Learning the layout of Microsoft Teams with a screen reader
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.

Learn about the main views and features in Microsoft Teams, and the best ways to use them together with a screen reader. Microsoft Teams is a chat-based hub for colleagues to work together. You can set up teams and channels to organize communication, schedule meetings and live events, make voice calls, and share files.

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Get to know the Teams layout

The Microsoft Teams window contains the following main elements:

  • The vertical toolbar on the far left on the screen, where you can switch to another view or to an installed app within Microsoft Teams. The toolbar buttons correspond to the views available in Teams, such as Activity, Teams, and Calendar. When you land on the toolbar, the screen reader announces: "App bar."

  • The main content area in the center of the screen, which consists of a list pane and a content pane. The contents of the main content area change according to which view is currently selected in the toolbar. For more information on how the main content area changes, go to How Teams works. For instructions on how navigate inside this element, refer to the section "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.

  • The horizontal menu bar at the top of the screen, which contains the Back and Forward buttons, the search field, and the Profile, app settings and more button.

For instructions on how to navigate between and within these elements, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.

How Teams works

The vertical toolbar contains buttons for all the main views of Microsoft Teams. As you select each one, the content of the main content area changes to match the selected view. The main views, and their corresponding toolbar buttons, are labeled as follows:

  • The Activity view. When you select this view, the list pane shows an activity feed that contains a summary of everything that's happened in the team channels you follow. When you select an activity feed in the list pane, its contents are shown in the content pane. For instructions on how to use the activity log, go to Use a screen reader to check recent activity in Microsoft Teams.

  • The Chat view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a list of recent conversations. The most recent conversation is opened in the content pane. You can browse the list of conversations and select one to display it in the content pane. For instructions on how to chat in Microsoft Teams, go to Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams.

  • The Teams view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a hierarchical list of all teams you are a member of, and the channels created under each team. The most recently viewed channel is opened in the content pane. In this view you can join, create, or manage teams, add members to teams, or create and follow channels. For instructions on how to create and modify teams, go to Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to use channels, go to Use a screen reader to create or follow a channel in Microsoft Teams.

  • The Calendar view. When you select this view, the entire main content area switches to a weekly or daily calendar, with the current date highlighted. In this view, you can schedule meetings and live events. For instructions on how to use the calendar to schedule meetings, go to Use a screen reader to schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to join meetings, go to Use a screen reader to join a meeting in Microsoft Teams.

  • The Calls view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a set four tabs: Speed dial, Contacts, History, and Voicemail. The content pane shows the content of the currently active list pane tab. In this view, you can add users to speed dial, make calls, review your call history, and check your voicemail. For instructions on how to make calls in Microsoft Teams, go to Use a screen reader to make and answer calls in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on how to check your voicemail, go to Use a screen reader to check your voicemail in Microsoft Teams.

  • The Files view. When you select this view, the list pane shows a list of file tabs, consisting of Recent, Microsoft Teams, and Downloads, as well as any cloud storage that has been set up. The content pane shows the contents of the currently selected file tab. By default this is the Recent tab. In this view, you can browse the file tabs and open their contents. For instructions on how to work with files, go to Use a screen reader to work with files in Microsoft Teams.

For instructions on how to navigate between and within the Microsoft Teams main views, refer to the sections "Navigate to a view" and "Navigate inside a view" in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.

See also

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams

Screen reader support 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.

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