Jump Lists were introduced with Windows 7 and can become a handy little feature once you get into the habit of leveraging them. To put it simply, jump lists are available for every application on your task bar. They allow for quick access to some of the more common actions specific to each application. For example, the jump list in Google Chrome allows you to open any of the most visited sites or re-open a recently closed tab. While this isn’t immediately mind-blowing, it’s important to realize every application developer is free to assemble their own quick-task lists.

Keyboard shortcuts are meant to greatly improve efficiency for users who know and use them – so it only stands to reason that there exists a way to merge the two. Normally jump lists are activated by right-clicking the application icon in the task bar. In a mouse-driven interface this makes perfect sense. However, if you are a keyboard junkie like most power-users tend to be, jump lists can also be engaged by a keyboard shortcut.

As you likely know, Windows Key + <number> will open or switch to the nth application in the task bar – Win + 4 opens the fourth application for example. Expanding this shortcut with ALT will access the desired jump list of the application.

Windows Key + ALT + 4 displays the jump list for iTunes, my fourth application in the task bar.