GeForce NOW keyboard shortcuts give you quick access to the cloud gaming overlay, screenshots, recording, Instant Replay, microphone controls, and streaming statistics without leaving your game.
The two shortcuts worth knowing first are Ctrl + G on Windows and Command + G on macOS. Both open the GeForce NOW in-game overlay.
Do not confuse Ctrl + G with Alt + Z. Alt + Z belongs to the local NVIDIA App overlay on supported Windows PCs. GeForce NOW and the NVIDIA App are separate systems.
GeForce NOW Shortcuts at a Glance
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open or close in-game overlay | Ctrl + G | Command + G |
| Take screenshot | Ctrl + 1 | Command + 1 |
| Toggle Instant Replay | Ctrl + Shift + 0 | Command + Shift + 0 |
| Save recent Instant Replay footage | Ctrl + 0 | Command + 0 |
| Start or stop recording | Ctrl + 9 | Command + 9 |
| Toggle microphone | Ctrl + M | Command + M |
| Streaming Statistics Overlay | Ctrl + N | Command + N |
Most GeForce NOW shortcuts can be customized. When a combination differs on your system, check the current binding inside the app:
Ctrl + G > Settings > Shortcut controls
On Mac, start with Command + G.
Ctrl + G: Open the GeForce NOW Overlay
Ctrl + G is the main GeForce NOW shortcut on Windows. On macOS, use Command + G.
Press it while a cloud gaming session is running to reach features such as Shortcut controls, Gallery, recording, screenshots, microphone controls, NVIDIA Highlights, game filters where supported, and streaming information.
Press the same shortcut again to return to the game.
This is also what most people mean by the GeForce NOW menu shortcut or overlay hotkey.
Ctrl + G vs Alt + Z
The distinction is simple:
GeForce NOW cloud overlay: Ctrl + G
Local NVIDIA App overlay: Alt + Z
A Windows PC can run the NVIDIA App locally while also streaming through GeForce NOW, so both overlays can exist on the same computer.
My NVIDIA Overlay Shortcut: Hotkeys and How to Change Them guide covers the local NVIDIA App shortcuts separately.
Ctrl + 1: Take a Screenshot
Use Ctrl + 1 on Windows or Command + 1 on Mac.
This captures a screenshot through GeForce NOW rather than Windows Print Screen, Snipping Tool, Steam, or another local capture utility.
Check the GeForce NOW Gallery or the file location configured in your current app afterward.
When the shortcut does nothing, inspect Settings > Shortcut controls. A customized binding can make an online shortcut list appear wrong even though GeForce NOW itself is working.
Ctrl + 9: Start or Stop Recording
Use Ctrl + 9 on Windows or Command + 9 on macOS.
Press it once to begin manual recording and again to stop.
Capture features can vary with platform, app version, game, and the features available in the current session. When the shortcut shown inside your overlay differs, use the in-app binding.
The local NVIDIA App has separate recording controls, so do not substitute its hotkeys when you want to capture the GeForce NOW cloud session.
Instant Replay Shortcuts
To toggle Instant Replay, use Ctrl + Shift + 0 on Windows or Command + Shift + 0 on Mac.
To save recent replay footage, use Ctrl + 0 on Windows or Command + 0 on Mac.
The save command only helps when Instant Replay is enabled and recent footage is available.
Open Settings > Shortcut controls when the replay keys on your device differ from these defaults.
Ctrl + M: Toggle the Microphone
Use Ctrl + M on Windows or Command + M on macOS.
This lets you mute or unmute the microphone without leaving the game.
When the combination conflicts with a game’s voice-chat or other control, change either the game binding or the GeForce NOW microphone shortcut. Avoid assigning the same combination to both.
Ctrl + N: Show Streaming Statistics
Use Ctrl + N on Windows and ChromeOS or Command + N on macOS.
NVIDIA’s Streaming Statistics Overlay is useful when a cloud stream looks blurry, choppy, delayed, or lower-resolution than expected. It can expose information related to stream quality, frame rate, latency, and packet loss.
What happened to Ctrl + Alt + F6?
Ctrl + Alt + F6 is an outdated GeForce NOW statistics shortcut.
NVIDIA retired the legacy statistics panel. Current releases use the Streaming Statistics Overlay with Ctrl + N on PC/ChromeOS and Command + N on macOS.
