Arrow keys

The arrow keys (↑ Up, ← Left, ↓ Down and → Right) are the four keys on a computer keyboard labelled with directional arrows, typically found in an inverted-T layout to the bottom-right of the keyboard and to the left of the numeric keypad. They are a subset of the cursor keys, which include others like the Home, End, and Page Up/Down keys.

The arrow keys have a wide variety of functions. In a command-line interface (CLI), text box, or word processor, they typically enable caret navigation, allowing the user to move the text cursor between characters and lines. Meanwhile, in graphical user interfaces (GUIs), file viewers, and web browsers, the keys are generally used for scrolling, providing an alternative to dragging a scrollbar with a mouse pointer. Specific kinds of software make use of the arrow keys in more unique ways: they are used in most media player software to skip backward or forward through audio and video files, and they are used in some video games to move a player character around a virtual space (although modern games typically use the WASD keys for this purpose).

The cursor keys predated the mouse pointer and were the primary means of cursor movement in the CLIs of the early 1980s. The modern layout and position of the arrow keys was established by the LK201 keyboard, released in 1982 by Digital Equipment Corporation; its design was replicated by larger companies like IBM and Apple and became the industry standard. Today, the arrow keys are included in that layout on almost all keyboards.