What is Esc keyboard shortcut for?

Popular programs using this shortcut

What this shortcut does in different programs?

1. Grand Theft Auto V - Switch between timeline & menu
2. The Sims 4 - Bring up main menu or cancel current operation
3. Fortnite (PC) - Creative building exit
4. Discord - Decline incoming call
5. Euro Truck Simulator 2 - Main control panel

All programs

All programs using this shortcut, by category.

General

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1Password - Cancel an edit.

1Password - Clear the search field.

1Password - Close 1Password mini.

1Password - Clear the search field.

Apple iBooks - In the Formula Editor, discard changes

Camtasia - Exit ScreenDraw

Celestia - Cancel the currently executing motion or script

Firefox Quantum - Stop

Firefox Quantum - Close the Find or Quick Find bar

Google Chrome - Stop the page loading

Maxthon - Stop

Microsoft Edge - Stop loading the page

Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 - Stop downloading a page

Microsoft Photos App - Return to previous screen

Mozilla Thunderbird - Clear current quick filter; hide quick filter bar

Mozilla Thunderbird - Clear current Events filter

Mozilla Thunderbird - Clear current tasks filter

Opera - Exit context or cancel

Opera - Stop page loading

Opera - Cancel current voice prompt

Opera - Close drop-down list

Opera - Restore original address in address field and set focus to page

Roll20 - De-select active text boxes

Safari - While typing in the Smart Search field, restore the current webpage address

Safari - Close Reader

Safari - Exit full-screen view

Safari - Cancel editing a bookmark name in the sidebar

Steam - Clear search filter

Vim - Gets out of the current mode into the “command mode”. All keys are bound of commands

Vivaldi - Stop loading

Waze Map Editor - Deselect all objects

Windows 3.1 - Cancel most operations and close dialog boxes

Windows Calculator - Fully clear input (select C)

Text editing

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Adobe Acrobat 2017 (Mac) - Closes pop-up (or text field in Comments List) for comment that has focus

Adobe Acrobat 2017 (Mac) - Move the focus back to the parent command button with a submenu or submenu element with a flyout

Adobe Acrobat 2017 (Mac) - Return to Hand tool or Select tool

Adobe Acrobat 2017 (Windows and Unix) - Closes pop-up (or text field in Comments List) for comment that has focus

Adobe Acrobat 2017 (Windows and Unix) - Move the focus back to the parent command button with a submenu or submenu element with a flyout

Adobe Acrobat 2017 (Windows and Unix) - Return to Hand tool or Select tool

Brackets - Switch to a single selection

LibreOffice Writer - Cursor is inside a text frame and no text is selected: Escape selects the text frame

LibreOffice Writer - (when text frame is selected) Clears the cursor from the text frame

Microsoft FrontPage - Cancel an action.

Microsoft FrontPage - Close an open menu. When a submenu is open, close only the submenu.

Microsoft FrontPage - Close a selected drop-down list; cancel a command and close a dialog box.

Microsoft FrontPage - Close the smart tag menu or message.

Microsoft OneNote - Cancel the selected outline or page

Microsoft OneNote - Dismiss Search and return to the page

Microsoft Word 2019 - Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation.

Microsoft Word 2019 - Exit Read mode

Microsoft Word 2019 - Turn extend mode off.

Notepad2 - Optionally minimize or exit Notepad2

PSPad - Exit with ESC

Sublime Text - Go from multiple selections to a single selection

TextMate - Completion

TextRoom - Quit or exit fullscreen, close About and Help dialogs

WinMerge - Close window (if enabled in options)

WriteMonkey - Toggle full screen

Xodo - Close the current menu/dialog

Xodo - Stop editing textbox or ink

Zim - Close sidepane (when focus is on a side pane)

Imaging

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ACDSee - Closes current dialog box, or closes View mode and returns to previous mode

ACDSee Free - Closes ACDSee Free or closes the current dialog box

Adobe Illustrator - Exit Artboard tool mode

Adobe Illustrator - Exit Full Screen mode

Adobe Illustrator - Deselect a width point

Adobe Illustrator (Mac) - Exit Artboard tool mode

Adobe Illustrator (Mac) - Exit Full Screen mode

Adobe Illustrator (Mac) - Deselect a width point

Adobe Lightroom Classic - Switch to Grid view

Adobe Lightroom Classic - End slide show

Adobe Lightroom Classic (Mac) - Switch to Grid view

Adobe Lightroom Classic (Mac) - End slide show

Adobe Photoshop CC - Cancel any modal dialog window (including the Start Workspace)

