Use a screen reader to search in Microsoft 365

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

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based subscription service combining Windows, enterprise mobility, and security. It offers productivity tools and services that help businesses and organizations work more efficiently and effectively. This article provides instructions on how to use a Search box in Microsoft 365.

Note

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

In this topic

Sign in to your account

Navigate to the Search box

Sign in to your account

  1. Go to Microsoft 365 in your web browser.

  2. Use the Tab key to navigate through the sign-in page until you hear “Sign into your account.” Press Enter to open the sign-in dialog.

  3. Type in your email address and press Enter.

    Note

    Either enter your existing email account or create a new one by selecting the link when the screen reader says, “Create a Microsoft account link.”

  4. Type your password and press Enter to access the Microsoft 365 home page.

    Note

    After signing into Microsoft 365, you might come across a callout introducing a new feature. To navigate through these callouts, select Next. Once you have finished reading the last callout, select Done.

  1. To locate the Search box on the Microsoft 365 home page, use the Tab key until you hear “Search box.”

    1. Use the Alt+S keys to access the Search box while using the Chrome or Edge browser.

      Note

      On the Microsoft 365 home page, the search box is the primary edit field.

      • Screen reader users can easily access the search box by using the quick navigation key E.
      • VoiceOver users operating on MacOs can access the search box by using the Command+E keys.

  2. When the Search box is in focus, a drop-down menu will expand below it, to display the initial suggestions. These suggestions are categorized into apps, files, sites, bookmarks, and people. Microsoft 365 search box with the expanded drop-down list when the focus comes on the search box.

  3. Enter your desired search query into the search box. The dynamic update of the drop-down menu will make suggestions as you type.

Note

The screen reader provides a brief overview of the suggestions that are accessible, stating “N suggestions are available for search query: X in apps, Y in people, Z in files.”

  • Use the Up and Down arrow keys to review the suggestions. Press Enter to select a suggestion. Selecting a suggestion in the various categories will perform the following action:

    1. Apps: This action will open the selected app.
    2. File: This action will open the selected file for viewing or editing.
    3. Person: This action will narrow the search results to information specifically related to the selected person.
    4. Site: This action will open the selected site in Sharepoint.

  • In front of the Search box, there is an Exit search button, represented by a back arrow icon. Press Shift+Tab to access it from the Search box.

    1. If no search is submitted, this action will clear the Search box and shift the focus to the start of the Microsoft 365 home page.
    2. If a search is submitted, the search result page will navigate back to the point where the search was initially started.   

  • To view more search results, use the Down arrow key until you hear “Show more results,” and press Enter to open the search results page.

  • To proceed with your search without reviewing the suggestions, submit the search by pressing Enter. This will open the search results page.

See also

Find what you need with Microsoft Search

Modern search in SharePoint

About configuring the Search Box Web Part

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.