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 create a list with the built-in Microsoft Lists app. 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. You'll learn how to create a list from scratch or an Excel workbook or based on a template or an existing list.
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.
In this topic
Create a list from scratch
If you want to create a list without any predesigned formatting or structure, you can start with a blank list and then add the columns and formatting you want.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create a list, create a new list,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create blank list,” and then press Enter.
-
You hear: “Name, asterisk.” Type the list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Description, what is your list about,” and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose an icon,” and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want. To add a color to the icon, press Shift+Tab once, and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Create,” and then press Enter. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
Create a list from a template
Use a built-in template with predesigned formatting and structure to create a list quickly.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create a list, create a new list,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Templates,” and then use the arrow keys to browse the available templates.
-
When the focus is on a template you want, press Enter. A template preview opens. To move between the fields in the template preview and to hear the column headers and sample data, do one of the following:
-
With Narrator, use the SR key+Right or Left arrow key.
-
With JAWS, turn on the virtual PC cursor, and then use Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys.
-
With NVDA, use the arrow keys.
-
-
When you’re done previewing the template, do one of the following:
-
To use the selected template, press the Tab key until you hear "Use template," and then press Enter.
-
If you want to select and preview another template, press the Tab key until you hear "Back button," and then press Enter. Then repeat steps 6 and 7 to find and preview another template.
-
-
You hear: “Name, asterisk.” If you want to replace the default template name, press Backspace until you hear “Add a list name,” and then type the new list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Description, what is your list about,” and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose an icon,” and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want. To add a color to the icon, press Shift+Tab once, and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Create,” and then press Enter. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
Create a list from an existing list
Save time and create a new list based on the formatting of another list that you have created or that has been shared with you. Your new list will start with all the same formatting and columns, but it won't include any of the data from the original list.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add an existing list,” and then press Enter.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To select a list from the current team, use the arrow keys to browse the available lists. When you hear the name of the list you want, press Enter.
-
If you know or have copied the URL of the existing list, press Shift+Tab until you hear “Enter link here,” paste or type the list URL, press the Tab key until you hear “Button,” and then press Enter.
-
-
The list is added as a new tab to the channel with the name of the list that was used as a basis. To rename the new list, press Shift+Tab or the Tab key until you hear the name of the newly added channel tab, and then press Shift+F10 or the Windows Menu key to open the context menu. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Rename," and then press Enter. Type the new name, and then press Enter.
Create a list from an Excel workbook
You can import table data from an Excel file to create a Microsoft Lists list in Microsoft Teams.
Before you start, make sure that the data you want to import is formatted as a table in your Excel file and that the columns in the table have headers.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create a list, create a new list,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “From Excel,” and then press Enter.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To upload a new Excel file, press the Tab key until you hear “Upload file,” and then press Enter. The Windows Open dialog box opens. Navigate to the file you want, and when the focus is on the file you want, press Enter.
-
To use an Excel file that is already available on the selected site, press the Tab key until you hear the name of the first document library, and then press the Down arrow key until you hear the library you want. Press Enter to select. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the file you want to use, and then press Enter.
-
-
A preview of the new list opens. Here you can check the field types for the list. To change a field type, press the Tab key until you hear “Specify a field type for,” followed by the column header. Press Alt+Down arrow key, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the field type you want, and then press Enter. Repeat this step for each column header if needed. When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Next,” and then press Enter.
-
You hear: “Name, asterisk.” The default list name is copied from the imported Excel file. If you want to replace the default name, press Backspace until you hear “Add a list name,” and then type the new list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Description, what is your list about,” and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose an icon,” and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want. To add a color to the icon, press Shift+Tab once, and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Create,” and then press Enter. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
See also
Use a screen reader to create a list from the Microsoft Lists app
Use a screen reader to add or edit list items in Microsoft Lists
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to create a list with the built-in Microsoft Lists app. You'll learn how to create a list from scratch or an Excel workbook or based on a template or an existing list.
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 list from scratch
If you want to create a list without any predesigned formatting or structure, you can start with a blank list and then add the columns and formatting you want.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Posts, selected tab," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear: "Add a tab." Press Return. You hear: "Search for apps."
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear "Lists, menu item," and then press Return to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Save," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Create a list, create a new list for this tab," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Create blank list," and then press Return.
-
You hear: "Name, star." Type the list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Description, what is your list about," and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Choose an icon," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want. To add a color to the icon, press Shift+Tab once, and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear "Create," and then press Return. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
Create a list from a template
Use a built-in template with predesigned formatting and structure to create a list quickly.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Posts, selected tab," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear: "Add a tab." Press Return. You hear: "Search for apps."
