Office Accessibility
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams
Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams
Applies ToMicrosoft Teams

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.

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Use Microsoft Teams with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a team, hide or unhide a team, edit the team details, modify the team settings, or delete a team. We have tested it with JAWS and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes: 

  • 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.

  • To quickly access the keyboard shortcuts list from within Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+E, type the forward slash character followed by the word keys, and then press Enter.

In this topic

Create a new team

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view.

  2. Press the Tab key until you hear "Join or create a team," and then press Enter. You hear: "Create a new team." Press Enter again.

  3. To create a new team from scratch, press Enter.

  4. If you hear "What kind of team will this be" you need to define the privacy settings for you team. To select a privacy setting, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the option you want and then press Enter.

  5. You hear: "Enter team name." Type the name for the team.

  6. Press the Tab key once. You hear: "Enter team description." Type the optional description for the team.

  7. Press the Tab key until you hear "Create," and then press Enter. You hear "Add members to," followed by the team name.

  8. To add a team member, type their name. Use the Down arrow and Up arrow keys to navigate through the list of suggestions and press Enter to choose them. Repeat this step for each contact you want to add.

  9. Once you've chosen all the team members you want to add, press the Tab key until you hear "Add members to team," and press Enter.

  10. Press the Tab key until you hear "Close," and then press Enter.

    The new team is created, and the focus moves to the default General channel for that team.

Note: In NVDA this is called the browse mode. In JAWS it is called the virtual cursor mode.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view.

  2. Press B or Shift+B until you reach the Join or create a team button and then press Enter. The focus moves to the Create a new team button. Press Enter again.

  3. To create a new team from scratch, press Enter.

  4. If you hear "What kind of team will this be" you need to define the privacy settings for you team. To select a privacy setting, press B or Shift+B until you hear the option you want and then press Enter.

  5. You hear: "Enter team name." Type the name for the team.

  6. Press the Tab key once. You hear: "Enter team description." Type the optional description for the team.

  7. With NVDA, press the SR key+Spacebar. Press B until you reach the Create button and then press Enter. With JAWS, press the Tab key until you reach the Create button and then press Enter.

    You hear "Add members to," followed by the team name.

  8. To add a team member, type their name. Use the Down arrow and Up arrow keys to navigate through the list of suggestions and press Enter to choose them. Repeat this step for each contact you want to add.

  9. Once you've chosen all the team members you want to add, press the Tab key until you hear "Add members to team," and press Enter.

  10. With NVDA, press the SR key+Spacebar. Press B until you reach the Close button and then press Enter. With JAWS, press the Tab key until you reach the Close button and then press Enter.

    The new team is created, and the focus moves to the default General channel for that team.

Hide or unhide a team

You can hide teams to unclutter your teams list and focus on the teams you're using actively. Hiding a team moves it to the Hidden teams menu at the bottom of your teams lists where you can access it as usual. You can always unhide a team and return it to the teams list.

Hide a team

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the team you want to hide.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. You hear: "Hide." To hide the team, press Spacebar.

Unhide a team

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear "Hidden teams" and press Enter to expand the menu.

  3. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the team you want to show again in the teams list.

  4. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  5. You hear: "Show." To unhide the team and show it in the teams list, press Spacebar.

Edit the team details

If you're a team owner, you can edit the team details, which include the team name, description, and privacy setting.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to edit, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Edit team" and press Enter. The Edit team dialog opens. The focus is in the Team name text field.

  5. Edit the team name and press the Tab key once.

  6. Edit the team description and press the Tab key once.

  7. You hear the current privacy setting of the team. To change it, press Enter and then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the option you want. To confirm your selection, press Enter.

  8. Press the Tab key until you hear "Done" and press Enter.

Note: In NVDA this is called the browse mode. In JAWS it is called the virtual cursor mode.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to edit, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Edit team" and press Enter. The Edit team dialog opens. The focus is in the Team name text field.

  5. Edit the team name and press the Tab key once.

  6. Edit the team description and press the Tab key once.

  7. You hear the current privacy setting of the team. To change it, press Enter and then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the option you want. To confirm your selection, press Enter.

  8. Press B until you reach the Done button and press Enter.

Modify the team settings

If you're a team owner, you can modify the team settings, which include team member and guest permissions, team picture and code, @mention permissions, settings for fun stuff such as emojis and GIFs, and team expiration information.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team whose settings you want to modify, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Manage team," and press Enter.

  5. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "Settings" and press Enter.

  6. To navigate between the different settings groups, press the Tab key until you hear the one you want. To expand the settings category, press Enter.

  7. Inside the settings group, press the Tab key to move the focus inside the category. To move between different settings in the group, press the Tab key until you hear the one you want. To move between check boxes, press the Down arrow key until you hear the one you want. Press Enter to select it.

