Microsoft Teams has over 50 keyboard shortcuts that speed up navigation, messaging, calls, and meetings. Learning a handful of the most useful ones reduces time spent clicking through menus significantly. This page covers all shortcuts for Windows and Mac, organised by task.
How to See All Shortcuts in Teams
Press Ctrl+. (Windows) or Cmd+. (Mac) to open the full keyboard shortcuts reference within Teams at any time. This panel lists every available shortcut and updates when Microsoft adds new ones, so it is worth bookmarking as a habit rather than searching online each time.
[Screenshot: The Teams keyboard shortcuts panel open over the main Teams window, showing a full list of shortcuts grouped by category]
Navigation Shortcuts
These shortcuts move you between the main sections of Teams without touching the mouse. If you switch between Chat, Teams, and Calendar frequently throughout the day, the numbered shortcuts alone will save a noticeable amount of time.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Go to Search | Ctrl+E | Cmd+E |
| Go to Activity feed | Ctrl+1 | Cmd+1 |
| Go to Chat | Ctrl+2 | Cmd+2 |
| Go to Teams | Ctrl+3 | Cmd+3 |
| Go to Calendar | Ctrl+4 | Cmd+4 |
| Go to Calls | Ctrl+5 | Cmd+5 |
| Go to Files | Ctrl+6 | Cmd+6 |
| Open Settings | Ctrl+, | Cmd+, |
| Show/hide left navigation | Ctrl+Shift+ | Cmd+Shift+ |
Messaging Shortcuts
Most of the time spent in Teams involves typing and sending messages. These shortcuts remove the need to reach for the mouse when composing replies or formatting longer messages.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New chat | Ctrl+N | Cmd+N |
| Reply to focused message | R | R |
| Expand message box | Ctrl+Shift+X | Cmd+Shift+X |
| Send message | Enter | Enter |
| New line in message | Shift+Enter | Shift+Enter |
| Mark as important | Ctrl+Shift+I | Cmd+Shift+I |
| Attach file | Ctrl+O | Cmd+O |
| Open emoji picker | Ctrl+Shift+. | Cmd+Shift+. |
The expand message box shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows, Cmd+Shift+X on Mac) is particularly useful when writing longer channel posts or updates where you need more space to read back what you have written before sending.
Meeting and Call Shortcuts
These are arguably the most important shortcuts to learn, particularly if you spend a large part of your working day on Teams calls. Being able to mute and unmute without reaching for the mouse is the single most practical shortcut on this list.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Mute/unmute | Ctrl+Shift+M | Cmd+Shift+M |
| Turn camera on/off | Ctrl+Shift+O | Cmd+Shift+O |
| Raise/lower hand | Ctrl+Shift+K | Cmd+Shift+K |
| Accept video call | Ctrl+Shift+A | Cmd+Shift+A |
| Accept audio call | Ctrl+Shift+S | Cmd+Shift+S |
| Decline call | Ctrl+Shift+D | Cmd+Shift+D |
| End call | Ctrl+Shift+H | Cmd+Shift+H |
| Start screen share | Ctrl+Shift+E | Cmd+Shift+E |
| Open participants panel | Ctrl+Shift+P | Cmd+Shift+P |
| Open chat during meeting | Ctrl+Shift+I | Cmd+Shift+I |
Note that Ctrl+Shift+M works as a toggle, so pressing it once mutes and pressing it again unmutes. This is more reliable than clicking the microphone button, particularly during larger meetings where the toolbar can be hard to target quickly.
Search Shortcuts and Commands
Teams has a command bar built into the search box that lets you take quick actions without navigating through menus. Press Ctrl+E (Windows) or Cmd+E (Mac) to focus the search bar, then type a forward slash to access commands.
- Ctrl+E — focus the search bar from anywhere in Teams
- Ctrl+F — search within the current chat or channel only
- /goto in the search bar — jump directly to a person or channel by name
- /call in the search bar — start a call with someone without opening their profile
- /chat in the search bar — start a new chat with someone by name
The slash commands are particularly useful on Microsoft 365 Business Basic and above plans, where Teams is your primary communication tool. Rather than scrolling through your contacts list, typing /call [name] in the search bar is consistently the fastest way to reach someone.
The Most Useful Shortcuts to Learn First
If you are new to Teams shortcuts, there is no need to memorise the full list immediately. Start with these five, which cover the actions most people perform dozens of times each day.
- Ctrl+E (Cmd+E on Mac) — focus the search bar instantly from any screen. Use this to find messages, people, and files without touching the mouse.
- Ctrl+Shift+M (Cmd+Shift+M on Mac) — mute and unmute during calls. This is the shortcut that saves the most time in meetings and reduces the chances of being caught unmuted when you do not intend to be.
- Ctrl+N (Cmd+N on Mac) — start a new chat. Faster than clicking the pencil icon, especially when you need to message someone quickly between calls.
- Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+6 (Cmd+1–6 on Mac) — jump directly between Activity, Chat, Teams, Calendar, Calls, and Files. Using these replaces the habit of clicking the left sidebar entirely once they become muscle memory.
- Ctrl+Shift+K (Cmd+Shift+K on Mac) — raise or lower your hand in a meeting. In larger meetings with many participants, this is far quicker than finding the reactions button in the toolbar.
Once these five feel natural, adding the messaging shortcuts — particularly Shift+Enter for new lines and Ctrl+Shift+X to expand the compose box — makes day-to-day use noticeably faster. The full list is always one Ctrl+. away inside Teams itself.
Related articles: How to Use Microsoft Teams on Mobile: Android and iPhone Guide, How to Transfer a Call in Microsoft Teams, How File Sharing Works in Microsoft Teams: Where Files Are Stored
For a full index of every Teams guide and troubleshooting fix on Serverman, see the Microsoft Teams complete guide and troubleshooting hub.
