This article will teach you how to select each selectable item on a page or in a window on a computer, phone, or tablet. Both Windows PCs and Macs have a few options for selecting all text, files, and images. If you're using an iPhone, iPad, or Android, you can easily select all the text you've typed on a page, as well as selectable text on websites and in other apps.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Windows
Step 1. Press Control + A on the keyboard
This quick keyboard shortcut will select all the selectable items in the active window or page. For example, if you want to select everything in a Word document (including images and other objects), you can use this keyboard shortcut. Is that how it works:
- Click on the window or page you want to select.
- Press Ctrl + TO at the same time.
- Everything that can be selected will now be selected.
Step 2. Use the Edit menu in the applications
If you are going to use an application that has an Edit menu, there will usually be an option like Select all in that menu. This tool works the same as using Ctrl + A, but you can access it through a menu.
- For example, suppose you are going to view a text file in Notepad. You can click on the menu Edit and choose Select all to select all characters in the text file at once.
- Another example is in iTunes: if you want to select all the songs currently displayed in the window, click on the menu Edit and choose Select all.
- If the option Select all is not enabled, you cannot use it on the current page or window.
Step 3. Use the Windows File Explorer menus
If you are in a File Explorer window (for example, browsing documents or viewing the My Computer folder), you can use the menu items in the upper left of the window to select everything.
- Open the folder that contains the files you want to select.
- Click on the tab Beginning in the upper left corner of the window.
- Click on Select all in the Select section of the toolbar at the top of the window. The entire current panel will now be selected.
Step 4. Use the right mouse click popup menu
In many cases, you can right-click on a blank area of a window or website to open a pop-up menu and choose the option Select all. Usually this will select everything on the page, including text, photos, and other objects. If you are browsing files, it will select all files in the window or panel.
If you don't have a right mouse button, tap the mouse trackpad with two fingers together to open the menu
Method 2 of 4: macOS
Step 1. Press ⌘ Command + A on the keyboard
You can use this quick keyboard shortcut on almost any Mac window, page, or screen to select everything that can be selected. For example, if you want to select everything within a document, including images and objects, you can use this keyboard shortcut. You can use it in the following way:
- Click on the window or page you want to select.
- Press Command + TO at the same time. This will highlight everything that can be selected.
Step 2. Use the Edit menu
If you're using an application (including the Finder) that has an Edit menu, you'll usually find an option like Select all in that menu. Works the same as Command + A, except that you will access it through a menu, not through a keyboard shortcut.
- For example, if you are viewing a list of files in a Finder window, you can click the menu Edit and choose Select all to quickly select all files in the open folder.
- Another example is iTunes: if you want to select all the songs currently displayed in the window, click the menu Edit and choose Select all.
- If the option Select all is disabled, you cannot use it on the current page or window.
Method 3 of 4: iPhone or iPad
Step 1. Select all the text you have written
If you are going to use an application that allows you to write and you want to select all the text that you have written, you can do it easily. This will work when composing a message in Messages or Mail, when writing in the Notes application, in browser forms, and in virtually any other application that allows you to write. You can do it in the following way:
- Double-tap the first word you want to select. This highlights the word and places vertical selection bars on either side.
- Drag the selection bar on the right down and to the right until all the text is selected.
Alternatively, to quickly select all the text in a paragraph, simply triple-tap the first word
- If you are writing in a document where you have inserted photos or other objects, this will select those objects as well.
Step 2. Select everything in a document or web page
This is similar to selecting the text you have written, but the steps are a little different. First, you must use an application that has selectable text or images: emails, websites with text (as long as the text is made up of words and not images), and the Amazon application will allow you to select text. You can select all the text in these types of applications:
- Press and hold the first word you want to select.
- Lift your finger when the word is highlighted and you will see vertical selection bars on either side of the word.
- Drag the rightmost vertical selection bar down and to the right until you've highlighted everything on the page.
- Most social media apps will not allow you to select all of the text.
- If the text you're trying to select is actually an image (it can be hard to tell sometimes), you usually won't be able to select it.
Step 3. Select all email messages in the Mail application
Do you want to quickly select all the messages in your inbox? If you are going to use the Mail app on your iPhone or iPad, you can. Do the following:
- Open the Mail app and go to your inbox. This will only work in the Mail app. You cannot select all text messages in the Messages app.
- Tap the link Edit in the upper right corner of the inbox.
- Touch Select all in the upper right corner.
Method 4 of 4: On Android
Step 1. Select all the text you have written
If you are going to use an application that allows you to write and you want to select all the text that you have written, you can do it easily. This will work when composing a message in Messages or Mail, when writing in the Notes application, in browser forms, and in virtually any other application that allows you to write. You can do it in the following way:
- Double-tap the first word you want to select. This highlights the word, places two selection sliders on either side of the word, and displays a menu.
- Touch Select all on the menu.
- If you don't see this option, try tapping the 3 dots to see more options.
- If you still don't see it, drag the rightmost selection slider down and to the right until you've selected everything on the page.
- If the application you are going to use allows you to insert photos and other objects, this will also select the photos and objects that you have inserted.
Step 2. Select everything in a document or on a website
If you are browsing a website, reading an email, or using another application that has selectable text and other objects, you can easily select everything on the current page. Just keep in mind that not all apps have selectable text. For example, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter do not allow you to select all the text. You can select all the text on a page as follows:
- Touch and hold the first word of the text you want to select. This selects the word (don't lift your finger).
- Drag your finger down and to the right until you have selected everything else on the page.
Advice
- After selecting all the information on a page or window, you can usually right-click or tap the selected area to bring up options (including options for copying and cutting).
- Some applications will allow you to select only text, while others will also allow you to select images.