Adobe Photoshop CC - Cancel completely

Adobe Photoshop CC - Apply/cancel an operation of the Magnetic Lasso

Adobe Photoshop CC - (On Crop tool) Accept cropping or exit cropping

Adobe Photoshop CC - Cancel

Adobe Photoshop Elements (Mac) - Apply an operation of the Magnetic Lasso tool

Adobe Photoshop Elements (Mac) - (crop tool) Accept cropping or exit cropping

Adobe XD (Mac) - Go from Spec view to UX flow view

Adobe XD (Mac) - Remove focus from artboard in UX flow view

Adobe XD (Windows) - Go from Spec view to UX flow view

Adobe XD (Windows) - Remove focus from artboard in UX flow view

Affinity Photo - Cancel a sizing, moving, or creating operation

Apple iMovie - Exit full screen view

AutoCAD - Cancel current command

Autodesk SketchBook (Mac) - Exit Selection tool

Autodesk SketchBook (Mac) - Exit the fill tool

Autodesk SketchBook (Windows) - Exit Selection tool

Autodesk SketchBook (Windows) - Exit the fill tool

Autodesk SketchBook (Windows) - Prompt to quit app

Autodesk SketchBook (Windows) - Cancel

Canva (Mac) - Deselect element

Canva (Windows) - Deselect element

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel a last point

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

Clip Studio Paint Pro - Cancel

DraftSight 2019 - Cancel current command

FastStone Image Viewer - Close the editor

GIMP - Close Dialog

Gmsh 4.1.4 - Cancel lasso zoom/selection

Gmsh 4.1.4 - Toggle mouse selection ON/OFF

Inkscape - Return to the canvas

Inkscape - Cancel changes and return to canvas

Inkscape - deselect

Inkscape - cancel rubberband, move, transformation

Inkscape - deselect all nodes

Inkscape - cancel rubberband or move

Inkscape - deselect

Inkscape - deselect

Inkscape - deselect

Inkscape - deselect

Inkscape - cancel current line

Inkscape - deselect

Inkscape - deselect handle

Inkscape - deselect the text object

IrfanView - Close current window or dialog, exit fullscreen view, or exit program

IrfanView - Exit fullscreen mode

LDCad - Navigate to the parent group if any

LDCad - If the mouse is inside the filter text area it will clear the filter, if not it will navigate to the parent group if any

LDCad - Go one level/group up

LDCad - 1: Cancel the current editing activity if supported

LDCad - 2: Deselect the selection, if any, otherwise

LDView - Cancel load

LibreOffice Draw - Exits current mode

Microsoft Paint - Cancel a selection

Nuke - Switch back to the current Select tool

Paint.NET - Commit text or tool drawing to layer

Paint.NET - Commit text to layer

PhotoDirector 10 - Cancel regional adjustment

Pinnacle Studio 22 - Exit full screen view or close

Pinnacle Studio 22 - Exit full screen view

Pinnacle Studio 22 - Exit full screen viewing

QCad 3.22.0 - Escape

Shotcut - Switch Source/Program

Shotcut (Mac) - Switch Source/Program

Sketch - Selects parent group

Sketch - Finish editing

System tools

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Clipboard Master - End ongoing collection

Command Line - Delete current line

ConEmu (190623 alpha) - Minimize ConEmu by Esc when no open consoles left (see option ‘Don’t close ConEmu on last console close’)

CopyQ 3.8 - Cancel search, hide window

Ditto - Close Window

Everything - Cancel any current actions

Everything - Close the Everything window

Everything - Close the current window

Gigabyte Aorus motherboard - (in main menu) Exit the BIOS Setup program

Gigabyte Aorus motherboard - (submenus) Exit current submenu

NoxPlayer - Back key

Xfce - Dismiss/cancel dialog

Developer tools

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Android Studio - Return to editor window from a tool window

Atlassian JIRA Agile - Cancel changes

Atlassian JIRA Agile - Escape field. Escapes the cursor out of the current text field so that you can use more keyboard shortcuts

Atom (Windows) - (Source: GitHub) tool-panel:unfocus

Atom (Windows) - tool-panel:unfocus

Atom (Windows) - editor:consolidate-selections

Atom (Windows) - core:cancel

Atom (Windows) - (Source: Autocomplete Plus) autocomplete-plus:cancel

Atom (Windows) - (Source: GitHub) github:co-author:escape

Atom (Windows) - (Source: Go To Line) core:cancel

Atom (Windows) - (Source: Tree View) tree-view:unfocus

Atom (Windows) - (Source: Tree View) core:cancel

Bitbucket Cloud - Dismiss dialog or remove focus

Chrome DevTools - Toggle the drawer

Chrome DevTools - Reject autocomplete suggestion

Coda for iOS - Show completions

CodeMirror - When multiple selections are present, deselect all but the primary selection

