Use a screen reader to set up and use guest access 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.

Use Microsoft Teams with your keyboard and a screen reader to set up guest access and access teams as a guest. 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.

Inviting people outside of your organization, such as partners or consultants, as a guest in Microsoft Teams gives them access to team chats, meetings, and files.

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.

  • You can easily access the keyboard shortcuts list from within Microsoft Teams. Press Ctrl+E to go to the Search field, type /keys, and then press Enter.

  • 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.

In this topic

Set up guest user permissions

Access a team as a guest

You can be added as a guest to a team by a team owner or administrator. You receive an invitation to the team as an email.

Note: To access a team as a guest, you're required to grant the organization that's invited you access to some of your profile information.

  1. In your mail app, open the invitation email, press the Tab key until you hear "Open Microsoft Teams," and press Enter.

  2. The Sign in to your account page opens in your browser. To accept the invitation, press the Tab key until you hear "Accept," and press Enter.

  3. In Microsoft Teams, to switch between your regular organization and the organization you've been added to as a guest, press the Tab key until you hear "Profile," and press Spacebar.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Accounts and orgs," and press Enter.

  5. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the organization you've been added to as a guest, followed by "Guest," and press Enter. You can now access the team you've been invited to as a guest.

See also

Use a screen reader to create and modify teams in Microsoft Teams

Use a screen reader to join a meeting 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

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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