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.
Learn about the main views and features in Microsoft Teams, and the best ways to use them together with a screen reader. Microsoft Teams is a chat-based hub for colleagues to work together. You can set up teams and channels to organize communication, schedule meetings and live events, make voice calls, and share files.
Notes:Â
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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.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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Recent versions of JAWS no longer have the virtual PC cursor mode set as default for Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to switch the virtual PC cursor mode on, go to Enable the JAWS virtual cursor.
In this topic
Get to know the Teams layout
The Microsoft Teams window contains the following main elements:
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The vertical toolbar on the far left on the screen, where you can switch to another view or to an installed app within Microsoft Teams. The toolbar buttons correspond to the views available in Teams, such as Activity, Teams, and Calendar. When you land on the toolbar, the screen reader announces: "App bar."
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The main content area in the center of the screen, which consists of a list pane and a content pane. The contents of the main content area change according to which view is currently selected in the toolbar. For more information on how the main content area changes, go to How Teams works. For instructions on how navigate inside this element, refer to the section "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
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The horizontal menu bar at the top of the screen, which contains the Back and Forward buttons, the search field, and the Profile, app settings and more button.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within these elements, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
How Teams works
The vertical toolbar contains buttons for all the main views of Microsoft Teams. As you select each one, the content of the main content area changes to match the selected view. The main views, and their corresponding toolbar buttons, are labeled as follows:
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The Activity view. When you select this view, the list pane shows an activity feed that contains a summary of everything that's happened in the team channels you follow. When you select an activity feed in the list pane, its contents are shown in the content pane. For instructions on how to use the activity log, go to Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams.
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The Chat view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a list of recent conversations. The most recent conversation is opened in the content pane. You can browse the list of conversations and select one to display it in the content pane. For instructions on how to chat in Microsoft Teams, go to Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams.
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The Teams view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a hierarchical list of all teams you are a member of, and the channels created under each team. The most recently viewed channel is opened in the content pane. In this view you can join, create, or manage teams, add members to teams, or create and follow channels. For instructions on how to create and modify teams, go to Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to use channels, go to Use a screen reader to create or follow a channel in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calendar view. When you select this view, the entire main content area switches to a weekly or daily calendar, with the current date highlighted. In this view, you can schedule meetings and live events. For instructions on how to use the calendar to schedule meetings, go to Use a screen reader to schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to join meetings, go to Use a screen reader to join a meeting in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calls view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a set four tabs: Speed dial, Contacts, History, and Voicemail. The content pane shows the content of the currently active list pane tab. In this view, you can add users to speed dial, make calls, review your call history, and check your voicemail. For instructions on how to make calls in Microsoft Teams, go to Use a screen reader to make and answer calls in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to check your voicemail, go to Use a screen reader to check your voicemail in Microsoft Teams.
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The Files view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a list of file tabs, consisting of Recent, Microsoft Teams, and Downloads, as well as any cloud storage that has been set up. The content pane shows the contents of the currently selected file tab. By default this is the Recent tab. In this view, you can browse the file tabs and open their contents. For instructions on how to work with files, go to Use a screen reader to work with files in Microsoft Teams.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within the Microsoft Teams main views, refer to the sections "Navigate to a view" and "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
See also
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Learn about the main views and features in Microsoft Teams on Mac, and the best ways to use them together with a screen reader. Microsoft Teams on Mac is a chat-based hub for colleagues to work together. You can set up teams and channels to organize communication, schedule meetings and live events, make voice calls, and share files.
Notes:Â
-
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
Get to know the Teams layout
The Microsoft Teams on Mac window contains the following main elements:
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The vertical toolbar on the far left on the screen, where you can switch to another view or to an installed app within Microsoft Teams on Mac. The toolbar buttons correspond to the views available in Teams, such as Activity, Teams, and Calendar. When you land on the toolbar, the screen reader announces "App bar."
-
The main content area in the center of the screen, which consists of a list pane and a content pane. The contents of the main content area change according to which view is currently selected in the toolbar. For more information on how the main content area changes, go to How Teams works. For instructions on how navigate inside this element, refer to the section "Navigate in a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
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The horizontal menu bar at the top of the screen, which contains the Back and Forward buttons, the search field, and the Profile, app settings and more button.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within these elements, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
How Teams works
The vertical toolbar contains buttons for all the main views of Microsoft Teams on Mac. As you select each one, the content of the main content area changes to match the selected view. The main views, and their corresponding toolbar buttons, are labeled as follows:
-
The Activity view. When you select this view, the list pane shows an activity feed that contains a summary of everything that's happened in the team channels you follow. When you select an activity feed in the list pane, its contents are shown in the content pane. For instructions on how to use the activity log, go to Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams.
