How to Navigate the Microsoft Sticky Notes App (Windows 11)

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This tutorial covers:

  1. How to Cycle Forward Through All Windows
  2. How to Cycle Backwards Through All Windows
  3. How to Search For a Sticky Note With Click
  4. How to Clear the Search Bar
  5. How to Exit the Search Bar With Click
  6. How to Search For a Sticky Note With Keyboard Shortcuts
  7. How to Clear the Search Bar With Keyboard Shortcut
  8. How to Move One Word to the Left
  9. How to Move One Word to the Right
  10. How to Move to the Start of a Line
  11. How to Move to the End of a Line
  12. How to Move to the Start of a Sticky Note
  13. How to Move to the End of a Sticky Note
  14. How to Delete the Previous Word
  15. How to Delete the Next Word
     

Click through this quick tutorial presentation:

Watch a tutorial video: 




How to Cycle Forward Through All Windows

  • Step 1: First open the Notes list. Go to the upper left click the "New note" or "+" button to create at least one sticky note.

The left image displays the cursor clicking the "+" button in the upper left of the open Notes list window. The right image displays a sticky note to the right of the open Notes list window.

 

  • Step 2: On the keyboard press Ctrl + Tab to cycle forward through all sticky notes and the Notes list window.

A yellow sticky note with the text of "one" is in the upper left corner of the image. A blue arrow points diagonally downward to the right towards a pink sticky note with the text of "two". A blue arrow points diagonally downward to the right towards a blue sticky note with the text of "three". A blue arrow points diagonally downward to the right towards the open Notes list window.

 

 

How to Cycle Backwards Through All Windows

  • Step 1: Open the Notes list. Go to the upper left click the "New note" or "+" button to create at least one sticky note.

The left image displays the cursor clicking the "+" button in the upper left of the open Notes list window. The right image displays a sticky note to the right of the open Notes list window.

 

  • Step 2: On the keyboard press Ctrl + Shift + Tab to cycle backwards through all sticky notes and the Notes list.
The open Notes list window is in the upper left corner of the image. A blue arrow points diagonally downward to the right towards a blue sticky note with the text of "three". A blue arrow points diagonally downward to the right towards a pink sticky note with the text of "two". A blue arrow points diagonally downward to the right towards a yellow sticky note with the text of "one".



How to Search For a Sticky Note With Click

  • Step 1: First open the Notes list. Click inside the search bar at the top and type any text. In the search results list, double click the sticky note to open it. 

The left image displays a blue rectangle surrounding the search bar at the top of the Notes list window, as the cursor clicks inside the search bar. The right image displays the open Notes list window where the search bar displays the text of "two". Below the search bar is a blue rectangle surrounding a pink sticky note with the text of "two". The cursor double clicks the pink sticky note. The bottom image displays the Notes list window in the background with the open pink sticky note in the foreground.

 

 

How to Clear the Search Bar

  • Method 1: Click the "X" button on the right side of the search bar.

The left image displays the open Notes list window. The search bar at the top of the Notes list window contains the text of "note". The cursor clicks the "X" button to the right of the search bar. The right image displays the open Notes list window with an empty search bar at the top.

 

  • Method 2: Click inside the search bar at the top of the Notes list and on the keyboard press Backspace.
The image displays the open Notes list window. A graphic of the keyboard key "Backspace" appears at the bottom of the window. At the top of the Notes list the search bar displays the text of "t" as the text is being deleted with the Backspace key.

  • Method 3: Select any text in the search bar and on the keyboard press the Delete key.

The left image displays the open Notes list. The selected word of "one" is highlighted in a light blue color in the search bar at the top of the Notes list. A graphic of the keyboard key "Delete" appears at the bottom of the Notes list. The right image displays the empty search bar at the top of the Notes list.




How to Exit the Search Bar With Click

  • Step 1: Click anywhere inside the Notes list to exit the search bar.
    The left image displays the open Notes list window. The insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is in the search bar at the top of the Notes list window. A blue rectangle surrounds the cursor that clicks inside the bottom of the Notes list. The right image displays the open Notes list window without an insertion point in the search bar at the top.

     

 

How to Search For a Sticky Note With Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Step 1: Open the Notes list. On the keyboard press Ctrl + F and type any text. Press the Enter key twice to open the first sticky note in the search results list.  

The left image displays the open Notes list window. A graphic of the keyboard keys "Ctrl + F" appears at the bottom of the window. The right image displays the open Notes list window where the search bar at the top displays the text of "three". Below the search bar is a blue sticky note with the text of "three". A graphic of the keyboard key "Enter" appears at the bottom of the Notes list window. The bottom image displays the Notes list window in the background and the open blue sticky note in the foreground.

 

 

How to Clear the Search Bar With Keyboard Shortcut

  • Step 1: On the keyboard press the Esc key. The Sticky Notes app clears all search terms from the search bar in the Notes list, but does not exit the search bar.
The left image displays the open Notes list window, where the search bar at the top displays the text of "three". Below the search bar is a blue sticky note with the text of "three". A graphic of the keyboard key "Esc" appears at the bottom of the Notes list window. The right image displays the open Notes list window where the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is not inside the search bar at the top.



