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.
Use Microsoft Teams with your keyboard and a screen reader to chat with your contacts. You’ll learn how to move through the chat view, start, and manage conversations, send and format messages, add content like emojis or files, filter your chat list, and adjust chat settings.
Notes:
-
To quickly view keyboard shortcuts in Teams, press Ctrl+Period (.).
-
To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
In this topic
Start and manage chats
Compose, send, reply to, and format messages using the message toolbar, and message actions toolbar.
Start a private chat and browse messages
-
Press Ctrl+2 to open Chat.
-
To start a new chat, press Ctrl+N. The focus is on the To: field.
Note: Press Ctrl+Shift+N to start a new chat in a separate window.
-
Start typing a name. Use the Down arrow key to browse results. When you hear the right contact, press Enter to add them.
Tip: Repeat the same steps to add more recipients.
-
When you are done adding people, press Enter to go to the Type a message edit field.
-
Type your message, and then press Enter to send.
Open links and attachments in messages
When focus is on a message with a link, press Enter, then press Tab until you hear the link address and press Enter to open it in a new browser tab.
When focus is on a message with an attachment:
-
Press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Press Tab until you hear the name of the attachment, and then press Enter to open it directly in the Teams app.
To use additional attachment options:
-
Press Tab until you hear“Secondary toolbar”.
-
Use the Right arrow key to select the More actions button, and press Enter to open the menu items.
-
To open the attachment, press the Up or Down arrow until you hear “Open in menu item,” and then press Enter. Use the Down arrow key to choose Teams (default), Desktop app, or Browser, and press Enter to open the attachment.
-
To download the attachment, press the Down arrow until you hear “Download menu item,” and then press Enter.
-
To share the attachment, press the Down arrow until you hear “Share menu item,” and then press Enter.
-
To copy a link to the attachment, press the Down arrow until you hear “Copy link,” and then press Enter.
Read chat messages in virtual or browse mode
You can read a focused chat or channel message in virtual or browse mode. This feature helps when messages contain long responses or structured content.
To read a message in virtual or browse mode:
-
Navigate to the message you want to read, and then press Ctrl+Enter. The message opens in virtual or browse mode. The narrator starts announcing the focused message word by word.
Note: Now you can read the message as if you were reading a document using the arrow keys.
-
To move the focus to the message list, press Esc.
Reply to messages in Teams
You can reply with a quoted response to either a message you received or one you sent.
Reply to a received message
-
Navigate to the message you want to reply to, then press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Use the arrow keys to choose Reply with quote menu item, and then press Enter.
-
Type your reply, then press Enter to send.
Reply to a message you sent
-
Navigate to your desired sent message, and then press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Use the arrow keys to move focus to the More options button, and then press Enter.
-
Use the Up or Down arrow key to select Reply with quote menu item, and then press Enter.
-
Type your reply, then press Enter to send.
Reply to and mark messages
-
To reply to a message, navigate to your desired message and press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Use the arrow keys to choose Reply with quote and press Enter. Type the reply, then press Enter to send.
Note: You can also use Shift+F10 (Context menu key) to open the message context menu, then use the Down or Up arrow key to move to Reply with quote and press Enter.
Format a message
When focus is on the Type a message edit field, you can use both the Formatting toolbar and keyboard shortcuts:
-
When the focus is on the “Type a message” field, press Tab until you hear “Show formatting options,” then press Enter.
-
Navigate to the formatting toolbar using Shift+Tab, then use the Right or Left arrow key to move through available options such as Bold, Italics, Underline, Bulleted lists, and more.
-
Press Enter or Spacebar on the desired option to apply.
Tip: Alongside formatting options, the toolbar also includes actions like Emojis and GIFs, Rewrite with Copilot, and Loop components.
-
You can also use keyboard shortcuts directly while typing:
-
Press Ctrl+Shift+X to access formatting options.
-
Press Ctrl+B to bold text.
-
Press Ctrl+I to italicize text.
-
Press Ctrl+U to underline text.
-
-
After applying the formatting or adding other elements, press Ctrl+Enter to send.
Add files, emojis, stickers, and clips
Insert emojis, stickers, GIFs, attachments, images, and short video clips using the compose toolbar.
