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Office Accessibility
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams
Quick Start Guide: Using Microsoft Teams with a screen reader

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

If your company or organization has just moved to Microsoft Teams or plans to do so soon, you’re in the right place! Perhaps you’ve never used Microsoft Teams and are wondering how it handles the everyday communication and collaboration tasks you already know how to do with another app. We are here to guide you through this quick start guide to get you navigating this feature-packed tool seamlessly.

Microsoft Teams is part of Microsoft 365 and has been designed to bring people, conversations, and content together in one convenient interface. Chat with people, make video and audio calls, and schedule and attend online meetings.

Chat is at the center of everything you do in Microsoft Teams. This feature allows you to communicate one-on-one with one or multiple participants. You can use text, emojis, stickers, and gifs to express yourself and share links and files. In Teams, there are three types of chats: One-on-one chats, to connect with people individually, group chats, to speak with a group of people.

What exactly is a Team anyway? A Team is a group of co-workers that collaborate on a project together. You might end up on more than one if you are working on multiple projects. Within each Team are “channels” to keep the discussions organized. For example, you work for a company with various clients. Each client project might be set up with its own Team. That team could then have a general channel for announcements and communication, separate channels for people who work on Product A and Product B, one channel for casual chatter, and so on. Microsoft Teams also stores files related to discussions so that they are easily accessible. If Bob shares a PowerPoint presentation on his team channel, it can be opened directly from that channel – no need to go hunting on a network drive or dig through your email. This powerful tool allows you to customize your workspace and set up a Team in a way that works best for you.

Read on for details and other resources to learn how to do some of the most important tasks in Teams with your computer or device.

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Use Microsoft Teams with your keyboard and a screen reader. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers if they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. 

Note: To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.

In this topic

Open Microsoft Teams

  1. Press the Windows logo key and type Teams.

  2. You hear: "Microsoft Teams, work or school app." To open the app, press Enter.

  3. Type your email, phone, or Skype name when your screen reader asks you to log in.

  4. Press the Tab key until you reach the Next button, and then press Enter.

  5. You're prompted to select the sign-in account and method you want to use. Press the Tab key until you find the desired option, then press Enter.

  6. Depending on the sign-in method, follow the prompts as your screen reader announces them. For example, type your password, or select your smart card certificate, type the PIN code, and then press Enter. If needed, press the Tab key until you reach the Sign in button, and then press Enter.

Send and receive private chats

Chats in Microsoft Teams are private conversations between specific people or groups. Follow these steps to learn how to start, read, and reply to chats:

Read chats

  1. Press Ctrl+2 to open the Chat app.

    Note: The key number ‘2’ signifies the sequential position of the Chat app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on the individual setup.

  2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you find the chat you want.

  3. Press the Spacebar or Ctrl+M to readthe latestmessage(s) in the selected chat.

  4. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the messages.

  5. Press the Esc or Ctrl+L key to return to the chat list.

Reply to chats

  1. Press Ctrl+2 to open the Chat app.

    Note: The key number ‘2’ signifies the sequential position of the Chat app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on the individual setup.

  2. Use the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the contact or group you want to chat with, followed by the last message in the chat.

  3. Press Enter or Ctrl+R to move the focus to the Type a message box and type your message.

  4. Press Enter again to send the message.

  5. Press the Esc or Ctrl+L key to return to the chats list.

Start a new chat

  1. To start a new chat, press Ctrl+N.

  2. Type the name of the person you want to chat with in the Enter name email, group, or tag box. The suggestions will appear in the list as you start typing.

  3. Navigate through the suggestions using the Down and Up arrow keys.

  4. Select the contact by pressing Enter.

  5. Press Tab to jump to the Type a message box.

  6. Type your message and press Enter again to send the message.

Start and reply to posts

You can post in Team channels and these posts are visible to everyone in that Team.

Read posts in a channel

  1. Press Ctrl+3 to open the Teams and channel app.

    Note: The key ‘3’ signifies the sequential position of the Teams and channel app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate to the channel you want to follow. To expand or collapse a team's list of channels, press Enter.

  3. After you have reached the desired channel, press Enter to open the post.

  4. To browse the messages, press Spacebar to move the focus to the most recent post, and use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the posts.

Navigate and read replies

When you read posts, your screen reader announces the number of replies they have. If the post has at least one reply, you need to navigate into the post to read the replies.

  1. To open the post, press Enter. You hear the main post.

  2. To engage with the post, press Enter.  You will now be able to move through the main post and replies.

  3. To navigate the post replies, press the Up or Down arrow key. Your screen reader reads the post and replies as you move through it.