DBeaver 6.0.3 - Cancel changes in current cell/row

dbForge SQL Complete - Closes the suggestion box without inserting any suggestion into code. If the suggestion box and/or parameter information hint is shown, the first pressing of Esc will close the hint first

Delphi - Selects parent control in design mode. Left mouse click + Escape drags the parent control

FileMaker - Cancel an operation or dialog box

FileMaker - Close a dialog box

FileMaker - Cancel

GitHub - When focused on a user hovercard, closes the hovercard and refocuses on the element the hovercard is in

GitHub - Cancel the move in progress

GitHub - Cancel the move in progress

Glitch - Close Dialog

HeidiSQL - Cancel running operation

HeidiSQL - Cancel editing

IntelliJ IDEA (macOS) - Go to editor (from tool window)

IntelliJ IDEA (Windows, Linux) - Go to editor (from tool window)

jEdit - Select none.

JS Bin - Return to single cursor

Jupyter Notebook - Close pager

Jupyter Notebook - Command mode

LibreOffice Base - Leaves the current selection

Matlab - Cancel current action

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (All shortcuts) - Window.ActivateDocumentWindow

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (All shortcuts) - Edit.SelectionCancel

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (All shortcuts) - Edit.SelectionCancel

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (All shortcuts) - Edit.SelectionCancel

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (All shortcuts) - Edit.SelectionCancel

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (All shortcuts) - Edit.SelectionCancel

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (Most used shortcuts) - [Text Editor, Report Designer, Settings Designer, Windows Forms Designer, Managed Resources Editor] Edit.SelectionCancel

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (Most used shortcuts) - Window.ActivateDocumentWindow

PyCharm 2018.2 - In the editor: close pop-up windows, terminate search, or remove highlighting.

PyCharm 2018.2 - In a tool window: return focus to the editor.

Qt Creator - Move to Edit mode. First press moves focus to the editor. Second press closes secondary windows

RStudio - Interrupt currently executing command

RStudio - Dismiss completion popup

RStudio (Mac) - Interrupt currently executing command

RStudio (Mac) - Dismiss completion popup

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) - Close a menu or dialog box, canceling the action

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) - Close a menu or dialog box, cancels an operation in progress, or focuses on the current document window

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) - Closes a menu or dialog box, cancels an operation in progress, or places focus in the current window

WinHex - Clear block

Web applications

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BBC iPlayer - Exit full screen

Chromebook and Chrome OS - Stop the loading of your current page

cPanel & WHM - Clear the search box

Elementor - Quit

Elementor - Quit

FastMail - Cancel

FastMail - Discard changes

FastMail - Close pop over

FastMail - Discard changes

Feedly - Close selected article

Gmail - Focus latest chat or compose

Google Calendar - Return to calendar grid from event details page

Google Keep Notes - Finish editing

Google Photos - Go back, close or cancel selection

Inoreader - Close dialog

JW Player - Exit a menu, overlay, or fullscreen

Netflix - Disable full screen

OneDrive - Clear all or navigate to the previous folder

OneDrive - Clear all or navigate to the previous folder

Outlook.com - Close email

ProtonMail - Close the active modal

ProtonMail - Close the active composer

ProtonMail - Back to the list

TinyMCE - Close dialog / menu

TinyMCE - Move focus back to editor body

Webflow - Deselect / abort

Yahoo Mail - Returns to previous mode

YouTube - Exit full screen

YouTube - Deselect search bar

Zoho Mail - Clear menu

File manager

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Adobe Bridge CC - Exit review mode

Adobe Bridge CC (Mac) - Exit review mode

PeaZip - Cancel current selection and clear clipboard

WinNc - In the viewer: Exits the WinNc viewer

WinSCP - Cancel reading of remote directory

Xyplorer - Abort calculating folder sizes or a running search

Xyplorer - Abort a running File Find or Folder Report process

Xyplorer - Close Full Screen Preview

Xyplorer - Close Floating Preview

Xyplorer - All time-consuming processes (finding files, calculating folder sizes...) can always be stopped by pressing ESC.