Add an attachment
When the focus is on the Type a message edit field, do one of the following:
-
Press Alt+Shift+O to open the Attach file menu directly.
-
Alternatively, press Tab once and use the Right arrow key until you hear “Actions and apps button,” and then press Enter. Press Tab until you hear “Attach file menu item,” and then press Enter.
Do one of the following:
-
From cloud locations: Use the Tab key to select Attach cloud files option, then press Enter. Use Tab and arrow keys to browse folders. When focus is on the file, press Tab until you hear“Attach button,” then press Enter.
-
From your device: Use Tab to reach Attach cloud files option, then press the Downarrow key until you hear “Upload from this device,” and press Enter. In the Open dialog, use Tab and arrow keys to find the file, then press Enter or Alt+O to attach it.
Note: When you first open the Attach file menu, Teams shows a list of Suggested cloud files. You can press the Tab once, then use the Down arrow key to move through the list. If you find the desired file, press Enter to attach it directly without browsing or uploading.
Add emoji, GIFs, and stickers
-
In the Type a message edit field, press Tab until you hear “Show formatting options button.”
-
Press the Right arrow key until you hear “Emoji, GIFs and stickers button,” and then press Enter. This opens a dialog, and focus moves to the Search box.
-
Type search terms, then press Tab and use arrow keys to browse Emoji, GIFs, and Stickers, and then press Enter to insert.
Note: You can also type common character combinations to create emojis, such as “:)" for a smile.
Record video clip
-
In the Type a message edit field, go to Action and apps button and press Enter.
-
Press Tab to select Attach file option, then use the Down arrow key until you hear “Record video clip menu item,” then press Enter.
-
Follow the instructions to record and insert the clip.
Filter your chats
When focus is on the Chat list, press Ctrl+Shift+F. You will hear “Filter by name or group name edit.”
You can filter in two ways:
-
Filtering for a name
-
Start typing the desired name.
-
Matching chats appear in the list.
-
Press the Down arrow key to move through results, then press Enter to open the desired chat.
-
-
Filtering: section or type of content
-
To quickly toggle the Unread filter on or off, press Ctrl+Alt+U.
-
Alternatively, press Tab until you hear “More filters button,” then press Enter.
-
Use the arrow keys to move through the available filters such as Unread, Muted, Unmuted, Chats, Channels, and Communities.
-
Press Enter on the desired filter to select or unselect.
-
Press Tab until you reach the filtered results list, then use the Up or Down arrow to move through results.
-
-
Adjust chat settings
Follow the instructions to change message preview behavior and chat density.
Turn off message previews in notification banners
Press Ctrl+Comma (,) to open Settings. The Settings window opens with the General tab selected, and focus is on the Find in settings edit box.
Note: In the new Chats and Channels experience, message previews are turned off by default. If you want to turn them on, go to the Chat message notifications combo box, and use the Up or Down arrow key to select Show in banner option then press Enter or Spacebar.
To turn off message previews:
-
Press the Downarrow key until you hear “Notifications and activity tab,” and then press Enter.
-
Press Tab until you hear “Chat message notifications combo box,” and then press Enter.
-
To turn off message preview, press Up or Down arrow key until you hear “Off 1 of 2,” and then press Enter or Spacebar.
Change message density
-
Press Ctrl+Comma (,) to open the Settings window.
-
Press Tab to select the General section, then use the Down arrow key until you hear “Chats and channels tab,” and then press Enter.
-
Press Tab until you hear “Message density” followed by the current value (Comfy or Compact).
-
Use the Right or Leftarrow key to select the desired density.
See also
Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams
Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams on Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to chat with your contacts. You’ll learn how to move through the chat view, start and manage conversations, send and format messages, add content like emojis or files, filter your chat list, and adjust chat settings.
Notes:
-
To quickly view keyboard shortcuts in Teams, press Command+Period (.).
-
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
Start and manage chats
Compose, send, reply to, and format messages using the message toolbar, and message actions toolbar.
Start a private chat and browse messages
-
Press Command+2 to open Chat.
-
Press Command+N. Focus moves to the New chat field.