  4. To move the focus back to the main post, press Esc.

  5. To leave the post, press Esc again.

Reply to posts

  1. While reading a post, regardless of the number of replies, press Ctrl+R.

    • Press Enter and then use the Down arrow key until you hear the "Reply, button." Press Enter.

  2. Type the reply and press Enter to add the reply to the selected post.

Note: If you want to start a new post instead of replying to an ongoing one, refer to Start a new post.

Start a new post

  1. Press Ctrl+3 to open the Teams and channels app.

    Note: The key number ‘3’ signifies the sequential position of the Teams and channels app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the channel you want to follow. To expand or collapse a team's list of channels, press Enter.

  3. After you have reached the required channel, press Enter. The focus will move to the latest post in that channel.

  4. To start a post, press the Tab key and then the Enter key on the Start a post button to open the post edit box.

    1. Type the subject of your post.

    2. Press the Tab key until you reach the edit box and type your message.

    3. Press Ctrl+Enter to post the message in the channel.

    • Use the Tab key to get to the Post button and press Enter to post the message.

  5. Press Esc to move out of a channel.

    Notes: 

    • For screen reader users, the detail whether it is a new post or has new replies is announced to help you decide if you wish to know more details.

    • If you want to reply to an ongoing post instead of starting a new one, refer to Reply to posts.

Change your status

To change your status, you can either:

  1. Press Ctrl+E to go to the search box.

  2. Do one of the following:

    1. To set your status to available, type /available and press Enter.

    2. To set your status to away, type /away and press Enter.

    3. To set your status to busy, type /busy and press Enter.

    4. To set your status to do not disturb, type /dnd and press Enter, or,

    • Press Ctrl+E, then Tab until you hear “Your profile picture with status displayed as [your status].”

    • Press Enter to open the options and you will start on your status.

    • Press Enter to open the dropdown list. Use the Down or Up arrow key to navigate the status options.

    • Press Enter to select the desired status.

Make and receive calls

Start a call

  1. Press Ctrl+E to go to the search box.

  2. Type /call, press Enter, and type the name of the person you want to call. The search results are updated as you type.

  3. To navigate the list of results, press the Down or Up arrow key. When you hear the name of the person you want to call, to start an audio call, press Enter. 

Tips: 

  • If your organization has calling enabled, you can also just type in phone numbers and press Enter to call.

  • If you have the Calls app available in Microsoft Teams, you can also use its options to call a contact, browse your call history, and check your voicemail. To go to the Calls app, press Ctrl+5. The key number ‘5’ signifies the sequential position of the Calls app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

Answer a call

  1. When a contact calls you, the Microsoft Teams notification window opens, and you hear the ringing sound and the caller's name.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To answer an audio call, press Ctrl+Shift+S.

    • To answer a video call, press Ctrl+Shift+A.

    • To decline the call, press Ctrl+Shift+D.

  3. To end the call, use Ctrl+Shift+H.

Join a meeting

After you have received a meeting invitation, joining is simple.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+4 to go to the Calendar app. 

    Note: The key number ‘4’ is the numeric position of the Calendar app on the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Press the Tab key to move the focus to the next meeting in your Calendar.

    1. If it's not the meeting you want to join, press the Tab key until you find the right one. Your screen reader announces its name and time.

    2. If the meeting is in progress or about to start you can Tab to the Join button for the meeting.

    • Press Enter to open the meeting details and press Alt+Shift+J to join. The focus moves to the Join now button.

  3. To join the meeting with the default audio and video settings, press the Spacebar. You are connected to the meeting and the focus moves to the Mute mic button in the call controls toolbar.

    • To mute your mic, use Ctrl+Shift+M to mute.

    • To turn on or off your video, press Ctrl+Shift+O.

Share your desktop in a meeting

  1. While in a Microsoft Teams meeting call, press Ctrl+Shift+E to activate the Share content button.

  2. To share, for example, your desktop, a program window, or files, do one of the following:

    Note: What you can share and how the sharing works depends on the organization hosting the meeting, so all the features and functionality described below may not apply to your meeting.

    • To share your entire desktop, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose screen list,” and press Enter.

    • To share a program window, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose windows list.” Press Enter to open a dropdown list with window options. Use the Tab key and then the Down and Uparrow keys until you hear the window you want to share, and press Enter. 

    • To share the Whiteboard, press the Tab key until you hear “Share Microsoft Whiteboard.” Then, press Enter.

    • To share a file from your OneDrive, press the Tab key until you hear "Browse OneDrive 1 of 2,” and press Enter. Use the Down or Up arrow key to navigate to a location and press Enter to select. Find your file in the selected location and press Enter.

