Here are quite a few I found for all the latest Kindles, as well as the first one. I'm sure there are more, and if I missed any, someone (I hope) will let me know and I will update this list. If the keyboard command is specific to one Kindle only, it will be noted. When I update this list, I will repost it so you will always have the latest handy. This is only the beginning. Enjoy!
Special Note: Keys separated by a + should be held... for example, Alt+ G means press the Alt key, then while still holding it down, press the letter G.
General Shortcuts
- Alt+G refresh screen (anti-ghosting)
- Alt+Shift+R reboot Kindle (completely shuts down, then restarts) - Kindle 1 only
- Alt+Shift+G screenshot
- Power Off - Kindle 2 and newer: Slide and hold the power button for 4 seconds
- Reset - Kindle 2 and newer: slide and hold the power button for 15 seconds
- Display Wireless Network newer Kindles - Press Menu button
- Alt+Home go to Kindle store
- Jump to Web - type what you are searching for, then move the 5 way to the right and select Google
From the Home Page
- Alt+Shift+M minesweeper game - Press M or enter key to mark, R to restart game, use 5-way controller to move cursor.
- Alt+T show time (Kindle 1)
- Menu button show time and other information at top of screen (Kindle DX and newer)
- Number keys - enter each to go to page number on home screen
- Back button will always take you to the previous page or screen you were on
- Home button will always take you to page 1 of the home screen no matter where you are when you press it
Reader (when any book or article is open)
- Alt+B toggle bookmark on or off
- Alt+T spell out time at bottom of screen (Kindle 1 only)
- Alt+Page forward or backward go to next/previous annotation or one "chunk" (1/20th of a book) forward or backward.
- J (letter key) when Font choices are open (Aa), pressing the letter J will give you additional justification options. Kindle 1 only. I did not see additional options on the DX or Kindle 3 while a book was opened and the Aa key was pressed.
Photo Viewer Controls - The picture viewer can be activated by connecting your Kindle 2 (and newer) to your computer and creating a "pictures" folder on your Kindle drive. Create subfolders inside the pictures folders with each subfolder naming what the subject of the pictures are. The subfolders will become "book" names and the pictures will be pages. .gif, .jpg and .png files all work. Then disconnect the USB cable and when you turn on your Kindle and press Alt+Z on the home screen, your pictures will appear among the books.
While you are viewing pictures in the Picture Viewer
- The letter C toggles the actual size
- The letter F toggles full screen
- Q zoom in
- W zoom out
- R rotate
- E reset zoom level
- Pan Photo larger than screen - use 5 way controller
- Alt+Shift+o to set the current picture as screensaver
Text To Speech Shortcuts (only for books that have text to speech enabled, or unprotected (like Manybooks.net books)
- Start or stop Shift+SYM (shift key is the "up arrow")
- Pause text to speech Spacebar
- Switch between male and female voices and change voice speed - press the Aa key while it is playing, then use the 5-way switch to navigate to the option you want. Press in on the center button to make it happen.
- Start text to speech at specific point on a page - To begin the text to speech at a particular point on a page, move the cursor with your 5-way controller to the point just before you want the reading to begin.
Settings Page (from the Home screen, press Menu, then navigate to settings) Kindles 2, 3 and DX
- Alt+411 Show diagnostics data (while holding down the alt key, press the numbers one at a time)
- Alt+311 search for and switch wireless provider (do not do this unless you know exactly what you are doing).
Audio Player Music folder (mp3 audio books or mp3 music files can go in this folder). You can't really control this folder or sort the files (other than by file name) to play in a special order. Keyboard commands only if you have anything in this folder.
- Alt+F next (music files in a music folder on your Kindle)
- Alt+P Play/stop (Kindle 1)
- Alt+Spacebar (Kindle DX, 2 and 3) play/pause music. Also pauses spoken text function
- Spacebar pause audio file
Audible folder (audio books from audible.com or mp3 audio books or mp3 music files)
- This is for audible.com files (subscription required) but also for mp3 files you may want more control over (rather than just putting them in the music folder on your Kindle)
- Place mp3 files (book, music, old time radio shows) in this folder on your Kindle. When you disconnect your Kindle from the computer, you will see these files listed much like any other book. These have special "powers." You can organize them in collections. Click one to play and you will see regular audio controls at the bottom of your Kindle screen. Use the spacebar to start/stop or use the 5 way controller to navigate to the control you want to use, then press in on the center to make it happen.
Ask Mrs. Wizard: Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) if you have any questions. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it.
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