Keyboard shortcuts worth learning
Common player shortcuts for tracks, chapters, snapshots and picture-in-picture; [ and ] change speed, and = restores normal speed.
Windows 11 & 10 · Guide reviewed 28 October 2026 · 4 min read
The essential few
Space plays and pauses. The left and right arrows step back and forward, up and down change the volume. F goes fullscreen and Escape leaves it. That handful covers most of a normal evening, and it is the difference between watching a film and hunting for a cursor in a darkened room.
Common player shortcuts
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space | Play or pause |
| F | Fullscreen |
| Esc | Leave fullscreen |
| ← and → | Back or forward 10 seconds |
| ↑ and ↓ | Volume up or down, in steps of 5 |
| M | Mute |
| S | Save a snapshot of the current frame |
| L | A-B repeat: loop a section |
| Page Up and Page Down | Move between chapters |
| N and P | Next and previous video |
| A or B | Step through the audio tracks |
| J or V | Step through the subtitle tracks |
| Shift + arrow keys | Pan the picture when zoomed |
| R | Reset zoom, pan and aspect ratio |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | Picture-in-picture |
| T | Cast to a TV |
| Ctrl+D | Audio only |
Casting is part of AIX Pro, with a free allowance in the free app. Every other shortcut here works in the free app.
Why stepping beats dragging the timeline
Fixed seek steps can help you replay a missed line without dragging the timeline. A fixed step back, ten seconds, always the same, lands where you expect and needs no aim. Two presses is twenty seconds.
Switching audio and subtitles mid-film
A or B steps to the next soundtrack and J or V to the next subtitle track, without opening a menu. It is the quickest way to find the right language on a film with several, or to switch subtitles on for one mumbled scene. To have your language picked automatically, set a preferred audio and subtitle language in Settings.
Beyond the keyboard
- Media keys. Media keys is on by default. With it switched on in Settings → General, the play/pause and track keys on a keyboard or headset control AIX Player.
- Gestures. Tap the centre of the video to play or pause, double-tap for fullscreen, by touchscreen, mouse or precision touchpad. See gesture controls.
- The player screen. Controls and available shortcuts, group by group: the player screen tour.
Get AIX Player.
Play supported SDR videos free without a time limit. HDR playback and unlimited casting are part of AIX Pro, with free trials.
GET IT FROM Microsoft StorePlaying standard (SDR) video from your PC is free, with no time limit and no ads. see what is free and what Pro adds. See current pricing in the Microsoft Store.