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The Chat view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a list of recent conversations. The most recent conversation is opened in the content pane. You can browse the list of conversations and select one to display it in the content pane. For instructions on how to chat in Microsoft Teams on Mac, go to Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams.
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The Teams view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a hierarchical list of all teams you are a member of, and the channels created under each team. The most recently viewed channel is opened in the content pane. In this view you can join, create, or manage teams, add members to teams, or create and follow channels. For instructions on how to create and modify teams, go to Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to use channels, go to Use a screen reader to create or follow a channel in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calendar view. When you select this view, the entire main content area switches to a weekly or daily calendar, with the current date highlighted. In this view, you can schedule meetings and live events. For instructions on how to use the calendar to schedule meetings, go to Use a screen reader to schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to join meetings, go to Use a screen reader to join a meeting in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calls view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a set four tabs: Speed dial, Contacts, History, and Voicemail. The content pane shows the content of the currently active list pane tab. In this view, you can add users to speed dial, make calls, review your call history, and check your voicemail. For instructions on how to make calls in Microsoft Teams on Mac, go to Use a screen reader to make and answer calls in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to check your voicemail, go to Use a screen reader to check your voicemail in Microsoft Teams.
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The Files view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a list of file tabs, consisting of Recent, Microsoft Teams, and Downloads, as well as any cloud storage that has been set up. The content pane shows the contents of the currently selected file tab. By default this is the Recent tab. In this view, you can browse the file tabs and open their contents. For instructions on how to work with files, go to Use a screen reader to work with files in Microsoft Teams.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within the Microsoft Teams on Mac main views, refer to the sections "Navigate to a view" and "Navigate in a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
See also
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Learn about the main views and features in Microsoft Teams for iOS, and the best ways to use them together with a screen reader. Microsoft Teams for iOS is a chat-based hub for colleagues to work together. You can set up teams and channels to organize communication, schedule meetings and live events, make voice calls, and share files.
Notes:Â
-
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.
In this topic
Get to know the Teams layout
The Microsoft Teams for iOS app contains the following main elements:
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The toolbar at the top of the screen. This toolbar contains the More menu button, Search button, the current tab heading, and any buttons specific to the current tab.
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The main content area in the middle of the screen. The contents of the main content area change according to which tab is currently selected. For more information on how the main content area changes, go to How Teams works. For instructions on how to navigate inside this element, refer to the section "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
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The tab bar at the bottom of the screen, containing the Activity, Chat, Teams, Calendar, and More tabs.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within these elements, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
How Teams works
The tab bar contains buttons for all the main tabs of Microsoft Teams for iOS. As you select each one, the content of the main content area changes to match the selected tab. The tabs, and their corresponding toolbar buttons, are labeled as follows:
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The Activity tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your and your teams' recent activity, such as mentions, likes, or missed calls.
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The Chat tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your recent messages. You can browse the messages list, open a message to write a reply, and read a whole conversation. For instructions on how to chat in Microsoft Teams for iOS, go to Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams.
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The Teams tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists all teams you are a member of, and the channels created under each team. You can browse your teams, select a team’s channel, add new channels, and join or leave a team. You can also access, modify, and contribute to the content of a team channel. For instructions on how to add new members to a team, go to Use a screen reader to add members to a team in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calendar tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your upcoming meetings. You can browse upcoming meetings, join an online meeting, or schedule a meeting.
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The More tab. This is different from the other main tabs. When you select the More tab, it opens a list of other tabs you can access within the Microsoft Teams for iOS app, such as Calls and Files.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within the Microsoft Teams for iOS main tabs, refer to the sections "Navigate to a view" and "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
See also
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Learn about the main views and features in Microsoft Teams for Android, and the best ways to use them together with a screen reader. Microsoft Teams for Android is a chat-based hub for colleagues to work together. You can set up teams and channels to organize communication, schedule meetings and live events, make voice calls, and share files.
Notes:Â
-
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
Get to know the Teams layout
The Microsoft Teams for Android app contains the following main elements:
-
The toolbar at the top of the screen. This toolbar contains the More menu button, Search button, the current tab heading, and any buttons specific to the current tab.
-
The main content area in the middle of the screen. The contents of the main content area change according to which tab is currently selected. For more information on how the main content area changes, go to How Teams works. For instructions on how to navigate inside this element, refer to the section "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
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The tab bar at the bottom of the screen, containing the Activity, Chat, Teams, Calendar, and Calls tabs and the Show more apps button.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within these elements, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
How Teams works
The tab bar contains buttons for all the main tabs of Microsoft Teams for Android. As you select each one, the content of the main content area changes to match the selected tab. The tabs, and their corresponding toolbar buttons, are labeled as follows:
-
The Activity tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your and your teams' recent activity, such as mentions, likes, or missed calls.
