Alt Key

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What is the "Alt Key" in the Computer, and What Does it Do?

Alt key is the name of a key of the computer keyboard that doesn't do anything on its own, but modifies the behavior of other keys and clicks when held pressed—it's a modifier key, like Ctrl and Shift.

A black key, on it: the word "Alt" in white.
The Alt key. Photo by Raysonho on Wikimedia (license: CC0 1.0).

The Alt key is typically used in keyboard shortcuts of the operating system, such as Alt+Tab.

Where is the Alt Key on the Keyboard?

The left Alt key is at the bottom row of the keyboard, to the right of the Ctrl key and of the WinKey, and to the left of the spacebar. The right Alt key to the right of the spacebar. The right Alt key is labelled AltGr in some keyboards.

A black Lenovo keyboard with a short enter key and a USB cable.
A black computer keyboard featuring ANSI layout. Photo by Raysonho on Wikimedia (license: CC0 1.0).
Written by Noel Santos.

About the Author

I'm a self-taught Brazilian programmer graduated in IT from a FATEC. In a world of increasingly complex and essential computers, I decided to use my technical expertise in hardware, desktop applications, and web technologies to create an informative resource to make PC's easier to understand.

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