Delete a team

If you're a team owner, you can delete a team. When you delete a team, team activity in channels, files, and chats is also deleted.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to delete, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete the team," and press Enter. The Delete team dialog box opens.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear "I understand that everything will be deleted" and press Enter to select the checkbox.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "Delete," and press Enter.

Note: In NVDA this is called the browse mode. In JAWS it is called the virtual cursor mode.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to delete, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete the team," and press Enter. The Delete team dialog box opens.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear "I understand that everything will be deleted" and press Enter to select the checkbox.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "Delete," and press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to chat 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 a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Use Microsoft Teams on Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in Mac OS screen reader, to seamlessly create a team, edit the team details, modify the team settings, or delete a team. Microsoft Teams is where all your team conversations, meetings, files, and notes will come together.

Notes: 

  • 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

Create a new team

  1. Open Microsoft Teams and press Command+3 to go to the Teams view.

  2. Press the Tab key until you hear "Join or create a team," and press Return.

  3. The focus is on the Create team button. Press Return. You hear: "Create your team."

  4. The focus is in the Team name field. Type a name for your team, and press the Tab key when done.

  5. You hear: "Enter team description." Type a description if you like, and press the Tab key when done.

  6. The focus is in the Privacy field. You hear: "Private - Only team owners can add members." To accept the setting, press the Tab key. To change the setting to public, press the Down arrow key until you hear the setting and press Return to select.

  7. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you hear "Next," and press Return.

  8. The team is created and you can start adding members. Type the name of a team member. The search is performed as you type.

  9. Use the Down and Up arrow keys to navigate through the search results. Press Return to select. You hear the name of the team member, followed by "Selected."

  10. To add another member, type their name, press the Down arrow key to browse the list and Return to select.

  11. Once you've selected all the team members you want to add, press the Tab key until you hear "Add members to team," and press Return.

  12. You hear: "All selected users were successfully added to <team name>." Press the Tab key until you hear "Close," and press Return. The team is now created and the General channel of the team opens in the content view.

Edit team details

You can edit the team name, description, and privacy settings.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Command+3 to open the Teams view.

  2. Press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to enter the list of teams and channels.

  3. Press the Down arrow key to navigate down on the list. When you reach the team you want, press Spacebar.

  4. A menu opens. Press the Down arrow key until you reach the Edit team option and press Return.

  5. A dialog for editing the team name, description, and privacy settings opens. Press the Tab key to navigate between the fields in the dialog. To enter text, type. To change the privacy settings, press the Down or Up arrow key. To select, press Return.

  6. When done, press the Tab key until you reach the Done button and press Return. Your changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

Modify team settings

In the team settings, you can add or change a team picture, manage permissions, generate a team code to share with people who want to join the team, and enable fun stuff, such as Giphy.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Command+3 to open the Teams view.

  2. Press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to enter the list of teams and channels.

  3. Press the Down arrow key to navigate down on the list. When you reach the team you want, press Spacebar.

  4. A menu opens. Press the Down arrow key until you reach the Manage team option and press Return.

  5. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "Settings," and press Return.

  6. To navigate to a group of settings, press the Tab key until you hear the setting you want to modify, and press Return.

  7. Press the Tab key until you hear the first setting or option in the group. If there are more settings, you can navigate between them using the Down or Up arrow key. To select or clear a check box, press Spacebar. To select a button, press Return.

Delete a team

If you're a team owner, you can delete a team. When you delete a team, team activity in channels, files, and chats is also deleted.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Command+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to delete, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete the team," and press Return. The Delete team dialog box opens.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear "I understand that everything will be deleted," and press Return to select the check box.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "Delete," and press Return.

See also

Use a screen reader to chat 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 a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Use Microsoft Teams on the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a team, hide or unhide a team, edit the team details, modify the team settings, or delete a team. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes: 

  • 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.

  • To quickly access the keyboard shortcuts list from within Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+E, type the forward slash character followed by the word keys, and then press Enter.

In this topic

Create a new team

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view.

  2. Press the Tab key until you hear "Join or create a team," and then press Enter. You hear: "Create a new team." Press Enter again.

  3. To create a new team from scratch, press Enter.

  4. If you hear "What kind of team will this be" you need to define the privacy settings for you team. To select a privacy setting, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the option you want and then press Enter.

  5. You hear: "Enter team name." Type the name for the team.

  6. Press the Tab key once. You hear: "Enter team description." Type the optional description for the team.

  7. Press the Tab key until you hear "Create," and then press Enter. You hear: "Add members to," followed by the team name.