Media player

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BSPlayer - Exit full screen

Kodi - Previous menu OR Home screen

Kodi - Exit full screen

Microsoft Movies and TV - Leave full-screen

SMPlayer 19.5.0 - Leave fullscreen

VLC Media Player - Exit full screen mode

Games

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AI War Classic - If in Galaxy View, return to the main game display

AI War Classic - If in Main View, bring up the in-game menu (does not pause)

American Fugitive (PC) - Pause

American Truck Simulator - Main control panel

Anno 1800 - Game options menu

Astroneer - Open the game menu

Battlezone 98 Redux - Game options menu

Bus Simulator 18 - Open/Close menu

Bus Simulator 18 - Action Menu cancel

Bus Simulator 18 - Abort

Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 - Main menu / Cancel

ChessBase 13 - Close window

Company of Heroes - Toggle in-game menu

Company of Heroes - Clear all selections

Dauntless - Menu

Deponia - Go to main menu / Skip dialog lines, cutscenes

Diablo - Bring up the main menu

Diablo II - Activates or deactivates the game menu

Don't Starve (PC) - Pause menu

Enter the Gungeon - Pause

Euro Truck Simulator 2 - Main control panel

Europa Universalis IV - Close current window

F1 2019 - Pause

Fallout 76 - Pause Menu

Fez - World map

FlightGear - Exit program

Flyff - Deselect a targeted player, monster, item, or NPC

Fortnite (PC) - Creative building exit

Grand Theft Auto V - Switch between timeline & menu

Hearthstone - Open game menu

Hotline Miami - Pause

Kingdom Come: Deliverance - Menu / Abort / Exit

L. A. Noire - Enter pause menu

L. A. Noire - Back

League of Legends - Close current window, such as the shop

Life Is Strange 2 - Pause menu

Magic: The Gathering Online - Cancel

Minecraft Java Edition - Open the menu and give back cursor control

Minecraft Java Edition - Pause single player game

Minecraft Java Edition - Exit the chat / command window

Mordhau - Open pause menu

NBA 2K19 (PC) - Exit

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) - Switch to the Inventory tab

Open Rails 0.6.2 - Quit

Pharaoh - Exit the game

RimWorld - Closes any open dialogue or opens the Game Menu

Roblox - Roblox menu

Roblox - Resume game

Rust - Exit Menu

Sea of Thieves - Options

Spintires (PC) - Menu

Terraria - Inventory

Terraria - Pause

The Forest - Options

The Secret of Monkey Island - Bypass a cutscene

The Sims 4 - Bring up main menu or cancel current operation

This War of Mine - Game Menu (also pauses)

Tibia - Stop any character action

Total War: Attila - Hide chat

Total War: Attila (Mac) - Hide chat

Warcraft III - Return to the previous menu

Warcraft III - Cancel commands

Warframe - Menus

World of Tanks - Exit chat mode

Zwift (PC and macOS) - Open "End ride screen". Press again to go back to the game

Social & Messaging

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Cisco Webex - Cancel an action, close an active window or menu, or display the meeting controls, panels, and notifications in full screen sharing mode

Cisco Webex - Cancel an action, close an active window or menu, or display the meeting controls, panels, and notifications in full-screen sharing mode

Discord - Decline incoming call

Google Hangouts - Close the current Hangout window

Google+ - Close an open activity

NewsBin Pro - Cancels most functions

NZBGet - Cancel dialog

NZBGet - Remove focus from search box

Office Delve - Undo an action

Slack - Close windows, menus or message input box

Slack - Mark all messages in current channel or DM as read

Telegram - Exit selected chat and search Telegram

Telegram - Exit display of current chat / channel

Zimbra Web Client - Cancel

Zimbra Web Client - Cancel

Zimbra Web Client - Cancel

Zimbra Web Client - Close

Zimbra Web Client - Cancel

Zimbra Web Client - Cancel

Zimbra Web Client - Cancel changes

Security

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Comodo IceDragon - Stop loading

Comodo IceDragon - (When Find and Quick Find bar is active)  Close the Find or Quick Find bar

Comodo IceDragon - Close Tab Groups View

Kaspersky Internet Security - Cancel unsaved changes and exit editor mode

Kleopatra 3.1.8 - Stop operation

Productivity

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Ableton Live 10 - Close Window/Dialog

Ableton Live 10 - Abort Value Entry

Ableton Live 10 (Mac) - Close Window/Dialog

Ableton Live 10 (Mac) - Abort Value Entry

ActivePresenter 7 - Stop preview

Android - Go back

Apple Calendar - (while an event is open) Close the event editor

Apple Pages - Hide the Find window

Apple Pages - (sürüklerken) Stop the reordering of rows or columns

Apple Pages - In the Formula Editor, discard changes

Apple Pages - Close the template chooser

Asana - Collapse the right pane

Asana (Mac) - Collapse the right pane

Azendoo - Close opened task

Bluebeam Revu - Exit current command

CintaNotes 3.13 - If a tag or text search filter is set, clear current filter to display all notes; otherwise minimize CintaNotes.

