Microsoft Teams is great until you’re three clicks deep just to find a chat you were looking at 30 seconds ago.
That’s where keyboard shortcuts come in.
The right Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts can help you jump between chats, search for messages, start meetings, format replies, mute yourself, and get around Teams without constantly reaching for the mouse.
And no, you don’t need to memorize 100+ shortcuts. That’s how you end up staring into the void wondering why Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 7 is burned into your brain.
This guide covers the most useful Microsoft Teams shortcuts for Windows, Mac, and the Teams web app, plus the shortcuts worth learning first, the ones that differ between desktop and web, and a few handy Teams features you might have missed.
Quick answer: Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts are quick key combinations that help you navigate Teams, search chats, send messages, manage calls, and control meetings without using your mouse. On Windows, press
Ctrl + .to see all available shortcuts; on Mac, pressCommand + .. Some shortcuts differ between the Teams desktop and web apps.
Last updated: July 31, 2026
The 15 Microsoft Teams shortcuts worth learning first
Let’s start with the shortcuts you’ll actually use.
You could memorize the entire list below, but realistically, these are the ones worth putting into muscle memory.
| What you want to do | Windows desktop | Teams web |
|---|---|---|
| See all shortcuts | Ctrl + . | Ctrl + . |
| Search Teams | Ctrl + E | Ctrl + Alt + E |
| Go to a chat or channel | Ctrl + G | Ctrl + G |
| Start a new chat | Ctrl + N | Alt + N |
| Find something in the current chat | Ctrl + F | Ctrl + F |
| Open Settings | Ctrl + , | Ctrl + Shift + , |
| Open filter | Ctrl + Shift + F | Ctrl + Shift + F |
| Go to the compose box | Ctrl + R | Alt + Shift + R |
| Expand the compose box | Ctrl + Shift + X | Ctrl + Shift + X |
| Attach a file | Alt + Shift + O | Alt + Shift + O |
| Send an expanded message | Ctrl + Enter | Ctrl + Enter |
| Mute/unmute | Ctrl + Shift + M | Ctrl + Shift + M |
| Toggle camera | Ctrl + Shift + O | — |
| Raise/lower your hand | Ctrl + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + K |
| Schedule a meeting | Alt + N | Alt + N |
The ones we’d learn first: Search, Go to, New Chat, Find, Mute, and Show Shortcuts.
Once those are second nature, everything else gets easier.
Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts for Windows
Let’s get into the full list.
General Teams shortcuts
These cover the everyday stuff: searching, settings, opening chats, and getting around the interface.
| Action | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Show keyboard shortcuts | Ctrl + . | Ctrl + . |
| Search | Ctrl + E | Ctrl + Alt + E |
| Open filter | Ctrl + Shift + F | Ctrl + Shift + F |
| Start a new chat | Ctrl + N | Alt + N |
| Start a chat in a new window | Ctrl + Shift + N | — |
| Open Settings | Ctrl + , | Ctrl + Shift + , |
| Open Help | F1 | Ctrl + F1 |
| Close | Esc | Esc |
| Zoom in | Ctrl + = | — |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + – | — |
| Reset zoom | Ctrl + 0 | — |
| Go to a specific chat or channel | Ctrl + G | Ctrl + G |
| Open an existing conversation | Ctrl + O | — |
| Show commands | Ctrl + Shift + / | Ctrl + Shift + / |
One shortcut deserves special attention.
The fastest way to find a chat in Teams
Press Ctrl + G.
Type the name of the person, team, channel, or conversation you’re looking for, then select it.
That’s it.
No sidebar archaeology required.
This is especially useful if your Teams sidebar currently contains approximately 84 conversations, 17 channels, and at least one chat called “New New Final Final.”
Teams navigation shortcuts
The more apps and conversations you have in Teams, the more useful navigation shortcuts become.
| Action | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Open first app on app bar | Ctrl + 1 | Ctrl + Shift + 1 |
| Open second app | Ctrl + 2 | Ctrl + Shift + 2 |
| Open third app | Ctrl + 3 | Ctrl + Shift + 3 |
| Open fourth app | Ctrl + 4 | Ctrl + Shift + 4 |
| Open fifth app | Ctrl + 5 | Ctrl + Shift + 5 |
| Open sixth app | Ctrl + 6 | Ctrl + Shift + 6 |
| Open seventh app | Ctrl + 7 | Ctrl + Shift + 7 |
| Open eighth app | Ctrl + 8 | Ctrl + Shift + 8 |
| Open ninth app | Ctrl + 9 | Ctrl + Shift + 9 |
| Move to chat/channel list | Ctrl + L | Alt + Shift + L |
| Move to message pane | Ctrl + M | Alt + Shift + M |
| Go to compose box | Ctrl + R | Alt + Shift + R |
| Go back | Alt + Left Arrow | — |
| Go forward | Alt + Right Arrow | — |
Your app-bar shortcuts depend on the order of your apps, so Ctrl + 1 isn’t guaranteed to open the same thing for everyone. That’s one of those little Teams details that makes more sense once you know it’s there.