    • To share a file from your device, press the Tab key until you hear “Browse my computer 2 of 2,” and press Enter. Choose the correct folder using the basic navigation keys or type the name of the file in the File name edit box. Then, press Enter.

  3. To stop sharing, press Alt+Tab to get to the meeting window, then press Ctrl+Shift+E.

See also

Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams

Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams

Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Video: What is Microsoft Teams?

Use Microsoft Teams on Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in Mac OS screen reader.

Note: This topic assumes you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.

In this topic

Open Microsoft Teams

  1. Press the Command+Spacebar keys to open Spotlight.

  2. Type Teams and press Return. A Sign-in dialog will open.

  3. Type the email address of the account you want to sign in with and press Return. Your organization's sign-in page will open.

  4. Type your passwordin the edit box and press Return.

Send and receive private chats

Chats in Microsoft Teams are private conversations between specific people or groups. Follow these steps to learn how to start, read, and reply to chats:

Read chats

  1. Press Command+2 to open the Chat app. 

    Note:  The key number ‘2’ signifies the sequential position of the Chat app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on the individual setup.

  2. Press the Down arrow key until you find the chat you want to read.

  3. To move to the latest message(s), press Opt+M or Spacebar. 

  4. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the messages.

  5. Press the Esc key or Opt+L to return to thechat list.

Reply to chats

  1. Press Command+2 to open the Chats app.

    Note:  The key number ‘2’ signifies the sequential position of the Chat app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on the individual setup.

  2. Press the Down arrow key until you find the recent chat you want to reply to.

  3. Press Return or Control+R to move the focus to the Type a message box and type your message.

  4. Press Return again to send the message.

  5. Press the Esc or Ctrl+L key to return to the chats list.

Start a new chat

  1. To start a new chat, press Command+N.

  2. Type the name of the person you want to chat with, in the Enter name email, group, or tag box. The suggestions will appear in the list as you start typing.

  3. Navigate through the suggestions using the Down and Up arrow keys.

  4. Select the contact by pressing Return.

  5. Press Tab to jump to the Type a message box.

  6. Type your message and press Return again to send the message.

Start and reply to posts

You can post in Team channels and these posts are visible to everyone in that Team.

Read and reply to posts in a channel

  1. Press Command+3 to open the Teams and channel app. 

    Note: The key ‘3’ signifies the sequential position of the Teams and channel app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate to the channel you want to follow. To expand or collapse a team's list of channels, press Return.

  3. After you have reached the desired channel, press Return.

  4. Press Shift+Tab to move the focus to the most recent post, and use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the posts.

  5. Press Return to expand the desired post. You hear the first message in the thread.

  6. Use the Up or Down arrow key to move between messages in a post.

  7. To reply to a post, press Control+Shift+R.

    • Use the Down arrow key to move past all messages until you hear the "Reply, button," and press Return.

  8. Type your reply and press Return to add the reply to the selected post.

    Note:  : If the post has more than a couple of messages, all are not shown by default. To expand the post so that it shows all the messages, open the post, press the Down arrow key until VoiceOver announces the number of replies and their senders, and press Return.

  9. Press Esc to exit and to move the focus back to the channel, press Esc again.

Start a new post 

  1. Press Command+3 to open the Teams and channel app. 

    Note: The key ‘3’ signifies the sequential position of the Teams and channel app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate to the channel you want to follow. To expand or collapse a team's list of channels, press Return.

  3. After you have reached the desired channel, press Return.

  4. Type your message. To send the message, press Return.

Change your status

To change your status, you can either:

  1. Press Command+E to go to the search box.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To set your status to available, type /available and press Return.

    • To set your status to away, type /away and press Return.

    • To set your status to busy, type /busy and press Return.

    • To set your status to do not disturb, type /dnd and press Return.

  • Alternatively, press Command+E, then use Tab until you hear “Your profile picture with status displayed as [your status].”

  • Press Return to open the options and you will start on your status.

  • Press Return to open the dropdown list. Use the Down or Up arrow key to navigate the status options.

  • Press Return to select the desired status.

Make and receive calls

Start a call

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Command+E to go to the search box.

  2. Type /call, press Return, and type the name of the person you want to call. The search results are updated as you type.

  3. To navigate the list of results, press the Down or Up arrow key. When you hear the name of the person you want to call, to start an audio call, press Return. To start a video call, press Option+Shift+V.

  4. To end the call, press Command+Shift+H.

  • Press the Tab key until you reach the Hang up button, and press Return.

    Tips: 

    • If your organization has calling enabled, you can also type in phone numbers and press Return to call.

