Go Back
NavigationNavigates back to the previous cursor location.
macOS
Windows / Linux
Pro Tip
Works across files — essential after jumping to definitions.
About This Shortcut
The Go Back shortcut belongs to the Navigation category of VS Code keyboard shortcuts. Navigates back to the previous cursor location. Learning and using keyboard shortcuts dramatically improves your coding speed and reduces dependence on the mouse.
VS Code is the most popular code editor with over 70% market share among developers. Its extensive keyboard shortcut system enables experienced users to perform complex operations — from multi-cursor editing to Git operations — entirely from the keyboard. This shortcut is one of the essential shortcuts every developer should memorize for efficient coding workflows.
You can customize this keybinding by opening the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (⌘K ⌘S on macOS). Search for "Go Back" to view, change, or add alternative keybindings. VS Code also supports keymap extensions that import shortcut schemes from other editors like Vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, and JetBrains.