Basic tasks using a screen reader with OneNote

In this topic

• Open OneNote for Mac

• Open a notebook

• Create a section

• Add a page

• Add text

• Edit text

• Print a page

Open OneNote for Mac 

1. On your Mac, press Command+Shift+A to open the Applications view in Finder.

2. Type M to go straight to the applications that start with an "M."

3. Press the Tab key until you hear: “Microsoft, OneNote application.”

4. To open OneNote, press Command+Down arrow key.

5. If you need to sign in, type your email address or phone number as prompted, and then press Return. You hear: “Password, secure edit text." Then type your password, and press Return. You hear: “Start using OneNote button.” Press Control+Option+Spacebar.

   Note: Depending on the account type you're using, the sign-in steps might be slightly different. For example, you might need to use a PIN or smartcard.

Open a notebook

1. In OneNote, press Control+G to open the notebook navigation.

2. To move between notebooks, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to enter the list of notebooks. Then press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key to move inside the list.

3. To select and open a notebook, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

   Tip: To create a new notebook, press Control+Command+N.

Create a section

1. In a notebook, to create a new section, press Command+T. A new section is added to the list of sections. The focus is on the section title text field.

2. Type a name for the new section, and then press Return.

Add a page

1. To move to the section where you want to add the page, press Control+Shift+G. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the section you want, and then press Return.

   Note: If the section where you want to add a page is located inside a section group, press Spacebar to expand the section group. Then use the Up or Down arrow key to navigate to the right section.

2. To add a page, press Command+N. A new untitled page is created. The focus moves to the page title field.

3. Type a title for the new page.

4. If you want to start adding content straight away, press Return. The focus moves to the content area of the page. You can now add content to your page.

Add text

1. To navigate to the page where you want to add text, press Control+Command+G. The focus moves to the list pages. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the title of the page you want.

2. To move the focus to the editable content area of the page, press Return twice. You hear: "Content block, edit text."

3. To add text, start typing.

Edit text

Formatted text contains more information and is often easier to read than plain text. The following tasks explain how you can use the basic text formatting options in OneNote, how to correct misspellings in your text, and which keyboard shortcuts to use to format your text quickly.

Print a page

1. On the page you want to print, press Command+P. The Print dialog box opens.

2. To change the currently selected printer, press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the current printer. Then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the printer you want, and press Control+Option+Spacebar to select.

3. To set the number of copies to print, press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the currently selected number of copies, and then type the number you want.

4. To change the print settings, such as Two-Sided printing, press the Tab key until you hear “Show details,” and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. To navigate the options, press the Tab key until you hear the option you want. To select, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

5. To print, do one of the following:

   • If you want to print paper copies and have a printer selected, press the Tab key until you hear “Print default button,” and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

   • If you want to print to a PDF, press the Tab key until you hear “PDF menu button,” and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Save as PDF," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. A dialog box opens. The focus is on the file name text field. Name the file, and then navigate to the folder where you want to save the file. To save, press Command+S.

See also

Use a screen reader to read pages in OneNote

Use a screen reader to insert content to notebooks in OneNote

Use a screen reader to share and collaborate on notebooks in OneNote

Keyboard shortcuts in OneNote

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate OneNote

In this topic

• Open OneNote for iOS

• Add a page

• Create a section

• Add and edit text

• Format text

• Correct spelling mistakes

• Copy and paste content

Open OneNote for iOS

1. On the home screen of your phone, swipe left or right with one finger until you hear: "OneNote."

2. To open the app, double-tap the screen. You land in the Notebooks view which lists your notebooks.

   Note: If you need to sign in to OneNote, give your credentials when prompted.

3. You can now open a notebook. For instructions on how to open a notebook in OneNote for iOS, refer to Use a screen reader to organize notebooks, sections, and pages in OneNote.

Add a page

Add a new unformatted page or a page with a list to start creating content in your notebook.