    • If you have the Calls app available in Microsoft Teams, you can also use its options to call a contact, browse your call history, and check your voicemail. To go to the Calls app, press Command+5. The key number ‘5’ signifies the sequential position of the Calls app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

Answer a call

  1. When a contact calls you, the Microsoft Teams notification window opens, and you hear the caller's name.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To answer an audio call, press Command+Shift+S.

    • To answer a video call, press Command+Shift+A.

    • To decline the call, press Command+Shift+D.

  3. To end the call, press Command+Shift+H.

  • Press the Tab key until you reach the Hang up button, and press Return.

Join a meeting

After you have received a meeting invitation, joining is simple.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Command+4 to go to the Calendar app.

    Note: The key number ‘4’ is the numeric position of the Calendar app on the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Press the Tab key to move the focus to the next meeting in your calendar.

    1. If it's not the meeting you want to join, press the Tab key until you find the right one. Your screen reader announces its name and time.

    2. If the meeting is in progress or about to start you can Tab to the Join button for the meeting.

    • Press Return to open the meeting details and press Option+Shift+J to join. The focus moves to the Join now button.

  3. To join the meeting with the default audio and video settings, press the Spacebar key. You are connected to the meeting and the focus moves to the Mute mic button in the call controls region.

    • To mute your mic, use Windows+Alt+K, or Command+Shift+M to mute.

    • To turn on or off your video, press Command+Shift+O.

Share your desktop in a meeting

  1. While in a Microsoft Teams meeting call, press Command+Shift+E to activate the Share content button.

  2. To share, for example, your desktop, a program window, or files, do one of the following:

    Note: What you can share and how the sharing works depends on the organization hosting the meeting, so all the features and functionality described below may not apply to your meeting.

    • To share your entire desktop, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose screen list,” and press Return.

    • To share a program window, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose windows list.” Press Return to open a dropdown list with window options. Use the Tab key and then the Down and Up arrow keys until you hear the window you want to share, and press Return. 

    • To share the Whiteboard, press the Tab key until you hear “Share Microsoft Whiteboard.” Then, press Return.

    • To share a file from your OneDrive, press the Tab key until you hear "Browse OneDrive 1 of 2,” and press Return. Use the Down or Up arrow key to navigate to a location and press Return to select. Find your file in the selected location and press Return.

    • To share a file from your device, press the Tab key until you hear “Browse my computer 2 of 2,” and press Return. Choose the correct folder using the basic navigation keys or type the name of the file in the File name box. Then, press Return.

  3. To stop sharing, press Command+Shift+Spacebar, and press the Tab key until you reach the Stop presenting button and press Return.

See also

Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams

Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams

Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Video: What is Microsoft Teams?

Use Microsoft Teams for iOS with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader.

Note: This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

In this topic

Open Microsoft Teams

  1. On your phone, navigate to the home screen where the Microsoft Teams app is, flick right until you hear "Teams," and double-tap the screen to open the app.

  2. The sign-in screen will open. Do one of the following:

    • Flick right until you find the account you want to use, and double-tap the screen.

    • If you haven't signed in with your account before, flick right until you hear "Sign in with another account," and double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the email address of the account you want to sign in with. When done, swipe right until you reach the Sign in button, and double-tap the screen.

      Note: If the email address field already contains a previously used address, delete it first.

  3. Your organization's sign-in page opens with the focus on the password field. Double-tap the screen, and use the on-screen keyboard to type your password. When done, flick right until you hear "Sign in," and double-tap the screen.

  4. If the app asks for your permission to use the microphone for calls, flick right until you hear "OK, button," and double-tap the screen.

Change your status

  1. Tap with four fingers near the top of the screen. You hear: "More menu, button." Double-tap the screen.

  2. Flick right until you hear "Your current presence status is," followed by the current status. Double-tap the screen, flick right until you find the status you want to use, and then double-tap the screen to confirm.

  3. To close the More menu, flick left until you hear "Close the more menu," and double-tap the screen.

Send and receive private chats

Chats are only visible to the specific people in that chat.

Start a chat

  1. Tap with four fingers near the bottom of the screen, flick left until you hear "Chat, tab," and double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe left until you hear "New chat, button," and then double-tap the screen. The New Chat window opens and the focus is on the To field.

  3. To search for a contact, use the on-screen keyboard to type the name of the contact.

    Tip: If the contact you seek has a common name, type it out until you get to the part that separates it from the rest. For example, if you type John, you might get dozens of results, so try typing his full name before browsing the results.

  4. The search results are listed above the on-screen keyboard as you type. To go to the results, flick left until you hear a contact's name, and keep swiping until you find the result you want. To select the contact, double-tap the screen.

