18 ways to go back from where you came

February 5, 2010 · by Joseph D. Lien

One of the things that Opera is famous for is allowing users to have a user experience that can be tailored to the way that each individual wants to use their browser. Because we use computers and surf the Web so much these days, it's great to learn shortcuts to help make browsing a bit faster. No other browser offers as much flexibility as Opera. To give an example, today we will showcase one very important browser feature that everybody uses constantly - Navigating "Back".

Here are 18 ways that you can navigate back:

Click the "Back" toolbar button.
Hold "Back" toolbar button to see a list of previous sites. Select the one you want from the list.
Right click on the page and select "Back" from the context menu.
Press "Backspace" on your keyboard.
Move the mouse left with the right mouse button held down.
Hold the right, then click the left mouse button.
Click the "Back" button built in to your mouse (if you have one).
Press the "Back" Multimedia key on your keyboard.
Press the "Alt+Back" key combination.
Press the "Ctrl+Back" key combination.
Hold Shift and scroll the mouse wheel down.
Use the "z" single-key shortcut (Enabled in Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts) from classic Opera versions.
Create your own Back shortcut for in Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts.
Wink your left eye. (Requires a face-gestures supported Webcam.)
Use Opera's handy search features, and find the page again.
Use the History panel and find your page again.
Accidentally close your tab, reopening it again from "closed tabs" and then use an above method to navigate back.
Be so sure of yourself that you never need to go back, only boldly going forward where no Web-surfer has gone before!

As you can see, you have many options so you can choose the methods that work best for you. By learning them you can navigate faster. Or if you just like variety, you can randomly use a different method each time just to keep things interesting. Some of these of these work in many other browsers too, so learning them can help you to be more efficient even when you are unable to use Opera.

So which of these ways do you prefer, and why? Let us know!

Readers' comments 47

Left under the original article, as archived.

TamilFriday, February 5, 2010 4:58:51 PM
Originally posted by jdlien:

So which of these ways do you prefer, and why?
Flip back.
IKokeFriday, February 5, 2010 5:04:26 PM
vipin kumarFriday, February 5, 2010 5:11:06 PM
Right, left mouse clicks!!
mistressEVILFriday, February 5, 2010 5:20:24 PM
Left wink ftw.
Otherwise, if i'm browsing the page where i know i'll need to go back, i just open link in new tab so i never need to go back ;o
merlin!Friday, February 5, 2010 6:15:34 PM
That's why I love Opera.

p.s. I use the mouse gesture.
d4rkn1ghtFriday, February 5, 2010 6:24:51 PM
Go to previous tab!
Yeni SetiawanFriday, February 5, 2010 6:34:21 PM
Mouse gesture uber alles
anthibugFriday, February 5, 2010 6:45:12 PM
Really miss another one : middle clic on the "Back" toolbar button.
It opens in another tab on FF.
Waiting for it in opera since a long time.
(same for forward button)

++
el IsraFriday, February 5, 2010 7:08:13 PM
I use almost all of them, except the custom shortcuts and the wink (I don't have webcam ;P)
ioFriday, February 5, 2010 7:09:28 PM
The "z" single-key shortcut is my favourite. The natural choice for keyboard based navigation/surfing.

I do also alternate it a little at times to spice things up.

Edit: My mouse's buttons (IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0) are kind of on the way out after 7 years, so I generally find it even easier to trust my keyboard.
Joseph D. LienFriday, February 5, 2010 7:20:33 PM
It's cool to see what you guys are using. I personally like the "hold right, click left" flip action, but if I have a mouse with good buttons on the side I will use those. Some manufacturers place them in silly places where it's too hard to use though (such as in the photo I put up).
kiyokoFriday, February 5, 2010 7:41:40 PM
lol it's the first time I heard about "face-gestures"
MimdalaFriday, February 5, 2010 8:01:12 PM
Mouse gestures are are the titans of browser navigation. Once used, it is impossible to use other browsers that do not have them. Going back, forwards, closing, opening, and much much more, mouse gestures are the fastest and most brilliant option.
Charles SchlossFriday, February 5, 2010 8:24:43 PM
Originally posted by missevilat:

Left wink ftw.

+1

I like the Command left arrow key
ELasherFriday, February 5, 2010 9:09:37 PM
I don't like this article. How do I get to the page I was on right before I got on this one?
Mağruf ÇolakoğluFriday, February 5, 2010 9:43:24 PM
Charles SchlossFriday, February 5, 2010 9:47:13 PM
Originally posted by ELasher:

I don't like this article. How do I get to the page I was on right before I got on this one?

You can click on the back button in your browser
Joseph D. LienFriday, February 5, 2010 9:55:04 PM
Originally posted by ELasher:

I don't like this article. How do I get to the page I was on right before I got on this one?