How to Move One Word to the Left

  • Step 1: Click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press Ctrl + Left Arrow key to move the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, one word to the left. Continue pressing Ctrl + Left Arrow key to continue moving one word to the left.
The image displays a total of four sticky notes arranged in a vertical line, and each sticky note contains the text of "left center right". In the top sticky note, the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the right of the word "right" and a blue arrow points to the left. In the second sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the letter "r" in the word "right" and a blue arrow points to the left. In the third sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the letter "c" in the word "center" and a blue arrow points to the left. In the bottom sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "left" and a blue arrow points to the left. A graphic of the keyboard keys "Alt + Left Arrow" appears at the bottom of the image.



How to Move One Word to the Right

  • Step 1: First click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press Ctrl + Right Arrow key to move the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, one word to the right. Continue pressing Ctrl + Right Arrow key to continue moving one word to the right.
The image displays four sticky notes arranged in a vertical line, all with the text of "left center right". In the first sticky note, the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the left of the word "left" and a blue arrow points to the right. In the second sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "center" and a blue arrow points to the right. In the third sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "right" and a blue arrow points to the right. In the last sticky note, the insertion point is to the right of the word "right" and a blue arrow points to the right. A graphic of the keyboard keys "Ctrl + Right Arrow" appears at the bottom of the image.



How to Move to the Start of a Line

  • Step 1: Click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press the Home key (some computers accept this shortcut as Fn + Home). The insertion point, or blinking vertical line, jumps to the start of the current line.
The image displays two sticky notes arranged in a vertical line, both with the text of "left center right" on line one and "Home is just the beginning, not the End" on line two. In the top sticky note, the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the right of the word "End" which is surrounded by a blue circle. In the bottom sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "Home" which is surrounded by a blue circle. A blue arrow points to the left. A graphic of the keyboard key "Home" appears at the bottom of the image.



How to Move to the End of a Line

  • Step 1: First click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press the End key (some computers accept this shortcut as Fn + End). The insertion point, or blinking vertical line, jumps to the end of the current line.
The image displays two sticky notes arranged in a vertical line, both with the text of "left center right" on line one and "Home is just the beginning, not the End" on line two. In the top sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "Home" which is surrounded by a blue circle. In the bottom sticky note the insertion point is to the right of the word "End" which is surrounded by a blue circle. A blue arrow points to the right. A graphic of the keyboard key "End" appears at the bottom of the image.



How to Move to the Start of a Sticky Note

  • Step 1: Click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press Ctrl + Home (some computers accept this shortcut as Ctrl + Fn + Home in that order). The insertion point, or blinking vertical line, jumps to the start of the sticky note.
The image displays two sticky notes arranged in a horizontal line both with the text of "left center right" on line one, "Home is just the beginning, not the End" on line two, and "Use Ctrl + Delete or Ctrl + Backspace" on line three. In the left sticky note, the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the right of the word "Backspace" which is surrounded by a blue circle. A graphic of the keyboard keys "Ctrl + Home" appears at the bottom of the sticky note. In the right image, the insertion point is to the left of the word "left" which is surrounded by a blue circle.



How to Move to the End of a Sticky Note

  • Step 1: First click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press Ctrl + End (some computers accept this shortcut as Ctrl + Fn + End). The insertion point, or blinking vertical line, jumps to the end of the sticky note.
The image displays two sticky notes arranged in a horizontal line. Both sticky notes contain the text of "left center right" on line one, "Home is just the beginning, not the End" on line two, and "Use Ctrl + Delete or Ctrl + Backspace" on line three. In the left image the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the left of the word "left" which is surrounded by a blue circle. A graphic of the keyboard keys "Ctrl + Home" appears at the bottom of the sticky note. In the right image, the insertion point is to the right of the word "Backspace" which is surrounded by a blue circle.



How to Delete the Previous Word

  • Step 1: Click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press Ctrl + Backspace to delete the previous word. Continue pressing Ctrl + Backspace to continue deleting the previous word, one at a time.
The image displays five sticky notes arranged in a vertical line. All the sticky notes contain the text of "left center right" on line one, "Home is just the beginning, not the End" on line two, and "Use Ctrl + Delete or Ctrl + Backspace" on line three. In the first sticky note, the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the right of the word "Backspace" and a blue arrow points to the left. In the second sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the space where the deleted word "Backspace" was before. A blue arrow points to the left. In the third sticky note, the insertion point is in the space to the left of the deleted "+". A blue arrow points to the left. In the fourth sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the space where the deleted word of "Ctrl" was before. A blue arrow points to the left. In the fifth sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the space where the deleted word "or" was before. A graphic of the keyboard keys "Ctrl + Backspace" appears on the right side of the image.



How to Delete the Next Word

  • Step 1: First click inside an edited sticky note. On the keyboard press Ctrl + Delete to delete the next word. Continue pressing Ctrl + Delete to continue deleting the next word, one at a time.
     
    The image displays five sticky notes arranged in a vertical line. All the sticky notes contain the text of "left center right" on line one, "Home is just the beginning, not the End" on line two, and "Use Ctrl + Delete" on line three. In the first sticky note, the insertion point, or blinking vertical line, is to the left of the word "Use". A blue arrow points to the right. In the second sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "Ctrl" and the word "Use" was deleted. A blue arrow points to the right. In the third sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the "+" as the word "Ctrl" was deleted. A blue arrow points to the right. In the fourth sticky note, the insertion point is to the left of the word "Delete" as the "+" was deleted. In the fifth sticky note, the insertion point is to left of line three which does not have any text. A graphic of the keyboard keys Ctrl + Delete appears on the right side of the image.

 

Refer to these instructions later in this free PDF copy.