-
The Chat tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your recent messages. You can browse the messages list, open a message to write a reply, and read a whole conversation. For instructions on how to chat in Microsoft Teams for Android, go to Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams.
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The Teams tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists all teams you are a member of, and the channels created under each team. You can browse your teams, select a team’s channel, add new channels, and join or leave a team. You can also access, modify, and contribute to the content of a team channel. For instructions on how to add new members to a team, go to Use a screen reader to add members to a team in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calendar tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your upcoming meetings. You can browse upcoming meetings, join an online meeting, or schedule a meeting.
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The Calls tab. When you select this tab, the main content area lists your call history and the Make a call button. You can also view your voicemail history.
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The Show more apps tab. This is different from the other main tabs. When you select the Show more apps tab, it opens a list of other tabs you can access within the Microsoft Teams for Android app, such as Files and Wiki.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within the Microsoft Teams for Android main tabs, refer to the sections "Navigate to a view" and "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
See also
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Learn about the main views and layout of Microsoft Teams on the web, the chat-based hub for colleagues to work together. You can gain insight on how the app is laid out on the screen, where to find certain items when you move around the app, and what are the dynamic sections of the app.
Notes:Â
-
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.
-
Recent versions of JAWS no longer have the virtual PC cursor mode set as default for Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to switch the virtual PC cursor mode on, go to Enable the JAWS virtual cursor.
In this topic
Get to know the Teams layout
The Microsoft Teams on the web window contains the following main elements:
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The horizontal menu bar at the top of the app that contains the Open Office app launcher and New chat buttons, the search field, and the Profile, app settings, and more button (from left to right). The shortcut for jumping to the search field is Ctrl+E.
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The vertical toolbar on the far left of the screen that you can use to switch to another view or to an installed app within Microsoft Teams on the web. The toolbar buttons correspond to the views in Teams, such as Activity, Chat, Teams, and Calendar (named from top down as shown in the app). You may also have additional buttons, such as Calls and Files. You can jump to each view by pressing Ctrl+Shift+the order number of the button, for example, Ctrl+Shift+1 for Activity, Ctrl+Shift+2 for Chat, and so on.
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The main content area at the center of the screen consists of a list pane on the left and a content pane to the right of the list pane (except for the Calendar view, which does not have the list pane). The contents of the main content area are dynamic, which means they change based on the view that is currently selected in the vertical toolbar. For more information on how the main content area changes, go to How Teams works. For instructions on how to navigate inside this element, refer to the section "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
For additional instructions on how to navigate between and within these elements, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
How Teams works
The vertical toolbar contains buttons for all the main views in Microsoft Teams on the web. As you select a button, the contents in the main content area change accordingly. The toolbar buttons and the corresponding main views are:
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The Activity view. The list pane shows an activity feed that contains a summary of everything that has happened in the team channels you follow, if someone has mentioned you in a chat or channel or reacted to your chat or channel post. When you select an activity feed in the list pane, the contents are shown in the content pane. For instructions on how to use the activity log, go to Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams.
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The Chat view. The list pane shows a list of recent conversations, and any pinned chats you may have. The most recent conversation is shown in the content pane. You can browse the list of conversations and select one to display it in the content pane. For instructions on how to chat in Microsoft Teams on the web, go to Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams.
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The Teams view. The list pane shows a hierarchical list of all the teams you are a member of, the channels within each team, and any pinned teams you may have. The most recently viewed channel is shown in the content pane. In this view you can join, create, or manage teams, add members to teams, or create and follow channels. For instructions on how to create and modify teams, go to Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to use channels, go to Use a screen reader to create or follow a channel in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calendar view. Your weekly or daily calendar is shown in the entire main content area with the current half-an-hour time slot selected. In this view you can schedule, accept, and join meetings. For instructions on how to use the calendar to schedule meetings, go to Use a screen reader to schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to join meetings, go to Use a screen reader to join a meeting in Microsoft Teams.
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The Calls view. The list pane shows a set of four tabs: Speed dial, Contacts, History, and Voicemail. The content pane shows the content of the currently active list pane tab. In this view, you can add users to speed dial, make calls, review your call history, and check your voicemail. For instructions on how to make calls in Microsoft Teams on the web, go to Use a screen reader to make and answer calls in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to check your voicemail, go to Use a screen reader to check your voicemail in Microsoft Teams.
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The Files view. The list pane shows a list of file tabs, consisting of Recent, Microsoft Teams, and any cloud storage that has been set up. As you browse the file tabs in the list pane, the content pane on the right shows the contents of the currently selected file tab. By default, the Recent tab is selected. For instructions on how to work with files, go to Use a screen reader to work with files in Microsoft Teams.
For instructions on how to navigate between and within the main views of Microsoft Teams on the web, refer to the sections "Move between the main views" and "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
See also
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate 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.