  5. Flick right until you hear "Type a new message," and then double-tap the screen.

  6. Type your message using the on-screen keyboard. To send the message, flick left past the first key of the on-screen keyboard until you hear the "Send, button," and then double-tap the screen.

  7. To close the keyboard and return to the Chat view, tap with 4 fingers near the top of the screen. You hear: "Chat, back button." Double-tap the screen.

Read and reply to chats

  1. Tap with four fingers near the bottom of the screen, swipe left until you hear "Chat, tab," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe left until you find the chat you want to read, and then double-tap the screen to open it.

  3. Swipe right until VoiceOver reads one of the messages in the chat, and then swipe left or right to navigate to earlier or later messages.

  4. To reply to the chat, swipe right until you hear "Type a new message," and then double-tap the screen.

  5. Type your message using the on-screen keyboard. To send the message, swipe left past the first key of the on-screen keyboard until you hear "Send, button," and then double-tap the screen.

  6. To close the keyboard and return to the Chat view, tap with 4 fingers near the top of the screen. You hear: "Chat, back button." Double-tap the screen.

Start and reply to conversations

Conversations happen in Team channels and are visible to everyone in that Team.

Start a conversation

  1. Tap with 4 fingers near the bottom of the screen, swipe left until you hear "Teams, tab," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe left until you find the team you want. If the team is in a collapsed view, double-tap the screen to expand it so that you can browse its channels.

  3. Swipe left or right until you find the right channel, and double-tap the screen to open the channel. The focus is on the Posts tab.

  4. Tap with 4 fingers near the bottom of the screen. You hear: "New post." Double-tap the screen. You hear: "Type a new message."

  5. Type the message using your on-screen keyboard.

  6. To send the message, swipe left past the first key of the on-screen keyboard until you hear "Send, button," and then double-tap the screen.

  7. To close the keyboard and return to the Teams view, tap with 4 fingers near the top of the screen. You hear: "Back button." Double-tap the screen, and then tap with four 4 fingers near the top of the screen. You hear: "Back button." Double-tap the screen.

Read and reply to conversations

  1. Tap with four fingers near the bottom of the screen, swipe left until you hear "Teams, tab," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe left or right until you find the team and channel you want, and double-tap the screen to open the channel. If the team is in a collapsed view, double-tap the screen to expand it so that you can browse its channels.

  3. To go to the channel's conversations, swipe right until you hear a message. To browse to other conversations, swipe right or left. VoiceOver announces the conversations as you move.

  4. If the conversation has more than a couple of messages, all of them are not shown in the channel view. To open the conversation, when VoiceOver announces the number of replies and their senders, double-tap the screen. The Conversation view opens.

  5. Swipe right until VoiceOver reads the first message in the conversation. To read the follow-up messages, keep swiping right.

  6. To reply to a conversation, swipe right past all messages until you hear "Reply, text field," and double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your message. To send the message, swipe left past the first key of the on-screen keyboard until you hear "Send, button," and double-tap the screen.

  7. To close the keyboard and return to the Teams view, tap with 4 fingers near the top of the screen. You hear: "Back button." Double-tap the screen.

Make and receive calls

Start a call

  1. Tap with 4 fingers near the top of the screen, swipe right until you hear "Search, button," and double-tap the screen.

    Note: If you hear "Teams would like to access your contacts," swipe right until you hear "OK, button," and double-tap the screen.

  2. To search for a contact, use the on-screen keyboard to type the name of the contact.

    Tip: If the contact you seek has a common name, type it out until you get to the part that separates it from the rest. For example, if you type John, you might get dozens of results, so try typing his full name before browsing the results.

  3. The search results are listed above the on-screen keyboard as you type. To go to the results, slide your finger around the screen until you hear a contact's name, and swipe right or left until you hear the name you want. To select the contact, double-tap the screen.

  4. Swipe right until you hear "Call, button," and double-tap the screen.

  5. To end the call, swipe right until you hear "Hang up call, button," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "Back button." Double-tap the screen.

  6. To close the search view, tap with 4 fingers near the top of the screen, swipe right until you hear "Cancel, button," and double-tap the screen.

Tip: If you have the Calls view available in Microsoft Teams, you can use its options to directly call a contact, browse your call history, and check your voicemail. To go to the Calls view, tap with 4 fingers near the bottom of the screen. You hear: "More, tab." Double-tap the screen, swipe left until you hear "Calls, button," and double-tap the screen. If you cannot find the Calls button in the More menu, the Calls view is not available.