Create a section

To organize your content or create a new block of notes in your notebook, create a new section.

1. In the Sections list of your notebook, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "New section button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the section title text field.

2. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the name for the new section.

3. When you're done, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers, swipe left until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

Add and edit text

Type text or use predictive text input to quickly jot down notes or make edits in your text.

1. Open the page where you want to add or edit text.

2. On the page, swipe left or right until you hear: "Content block, text field." Double-tap the screen.

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type or edit text.

4. When you are done, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers, swipe left until you hear "Return," and double-tap the screen.

Format text

To make your text easier to read, you can use the basic text formatting options in the quick actions menu bar. You can, for example, add bulleted and ordered lists and apply bold, italic, or underline formatting.

1. Navigate to the content block where you want to edit text, and double-tap the screen. The content block is now selected, and the on-screen keyboard with the quick actions menu bar is displayed.

2. Swipe right until you hear the formatting option you'd like to select, for example, "Bold button." Then double-tap the screen.

3. Type the formatted text or list items as needed.

Correct spelling mistakes

You can quickly spot and correct spelling errors in OneNote, and make sure your pages are ready to be shared with others. Turn on the spell checker and hear your screen reader announce spelling mistakes as you type or read content blocks.

Copy and paste content

If you need to move a piece of text or an image to another location, you can copy the text or image and paste it elsewhere.

1. Do one of the following:

   • If you want to copy and paste text, navigate to the content block you want, and double-tap the screen with two fingers. A context menu opens. To select the text, swipe left or right until you hear "Select" or "Select all," and double-tap the screen with one finger.

   • If you want to copy and paste an image, navigate to the content block you want, and swipe left or right until you hear VoiceOver announce the image. Double-tap the screen with two fingers. A context menu opens.

2. Swipe left or right until you hear "Copy," and double-tap the screen with one finger.

3. Navigate to the location where you want to paste the copied content, and double-tap the screen with two fingers.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear "Paste," and double-tap the screen with one finger.

   Tip: To close the context menu, scrub the screen back and forth with two fingers.

See also

Use a screen reader to read pages in OneNote

Use a screen reader to insert content to notebooks in OneNote

Use a screen reader to share and collaborate on notebooks in OneNote

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate OneNote

In this topic

• Open OneNote for Android

• Open a notebook

• Create a section

• Add a page

• Add text to a page

Open OneNote for Android

1. On your phone, navigate to the home screen where the OneNote for Android app is.

2. Swipe right until you hear “OneNote,” and double-tap the screen. You hear: “Enter your email, phone, or Skype name, edit box.” Double-tap the screen to open the app.

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the email address of the account you want to use. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the on-screen keyboard.

4. Swipe right until you hear "Next button," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "Connecting."

5. Swipe right until you hear either “Password, edit box” or “Password, enter password,” depending on your account type, and double-tap the screen.

6. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your password. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the on-screen keyboard.

7. Swipe right until you hear "Sign in button," and double-tap the screen.

   Notes: 

   • If you hear "Allow OneNote to access your contacts,” swipe right until you hear “Allow button,” and double-tap the screen.

   • If you hear "Get started," double-tap the screen.

   • If you hear "One place for all your notes," swipe right until you hear "Got it, button," and double-tap the screen.

8. When you hear “Navigate up button,” the sign-in is complete. You land on the Home tab. OneNote opens a list of your recent pages. To open a recent page, swipe right until you hear the title of the page you want, and then double-tap the screen.

Open a notebook

1. On the Home tab, slide your finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Notebooks tab," and then double-tap the screen. The Notebooks tab opens listing your recent notebooks.

2. Do one of the following:

   • To browse the list of your recent notebooks, swipe left until you hear the name of the notebook you want, and then double-tap the screen to open it.

   • If the notebook you want is not in the list of the recent notebooks, swipe left or right until you hear "More notebooks," and double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the name of the notebook, and then double-tap the screen.

