If you spend much of the day in Tandem App, a handful of keyboard shortcuts will save you a lot of reaching for the mouse. This guide lists them all and explains when each one is useful. On a Mac, use ⌘ (Command) wherever it says Ctrl; on Windows and Linux, use Ctrl.

See the list at any time

Press Ctrl/⌘ + / anywhere in the app to open a window listing the shortcuts. Press Esc to close it.

Getting around

  • Ctrl/⌘ + K — jump to a channel, conversation or person. Start typing a name, use ↑ and ↓ to choose, and press Enter to go there. Public channels you haven't joined yet are included, so it's also a quick way to find one. Choosing a person opens their profile, with a button to message them.
  • Alt + ↑ and Alt + ↓ — move to the previous or next conversation in the sidebar. On a Mac, Alt is the Option key.

Together these mean you can work through your channels without leaving the keyboard: Alt + ↓ to the next one, read, reply, and on again.

Writing messages

  • Enter — send the message.
  • Shift + Enter — start a new line without sending.
  • @ — mention someone. A list of matching people appears as you type their name; use ↑ and ↓ to choose and Enter or Tab to pick. Esc closes the list.
  • ↑ in an empty message box — edit the last message you sent in that conversation. Handy for fixing a typo the moment you spot it.
  • / at the start of the message — run a command, such as /dnd 1h or /status. See slash commands.

Threads and windows

  • Esc — close the thread you have open, or close the shortcuts or switcher window.

If you're typing a mention or editing a message when you press Esc, it deals with that first, so you won't lose the thread by accident.

Formatting as you type

Formatting is written with simple marks, so it works without a toolbar:

  • **bold** for bold.
  • _italic_ for italic.
  • `code` for code.

Quick reference

  • Ctrl/⌘ + K — jump to a channel, conversation or person.
  • Ctrl/⌘ + / — show the shortcuts.
  • Alt + ↑ / ↓ — previous or next conversation.
  • ↑ (in an empty message box) — edit your last message.
  • Enter / Shift + Enter — send / new line.
  • @ — mention someone.
  • Esc — close the thread or window.

For finding older messages rather than jumping to a conversation, use search with filters such as from: and in:; see searching everything.