CintaNotes 3.13 - By default: if text search filter is active, clear text search box. Otherwise, if tags filter is active, clear tags filter. Otherwise, if Options/Window/Minimize on ESC is checked, minimize window. (Please note that this behavior can be tweaked using the following cintanotes.settings parameters: filters.reset.onescape.enabled, filters.reset.onescape.multistep, app.mainframe.minimizeonescape.immediate.

Confluence - Cancel autocomplete

Confluence (Mac) - Cancel autocomplete

draw.io - Stop editing and apply value

draw.io - Cancel action

Figma - Select none

FL Studio 20 - Closes a window

Freemind - Go to root

Grafana - Exit edit/setting views

Huggle - Cancel current action being performed

iPad Smart Keyboard - Close

Kibana - Close auto-complete menu

Kindle for PC - Exit Full-Screen Mode

Lacerte - Move from the detail window to the Section list.

Lacerte - Move from the detail window to the Screen list.

LibreOffice - Terminates the action or dialog. If in LibreOffice Help: goes up one level

LibreOffice - Ends Drawing Object selection

LibreOffice - (in Handle Selection Mode) Exit Handle Selection Mode and return to Object Selection Mode

LibreOffice - Leave the Point Selection mode. The drawing object is selected afterwards

LibreOffice - Edit a point of a drawing object (Point Edit mode)

LibreOffice Impress - End presentation

LibreOffice Impress - Exit current mode

Microsoft Access 2019 - From the Backstage, return to your database

Microsoft Access 2019 - Close the visible menu; or, with a submenu visible, close only the submenu

Microsoft Access 2019 - Close the selected drop-down list box

Microsoft Access 2019 - Cancel the command and close the dialog box

Microsoft Access 2019 - Exit Navigation mode and return to Edit mode in a form or report

Microsoft Access 2019 - Cancel Print Preview or Layout Preview

Microsoft Access 2019 - Exit Navigation mode in a form or report

Microsoft Access 2019 - Cancel Extend mode

Microsoft Access 2019 - Undo changes in the current field or current record (if both the current field and current record have been changed, press Esc twice to undo changes, first in the current field and then in the current record)

Microsoft Access 2019 - Stop the last action (Stop button)

Microsoft Excel 2019 - Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation

Microsoft Excel 2019 - Cancel an entry in the cell or Formula Bar

Microsoft Excel 2019 - Cancels an entry in the cell or Formula Bar

Microsoft Excel 2019 - Closes an open menu or submenu, dialog box, or message window

Microsoft Excel 2019 - It also closes full screen mode when this mode has been applied, and returns to normal screen mode to display the ribbon and status bar again

Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 (Creating presentations) - End the slide show

Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 (Creating presentations) - Select an object (when the text inside the object is selected)

Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 (Slideshows) - End a presentation

MindMeister - Cancel editing

MYOB AccountRight - Close window

Oracle PeopleTools - Activates the Cancel button, where appropriate.

Oracle PeopleTools - Closes all open menu items. Collapses all expanded menus.

Oracle RightNow - Close window (only acts on windows not docked to the console -- does not affect docked tabs)

Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2016 - Close

Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2016 - Clear the search results

Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2016 - Close a contact

Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2016 - Close the active card

QuickBooks Desktop - Close Active window

REAPER - Time selection: Remove time selection and loop points

REAPER - Misc: Close window if not docked, otherwise pass to main window

REAPER - Misc: Close window if not docked, otherwise pass to main window

SimpleMind - Cancel

Sumatra PDF - Exit full screen or presentation mode

Tableau - Clear the selection

Tableau (Mac) - Clear the selection

The Bat! - Close active window

The Bat! - Cancel

Things (Mac) - Save and close

Things (Mac) - Close tag window

Todoist - Cancel current changes

Trello - Close menu / Cancel editing

Virtual DJ 2018 - Loop

WavePad - Stop

WorkZone Client - Cancel (in dialog boxes only)

WorkZone Client - Deactivate area selection for keyboard navigation

WorkZone Client - When the focus is on the search form elements – close the dialog box

WorkZone Client - When the focus is on a list – close the dialog box

WorkZone Client - When the focus in on a list item – move focus to the list

Xactimate - Cancel Active Tool

Scientific

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Maple - Complete Command

Maple - Command/Symbol Completion

Onshape 1.98 - Cancel command

Tekla Structures 20 - Interrupt

Hardware

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Ducky One 2 Mini - Caps Lock will blink in the amount of selected profile number

Samsung TV - Return to previous menu screen