Answer a call

  1. When a contact calls you, you hear a ringing sound. Do one of the following:

    • To answer the call, swipe right or left until you hear "Accept," and double-tap the screen.

    • To decline the call, swipe right or left until you hear "Decline," and double-tap the screen.

  2. To end the call, swipe right or left until you hear "Hang up call, button," and double-tap the screen.

See also

Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Video: What is Microsoft Teams?

Use Microsoft Teams for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader.

Note: 

In this topic

Open Microsoft Teams

  1. On your phone, navigate to the home screen where the app is, swipe right until TalkBack announces the app, and double-tap the screen to open.

  2. The sign-in screen opens. Swipe right until you hear "Sign in, button," double-tap the screen, and do one of the following:

    • Swipe right until you find the account you want to use, and double-tap the screen.

    • If you haven't signed in with your account before, swipe left until you hear "Sign in with another account," and double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the email address of the account you want to sign in with. When done, swipe right until you reach the Sign in button, and double-tap the screen.

      Note: If the email address field already contains a previously used address, delete it first.

  3. Your organization’s sign-in page opens. Swipe right to navigate to the Password field. Double-tap the screen and use the on-screen keyboard to type your password. When done, swipe right until you reach the Sign in button, and double-tap the screen.

  4. The Welcome to Microsoft Teams page opens. To hear the page contents, swipe right. To move to the next page, swipe left with two fingers. When you reach the last page, swipe right until you hear “Got it, button,” and double-tap the screen.

Change your status

  1. Swipe left or right until you hear "Navigation, button," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear "Current status is," followed by the current status. Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you find the status you want to use, and double-tap the screen to confirm.

  3. To close the menu, swipe down-then-left.

Send and receive private chats

Chats are only visible to the specific people in that chat.

Start a chat

  1. Swipe right or left until you hear "Chat tab," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear "New chat button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Edit box, To, Search for contacts here." The on-screen keyboard opens in the bottom half of the screen. To go to the keyboard, place a finger on the screen and drag it around until you hear a keyboard element.

  3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your search words in the To field. The number of search results is announced as you type. Swipe right until you reach the first search result. To move in the list, swipe right or left until you hear the contact name you seek. To select the contact, double-tap the screen.

    Tip: If the contact you seek has a common name, type it out until you get to the part that separates it from the rest. For example, if you type John, you might get dozens of results, so try typing his full name before browsing the results.

  4. Swipe right until you hear "Type a new message," and then double-tap the screen.

  5. Type your message using the on-screen keyboard. To send the message, swipe right until you hear "Send message button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the Type a new message box.

    When the person replies to your message, you hear "Message received, showing items," followed by the number of the current item and its position in the list of items.

Read and reply to chats

  1. Swipe right or left until you hear "Chat tab," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe left until you find the chat you want to read, and then double-tap the screen.

  3. Swipe right or left until TalkBack reads one of the messages in the chat, and then swipe left or right to navigate to earlier or later messages.

  4. To reply to the chat, swipe right until you hear "Type a message here," and then double-tap the screen. The on-screen keyboard opens in the bottom half of the screen. To go to the keyboard, place a finger on the screen and drag it around until you hear a keyboard element.

  5. Type your message using the on-screen keyboard. To send the message, swipe right until you hear "Send message button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the Type a message here box.

Start and reply to conversations

Conversations happen in Team channels and are visible to everyone in that Team.

Start a conversation

  1. Swipe right or left until you hear: "Teams tab." Double-tap the screen to select. The Teams view opens. To browse the channels, swipe left. As you move, TalkBack announces the channel names.

    Tip: If your Team has lots of channels, all of them may not fit on the screen at the same time. To scroll the list, swipe up or down with two fingers.

  2. When on the channel you want, double-tap the screen. The channel opens.

  3. Swipe left until you hear: "New conversation, button." Double-tap the screen.

  4. Double-tap the screen to open the on-screen keyboard in the bottom half of the screen. To go to the keyboard, place a finger on the screen and drag it around until you hear a keyboard element.

  5. Type your message using the on-screen keyboard. When done, swipe down-then-left to close the keyboard, swipe right until you hear "Send message, button," and double-tap the screen.

Read and reply to conversations

  1. Swipe right or left until you hear: "Teams tab." Double-tap the screen to select. The Teams view opens. To browse the channels, swipe left. As you move, TalkBack announces the channel names.

    Tip: If your Team has lots of channels, all of them may not fit on the screen at the same time. To scroll the list, swipe up or down with two fingers.

  2. When on the channel you want, double-tap the screen. The channel opens.

  3. To go to the latest threaded conversation, swipe right until you hear a message. To browse to older conversations, swipe left. TalkBack announces the conversations as you move.

