How can I control my computer with keyboard shortcuts to further reduce mouse usage?

The infamous "mouse hand" affects many users who work long hours in the office and perform thousands of clicks every day. In addition to the NUIA functions, keyboard shortcuts also help to click less, which saves a lot of time, too.

Elevate your computing experience to new heights by incorporating keyboard shortcuts with NUIA Eye Control features like NUIA Click, Key-Based Scrolling, and GazePad. This guide provides essential shortcuts for the most common use cases, aligning with NUIA's mission to make computing healthier and more convenient.

How does it work?

Executing a shortcut is straightforward. Press designated keys, linked by a "+", simultaneously. The following modifier keys are normally used to execute shortcuts:

Ctrl: Usually at the bottom left of the keyboard.
Shift: Used for capital letters, often marked with an upward arrow.
Alt: Typically to the left of the Spacebar (Shouldn't be confused with "Alt Gr.")
Alt Gr: Found to the right of the Spacebar (may be also called Alt on some keyboard layouts)
Win: The key with the Windows logo, usually to the left of the space bar.
Tab: Usually on the upper left, marked with opposing arrows.

The shortcuts

Arrange Application Windows

Shortcut	Action
Win + Left/Right Arrow	Snap the active window to the left/right half of the screen Windows 11 offers the possibility to snap windows in more varieties via the Maximize button in the upper right corner of each window. Just press and hold the NUIA Click trigger key and move your head to select the proper item
Win + Up Arrow	Maximize the active window
Win + Down Arrow	Minimize or restore the active window (sometimes you need to press twice if the window has a saved other size)
Win + D	Show desktop and hide again
Win + Shift + Left/Right Arrow	Move the active window to the previous/next screen (in multi-monitor setups)
Win + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow	Switch to the previous/next virtual desktop (a further virtual desktop needs to be initialized in before, see next table)

Switch Between Applications

Shortcut

Action

Alt + Tab

Switch between open windows (Quick release of both keys switched to previous window; Hold Alt key to open the overview of all open windows. If you just look at any window, NUIA will automatically select it and open it once the Alt key is released, see https://youtu.be/HNBiZbqgqCs)

Win + Tab

Opens Windows Task View for easy switching between open windows and virtual desktops (just look at a window or virtual desktop and press the NUIA Click to open it).

In Windows 11 it can also be started with a NUIA Click on the Task View icon in the taskbar

Edit Text

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow	Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous/next word
Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow	Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous/next paragraph
Ctrl + Shift + Left/Right arrow	Select a block of text to the left/right
Ctrl + Shift + Up/Down Arrow	Select a block of text from the cursor position to the beginning of the first line above/below
Ctrl + Z	Undo the last action
Ctrl + Y	Redo the last undone action
Win + .	Open "Insert emoji" menu

Copy & Paste Content

Shortcut	Action
2x NUIA Click	Select the word under your gaze
3x NUIA Click	Select the paragraph under your gaze
Ctrl + A	Select all text in a document or all items in a window
Ctrl + C	Copy selected content
Ctrl + X	Cut selected content
Ctrl + V	Paste the copied or cut content

Browse the Web

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + F	Find text in a document or webpage (works also for most other applications)
Ctrl + N	Open new window
Ctrl + T	Open new tab (also possible via GazePad)
Ctrl + W	Close current tab (also possible via GazePad)
Ctrl + Shift + T	Restore last closed tab (also possible via GazePad)
NUIA Click	Open targeted link in current tab
Ctrl + NUIA Click	Open targeted link in a new tab
Shift + NUIA Click	Open targeted link in a new window

Navigate in Documents

Shortcut	Action
Page Up/Down	Scrolls the area under your gaze up or down, whether it's a full page or a dropdown list (no need for the area to be in the active window).

Frequently Performed Actions

Shortcut	Action
Win	Open the Windows start menu and you can start typing to search in Windows
Win + E	Open a new Windows File Explorer window
2x NUIA Click	Initiates a double-click action (e.g., opening an item in Windows File Explorer)
Alt + Left/Right Arrow	Navigate one folder back or one folder level higher in File Explorer
Ctrl + Alt (hold down Ctrl + press 1x Alt)	Quickly launch commonly-used Office apps like Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, or PDF Viewer (bottom area of the NUIA GazePad)
Ctrl + Alt (hold down Ctrl + press 1x Alt)	Create new email (right area of the NUIA GazePad)
Ctrl + Alt (hold down Ctrl + press 1x Alt)	Open new browser window (right area of the NUIA GazePad)
Ctrl + Alt (hold down Ctrl + press 1x Alt)	Access clipboard history for simplified "re-copying" through NUIA Click (right area of the NUIA GazePad)
Ctrl + Alt (hold down Ctrl + press 1x Alt)	Lock your computer (right area of the NUIA GazePad)
Ctrl + Alt (hold down Ctrl + press 1x Alt)	Take a screenshot of the whole screen (left area of the NUIA GazePad) To take screenshots of smaller parts or if you want to highlights areas, use the NUIA Pensieve, see https://youtu.be/jac6lYkDwa8