This is one reason the current GeForce NOW overlay should be your final reference instead of an old shortcut graphic.
How to See All Shortcuts Assigned on Your Device
While a game is running:
- Press Ctrl + G on Windows or Command + G on Mac.
- Select the Settings gear.
- Open Shortcut controls.
- Review the actions and assigned combinations.
This also reveals a shortcut you customized and later forgot.
NVIDIA has changed GeForce NOW controls over time, so checking the app is more reliable than assuming every older shortcut list remains current.
How to Change a GeForce NOW Shortcut
Open:
In-game overlay > Settings > Shortcut controls
Select the command, enter a new key combination, and test it in your game.
Choose combinations that are unlikely to collide with movement controls, inventory keys, Push to Talk, Steam Overlay, Discord Overlay, Xbox Game Bar, OBS hotkeys, or keyboard macro software.
NVIDIA recommends changing a GeForce NOW shortcut when its hotkey interferes with keyboard input.
When a GeForce NOW Shortcut Does Not Work
Do not start by reinstalling the keyboard driver. First identify how broad the failure is.
Ctrl + G fails but other GeForce NOW shortcuts work
Check Shortcut controls because the overlay binding may have been customized.
Also test the other Ctrl key and check whether the game or another utility uses the same combination.
The shortcut works in one game but not another
A game-specific conflict is more likely than a broken GeForce NOW installation. Compare that game’s key bindings and assign a different GeForce NOW combination if needed.
Several GeForce NOW shortcuts fail
Exit the gaming session, close GeForce NOW completely, reopen it, and start another session. Update the GeForce NOW app when an update is available.
Multiple failed shortcuts point more toward the session or app than several unrelated keyboard faults.
Another overlay opens
Identify it before changing settings.
Common examples are:
- Ctrl + G: GeForce NOW overlay
- Alt + Z: local NVIDIA App overlay
- Shift + Tab: Steam Overlay
- Windows + G: Xbox Game Bar
If the local NVIDIA overlay is the problem, see How to Turn Off NVIDIA Overlay.
Resolve Shortcut Conflicts Without Removing Useful Software
Discord, Steam, Xbox Game Bar, OBS Studio, Razer utilities, Logitech software, Corsair utilities, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, and the NVIDIA App can all listen for gaming shortcuts.
When a GeForce NOW hotkey stops working after configuring another tool, compare their bindings.
You usually do not need to uninstall anything. Assign different combinations to the conflicting commands.
This also applies when GeForce NOW captures a combination you need inside the remote game. Reassign the GeForce NOW command, return to the game, and test the original keys again.
Browser Shortcuts Can Behave Differently
GeForce NOW can run in supported browsers, but the browser and operating system also control keyboard input.
A combination that works in the native Windows or Mac app may therefore be intercepted or behave differently in a browser.
When a hotkey fails only in browser-based GeForce NOW, check whether the browser uses the same shortcut, test full-screen mode, and compare the native GeForce NOW app when one is available.
Do not assume every desktop-app capture shortcut behaves identically on ChromeOS, mobile devices, smart TVs, or other platforms.
NVIDIA currently documents Ctrl + N for the Streaming Statistics Overlay on ChromeOS.
Mac Shortcuts Use Command Instead of Ctrl
The main Mac combinations are:
| Action | macOS |
|---|---|
| Overlay | Command + G |
| Screenshot | Command + 1 |
| Instant Replay toggle | Command + Shift + 0 |
| Save Instant Replay | Command + 0 |
| Recording | Command + 9 |
| Microphone | Command + M |
| Streaming statistics | Command + N |
When macOS or another application already uses one of these combinations, inspect GeForce NOW’s Shortcut controls and reassign the supported command.
Which Shortcuts Are Worth Memorizing?
You do not need to memorize the whole table.
Remember Ctrl + G on Windows or Command + G on Mac first. That opens the overlay where you can inspect the shortcuts actually assigned in your current app.
For stream troubleshooting, remember Ctrl + N on Windows/ChromeOS or Command + N on Mac.
For capturing gameplay, Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + 9, and the Instant Replay combinations are useful when those features are available.
The biggest source of confusion is still the difference between Ctrl + G for GeForce NOW and Alt + Z for the local NVIDIA App. Keeping those two systems separate makes the rest of the shortcuts much easier to manage.