Microsoft Teams chat and messaging shortcuts
This is where keyboard shortcuts start paying rent.
If you spend a large part of your day replying to messages, jumping into channels, and trying to find the one thing someone said “last Tuesday,” these are worth learning.
Find and manage messages
| Action | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Find in current chat or channel | Ctrl + F | Ctrl + F |
| Mark all as read | Shift + Esc | Shift + Esc |
| Jump to newest/unread message | Ctrl + J | Alt + J |
| Reply to the last message | Alt + Shift + R | Alt + R |
| React to the last message | Ctrl + Alt + R | Ctrl + Alt + R |
| See unread chats | Ctrl + Alt + U | Ctrl + Alt + U |
| See all chats | Ctrl + Alt + C | Ctrl + Alt + C |
| See channel conversations | Ctrl + Alt + A | Ctrl + Alt + A |
| See meeting chats | Ctrl + Alt + B | Ctrl + Alt + B |
| Clear filters | Ctrl + Alt + Z | Ctrl + Alt + Z |
Writing messages faster
Once you’re in the compose box, you can do quite a bit without touching the formatting toolbar.
| Action | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Expand compose box | Ctrl + Shift + X | Ctrl + Shift + X |
| Send expanded message | Ctrl + Enter | Ctrl + Enter |
| Start a new line | Shift + Enter | Shift + Enter |
| Attach a file | Alt + Shift + O | Alt + Shift + O |
| Mark message as important | Ctrl + Shift + I | Ctrl + Shift + I |
| Insert a link | Ctrl + K | Ctrl + K |
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Ctrl + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Ctrl + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | Ctrl + U |
| Insert block quote | Ctrl + Alt + 4 | Ctrl + Alt + 4 |
A tiny Teams trick that saves more time than it should
Need a properly formatted message instead of a three-word reply that accidentally sounds angry?
Press Ctrl + Shift + X to expand the compose box.
That gives you access to the fuller formatting experience without hunting around for the formatting button.
Microsoft Teams shortcuts for calls and meetings
Meetings are where keyboard shortcuts can save you from the classic:
“You’re on mute.”
Followed by:
“Sorry, I was on mute.”
Followed by:
“Okay, can you hear me now?”
Learn these once and save yourself the ritual.
Call and meeting controls
| Action | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Accept video call | Ctrl + Shift + A | Alt + Shift + A |
| Accept audio call | Ctrl + Shift + S | Alt + Shift + S |
| Decline call | Ctrl + Shift + D | Ctrl + Shift + D |
| Start audio call | Alt + Shift + A | Alt + Shift + A |
| Start video call | Alt + Shift + V | Alt + Shift + V |
| End call | Ctrl + Shift + H | Ctrl + Shift + H |
| Mute/unmute | Ctrl + Shift + M | Ctrl + Shift + M |
| Temporarily unmute | Ctrl + Spacebar | Ctrl + Spacebar |
| Raise/lower hand | Ctrl + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + K |
| Toggle video | Ctrl + Shift + O | — |
| Open sharing toolbar | Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar | Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar |
| Start screen sharing | Ctrl + Shift + E | Ctrl + Shift + E |
| Accept screen share | Ctrl + Shift + A | — |
| Decline screen share | Ctrl + Shift + D | — |
| Admit someone from lobby | Ctrl + Shift + Y | — |
What’s the Microsoft Teams mute shortcut?
The Teams mute shortcut is:
Ctrl + Shift + M
Press it once to mute yourself. Press it again to unmute.
For temporary unmute, Teams also supports Ctrl + Spacebar when that feature is enabled in your settings. Honestly, memorize this one first. Your coworkers will thank you.
Microsoft Teams calendar shortcuts
Teams isn’t just a messaging app. Once your calendar is packed with meetings, these shortcuts can make navigating it a little less painful.
Calendar views
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Day view | Alt + Shift + 1 |
| Work week | Alt + Shift + 2 |
| Week view | Alt + Shift + 3 |
| Month view | Alt + Shift + 4 |
| Month agenda | Alt + Shift + 5 |
| Previous period | Ctrl + Alt + Left Arrow |
| Next period | Ctrl + Alt + Right Arrow |
| Go to today | Alt + Shift + Y |
Calendar actions
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open selected event | Enter |
| Delete selected event | Delete |
| Save appointment | Ctrl + S |
| Send meeting | Ctrl + Enter |
| Create meeting request | Ctrl + Shift + Q |
You may not use these every day, but when you need them, they beat clicking around for five minutes looking for the right calendar view.
Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts on Mac
Using Teams on a Mac?