  4. To open the conversation, when on a message in the conversation, double-tap the screen. The Post view opens.

  5. Swipe right until TalkBack reads the first message in the conversation. To read the follow-up messages, keep swiping right.

  6. To reply to a conversation, swipe right past all messages until you hear "Reply, edit box," and double-tap the screen. The on-screen keyboard opens in the bottom half of the screen. To go to the keyboard, place a finger on the screen and drag it around until you hear a keyboard element.

  7. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your message. To send the message, swipe down-then-left to close the keyboard, swipe right until you hear "Send message, button," and double-tap the screen.

  8. To close the Post view, swipe down-then-left. The focus returns to the selected channel.

Make calls

  1. Swipe right or left until you hear "Search," and double-tap the screen.

  2. To search for a contact, use the on-screen keyboard to type the name of the contact.

    Tip: If the contact you seek has a common name, type it out until you get to the part that separates it from the rest. For example, if you type John, you might get dozens of results, so try typing his full name before browsing the results.

  3. The search results are listed as you type. To go to the results, swipe right until you hear a contact's name, and keep swiping until you hear the name you want. To select the contact, double-tap the screen.

  4. Swipe right until you hear "Make an audio call, button," and double-tap the screen.

  5. To end the call, swipe right until you hear "Hang up," and double-tap the screen.

See also

Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Video: What is Microsoft Teams?

Use Microsoft Teams on the web with your keyboard and a screen reader. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers if they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Note: To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.

In this topic

Open Microsoft Teams

  1. Open your browser and browse to https://teams.microsoft.com.

  2. A sign-in page will open with a focus on the Email, phone, or Skype box.

    1. If there are no previously used account details, type your information in the edit box.

    2. If there are several accounts to choose from, press the Tab key to browse the options. To select, press Enter.

  3. Your organization's sign-in page will open. To move between the options, press the Tab key. To select, press Enter.

  4. To navigate to the password box, press Tab until you hear "Password," and type your password. When done, press Enter.

Send and receive private chats

Chats in Microsoft Teams are private conversations between specific people or groups. Follow these steps to learn how to start, read, and reply to chats:

Read and reply to chats

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+2 to open the Chat app.

    Note: The key number ‘2’ signifies the sequential position of the Chat app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on the individual setup.

  2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you find the chat you want.

  3. Press Alt+Shift+M to read the latest message in the selected chat.

  4. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the messages.

  5. To move the focus back to the Type a message box, press Ctrl+F6 or F6 until you hear: "Type a new message."

  6. To reply to a chat, type your message in the box, and press Enter.

Start a new chat

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+2 to open the Chat app.

    Note: The key number ‘2’ signifies the sequential position of the Chat app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on the individual setup.

  2. Press the Up and Down arrow keys to find the contact or group you want to chat with, followed by the last message in the chat.

  3. Press Enter. You hear "Type a new message."

  4. Type your message and press Enter to send it.

  5. When the person replies to your message, you hear "Message from," followed by the person's name and the text in the message.

  6. Press the Esc key or Alt+Shift+L to return to the chat list.

Start and reply to posts

You can post in Team channels and these posts are visible to everyone in that Team.

Read posts in a channel

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+3 to open theTeams and channels app.

    Note: The key ‘3’ signifies the sequential position of the Teams and channels app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate to the channel you want to follow. To expand or collapse a team's list of channels, press Enter.

  3. After you have reached the desired channel, press Enter to open the post. 

  4. To browse the messages, press Shift+Tab to move the focus to the most recent post, and use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the posts.

Navigate and read replies in a post

  1. When you read posts, your screen reader announces the number of replies they have. If the conversation has at least one reply, you need to navigate into the threaded conversation to read the replies.

  2. To open the threaded conversation, press Enter. You hear the first message in the thread.

  3. To move between messages in a threaded conversation, press the Up or Down arrow key. Your screen reader reads the messages as you move through them.

  4. To open a message for further actions, press Enter.

  5. To move the focus back to the main post, press Esc.

  6. To leave the post, press Esc again.

Reply to posts

  1. While reading a post, regardless of the number of replies, press Ctrl+R.

    • Press Enter and then use the Down arrow key until you hear the "Reply, button." Press Enter.

  2. Type the reply and press Enter to add the reply to the selected post.

Start a new post

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+3 to open the Teams and channels app. 

    Note: The key ‘3’ signifies the sequential position of the Teams and channel app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the channel you want to follow. To expand or collapse a team's list of channels, press Enter.