I guess there's just no hope for you.
Charles SchlossFriday, February 5, 2010 10:03:10 PM
@Joseph D. Lien if I get something in my eye and it starts to wink a lot, am I in trouble
Daniel HendrycksFriday, February 5, 2010 10:13:27 PM
Mouse gesture.
AbandonShip?Friday, February 5, 2010 10:19:40 PM

"where no Web-surfer has gone before!"

Jippe, the 18th way reminds me at my words to take Opera 10 out
(of the development dock)!!!
And chas4 has "seen the astronaut"
from the fitting video I have linked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APBm4q-bqxs
Matthew ScudderSaturday, February 6, 2010 12:11:01 AM
Z.

Why should I take my hands off the keyboard more than necessary?
kyu3Saturday, February 6, 2010 12:12:46 AM
I like mouse gesture and single shortcut (button "Z"). Because so easy!
I read this page, So I know keyboad shortcut "Ctrl + Back" & "Alt + Back". Very Happy!
AdrianPMSaturday, February 6, 2010 12:16:50 AM
This is the kind of stuff I so love from Opera! So many ways to do things, all of them available at any time and all of them are so effective... I just love when people give me some many options to get the work done!

Although the one pressing "Z" was the one which blew my mind around 2003.
Rafael LuikSaturday, February 6, 2010 12:41:16 AM
I like the classic and simple "Alt+Back", but you given us many more options OMG, which to use?!!!!!
ErikSaturday, February 6, 2010 1:00:05 AM
LOL facegestures FTW ! i really like and use a lot the mouse gestures
HoborgSaturday, February 6, 2010 2:10:59 AM
Right then Left mouse click is the best and easiest way...

I like mouse gestures very much...
Taufiq AhmedSaturday, February 6, 2010 2:57:45 AM
ofcourse the mouse gesture.
i have never used the button since the mouse gesture is here.
dualboreSaturday, February 6, 2010 8:38:38 AM
I never go back, only forward!
(but if I accidentally do, I prefer mouse gestures or flip.)
jacobianSaturday, February 6, 2010 10:19:22 AM
nice tips then,I find it enlightening. :-)
John D BarnettSaturday, February 6, 2010 12:07:11 PM
Z is my preferred option
Ali GrotkowskiSaturday, February 6, 2010 2:51:18 PM
I usually just use the back button, bu now I will have to consider the other options!
Kai OckendorfSaturday, February 6, 2010 6:51:08 PM
Right, left mouse click! I can´t live without mouse gestures, so it is my favorite feature of all time
Sn3ipenMonday, February 8, 2010 7:19:52 AM
I am using mouse gestures when I am at my desktop and the "Z" single key combination when I am on the go with my laptop.
NicoMonday, February 8, 2010 8:42:49 AM
ALT Gr + Left key will not work to go back. Your screenshot is wrong (but it's okay for demonstration purpose)

If I ever need to go back on a webpage, I use mouse gestures.

Nice article by the way
Joseph D. LienMonday, February 8, 2010 9:36:23 AM
Heh... it works for me but that's because I have my keyboard configured as a US English layout, which has that as an ALT key. I was trying to cover up the "Gr" part, but obviously didn't do a very good job
I believe that in Opera, "Alt Gr" actually functions like "Ctrl+Alt"
Joseph D. LienMonday, February 8, 2010 9:39:21 AM
Originally posted by decodedthought:

ctrl+z my most often "go back"

This doesn't work by default, as far as I am aware - did you configure that as a custom keyboard shortcut?

(Ctrl+Z is typically the shortcut for Undo, which is a different kind of "going back")
PhaniMonday, February 8, 2010 9:43:38 AM
Back Space for me. It's great that opera offers so many ways to browse the web.
Johnny GameMonday, February 8, 2010 3:58:26 PM
facegestures?
Joseph D. LienMonday, February 8, 2010 9:02:11 PM
Originally posted by flashgames:

facegestures?

It was a concept that has yet to see a proof. I think SOMEBODY will invent it eventually, and I'd bet that Opera will first.
JaredTuesday, February 9, 2010 1:44:16 AM
So which of these ways do you prefer, and why? Let us know!
Face Gestures !!
JayTuesday, February 9, 2010 4:19:22 PM
Like my car, my browser doesn't need a reverse.

Great post though. After using it for 3 or 4 years now, still lots I don't know about Opera.

BTW, can you turn off the backspace option? On my laptop the large BS key is right below the small 'page down' and 'end' keys in the upper right corner. I often accidentally hit backspace.
TamilTuesday, February 9, 2010 4:42:18 PM
Originally posted by integrator:

BTW, can you turn off the backspace option?
Remove that keyboard shortcut.
keroseneTuesday, February 9, 2010 6:09:55 PM
press Z

Old good days
ioTuesday, February 9, 2010 9:04:23 PM
Hey Joseph, are you able to add a poll to this entry?
Joseph D. LienWednesday, February 10, 2010 10:01:47 AM
Not really, no... I can add a poll in the forums though.
Joseph D. LienThursday, September 2, 2010 12:47:01 PM
As it happens, I figured out how to add polls, but that was months after I published this article