   The notebook main view opens showing a list of the notebook sections.

3. To open a section, swipe right until you hear the name of the section, and then double-tap the screen.

Create a section

Organize your notebooks by dividing them into sections.

1. In the notebook main view, swipe right or left until you hear "New section," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "Create a new section, section name, edit box."

2. Double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to type a name for the new section. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the keyboard.

3. Swipe right until you hear "Create button," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "Section created, OneNote." The new section is added as the last section of the notebook. It has one untitled page. The focus returns to the notebook main view.

Add a page

Add more pages to a section instead of making the first page really long.

1. In the notebook main view, swipe right or left until you hear the name of the section where you want to add a page, and then double-tap the screen. The selected section opens showing a list of the section pages.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Take a new note, button," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "New page added."

3. To give the new page a title, swipe right until you hear "Page title," and then double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to write text on the page. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the keyboard.

4. Start creating content for the new page. For instructions, refer to Add text to a page.

Add text to a page

1. Navigate and open the page where you want to add text.

2. Swipe right until you hear "OneNote page," followed by the title of the page.

3. Double-tap the screen. You hear "Content block," followed by the number of the content block, and "Outline."

4. Use the on-screen keyboard to write text on the page. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the keyboard.

5. To return to the list of section pages, swipe left until you hear "Navigate up button," and double-tap the screen. To return to the notebook view, double-tap the screen again.

See also

Use a screen reader to read pages in OneNote

Use a screen reader to insert content to notebooks in OneNote

Use a screen reader to organize notebooks, sections, and pages in OneNote

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate OneNote

In this topic

• Open OneNote for Windows 10

• Open a notebook

• Create a section

• Add a page

• Add text

• Edit text

• Print a page

Open OneNote for Windows 10

1. Make sure you're signed in to your Microsoft account on your device.

2. Press the Windows logo key, type OneNote for Windows 10, and then press Enter.

Open a notebook

1. In OneNote, press Ctrl+G to open the notebook navigation.

2. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the notebook you want, and then press Enter.

   Tip: To create a new notebook, in the notebook navigation, press the Tab key until you hear “Add notebook,” and then press Enter.

Create a section

1. Open the notebook in which you want to create a new section.

2. To create a new section, press Ctrl+T. The section is created. The focus is placed on the new section name field. You hear: “Section name text box.”

3. Type a name for the section, and then press Enter. The section is named, and the focus is on the new section.

Add a page

1. To navigate to the section where you want to add a page, press Ctrl+Shift+G, and then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the section you want.

2. To add a page at the end of the section, press Ctrl+N. A new untitled page is created. The focus moves to the page title text field.

3. Type a page title, and then press Enter. The page is named, and the focus moves to the page content area.

Add text

1. Navigate to the section where you want to add text.

2. In the section, press Ctrl+Alt+G to open the page navigation.

3. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the title of the page you want, and then press Enter. The focus moves to the page title text field.

4. To move the focus to the content area, press the Tab key once. You hear: "Content block."

5. To add text, start typing.

Edit text

Formatted text contains more information and is often easier to read than plain text. The following tasks explain how you can use the basic text formatting options in OneNote for Windows 10, and which keyboard shortcuts to use for some basic text editing tasks.

Print a page

You can print a page to paper or to a file. The options available in the Print dialog box depend on the selected print output.

1. Navigate to the page you want to print, and then press Ctrl+P.

2. The Print dialog box opens, and your hear the current printer option. To change the printer or print output, use the Up or Down arrow key.

3. To change the printing orientation, press the Tab key until you hear "Orientation," and then use the Up or Down arrow key to select the orientation you want.

4. To start printing, press the Tab key until you hear “Print button,” and then press Spacebar. If you selected a printer device, the page is printed out.

5. If you selected printing to a file, the Save Print Output As dialog box opens. The focus is on the File name text field. Name the file, and then navigate to the folder where you want to save the file. To save, press Alt+S.

