The command palette keeps focus while open. Closing it returns focus to the composer in chat, or to the previous control on other pages. Choosing a workspace focus command moves to that area instead. Opening Pull Requests moves focus into that page. While the palette or model picker is open, number shortcuts select its entries instead of switching threads. Model shortcuts work in Settings as well as the composer. See Keybindings to customize these shortcuts.
If you return to typing while a terminal is starting, the composer keeps focus when the terminal becomes ready. Opening or switching to a terminal explicitly still focuses it.
On web and desktop, press F6 or Shift+F6 to move between the Threads sidebar,
conversation, message input, and visible panels. Navigation wraps around and restores
the last focused control in each area. Pull Requests has a page content area. In Settings,
F6 moves between the section list and the open section. Hidden areas are skipped. Other
dialogs and form popups retain focus; a thread context menu closes when an area command
moves focus away.
In a browser, plain F6 may move to the browser's own toolbar. Use mod+F6 and
mod+Shift+F6 instead (mod is Command on macOS and Ctrl elsewhere). Focus Next
Workspace Area and Focus Previous Workspace Area are also in the command palette and
can be remapped in Settings > Keybindings.
Tab enters the sidebar once. Up and Down move between threads without opening them; Enter
opens the focused thread or toggles a group. Right and Left expand and collapse groups.
Tab moves from the focused thread to its buttons. F2 renames the focused thread.
Press Shift+F10 or the Context Menu key to open the focused thread's menu. Use the arrow
keys to move through it, Enter to choose, and Escape to close it.
The Settings section list works the same way: Up and Down move between sections, and Enter opens one.