Use a screen reader with Skype for Business to check voicemail

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.

Windows macOS

Use Skype for Business with your keyboard and Narrator, the built-in Windows screen reader, to quickly check your voicemail. Both Skype for Business and Outlook save your voicemail.

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 Windows screen reader, Narrator. To learn more about using Narrator, go to Complete guide to Narrator.
This topic makes note of the JAWS functionality as well. To learn more about JAWS for Windows, go to JAWS for Windows Quick Start Guide.
For keyboard shortcuts, go to Keyboard shortcuts in Skype for Business.
This topic assumes you are using this app with a PC. Some navigation and gestures might be different for a Windows phone or tablet.

Listen to your voicemail in Skype for Business

When you have new voicemail messages, the Phone tab in the Skype for Business main window displays the number of your messages, and Narrator announces the number of messages when the focus is on the Phone tab.

Note: To receive or access voicemail via Skype, your account must be configured to receive voicemail.

Start Skype for Business. For instructions, refer to Start Skype for Business.
In the Skype for Business main window, press Ctrl+4 to select the Phone tab.
The list of voicemail messages opens. To move between the messages, press the Down or Up arrow key. You hear the caller's details as you land on a message.
To listen to a message, press Spacebar.
1. To pause the playback, press Spacebar.
2. To change the playback speed, press Tab until you hear "Voicemail playback speed button." Press Spacebar and select the speed from the menu.
3. To rewind or fast forward the message, press Tab until you hear: "Slider." Then use the Left or Right arrow keys to move the playback position backward or forward.
To perform other actions and discover more options, press Enter when on the voicemail message. You can, for example:
- Call back. Just press the Right arrow key once, and then press Enter.
- Call the caller's mobile, another number, or make a Skype call. Press the Right arrow key twice. Narrator announces: "Call options button." Press Spacebar to open the menu, and press the Up or Down arrow keys to navigate the options in the menu. To select an option, press Enter.
- Open the contact card. To open the caller's contact card, press the Right arrow key three times, and then press Spacebar. To navigate the contents on the contact card, press the Down or Up arrow keys. To close the contact card, press Esc.
- To select even more options, press the Right arrow key four times. Narrator announces: "More Options button." Press Spacebar to open the menu. Here you can, for example:
  - Start a Video Call with the caller.
  - Open Item in Outlook to find out more information about the call.
  - Delete Item to delete the voicemail from Skype for Business.
  - Mark Item as Read.

Listen to your voicemail in Skype for Business

When you have new voicemail messages, the Calls tab in the Skype for Business for Mac main window displays a red dot, and VoiceOver announces the number of unplayed messages when the focus is on the Voicemail tab.

Start Skype for Business, if not open already. For instructions, refer to Open Skype for Business and sign in.
The focus is on the Skype for Business main navigation pane. To access the main navigation items in the pane, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key.
Press Tab three times until you hear VoiceOver announce: “Calls.” To select the button, press Spacebar.
To exit the main navigation pane, press Control+Option+Shift+Up arrow key. VoiceOver announces: “Out of main navigation group.”
To move to the Voicemail button in the Calls group, press Control+Option+Right arrow key repeatedly until VoiceOver announces: “Voicemail, radio button.”
To select the Voicemail button, press Control+Option+Spacebar.
To move to the list of voicemail messages, press Control+Option+Right arrow key once. VoiceOver announces: “Voicemail, table.”
Press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to enter the list. The focus is on the most recent voicemail message. VoiceOver starts reading the caller information.
To move between the messages, press Control+Option+Down or Up arrow key.
To play a message, press Enter.

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.

Use a screen reader with Skype for Business to check voicemail

Listen to your voicemail in Skype for Business

See also

Listen to your voicemail in Skype for Business

See also

Technical support for customers with disabilities

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