See also

Use a screen reader to read pages in OneNote

Use a screen reader to insert content to notebooks in OneNote

Use a screen reader to share and collaborate on notebooks in OneNote

Keyboard shortcuts in OneNote

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate OneNote

In this topic

• Open OneNote for the web

• Open a notebook

• Create a new notebook

• Open a notebook in the full version of OneNote

• Show the full ribbon

• Create a section

• Add a page

• Add text

• Edit and format text

• Check spelling

• Print a page

Open OneNote for the web

Explore OneNote for the web, take your notes with you wherever you go, and log those brilliant new ideas the minute you have them.

1. In your browser, go to onenote.com.

2. On the sign-in page, press the Tab key until you hear "Sign in," and press Enter.

3. To sign, do one of the following:

   • To sign in with your Microsoft account, press Alt+A.

   • To sign in with a work or school account, press Alt+N.

4. Type your username, and press Enter.

5. Type your password, and press Enter. 

Open a notebook

You can quickly open recently used notebooks to continue your work where you left off. You can also explore and open private and shared notebooks.

1. To open a notebook, do one of the following:

   • Open and sign in to OneNote for the web. You land in the Notebooks view which lists your recent notebooks. Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear the name of the notebook you'd like to open, and then press Enter.

   • If you're already working on a notebook and want to open another notebook, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Use this panel to select notebooks, sections, and pages," and then press Enter. You hear the name of the notebook currently in focus. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the notebook you want, and then press Enter.

Create a new notebook

1. To create a new notebook, do one of the following:

   • Open and sign in to OneNote for the web. You land in the Notebooks view which lists your recent notebooks. Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "New notebook," and then press Enter.

   • If you're already working on a notebook and want to create a one, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Use this panel to select notebooks, sections, and pages," and then press Enter. Press the Tab key until you hear "Add notebook," and then press Enter.

Open a notebook in the full version of OneNote

The full desktop version of OneNote gives you many more options when working with your files. It's easy to open the full version from OneNote for the web.

1. In OneNote for the web, open the notebook you want to use in the full desktop version of OneNote.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the currently selected ribbon tab, for example, "Home tab item," then press the Tab key until you hear "Mode menu," and press Enter. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Open in desktop app," and press Enter.

   • Press F11 to switch to the full-screen mode. Press Alt+Windows logo key, Z, M, and then T.

3. The This site is trying to open OneNote notification dialog box opens. Press the Tab key until you hear "Open," and then press Enter.

4. If you're prompted to sign in, press the Tab key until you hear "Yes," and then press Enter. Type your email or phone number, and press Enter. You hear: “Sign in PIN. Password, editing text.” Type in your password, and press Enter.

   Note: Depending on the account type you're using, the sign-in steps might be slightly different. For example, you might need to use a PIN or smartcard.

Your notebook opens in OneNote.

Show the full ribbon

In OneNote for the web, the simplified ribbon is displayed by default. You can switch to the classic, full ribbon to access more options.

1. In OneNote for the web, press Alt+Windows logo key, Z, R, and then C.

Create a section

To organize your content or create a new block of notes in your notebook, you can create a new section.

1. To create a new section, do one of the following:

   • If you're using the simplified ribbon, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Use this panel to select notebooks, sections, and pages," and press Enter. Then press the Tab key until you hear "Add a new section," and press Enter.

   • If you're using the full ribbon, press Alt+Windows logo key, N, S. You hear: "Section name."

2. Type a name for the new section, and then press Enter. The section is named, and the focus moves to the new page title. You hear: “Page title, editing area, title.”

Add a page

To jot down your new ideas or notes, add a new page for them.

1. To navigate to the section where you want to add a new page, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear: "Use this panel to select notebooks, sections and pages." Press the Tab key until you hear "Section list," followed by the name of the section currently in focus. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the section where you want to add a new page, and then press Enter.