  3. After you've reached the required channel, press Enter. The focus moves to the message compose box.

  4. Type your message, and press Enter to send it to the channel.

Change your status

To change your status, you can either:

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+E to go to the search box.

  2. Do one of the following:

    1. To set your status to available, type /available and press Enter.

    2. To set your status to away, type /away and press Enter.

    3. To set your status to busy, type /busy and press Enter.

    4. To set your status to do not disturb, type /dnd and press Enter, or,

  • Press Ctrl+Alt+E, then Tab until you hear “Your profile picture with status displayed as [your status].”

  • Press Enter to open the options and you will start on your status.

  • Press Enter to open the dropdown list. Use the Down or Up arrow keys to navigate the status options.

  • Press Enter to select the desired status.

Make and receive calls

Start a call

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+E to go to the search box.

  2. Type /call, press Enter, and type the name of the person you want to call. The search results are updated as you type.

  3. To navigate the list of results, press the Down or Up arrow key. When you hear the person you want to call, press Enter to start an audio call. To start a video call, press Alt+Shift+V.

    • If you get a popup (in Chrome) asking for permission to use your microphone, press the Tab key until you reach the Allow button and press Enter.

  4. To end the call, press Ctrl+Shift+H.

    • Alternatively, press the Tab key until you hear "Hang up," then press Enter.

Tips: 

  • If your organization has calling enabled, you can just type in phone numbers and press Enter to call.

  • If you have the Calls app available in Microsoft Teams, you can also use its options to call a contact, browse your call history, and check your voicemail. To go to the Calls app, press Ctrl+Shift+5. The key number ‘5’ signifies the sequential position of the Calls app within the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

Answer a call

To know that someone is calling you, ensure you have the Sound notifications turned on in the Microsoft Teams Settings. To learn more on how to change your notification settings, refer to the section "Customize the notification settings" in Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams.

  1. When a contact calls you, the Microsoft Teams notification window will open, you hear the ringing sound, and the caller's name.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To answer an audio call, press Ctrl+Shift+S.

    • To answer a video call, press Ctrl+Shift+A.

    • To decline the call, press Ctrl+Shift+D.

  3. To end the call, press Ctrl+Shift+H.

    • Alternatively, press the Tab key until you hear "Hang up," then press Enter.

Join a meeting

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+4 to go to the Calendar app.

    Note: The key number ‘4’ is the numeric position of the Calendar app on the app bar. This position may vary depending on individual setup.

  2. Press the Tab key once to move the focus to the next meeting in your Calendar.

    1. If it's not the meeting you want to join, press the Tab key until you find the right one. Your screen reader announces its name and time.

    2. If the meeting is in progress or about to start you can Tab to the Join button for the meeting.

    • Press Enter to open the meeting details, and press Alt+Shift+J to join. The focus moves to the Join now button.

  3. To join the meeting with the default audio and video settings, press the Spacebar. You are connected to the meeting and the focus moves to the Mute mic button in the call controls toolbar.

    • If you get a popup (in Chrome) asking for permission to use your microphone, press the Tab key until you reach the Allow button and press Enter.

    • To mute your mic, use Windows+Alt+K, or Ctrl+Shift+M to mute.

    • To turn on or off your video, press Ctrl+Shift+O.

Share your screen in a meeting

  1. While in a Microsoft Teams meeting, press Ctrl+Shift+E to activate the Share content button.

  2. Do one of the following:

    Note: What you can share and how the sharing works depends on the organization hosting the meeting, so all the features and functionality described below may not apply to your meeting.

    • To share your entire desktop, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose screen list,” and press Enter.

    • To share a program window, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose windows list.” Press Enter to open a dropdown list with window options. Use the Tab key and then the Down and Up arrow keys until you hear the window you want to share, and press Enter. 

    • To share the Whiteboard, press the Tab key until you hear “Share Microsoft Whiteboard.” Then, press Enter.

    • To share a file from your OneDrive, press the Tab key until you hear "Browse OneDrive 1 of 2,” and press Enter. Use the Down or Up arrow key to navigate to a location and press Enter to select. Find your file in the selected location and press Enter.

    • To share a file from your device, press the Tab key until you hear “Browse my computer 2 of 2,” and press Enter. Choose the correct folder using the basic navigation keys or type the name of the file in the File name edit box. Then, press Enter.

  3. To stop sharing, do one of the following:

    • If you are sharing your entire desktop, an application window, or a Chrome tab, navigate to the Teams meeting window, press the Tab key until you hear "Stop sharing," and press Enter.

    • If you are sharing a PowerPoint presentation, press the Tab key until you reach the Stop presenting button, and press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams

Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams

Video: What is Microsoft Teams?

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

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