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Use a screen reader to explore and navigate OneDrive for work or school

This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments 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.

Use OneDrive for work or school with your keyboard and a screen reader to explore and navigate the different views and move between them. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes: 

In this topic

Navigate to OneDrive for work or school in File Explorer

The OneDrive app is built into Windows, and it appears as a drive in Windows File Explorer on your computer. After you sign in and set up OneDrive for work or school, the OneDrive drive name includes your Microsoft 365 organization name, such as OneDrive - Contoso or OneDrive@Contoso.com.

When you open File Explorer, the OneDrive for work or school drive appears in the navigation pane on the left. When you select the folder, the contents are displayed in the content area on the right, where you can navigate further into the folders (if there are any), or select and open files.

  1. To open File Explorer, press the Windows logo key+E.

  2. If needed, you can check if the navigation pane view is on.

    1. In File Explorer, press Alt to move the focus to the app bar.

    2. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "View, app bar button," and press Spacebar.

    3. Press the Up arrow key until you hear "Show, menu item collapsed," and then press the Right arrow key once. If you hear "Navigation pane, menu item, checked," the pane view is on. If you hear "Navigation pane, menu item," the pane view is off. Press Spacebar to turn the pane view on.

  3. Press F6 until you hear: "Navigation pane."

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear: "OneDrive."

  5. With the focus on OneDrive, press the Right arrow key once to expand the contents list.

  6. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the folder you want, and then press Enter to open it in the main content area.

    Tip: If the folder name is followed by "Collapsed," the folder has subfolders. To expand the folder, press the Right arrow key once.

Navigate the OneDrive for work or school main content area

Navigate to and select a OneDrive for work or school folder as instructed in Navigate to OneDrive for work or school in File Explorer.

  1. To navigate to the main content area, press the Tab key until you hear: "Items view."

  2. To browse the list of items, use the Up and Down arrow keys.

  3. When you hear the item you want, press Enter to select it.

When you select a folder, the folder opens and displays a list of its subfolders and files. When you select a file, it opens in the appropriate application, such as Word or Excel.

See also

Use a screen reader to sync OneDrive for work or school

Keyboard shortcuts for OneDrive for work or school

Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use the OneDrive app with your OneDrive for work or school account and with VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to explore and navigate the different views and move between them.

You can download and install the OneDrive app from the App Store. To learn how to set up the app with your account, go to Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

  • This topic assumes that 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

Navigate OneDrive for work or school in Finder

  1. On your Mac, press Command+Shift+A to open the Applications view in Finder.

  2. Type O to go straight to the applications that start with an "O."

  3. Press the Tab key until you hear: “OneDrive application.”

  4. To open OneDrive, press Command+Down arrow key.

  5. To navigate within OneDrive, and open files and folders, do the following:

    • To open a file, press Command+Down arrow key.

    • In the list view, to expand a folder, press the Right arrow key. To collapse a folder, press the Left arrow key.

    • In the thumbnail view, to open a folder, press Command+Down arrow key when on the folder.

    • To navigate the folder contents, use the arrow keys.

    • To return to the OneDrive main view from an opened folder, press Control+Option+Shift+Up arrow key. You hear: "Out of scroll area." Press Control+Option+Left arrow key until you hear "Toolbar," and then press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key. You hear: "Back slash forward, group." Press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key. Press Control+Option+Left arrow key until you hear "Back menu button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Navigate OneDrive for work or school using the OneDrive sync app

When the OneDrive sync app is running, you can also select the OneDrive cloud icon on the Mac menu bar to navigate to a OneDrive for work or school folder, access OneDrive preferences, pause or resume syncing, report problems, or quit OneDrive.

  1. To move the focus to the extra menu bar at the top of the screen, press and hold Control+Option, and then press M twice. You hear "Menu extra," followed by the name of the option currently in focus.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • If the current option is OneDrive, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

    • If the current option is not OneDrive, press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "OneDrive, Microsoft, menu extra," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  3. To navigate inside the sync app, press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the item you want, and press Return to select it. For example, to go to the main OneDrive for work or school view in Finder, press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Open folder," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Navigate to the OneDrive for work or school preferences

  1. Open the OneDrive sync app as instructed in Navigate OneDrive for work or school using the OneDrive sync app.

  2. Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Help and settings, button," and press Return to select it.

  3. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Preferences," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. The Preferences dialog box opens.

  4. To navigate in the dialog box, do one or more of the following:

    • Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key to navigate the Preferences tab in the dialog box.

    • To select or clear a checkbox, press Spacebar.

    • To move the focus to the toolbar, for example, to review the available tabs, press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear: "Toolbar."

    • To navigate the toolbar, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key once, and then press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the tab you want. To select and open the tab, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

    • To exit the toolbar, press Control+Option+Shift+Up arrow key. You can now press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key to navigate the options within the selected tab.

  5. To exit the dialog box, press Command+W.

See also

Use a screen reader to sync OneDrive for work or school

Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use the OneDrive app with your OneDrive for work or school account and VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to explore and navigate the different views and move between them.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

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

Navigate the main view

The OneDrive app has the following five tabs or views when you're signed in with your OneDrive for work or school account: HomeFiles, ScanShared, and Libraries. The contents of the main view change depending on the selected tab or view.

When you open the OneDrive app, you land on the Home tab. It has the following main areas:

  • The heading row at the top of the screen contains the following elements:

    • The account menu button to access the app settings, add a new account, or switch to another account.