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear "Lists, menu item," and then press Return to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Save," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Create a list, create a new list for this tab," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear the first template on the list, for example, "Issue tracker," and then use the arrow keys to browse the available templates.
-
When the focus is on a template you want, press Return. A template preview opens. Press the Tab key until you hear "Use template," and then press Return.
-
You hear "Create a list," and the focus is in the Name field. If you want to replace the default template name, press Backspace until you hear "Name cannot be blank," and then type the new list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Description, what is your list about," and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Choose an icon," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want. To add a color to the icon, press Shift+Tab once, and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear "Create," and then press Return. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
Create a list from an existing list
Save time and create a new list based on the formatting of another list that you have created or that has been shared with you. Your new list will start with all the same formatting and columns, but it won't include any of the data from the original list.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Posts, selected tab," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear: "Add a tab." Press Return. You hear: "Search for apps."
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear "Lists, menu item," and then press Return to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Save," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Add an existing list," and then press Return.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To select a list from the current team, use the arrow keys to browse the available lists. When you hear the name of the list you want, press Return.
-
If you know or have copied the URL of the existing list, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Enter link here," paste or type the list URL, press the Tab key until you hear "Button," and then press Return.
-
-
The list is added as a new tab to the channel with the name of the list that was used as a basis. To rename the new list, press the Tab key until you hear one of the tab names or "Add a tab," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the tab you just created. Press Return to open the context menu for the tab, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Rename," and then press Return. Press Backspace until you hear "Name is required," and then type the new name. Press the Tab key until you hear "Save," and then press Return.
Create a list from an Excel workbook
You can import table data from an Excel file to create a Microsoft Lists list in Microsoft Teams.
Before you start, make sure that the data you want to import is formatted as a table in your Excel file and that the columns in the table have headers.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Posts, selected tab," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear: "Add a tab." Press Return. You hear: "Search for apps."
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear "Lists, menu item," and then press Return to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Save," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Create a list, create a new list for this tab," and then press Return.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Create from Excel," and then press Return.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To upload a new Excel file, press the Tab key until you hear "Upload file," and then press Return. The file dialog box opens. Navigate to the file you want, and when the focus is on the file you want, press Return.
-
To use an Excel file that is already available on the selected site, press the Tab key until you hear the name of the first document library, and then press the Down arrow key until you hear the library you want. Press Return to select. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the file you want to use, and then press Return.
-
-
A preview of the new list opens. Here you can select which table you want to import from the Excel file and update the field types for the list as follows:
-
To select the table, press the Tab key until you hear "Select a table from this file," press Return, and then use the Down or Up arrow key to browse to the table you want. Press Return to select.
-
To change a field type, press the Tab key until you hear "Specify a field type for," followed by the column header. Press Return to open the dropdown menu, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the field type you want, and then press Return to select. Repeat this step for each column header if needed.
-
-
When you’ve previewed the table information for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Next," and then press Return.
-
You hear: "Name, star." The default list name is copied from the imported Excel file. If you want to replace the default name, press Backspace until you hear "Name cannot be blank," and then type the new list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Description, what is your list about," and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for the list, press the Tab key until you hear "Choose an icon," and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want. To add a color to the icon, press Shift+Tab once, and then press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear "Create," and then press Return. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
See also
Use a screen reader to add or edit list items in Microsoft Lists
Use a screen reader to share a list or list item in Microsoft Lists
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to create and insert a Microsoft Lists tab to a channel. You can then continue setting up your list in the Microsoft Lists app for desktop or iOS.
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 iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.
Create a list tab to a channel
-
In Microsoft Teams, navigate to and open the channel where you want to create a list.
-
In the channel, swipe right until you hear "Apps, tab," and then double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear "Add app," and then double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear "Lists," and then double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear "Add," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Select save to finish adding lists to the channel."
-
Swipe left until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. The new list is added as a tab to the channel.
See also
Use a screen reader to create a list from the Microsoft Lists app
Use a screen reader to add or edit list items in Microsoft Lists
Use a screen reader to share a list or list item in Microsoft Lists
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Microsoft Teams with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a list with the built-in Microsoft Lists app. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to create a list from scratch or an Excel workbook or based on a template or an existing list.
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.
In this topic
Create a list from scratch
If you want to create a list without any predesigned formatting or structure, you can start with a blank list and then add the columns and formatting you want.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create a list, create a new list,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create blank list,” and then press Enter.