  8. To add a team member, type their name. Use the Down arrow and Up arrow keys to navigate through the list of suggestions and press Enter to choose them. Repeat this step for each contact you want to add.

  9. Once you've chosen all the team members you want to add, press the Tab key until you hear "Add members to team," and press Enter.

  10. Press the Tab key until you hear "Close," and then press Enter.

    The team is created and you are taken to the default General channel for that team.

Note: In NVDA this is called the browse mode, in JAWS it is called the virtual cursor mode, and in Narrator it is called the scan mode.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view.

  2. Press B or Shift+B until you reach the Join or create a team button and then press Enter. The focus moves to the Create a new team button. Press Enter again.

  3. To create a new team from scratch, press Enter.

  4. If you hear "What kind of team will this be" you need to define the privacy settings for you team. To select a privacy setting, press B or Shift+B until you hear the option you want and then press Enter.

  5. You hear: "Enter team name." Type the name for the team.

  6. Press the Tab key once. You hear: "Enter team description." Type the optional description for the team.

  7. With Narrator and NVDA, press the SR key+Spacebar, press B until you reach the Create button, and then press Enter. With JAWS, press the Tab key until you reach the Create button, and then press Enter.

    You hear "Add members to," followed by the team name.

  8. To add a team member, type their name. Use the Down arrow and Up arrow keys to navigate through the list of suggestions and press Enter to choose them. Repeat this step for each contact you want to add.

  9. Once you've chosen all the team members you want to add, press the Tab key until you hear "Add members to team," and press Enter.

  10. With Narrator and NVDA, press the SR key+Spacebar, press B until you reach the Close button, and then press Enter. With JAWS, press the Tab key until you reach the Close button, and then press Enter.

    The new team is created, and the focus moves to the default General channel for that team.

Hide or unhide a team

You can hide teams to unclutter your teams list and focus on the teams you're using actively. Hiding a team moves it to the Hidden teams menu at the bottom of your teams lists where you can access it as usual. You can always unhide a team and return it to the teams list.

Hide a team

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the team you want to hide.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. You hear: "Hide." To hide the team, press Spacebar.

Unhide a team

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear "Hidden teams" and press Enter to expand the menu.

  3. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the team you want to show again in the teams list.

  4. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  5. You hear: "Show." To unhide the team and show it in the teams list, press Spacebar.

Edit the team details

If you're a team owner, you can edit the team details, which include the team name, description, and privacy setting.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to edit, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Edit team" and press Enter. The Edit team dialog opens. The focus is in the Team name text field.

  5. Edit the team name and press the Tab key once.

  6. Edit the team description and press the Tab key once.

  7. You hear the current privacy setting of the team. To change it, press Enter and then press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want. To confirm your selection, press Enter.

  8. Press the Tab key until you hear "Done" and press Enter.

Note: In NVDA this is called the browse mode, in JAWS it is called the virtual cursor mode, and in Narrator it is called the scan mode.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to edit, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Edit team" and press Enter. The Edit team dialog opens. The focus is in the Team name text field.

  5. Edit the team name and press the Tab key once.

  6. Edit the team description and press the Tab key once.

  7. You hear the current privacy setting of the team. To change it, press Enter and then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the option you want. To confirm your selection, press Enter.

  8. Press B until you reach the Done button and press Enter.

Modify the team settings

If you're a team owner, you can modify the team settings, which include team member and guest permissions, team picture and code, @mention permissions, settings for fun stuff such as emojis and GIFs, and team expiration information.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team whose settings you want to modify, press the Up and Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Manage team" and press Enter.

  5. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "Settings" and press Enter.

  6. To navigate between the different settings, press the Tab key until you hear the one you want. To expand the settings category, press Enter.

  7. Inside the settings group, press the Tab key to move the focus inside the category. To move between different settings in the group, press the Tab key until you hear the one you want. To move between check boxes, press the Down arrow key until you hear the one you want. Press Enter to select it.

Delete a team

If you're a team owner, you can delete a team. When you delete a team, team activity in channels, files, and chats is also deleted.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to delete, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete the team," and press Enter. The Delete team dialog box opens.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear "I understand that everything will be deleted" and press Enter to select the checkbox.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "Delete," and press Enter.

Note: In NVDA this is called the browse mode, in JAWS it is called the virtual cursor mode, and in Narrator it is called the scan mode.

  1. In Microsoft Teams, press Ctrl+Shift+3 to access the Teams view. You hear: "Teams and channels list."

  2. To navigate to the team you want to delete, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the team name.

  3. Press Spacebar to open the More options menu.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete the team," and press Enter. The Delete team dialog box opens.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear "I understand that everything will be deleted" and press Enter to select the checkbox.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "Delete," and press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to chat 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

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.

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