agents (alias /a) opens a viewport selector, not a terminate-agent dialog. In fullscreen mode, Up/Down and Shift+Tab/Tab move selection; Enter chooses the agent, and Escape or q cancels. Page keys scroll the overlay. Entries show the agent path, status and a short transcript preview. Choose the root again to return to its conversation.
The minimal-mode picker supports up/down, confirm and cancel; selection wraps. With non-TTY stdin it only prints the agent tree and makes no selection. Selecting a viewport does not interrupt a child, change its instructions or close its worktree. Ask for the explicit lifecycle operation instead. Use session-browser keys for resume/search/delete and MCP manager keys for server actions; these are distinct dialogs.
Account dashboard controls
The standalone terminal login dashboard uses Up/Down or k/j to select an account, wrapping at the list ends. Enter or r refreshes the selected account's usage; it does not select that account for a conversation. a adds an account, g connects a gateway, e toggles the selected account, d starts disconnect/delete, and i imports an eligible discovered account. Letter actions also accept uppercase. Escape or q closes the dashboard. With no accounts, refresh closes it and selected-account actions do nothing; use add instead.
Fullscreen /login instead presents selectable menu entries: connect, gateway, refresh all, or an account's action menu. Use the dialog's navigation and confirm keys, not the standalone letter bindings. The account menu offers refresh, enable/disable, import when applicable, disconnect with confirmation, and back. Cancel returns from the account menu to the dashboard; cancel there closes it. Secret entry remains in the dedicated overlay. Non-TTY login prints refreshed account information rather than exposing this interactive dashboard.
Example: inspect output without losing your prompt
- After a response completes, press Tab when the footer offers scrollback.
- Use Up and Down to select an earlier block.
- Use Ctrl+Y if you want to copy it.
- Press Escape to return to composing your next instruction.
If a shortcut does not arrive
Terminal applications and multiplexers can intercept keys or send indistinguishable sequences. Run /terminal to inspect detected capabilities. Use /meta instead of its shortcut, /copy to copy a response, and /edit-prompt to edit a draft. For native mouse text selection, use /mouse off; restore application mouse handling with /mouse on.