Note: Press Command+Shift+N to start a new chat in a separate window.
-
Type the name or email of the person. Use the Down arrow key to select a match and press Return.
-
Focus moves to the message compose box. Type your message, then press Return to send.
Open links and attachments in messages
When focus is on a message with a link, press Return, then navigate using Tab until you hear the link address, then press Return again to open it.
When focus is on a message with an attachment:
-
Press Return to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Press Tab until you hear the name of the attachment, and then press Return to open it directly in the Teams app.
To use additional attachment options:
-
Press Tab until you hear“Secondary toolbar”.
-
Use the Right arrow key to move through the toolbar until you reach “More options,” then press Return.
-
Use the Down arrow key to navigate attachment menu items such as Open, Download, Share, and Copy link, and then press Return on the desired option.
Read chat messages in virtual or browse mode
You can read a focused chat or channel message in virtual or browse mode. This feature helps when messages contain long responses or structured content.
To read a message in virtual or browse mode:
-
Navigate to the message you want to read, and then press Command+Enter. The message opens in virtual or browse mode. The narrator starts announcing the focused message word by word.
Note: Now you can read the message as if you were reading a document using the arrow keys.
-
To move the focus to the message list, press Esc.
Reply to messages
You can reply to a message with a quote or inline reply whether it's received or sent:
-
Navigate to the message, and then press Return to open message actions toolbar.
-
Use arrow keys to select Reply with quote menu item, then press Return.
-
Type your reply. Press Return to send.
Format a message
You can use both the Formatting toolbar and keyboard shortcuts to format a message.
-
When focus is in the Type a message edit field, press Tab until you hear “Show formatting options,” then press Return.
-
Use Right or Left arrow to navigate formatting options such as Bold, Italic, Underline, Bulleted list, etc. Press Return or Spacebar to apply.
-
You can also use keyboard shortcuts directly while typing:
-
Press Control+Command+X to access formatting options.
-
Command+B for bold
-
Command+I for italics
-
Command+U for underline
-
-
After applying the formatting or adding other elements, press Return to send the message.
Add files, emojis, stickers, and clips
Use the compose toolbar to add attachments, emojis, GIFs, stickers, or record video clips.
Add an attachment
Follow the below instructions, When the focus is on the Type a message edit field.
-
Press Tab once and use the Right arrow key until you hear “Actions and apps button,” and then press Return. Press Tab until you hear “Attach file menu item,” and then press Return.
Do one of the following:
-
From cloud locations: Use the Tab key to select Attach cloud files option, then press Return. Use Tab and arrow keys to browse folders. When focus is on the file, press Tab until you hear“Attach button,” then press Return.
-
From your device: Use Tab to reach Attach cloud files option, then press the Downarrow key until you hear “Upload from this device,” and press Return. In the Open dialog, use Tab and arrow keys to find the file, then select the file and press Return or Command+O to attach.
Note: When you first open the Attach file menu, Teams shows a list of Suggested cloud files. You can press the Tab once, then use the Down arrow key to move through the list. If you find the desired file, press Return to attach it directly without browsing or uploading.
Add emoji, GIFs, or stickers
-
In the Type a message edit field, press Tab until you hear “Show Formatting options button.”
-
Press Right arrow key until you hear “Emoji, GIFs and stickers button,” then press Return. This opens a dialog, and focus moves to the Search box.
-
Type search terms, then use arrow keys to browse items. Press Return to insert.
Note: You can also type common character combinations to create emojis, such as “:)" for a smile.
Record video clip
-
In the Type a message edit field, go to Action and apps button and press Return.
-
Press Tab to select Attach file option, then use the Down arrow key until you hear “Record video clip menu item,” then press Return.
-
Follow the instructions to record and insert the clip.
Filter your chats
Use filters to find chats by name or content type.
-
In the Chat list, press Command+Shift+F to move focus to “Filter by name or group name” edit field.
-
Type the desired name. Use Down arrow to navigate and press Return to open a chat.
-
To filter by type, press Tab until you hear “More filters button,” then press Return.
-
Use arrow keys to select filters like Unread, Muted, etc., then press Return to apply or remove.
