Moving between workspaces in GNOME is a fundamental way to organize your open applications and enhance productivity, primarily achieved using keyboard shortcuts or the Activities Overview.
Quick Methods to Navigate Workspaces
The most efficient way to switch between your GNOME workspaces is by using dedicated keyboard shortcuts. These allow you to seamlessly jump to different virtual desktops where you've organized your applications.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Workspace Navigation
GNOME provides intuitive keyboard shortcuts to move between workspaces:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut 1 | Keyboard Shortcut 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Move to the workspace above | Super + Page Up | Ctrl + Alt + Up |
| Move to the workspace below | Super + Page Down | Ctrl + Alt + Down |
- Super Key: This refers to the Windows key on most keyboards or the Command (⌘) key on Apple keyboards.
- Page Up/Page Down: These keys are typically found above the arrow keys on a standard keyboard.
These shortcuts directly move you through the stacked list of workspaces as they appear in the workspace selector within the Activities Overview.
Using the Activities Overview
Another common method for navigating workspaces is through the Activities Overview.
- Access Activities: Press the Super key or click "Activities" in the top-left corner of your screen. This will open the overview, showing all your open windows and a sidebar with workspace thumbnails.
- Select Workspace: On the right side of the screen, you will see a list of vertical workspace thumbnails. Click on any of these thumbnails to instantly switch to that workspace.
Enhancing Productivity with Workspaces
Workspaces are an incredibly powerful feature for managing clutter and focusing on specific tasks.
- Task-Oriented Organization: Dedicate separate workspaces to different tasks or projects. For example, one for communication (email, chat), another for development (code editor, terminal), and a third for research (web browser, documents).
- Reduced Distractions: By isolating applications, you can minimize visual clutter and switch contexts quickly without closing and reopening windows.
- Improved Workflow: Instead of minimizing and maximizing windows constantly, you can simply switch workspaces with a quick keyboard shortcut, maintaining your flow.
Moving Windows Between Workspaces
Sometimes you might want to move an application window from one workspace to another.
- Via Keyboard:
- Super + Shift + Page Up / Down: Move the currently focused window to the workspace above or below, respectively, and follow it.
- Super + Shift + Home / End: Move the currently focused window to the first or last workspace.
- Via Activities Overview:
- Enter the Activities Overview (press Super key).
- Click and drag the desired window from its current workspace to a different workspace thumbnail on the right sidebar.
- Release the mouse button to drop the window into the new workspace.
Managing Workspaces
GNOME handles workspaces dynamically, meaning they are created as needed.
- Automatic Creation: When you drag a window to the empty space below the last occupied workspace in the Activities Overview, a new workspace is automatically created.
- Deletion: Workspaces are automatically removed when they become empty, consolidating your remaining workspaces.
For more detailed information on GNOME's features, you can always consult the official GNOME Help documentation.
