Select All
The quickest way to select everything in your current window is to press Ctrl+A (Windows) or ⌘ Command+A (Mac). You can also use the Edit menu in most windows to select everything. Keep reading for tips on selecting everything in common computer programs, as well as on mobile devices like Androids and iPhones.
Contents
Steps
Windows
Windows Explorer
- Use the keyboard shortcut. Press Ctrl+A to select all of the objects in your current directory. This will also select all of the icons on the desktop if the desktop has the focus.
- This keyboard shortcut also works on most Linux systems.
- Use the "Select All" button. In Windows 8, click the "Select All" button in the Home tab of Windows Explorer to select all of the objects in the displayed directory. If your version of Explorer has an Edit menu, you can find "Select All" in it.
Word and Other Programs
- Use the keyboard shortcut. Press Ctrl+A to select all of the text and other objects in your document. Any formatting changes will be applied to all of the selected text.
- Headers and footers will not be selected when you use the Select All command.
- The keyboard shortcut works for virtually any program where objects can be selected.
- Use the Edit menu. In older versions of Word, click Edit and then click "Select All". In newer versions of Word, find the Editing section of the Home tab, click the Select button, and then click "Select All".
Mac OS X
Finder
- Use the keyboard shortcut. Press ⌘ Cmd+A to select all of the objects in your current directory. This will also select all of the icons on the desktop if the desktop has the focus.
- Use the Edit menu. With the Finder window active that you want to select all the objects in, click the Edit menu at the top of the screen. Click "Select All" to select all of the objects in the current directory.
Word and Other Programs
- Use the keyboard shortcut. Press ⌘ Cmd+A to select all of the text and other objects in your document. Any formatting changes will be applied to all of the selected text.
- Headers and footers will not be selected when you use the Select All command.
- The keyboard shortcut works for virtually any program where objects can be selected.
- Use the Edit menu. If you prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts, you can access "Select All" from the Edit menu. Click the Edit menu at the top of the screen, then click "Select All" to select all of the objects in the current directory.
Mobile Devices
Android
- Press and hold the text you want to select. After a moment, a menu should appear. The menu will vary from app to app, but Android has a standardized text select bar that should appear at the top of your screen in most cases.
- Tap the "Select All" button. It looks like four small squares arranged as one larger square surrounded by a dotted line.
- Other programs may have different ways of doing it. For example, in Google Drive a "Select all" button will appear right next to the cursor after you long-press the text.
- This will not work with app icons.
iPhone/iPad
- Press and hold the text you want to select. After a moment, a menu should appear next to where you were pressing your finger. Tap "Select All" to select all of the text.
- This will not work with app icons.