    • The name of the currently selected tab.

    • The Add button to create a new folder, upload a file, or to take a photo or video, for example.

    • The search text field to search for files and folders.

  • The main content area displaying the list of recent folders, shared libraries, and offline files.

  • The tab toolbar at the bottom of the screen containing the HomeFiles, ScanShared, and Libraries buttons for changing the currently selected tab or view.

To navigate between the elements and areas in the main view, swipe left or right until you hear the one you want, and double-tap the screen to select it.

See also

Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use the OneDrive app with your OneDrive for work or school account and with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to explore and navigate the different views and move between them.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

  • This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.

In this topic

Navigate the main view

The OneDrive app has the following five tabs or views when you're signed in with your OneDrive for work or school account: HomeFiles, Shared, Libraries, and Me. The contents of the main view change depending on the selected tab or view.

When you open the OneDrive app, you land on the Home tab. It has the following main areas:

  • The heading row at the top of the screen contains the following elements:

    • The account menu button to add a new account or switch to another account.

    • The name of the currently selected tab.

    • The Add button to create a new folder, upload a file, or take a photo, for example.

    • The Search button to open the text field where you can enter your search term.

  • The main content area displaying the list of recent folders, shared libraries, and offline files. On the lower-right corner of the content area, you can find the Camera button to activate the device camera.

  • The tab toolbar at the bottom of the screen containing the HomeFiles, Shared, Libraries, and Me buttons for changing the currently selected tab or view.

To navigate between the elements and areas in the main view, swipe left or right until you hear the one you want, and double-tap the screen to select it. To exit menus or panes, swipe down-then-left.

Navigate to the OneDrive for work or school settings

You can find the OneDrive for work or school settings on the Me tab. Here you can access your profile info, the app settings and help, and sign out.

  1. To open the Me tab, slide one finger near the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Me, pivot, tab," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Do one or more of the following:

    • To open your profile info, swipe left or right until you hear "View profile," and then double-tap the screen. To return to the Me tab, swipe down-then-left.

    • To open the app settings, swipe left or right until you hear "Settings," and then double-tap the screen. To return to the Me tab, swipe down-then-left.

    • To open the app help, swipe left or right until you hear "Help and suggestions," and then double-tap the screen. To return to the Me tab, swipe down-then-left.

    • To sign out, swipe left or right until you hear "Sign out," and then double-tap the screen.

See also

Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use OneDrive for work or school for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to explore and navigate the different views and move between them. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

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

  • When you use OneDrive for work or school for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because OneDrive for work or school for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not OneDrive for work or school for the web.

In this topic

Navigate the OneDrive for work or school main view

The OneDrive for work or school main view contains the following main elements:

  • The toolbar at the top of the screen

  • Navigation pane on the left

  • The main content area to the right of the navigation pane

To navigate between the elements in the main view, press the Tab key (to go forward) or Shift+Tab (to go backward), until you hear the one you want.

Navigate the OneDrive for work or school toolbar

The toolbar at the top of the screen shows the app launcher that contains tiles for Microsoft services and applications. The toolbar also contains options to manage notifications, settings, and your account, find help, and sign out.

  1. To navigate to the toolbar, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator: "Banner, App launcher." With JAWS, you hear: "Banner region, App launcher." With NVDA, you hear: "App launcher, menu button."

  2. To move on the toolbar, press the Tab key until you hear the option you want, and then press Enter to select it.

Navigate in the navigation pane

The navigation pane on the left, below the toolbar, contains an upper-level tree view of the contents of your OneDrive for work or school with categories such as My Files, Recent, and Shared and quick access links to shared libraries.

  1. To navigate to the navigation pane, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator "Link," followed by the name of the category currently in focus, for example "Link, My files." With JAWS, you hear "Navigation regions," followed by the name of the category, and then "Link." With NVDA, you hear "Navigation landmark, list," followed by the name of the category.

  2. To move in the pane, do one of the following:

    • To browse the categories, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the category you want, and then press Enter to select it.

    • To move to the list of shared library links, press the Tab key once. You hear: "Shared libraries site." To browse the list, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the shared library you want, and then press Enter to select and open it.

Navigate the main content area

The main content area contains the folders and files in the selected category. Depending on the selected category, the main content area might also show a taskbar at the top of the area.

  • To navigate between the screen elements, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab.

  • To browse menus and lists, press the Right, Left, Up, or Down arrow key.

  • To move to the taskbar, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator "Command bar," followed by the command in focus, for example, "Command bar, New." With JAWS, you hear "Menu, command bar, menu," followed by the command in focus. With NVDA, you hear the command in focus.

  • To move on the taskbar, press the Up, Down, Left, or Right arrow key.

  • When on a file or folder, press Shift+F10 or the Windows Menu key to display the context menu for the item.

  • To select a file to display further options or actions on the toolbar, press Spacebar.

  • To select and activate an item, button, or option, press Enter. For example, when you're on a Word for the web file and press Enter, the file opens in Word for the web, either in the current browser tab or in a separate tab. If you're on a folder and press Enter, that folder displays its subfolders and files in the main content area.

The menus and the toolbar are context sensitive. Depending on the selected item and the level of the item in the tree, the content of the menus and toolbar might change.

See also

Keyboard shortcuts for OneDrive for work or school

Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneDrive for work or school

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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