2. In the selected section, do one of the following:

   • If you're using the simplified ribbon, press the Tab key until you hear "Add a new page," and press Enter.

   • If you're using the full ribbon, press Alt+Windows logo key, N, N. A new untitled page is created, and the focus moves to the page title field.

3. Type a title for the new page.

Add text

When exploring pages, screen readers announce the title as “Page title” and the content area below the title as “Canvas area.”

1. To navigate to the page where you want to add text, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear: “Use this panel to select notebooks, sections and pages.” Press the Tab key until you hear "Page list," followed by the name of the page currently in focus. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the page you want, and then press Enter.

2. The focus moves to the page title field, and you hear "Page title," followed by the title, and "Editing area.” To move the focus to the canvas area, press the Tab key once.

3. To add text, start typing your notes.

Edit and format text

To make your text easier to read, you can use the basic text formatting options in OneNote for the web with your keyboard or using the ribbon.

1. To select text, press and hold down Shift and press the arrow keys to move the cursor until you have selected the piece of text you want to format.

2. To move the focus to the Home ribbon tab, do one of the following:

   • If you're using the simplified ribbon, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Home tab item," and then press Enter.

   • If you're using the full ribbon, press F11 to switch to the full-screen mode, and then press Alt+Windows logo key, H.

3. To move the focus to the Home ribbon, press the Tab key once. To browse the formatting options on the ribbon, use the Tab key and the Left and Right arrow keys. Your screen reader announces the options as you move. You can, for example, change the font type, font color, or add preformatted styles in your text. To expand the options with submenus, press Alt+Down arrow key. To select an option, press Enter.

   Alternatively, to quickly apply a formatting option, use the following keyboard shortcuts:

   • To apply bold formatting, press Ctrl+B.

   • To apply italic formatting, press Ctrl+I.

   • To apply underline formatting, press Ctrl+U.

   • To create a bulleted list, press Ctrl+Period (.).

   • To create a numbered list, press Ctrl+Forward slash (/) or Ctrl+Shift+O.

   • To align the text to the left, press Ctrl+L.

   • To align the text to the right, press Ctrl+R.

   • To increase text indent, press Alt+Shift+Right arrow key.

   • To decrease text indent, press Alt+Shift+Left arrow key.

Check spelling

You can quickly spot and correct spelling errors, and make sure your pages are ready to be shared with others.

1. On a OneNote page, press Alt+F7 or F7. The misspelled word is highlighted in the text. The focus moves to a context menu with suggestion(s) for correct spelling.

2. Press the Tab key to move through the suggestions. When you hear a suggestion you’d like to use, press Enter. If you don’t want to change the current spelling, press the Tab key until you hear “Ignore once,” and then press Enter.

3. To move to the next misspelled word, press Alt+F7 or F7. When you hear a notification that the check is complete, no more mistakes were found.

Print a page

If you'd like a hard copy of a page, you can print it out. You can also print a page to a file and store the file on your device.

1. On the page you want to print, press Ctrl+P. The Print dialog box opens with the focus on the print preview.

2. To change the currently selected printer, press the Tab key until you hear "Printer," followed by the current printer name. Then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the name of the printer you want.

3. To select the number of copies to print, press the Tab key until you hear "Copies," and then type the number of copies you want.

4. To change the page orientation to Portrait or Landscape, press the Tab key until you hear “Layout," followed by the current orientation. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the option you want.

5. To start printing, press the Tab key until you hear “Print button,” and then press Enter. If you selected a printer device, the page is printed out.

6. If you selected printing to a file, the Save Print Output As dialog box opens. The cursor is in the File name field. Name the file, and then navigate to the folder where you want to save the file. To save, press Alt+S.

See also

Use a screen reader to read pages in OneNote

Use a screen reader to insert content to notebooks in OneNote

Use a screen reader to share and collaborate on notebooks in OneNote

Keyboard shortcuts in OneNote

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate OneNote