Gmail · Previous message in the thread
Reading
Windows · Linux
pMac
pBoth systems use the same combination.
Steps back up to the earlier message inside an open thread — quicker than folding and unfolding with the mouse when you retrace who said what on a long chain.
- Group
- Reading
- Keys held
- 1
Most Gmail shortcuts do nothing until you turn Keyboard shortcuts on in Settings — while it is off, the single-letter keys simply have no effect.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Previous message in the thread in Gmail?
Steps back up to the earlier message inside an open thread — quicker than folding and unfolding with the mouse when you retrace who said what on a long chain. It is p on Windows and p on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, p on both.
Q. How many keys is that?
1 pressed together. The combination sits under Reading in Gmail.