Adjust chat settings
You can change settings for message previews and chat density via macOS Teams settings dialog.
Turn off message previews in notification banners
-
Press Command+Comma (,) to open Settings.
-
Press the Downarrow until you hear “Notifications and activity tab,” and then press Return.
-
Press Tab until you hear “Chat message notifications combo box,” and then press Return.
-
Navigate to “Chat message notifications” combo box. Use arrow keys to select “Off,” then press Return.
Change message density
-
In Settings, Press Tab to select the General section, then use the Down arrow key until you hear “Chats and channels tab,” and then press Return.
-
Press Tab until you hear “Message density” followed by the current value (Comfy or Compact).
-
Use the Right or Leftarrow key to select the desired density.
See also
Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams
Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams for iOS with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to chat with your contacts. You’ll learn how to move through the chat view, start and manage conversations, send and format messages, add content, filter your chats, and adjust chat settings.
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
Start and manage chats
Compose, send, reply to, and format messages using the message toolbar, and message actions toolbar.
Start a private chat and browse messages
-
In the navigation bar, flick right until you hear “New message button,” then double-tap to start a new chat.
-
Focus moves to the Search field. Type a contact name. VoiceOver announces the number of matching contacts.
-
Flick right to navigate the suggestions, and double-tap to select.
-
Flick right to “Type a message text field”, double-tap, enter your message, and double-tap on the Send button.
Open links and attachments in messages
Navigate to the message that contains a link or attachment. Double-tap to open.
-
For links, select the desired browser to open the link, and then double-tap the screen.
-
For attachments, double-tap to open the attachment in the associated app.
-
You can choose Open, Preview, or Share from the system menu, and then double-tap the screen.
Reply to messages
You can reply with a quoted response to either a message you received or one you sent.
-
While focus is on a message, triple-tap the screen to open Reactions and message actions toolbar.
-
Flick to Reply with quote button, double-tap, and the quoted message appears above the compose box.
-
Type your reply, flick to the Send button, and then double-tap the screen.
Add emojis, GIFs, and files
Insert emojis, stickers, GIFs, attachments, images, and short video clips using the compose toolbar.
Add an attachment
-
Navigate to the desired chat, and flick left until you hear Compose options button, then double-tap the screen.
-
In the compose area, Flick right to Attach button, then double-tap the screen.
-
Choose from OneDrive, SharePoint, and This device, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick right or left to select the item, and double-tap on the Open button.
Add emoji and GIFs
-
When the focus is on Type a message text field, flick right until you hear “Expression picker button,” then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick right or left to select the Emoji or GIFs button, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick right or left to navigate through categories or search field, and then double-tap on an item to insert.
Filter your chats
-
In the Chat list, flick right or left to navigate, and then double-tap.
-
Flick through filters like Recent, Unread, Mentions, Thread Muted, and Pinned, and double-tap to apply.
Adjust chat settings
Follow instructions to change the notification settings.
Turn off notifications:
-
Navigate to the More menu button, and double-tap the screen
-
Flick right or left until you hear “Notifications button,” and then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick through available notification options and double-tap to turn items on or off as needed.
See also
Use a screen reader to like and save messages in Microsoft Teams
Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams for Android with Talkback, the built-in Android screen reader, to chat with your contacts. You’ll learn how to move through the chat view, start and manage conversations, send and format messages, add content, filter your chats, and adjust chat settings.
Note: 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
Start and manage chats
Compose, send, reply to, and format messages using the message toolbar, and message actions toolbar.
Start a private chat and browse messages
-
In the navigation bar, flick right until you hear “New conversation button,” then double-tap.
-
Focus moves to the Search field. Type a contact name. TalkBack announces the number of matching contacts.
-
Flick right to navigate the suggestions, and then double-tap to select.
-
Flick right to “Type a message text field”, double-tap, enter your message, and double-tap on the Send button.
Open links and attachments in messages
Navigate to the message that contains a link or attachment. Double-tap to open.
-
For links, select the desired browser to open the link, and then double-tap the screen.
-
For attachments, double-tap to open the attachment in the associated app.
