If you want to find words, text or group of words in your DOCX document, File Explorer, Web Browser, or any where in your Windows PC Computer, let’s find out how does it work.
Ctrl+F is a keyboard shortcut that enables you to locate specific words or phrases within a document or webpage on a Windows computer. If you were previously unaware of this shortcut, do not fret, as you are not alone. A significant portion of internet users remains unfamiliar with the ‘Find’ feature present in modern browsers and Windows applications.
In this post, we will guide you on how to utilize Ctrl+F easily to search for data, ensuring that you can take advantage of this feature with ease.
How to use CTRL+F to Find words?
To activate this keyboard shortcut, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, followed by the F key. This will bring up a Find window, which may differ depending on the application you are using. Within the search box of the Find window, type in the desired character, word, or phrase and then click on the Find button, if available. The Find feature will then scan the entire document to locate and highlight all matching results.
It is important to note that the Ctrl+F function is only supported within certain applications on your computer. In the following sections, we will explain how to utilize this shortcut to locate words in some of the most commonly used Windows applications.
Let’s see some of them:
1] Use Ctrl+F to Find words in File Explorer
Let’s say that I wish to search for a document or file within my Downloads folder containing the phrase ‘Giktip.’ To accomplish this, I would first press Ctrl+F, followed by typing ‘Giktip’. Once I have entered the phrase, the File Explorer will display only those files that contain ‘Giktip’ either in the file name or within the file content.
2] Use Ctrl+F to Find words in Word DOCX
Let’s take Microsoft Word as an example. When you press Ctrl+F in Microsoft Word, a Navigation panel will appear on the left-hand side of the window. From here, you can enter the word or phrase you are looking for, and Word will proceed to highlight every instance of the word or phrase in the document.
Additionally, Word will display the total number of times the word or phrase appears in the document underneath the search bar. To navigate through the search results, you may use either the Up and Down arrows or press the Enter key.
3] Use Ctrl+F to Find words in Web Browsers
Most modern web browsers allow you to search for words or phrases within a webpage using the Ctrl+F shortcut. Simply press Ctrl+F and type in the word or phrase you wish to find, and all instances of it will be instantly highlighted on the page. Additionally, the number of times the word or phrase appears on the page will be displayed on the right side of the search box.
Ctrl + F works in other Apps too.
The Ctrl+F shortcut is supported by a variety of other applications, such as presentation software, spreadsheet software, code editors, text editors, and text file viewers. Depending on the application, the search feature may be presented as a simple popup or a Find (or Find and Replace) window that provides more advanced search options.
Does Ctrl-F work on all computers?
The Ctrl+F keyboard shortcut works with all Windows computers, including Windows 11, Windows 10, and earlier. Mac users need to press Command+F rather than Control+F to bring up the Find popup. The shortcut allows users to search a specific text or phrase within a document. It also makes it easier to navigate within an entire document.