-
You hear: “Name, asterisk.” Type the list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Description, what is your list about,” and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for your list, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose an icon,” and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the icon you want.
-
-
To change the default color of the icon, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Choose a color," and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Create,” and then press Enter. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
Create a list from a template
Use a built-in template with predesigned formatting and structure to create a list quickly.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create a list, create a new list,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Templates,” and then do one of the following to browse the available templates:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the template you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the template you want.
-
-
When the focus is on a template you want to use, press Enter. A template preview opens. To move between the fields in the template preview and to hear the column headers and sample data, do one of the following:
-
With Narrator, use the SR key+Right or Left arrow key.
-
With JAWS, turn on the virtual PC cursor, and then use Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys.
-
With NVDA, use the arrow keys.
-
-
When you’re done previewing the template, do one of the following:
-
To use the selected template, press the Tab key until you hear "Use template," and then press Enter.
-
If you want to select and preview another template, press the Tab key until you hear "Back button," and then press Enter. Then repeat steps 6 and 7 to find and preview another template.
-
-
You hear: “Name, asterisk.” If you want to replace the default template name, press Backspace until you hear “Add a list name,” and then type the new list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Description, what is your list about,” and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for your list, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose an icon,” and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the icon you want.
-
-
To change the default color of the icon, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Choose a color," and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Create,” and then press Enter. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
Create a list from an existing list
Save time and create a new list based on the formatting of another list that you have created or that has been shared with you. Your new list will start with all the same formatting and columns, but it won't include any of the data from the original list.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add an existing list,” and then press Enter.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To select a list from the team, use the arrow keys or the SR key+Left or Right arrow keys to browse the available lists. When you hear the name of the list you want, press Enter.
-
If you know or have copied the URL of the existing list, press Shift+Tab until you hear “Enter link here,” paste or type the list URL, press the Tab key until you hear “Button,” and then press Enter.
-
-
The list is added as a new tab to the channel with the name of the list that was used as a basis. To rename the new list, press Shift+Tab or the Tab key until you hear the name of the newly added channel tab, and then press Shift+F10 or the Windows Menu key to open the context menu. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Rename," and then press Enter. Type the new name, and then press Enter.
Create a list from an Excel workbook
You can import table data from an Excel file to create a Microsoft Lists list in Microsoft Teams.
Before you start, make sure that the data you want to import is formatted as a table in your Excel file and that the columns in the table have headers.
-
In Microsoft Teams, go to the channel where you want to add a list.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Add a tab, button,” and then press Enter. You hear: “Search for apps.”
-
Type Lists, press the Tab key until you hear “Lists, menu item,” and then press Enter to select.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Save,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “Create a list, create a new list,” and then press Enter.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear “From Excel,” and then press Enter.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To upload a new Excel file, press the Tab key until you hear “Upload file,” and then press Enter. The Windows Open dialog box opens. Navigate to the file you want, and when the focus is on the file you want, press Enter.
-
To use an Excel file that is already available on the selected site, press the Tab key until you hear the name of the first document library, and then press the Down arrow key or the SR key+Right arrow key until you hear the name of the library you want. Press Enter to select. Press the Down arrow key or the SR key+Right arrow key until you hear the name of the file you want to use, and then press Enter.
-
-
A preview of the new list opens. Here you can check the field types for the list. To change a field type, press the Tab key until you hear “Specify a field type for,” followed by the column header. Press Alt+Down arrow key to expand the field type menu, and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator, press the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the field type you want, and then press Enter.
-
With JAWS or NVDA, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the field type you want, and then press Enter.
-
-
Repeat step 8 for each column header if needed. When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Next,” and then press Enter.
-
You hear: “Name, asterisk.” The default list name is copied from the imported Excel file. If you want to replace the default name, press Backspace until you hear “Add a list name,” and then type the new list name.
-
To add an optional description for the list, press the Tab key until you hear “Description, what is your list about,” and then type a short description of your list.
-
To change the default icon for your list, press the Tab key until you hear “Choose an icon,” and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of an icon you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the name of the icon you want.
-
-
To change the default color of the icon, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Choose a color," and then do one of the following:
-
With Narrator or NVDA, press the Right or Left arrow key or the SR key+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
With JAWS, press the Right or Left arrow key until you hear the color you want.
-
-
When you’re ready, press the Tab key until you hear “Create,” and then press Enter. The new list is created as a new channel tab.
See also
Use a screen reader to create a list from the Microsoft Lists app
Use a screen reader to add or edit list items in Microsoft Lists
Use a screen reader to share a list or list item in Microsoft Lists
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.
