i3 Window Manager Default Keyboard Shortcuts

A photograph of a laptop with two terminal windows open.

The i3 Window Manager is a highly minimal and customizable desktop environment compatible with the most popular Linux distros. Unlike GNOME and KDE, i3 only gives you the bare essentials for a graphical workstation setup. This allows you to build your environment using your tools without worrying about configuration conflicts.

i3 Window Manager Default Keyboard Shortcuts Download

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Aside from being a spartan environment, i3 also excels in its ability to use keyboard shortcuts in controlling the desktop. For example, you can change the behavior of your overall window layout using only a single key combo.

This cheat sheet will show you the default keyboard shortcuts for i3. This includes the option to create and manipulate windows as well as workspaces. However, remember that you can also change these shortcuts by editing your i3 configuration file in: “~/.config/i3/config.”

ShortcutFunction
Desktop Manipulation
Alt + EnterCreate a new window in the currently selected workspace
Alt + FToggle the currently selected window’s fullscreen mode.
Alt + DRun i3’s application launcher.
Alt + Shift + QRemove the currently selected window.
Alt + REnable i3’s Resize Mode on the current workspace.
Alt + Shift + CReload your i3 configuration file.
Alt + Shift + RRestart the current i3 session.
Alt + Shift + EExit the current i3 session.
Window Selection and Movement
Alt + ASelect the parent window for the currently selected window.
Alt + Semicolon (;)Select the window to the right of the currently selected window.
Alt + JSelect the window to the left of the currently selected window.
Alt + KSelect the window below the currently selected window.
Alt + LSelect the window above the currently selected window.
Alt + Shift + Semicolon (;)Move the selected window to the right of the current workspace.
Alt + Shift + JMove the selected window to the left of the current workspace.
Alt + Shift + KMove the selected window to the bottom of the current workspace.
Alt + Shift + LMove the selected window to the top of the current workspace.
Alt + SpaceToggle i3’s selection code to only target either tiled or floating windows.
Window Manipulation
Alt + VForce the desktop only to split new windows lengthwise.
Alt + HForce the desktop only to split new windows crosswise.
Alt + SStack all the active windows in the current desktop into a single master window.
Alt + WConvert the active windows in the current desktop to a single tabbed layout.
Alt + Shift + SpaceConvert the active windows in the current desktop to movable floating units.
Alt + Left ClickMove the selected floating unit in the current desktop.
Alt + ERevert all the active windows to their original discrete layout.
Alt + Shift + Minus (-)Hide the currently selected window.
Alt + Minus (-)Display a currently hidden window.
Workspace Selection and Movement
Alt + 1Go to the first workspace of the current session.
Alt + 2Go to the second workspace of the current session.
Alt + 3Go to the third workspace of the current session.
Alt + 4Go to the fourth workspace of the current session.
Alt + 5Go to the fifth workspace of the current session.
Alt + 6Go to the sixth workspace of the current session.
Alt + 7Go to the seventh workspace of the current session.
Alt + 8Go to the eighth workspace of the current session.
Alt + 9Go to the ninth workspace of the current session.
Alt + 0Go to the tenth workspace of the current session.
Alt + Shift + 1Move the currently selected window to the first workspace.
Alt + Shift + 2Move the currently selected window to the second workspace.
Alt + Shift + 3Move the currently selected window to the third workspace.
Alt + Shift + 4Move the currently selected window to the fourth workspace.
Alt + Shift + 5Move the currently selected window to the fifth workspace.
Alt + Shift + 6Move the currently selected window to the sixth workspace.
Alt + Shift + 7Move the currently selected window to the seventh workspace.
Alt + Shift + 8Move the currently selected window to the eighth workspace.
Alt + Shift + 9Move the currently selected window to the ninth workspace.
Alt + Shift + 0Move the currently selected window to the tenth workspace.
Resize Mode
Left ArrowExpand the currently selected window by 10 pixels to the left.
Right ArrowExpand the currently selected window by 10 pixels to the right.
Up ArrowExpand the currently selected window 10 pixels up.
Down ArrowExpand the currently selected window 10 pixels down.
EscExit i3’s Resize Mode.

Image credit: Unsplash. All alterations by Ramces Red.

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Ramces Red
Ramces Red - Staff Writer

Ramces is a technology writer that lived with computers all his life. A prolific reader and a student of Anthropology, he is an eccentric character that writes articles about Linux and anything *nix.