-
You can choose Open, Preview, or Share from the system menu, and then double-tap the screen.
Reply to messages
You can reply with a quoted response to either a message you received or one you sent.
-
While focus is on a message, triple-tap the screen to open Reactions and message actions toolbar.
-
Flick to Reply with quote button, double-tap, and the quoted message appears above the compose box.
-
Type your reply, flick to the Send button, and then double-tap the screen.
Add emojis, GIFs, and files
Insert emojis, stickers, GIFs, attachments, images, and short video clips.
Add an attachment
-
Navigate to the desired chat, and flick left until you hear Compose options button, then double-tap the screen.
-
In the compose area, Flick right to Attach button, then double-tap the screen.
-
Choose from OneDrive, SharePoint, and This device, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick right or left to select the item, and double-tap on the Select file button.
Add emoji and GIFs
-
When the focus is on Type a message text field, flick right until you hear “GIFs and emojis picker button,” then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick right or left to select the Emoji or GIFs button, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick right or left to navigate through categories or search field, and then double-tap on an item to insert.
Filter your chats
-
In the Chat list, flick right or left to navigate, and then double-tap.
-
Flick through filters like Recent, Unread, Mentions, Thread Muted, and Pinned, and double-tap to apply.
Adjust chat settings
Follow instructions to change the notification settings.
Turn off notifications
-
Navigate to the More menu button, and double-tap the screen
-
Flick right or left until you hear “Notifications button,” and then double-tap the screen.
-
Flick through available notification options and double-tap to turn items on or off as needed.
See also
Use a screen reader to like and save messages in Microsoft Teams
Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams on the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to chat with your contacts. You’ll learn how to move through the chat view, start and manage conversations, send and format messages, add content like emojis or files, filter your chat list, and adjust chat settings.
In this topic
Start and manage chats
Compose, send, reply to, and format messages using the message toolbar and message actions toolbar.
Start a private chat and browse messages
-
Press Ctrl+Shift+2 to open Chat.
-
To start a new chat, press Ctrl+N. The focus is on the To: field.
-
Start typing a name. Use the Down arrow key to browse results. When you hear the right contact, press Enter to add them.
Tip: Repeat the same steps to add more recipients.
-
When you are done adding people, press Enter to go to the Type a message edit field.
-
Type your message, then press Enter to send.
Open links and attachments in messages
When focus is on a message with a link, press Enter, then press Tab until you hear the link address and press Enter to open it in a new browser tab.
When focus is on a message with an attachment:
-
Press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Press Tab until you hear the name of the attachment, and then press Enter to open it directly in the Teams app.
To use additional attachment options:
-
Press Tab until you hear“Secondary toolbar”.
-
Use the Right arrow key to select the More actions button, and press Enter to open the menu items.
-
To open the attachment, press the Up or Down arrow until you hear “Open in menu item,” and then press Enter. Use the Down arrow key to choose Teams (default), Desktop app, or Browser, and press Enter to open the attachment.
-
To download the attachment, press the Down arrow until you hear “Download menu item,” and then press Enter.
-
To share the attachment, press the Down arrow until you hear “Share menu item,” and then press Enter.
-
To copy a link to the attachment, press the Down arrow until you hear “Copy link,” and then press Enter.
Read chat messages in virtual or browse mode
You can read a focused chat or channel message in virtual or browse mode. This feature helps when messages contain long responses or structured content.
To read a message in virtual or browse mode:
-
Navigate to the message you want to read, and then press Ctrl+Enter. The message opens in virtual or browse mode. The narrator starts announcing the focused message word by word.
Note: Now you can read the message as if you were reading a document using the arrow keys.
-
To move the focus to the message list, press Esc.
Reply to messages in Teams
You can reply with a quoted response to either a message you received or one you sent.
Reply to a received message
Navigate to the message you want to reply to, then press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Use the arrow keys to choose Reply with quote menu item, then press Enter.
-
Type your reply, then press Enter to send.
Reply to a message you sent
-
Navigate to your desired sent message, then press Enter to open the message actions toolbar.
-
Use the arrow keys to move focus to the More options button, then press Enter.
-
Use the Up or Down arrow key to select Reply with quote, then press Enter.