Same idea. Different keys.
A lot of Windows shortcuts move from Ctrl to Command, but not everything is a straight swap.
| Action | Mac |
|---|---|
| Show all shortcuts | Command + . |
| Search Teams | Command + E |
| Open filter | Command + Shift + F |
| Start a new chat | Command + N |
| Open Settings | Command + , |
| Go to a chat or channel | Command + G |
| Find in current chat | Command + F |
| Go to compose box | Command + R |
| Expand compose box | Command + Shift + X |
| Send expanded message | Command + Enter |
| Start a new line | Shift + Enter |
| Bold | Command + B |
| Italic | Command + I |
| Underline | Command + U |
Using Teams in a browser on Mac?
This is where things get a little more interesting.
The browser version can use a different combination again, so don’t assume your Windows cheat sheet—or even the Mac desktop shortcuts—will work exactly the same way.
That’s why the built-in shortcut panel is your friend.
Teams desktop vs. web: what’s actually different?
This trips people up all the time.
A Teams shortcut can be completely correct and still not work because you’re using the wrong version of Teams.
Here are a few examples:
| Action | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Ctrl + E | Ctrl + Alt + E |
| New chat | Ctrl + N | Alt + N |
| Settings | Ctrl + , | Ctrl + Shift + , |
| Accept audio call | Ctrl + Shift + S | Alt + Shift + S |
| Toggle video | Ctrl + Shift + O | No shortcut |
So before deciding that Teams has broken a shortcut, check whether you’re using the desktop app or the browser version.
Microsoft’s current shortcut documentation separates these experiences because the available mappings aren’t always the same.
How do I see all Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts?
You don’t have to memorize this page.
In fact, please don’t.
Press:
Windows: Ctrl + .
Mac: Command + .
Teams will open its keyboard shortcut panel.
You can also find it through Settings and more → Keyboard shortcuts.
This is useful because Microsoft updates Teams regularly, and your shortcut list can also be affected by the app version and customization settings.
Can you customize Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts?
Yes.
Teams now supports customizable shortcuts, and it also lets users switch shortcut layouts.
That’s particularly useful if you’ve spent years using another collaboration tool and your fingers have already decided what they want to do.
Switching from Slack to Teams?
You don’t necessarily have to relearn everything.
Teams supports shortcut layouts based on tools including Slack and Zoom, so your muscle memory doesn’t have to go completely out the window.
And when you’re ready to compare the two, check out our guide to Slack keyboard shortcuts.
A faster Teams workflow goes beyond keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts solve one problem: they make Teams faster to navigate.
But there’s a bigger productivity win when the work you already do every day lives inside Teams too.
For example, instead of sending people somewhere else to handle attendance and time, you can keep that workflow in the same place they already use for work.
Our guide to Microsoft Teams time tracking walks through how teams can handle time tracking without constantly jumping between tools.
And if you’re building out your Teams workspace, take a look at the best Microsoft Teams apps for more ways to extend what Teams can do.
Make Teams your work hub
There’s something slightly ridiculous about doing your entire workday in Teams, then opening three other tabs just to handle basic workforce tasks.
AttendanceBot brings attendance, time tracking, PTO, timesheets, and workforce workflows into Microsoft Teams, so employees can handle routine tasks without leaving the workspace they already use.
See how AttendanceBot works with Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts FAQ
What is the shortcut to see all Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts?
Press Ctrl + . on Windows or Command + . on Mac to open the keyboard shortcut panel.
What is the Microsoft Teams shortcut for Search?
Press Ctrl + E on the Windows desktop app. On Teams web, use Ctrl + Alt + E.
What is the Microsoft Teams mute shortcut?
Press Ctrl + Shift + M during a meeting.
What is the shortcut for a new Teams chat?
Press Ctrl + N on Windows desktop or Command + N on Mac.
Can I use Teams keyboard shortcuts on a Mac?
Yes. Teams has a dedicated Mac shortcut set. Some browser shortcuts differ from the native Mac app.
Why isn’t my Teams keyboard shortcut working?
First check whether you’re using desktop or web Teams. Some shortcuts are different between the two. Then open the Teams shortcut panel with Ctrl + . or Command + . to see the shortcuts available for your setup.
The Teams shortcuts to actually remember
You really don’t need to memorize this entire page.
Start with these seven:
Search: Ctrl + E
Go to: Ctrl + G
New chat: Ctrl + N
Find: Ctrl + F
Compose: Ctrl + R
Mute: Ctrl + Shift + M
All shortcuts: Ctrl + .
That’s enough to make you look suspiciously fast in your next Teams call.
And when you forget the rest?
Ctrl + .
Problem solved.
Make Teams do more without more tabs
AttendanceBot keeps attendance, time tracking, PTO, timesheets, and workforce workflows inside Microsoft Teams.






