Focus Main Window pulls your cursor out of a chat or compose box and back to the main Gmail view. It is the quick way to return to your inbox controls after you have been typing in a side window.
CMDK transforms your Gmail into a keyboard first experience, not just transforming existing Gmail keyboard shortcuts but also adding new ones for you to be 2x faster at email. CMDK also adds a command bar, natural language snooze, split inbox with Tabs, one-click email nuke, and easy account switching tools. It reduces your reliance on the mouse, getting you into a state of flow as you use Gmail everyday.
Focus main window Gmail Shortcut Tutorial
To use the Gmail shortcut “Focus main window,” you first need to enable keyboard shortcuts in Gmail. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open your Gmail account and click on the gear icon in the top right corner.
2. Select “See all settings” from the dropdown menu.
3. Navigate to the “General” tab.
4. Scroll down until you see the “Keyboard shortcuts” section.
5. Click on the radio button next to “Keyboard shortcuts on” to enable them.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Save Changes” to apply the new settings.
Now that you have enabled keyboard shortcuts, here’s how to use the “Focus main window” shortcut:
1. Once you’re in your Gmail inbox, press the key combination “Shift” + “;”
2. This will bring the focus to the main window where your emails are displayed, allowing you to easily navigate and interact with them using your keyboard.
If turning Gmail’s shortcuts on by hand feels fiddly, the CMDK extension switches them on for you the moment you install it, so Focus Main Window works right away with no setup.
Make every keystroke count
Learning Focus Main Window is worth it, but you do not have to stop there. CMDK turns Gmail into an inbox you run entirely from the keyboard: more than 80 shortcuts, a command bar for any action, snooze you can type in plain English, a tabbed split inbox, and one-key sender nuke. Add it to Chrome and keep your hands off the mouse.
Related Gmail keyboard shortcuts
CMDK adds these and 80+ more shortcuts to Gmail, along with a command bar and natural-language snooze. See how CMDK works or check CMDK pricing.