-
Type your reply, then press Enter to send.
Format a message
Use formatting toolbar to format a message while sending:
-
When the focus is on the Type a message edit field, press Tab until you hear “Show formatting options,” then press Enter.
-
Navigate to the formatting toolbar using Shift+Tab, then use the Right or Left arrow key to move through available options such as Bold, Italics, Underline, Bulleted lists, and more.
-
Press Enter or Spacebar on the desired option to apply it.
Alongside formatting options, the toolbar also includes actions like Emojis and GIFs, Rewrite with Copilot, and Loop components.
-
You can also use keyboard shortcuts directly while typing:
-
Press Ctrl+B to bold text.
-
Press Ctrl+I to italicize text.
-
Press Ctrl+U to underline text.
-
-
After applying the formatting or adding other elements, press Ctrl+Enter to send.
Add files, emojis, stickers, and clips
Insert emojis, stickers, GIFs, attachments, images, and short video clips using the compose toolbar.
Add an attachment
When the focus is on the Type a message edit field, do one of the following:
-
Press Alt+Shift+O to open the Attach file menu directly.
-
Alternatively, press Tab and use the Right arrow key until you hear “Actions and apps button,” then press Enter. Press Tab until you hear “Attach file menu item,” then press Enter.
Do one of the following:
-
From cloud locations: Use Tab to select Attach cloud files, then press Enter. Use Tab and arrow keys to browse folders. When focus is on the file, press Tab until you hear “Attach button,” then press Enter.
-
From your device: Use Tab to reach Attach cloud files, then press the Down arrow key until you hear “Upload from this device,” and press Enter. In the dialog, use Tab and arrow keys to find the file, then press Enter to attach it.
Note: When you first open the Attach file menu, Teams shows a list of Suggested cloud files. Press Down arrow to browse the list and press Enter to attach a file directly.
Add emoji, GIFs, and Stickers
-
In the Type a message edit field, press Tab until you hear “Show Formatting options button.”
-
Press the Right arrow key until you hear “Emoji, GIFs and stickers button,” then press Enter.
-
The dialog opens, and focus moves to the Search box.
-
Type search terms, then press Tab and use arrow keys to browse Emoji, GIFs, and Stickers. Press Enter to insert.
Note: You can also type character combinations like “:)” to create simple emojis.
Record video clip
-
In the Type a message edit field, go to the Actions and apps button and press Enter.
-
Press Tab to select Attach file, then use the Down arrow until you hear “Record video clip menu item,” then press Enter.
-
Follow the instructions to record and insert the clip.
Filter your chats
When focus is on the Chat list, press Ctrl+Shift+F. You will hear “Filter by name or group name edit.”
You can filter in two ways:
-
Filtering for a name
-
Start typing the desired name.
-
Matching chats appear in the list.
-
Press the Down arrow key to move through results, then press Enter to open the desired chat.
-
-
Filtering by section or type of content
-
Press Tab until you hear “More filters button,” then press Enter.
-
Use the arrow keys to move through the available filters such as Unread, Muted, and Unmuted.
-
Press Enter on the desired filter to select or unselect it.
-
Press Tab until you reach the filtered results list, then use the Up or Down arrow to move through results.
-
Adjust chat settings
Follow the instructions to change message preview behavior and chat density.
Turn off message previews in notification banners
Press Ctrl+Shift+Comma (,) to open Settings. The Settings pane opens with the General tab selected, and focus is on the Find in settings edit box.
To turn off message previews:
-
Press the Downarrow until you hear “Notifications and activity tab,” and then press Enter.
-
Press Tab until you hear “Chat message notifications combo box,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear “Off,” then press Enter.
Change message density
-
Press Ctrl+Shift+Comma (,) to open Settings.
-
Press Tab to select the General section, then use the Down arrow key until you hear “Chats and channels tab,” and then press Enter.
-
Press Tab until you hear “Message density” followed by the current value (Comfy or Compact).
-
Use the Right or Leftarrow key to select the desired density.
See also
Use a screen reader to search for a conversation, person, or file in Microsoft Teams
Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams
Keyboard shortcuts for 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.
