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 the New Outlook with your keyboard and screen reader to set up your email accounts. You'll learn how to set up any additional email accounts you use along with your primary email account, such as Microsoft 365, Gmail, Yahoo!, and your work or school account, and then set your favourite as the default account.
Note: To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
In this topic
Set up your first email account
With just your email address and password, you can quickly set up most accounts.
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In new Outlook app, press the Tab key until you hear "Settings button," and then press Enter. The Settings window opens.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Add account button,” and then press Enter.
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Type your email account, press the Tab key until you hear “Continue button,” and then press Enter.
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Type your email password when prompted, and then press Enter. Success dialog opens.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Done button,” and then press Enter to add the account.
Notes:Â
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Once the account is added, welcome to the new Outlook tour dialog may appears. If you want to learn more about Outlook, press the Tab key until you hear “Next button,” and then press Enter, continue until you hear “Finish button,” and then press Enter.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Not interested button,” and then press Enter to skip the tour.
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​​​​​​​Set a default email account
If you've added several email accounts in Outlook, you can set the one that you use the most as your default account. Your outgoing emails are sent using the default account.
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In new Outlook, press the Tab key until you hear "Settings button," and then press Enter. The Settings window opens.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Manage button,” and then press Enter.
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Press the Tab key to select desired account and then press Enter.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Set as primary account button,” and then press Enter. The alert dialog opens.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Continue button,” and then press Enter to set as default email account.​​​​​​​
See also
Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook
Use a screen reader to schedule appointments or meetings in Outlook
Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail
Use the Outlook with your keyboard and screen reader to set up your email accounts. You'll learn how to set up any additional email accounts you use along with your primary email account, such as Microsoft 365, Gmail, Yahoo!, and your work or school account, and then set your favorite as the default account.
Note:Â To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
In this topic
Set up your first email account
With just your email address and password, you can quickly set up most accounts. If your account wasn't added automatically, or you haven't added an account yet, follow the below steps:
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Open Outlook app, press Alt+F to open the Account Information page, press the Tab key until you hear "Add Account button," and press Enter. You hear “Suggested accounts.”
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Type your email address, and then press Enter.
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Type your email password when prompted, and then press Enter.
Note: Outlook may prompt you to choose whether you want Windows to remember this account and use it across your device, or only in Outlook. Press the Tab key until you hear “This app only,” or “Yes button,” and then press Enter, depending on your preference.​​​​​​​
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Outlook now completes all the required steps to set up your email account. This may take a few minutes.​​​​​​​
Set a default email account
If you've added several email accounts in Outlook, you can set the one that you use the most as your default account. Your outgoing emails are sent using the default account.
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In the Outlook main window, press Alt+F, I, SÂ and then press Enter to open the Account Settings dialog.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Table,” and then use the Up or Down arrow key to select the desired account.
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To set the account as the default, press Alt+D.
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To close the dialog, press Alt+C.
See also
Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook
Use a screen reader to schedule appointments or meetings in Outlook
Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail
Use Outlook for iOS with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to set up email accounts. You can add several accounts to stay connected with your work, family, and friends, and then set your favorite as the default account. You can add storage accounts too, such as OneDrive or Dropbox and work efficiently with your files directly from Outlook.
Outlook supports most types of email services. You can add any of the following Microsoft accounts: Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live.com, and MSN.com. You can also add any of the following accounts: Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, iCloud, or an account with a POP or IMAP server.
Note:Â This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.
In this topic
Start the Outlook app for the first time
With VoiceOver, you can quickly set up your first account in Outlook to get going. The first account can be any supported account type. Since all email accounts are different, the instructions below provide general guidelines for setting up an account when you open Outlook for the first time.
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Open the Outlook app. Flick right until you hear "Add account button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Email address text field," and then double-tap the screen.
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Type your email address that you want to add to Outlook. Flick right until you hear "Add account button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Password secure text field." Double-tap the screen, and then type your password.
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Flick left or right until you hear "Sign in button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the Inbox.
Note: You may be prompted to select whether to receive notifications or not. Flick right until you hear the option you want, and then double-tap the screen.​​​​​​​
Add additional email accounts after the first setup
​​​​​​​You can easily add additional email accounts after the initial email setup. The subsequent account can be any supported account type. Since all email accounts are different, the instructions below provide general guidelines for setting up an additional email account.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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In the messages list, flick left until you hear "Expand the folder menu," and then double-tap the screen. The Navigation pane opens.
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Flick right until you hear "Add a new email account button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right or left until you hear "Add email account," and then double-tap the screen.
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Type the desired email address in the text field. Flick left or right until you hear "Add account button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Double-tap the screen when you hear "Enter password secure text field," and then type your password.
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When you're done, flick left or right until you hear "Sign in button," and then double-tap the screen.
Set a default email account
If you've added several email accounts in Outlook, you can set the one that you use the most as your default account. Your outgoing emails are sent using the default account.
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In the messages list, flick left until you hear "Expand the folder menu,” and then double-tap the screen. The Navigation pane opens.
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Flick right until you hear "Settings button," and then double-tap the screen.
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In the Settings window, flick right until you hear "Email button,” and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear “Default account followed by current default account,” and then double-tap the screen.
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To change the default account, flick right until you hear the name of the account you want, and then double-tap the screen.
Add a storage account
You can add a storage account such as OneDrive, OneDrive for work or school, Dropbox, Box, or Google Drive to Outlook. The files from the storage account will appear in the Files list in Outlook, and you can access them directly from Outlook.
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In the messages list, flick left until you hear "Expand the folder menu," followed by the currently active email account, and then double-tap the screen. The Navigation pane opens.
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In the Navigation pane, flick right until you hear "Settings button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Accounts button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Add account," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear the storage account type you want, and then double-tap the screen.
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The account-specific sign in window opens. Type your email address. You might need to type the password in another window.
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Flick left or right to browse the fields and move to buttons. To activate the on-screen keyboard and type your password, you might need to double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Next button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the Settings menu.
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To access your storage account from Outlook, flick right until you hear "Apps button,” and then double-tap the screen. Flick right until you hear “Files button,” and then double-tap the screen.
See also
Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Outlook for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to set up Outlook email accounts. You can add several accounts to stay connected with your work, family, and friends, and then set your favorite as the default account. You can also add storage accounts too, such as OneDrive or Dropbox and work efficiently with your files directly from Outlook.
Outlook supports most types of email services. You can add any of the following Microsoft accounts: Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live.com, and MSN.com. You can also add any of the following accounts: Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, iCloud, or an account with a POP or IMAP server.
Note:Â This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.
In this topic
Set up your first account
With TalkBack, you can quickly set up your first account in Outlook to get going. The first account can be any supported account type. Since all email accounts are different, the instructions below provide general guidelines for setting up an account when you open Outlook for the first time.
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Open Outlook. Flick right until you hear "Add account button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Enter your email,” and then double-tap the screen. Type the email address of the account you want to add.
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Flick right until you hear "Continue button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Depending on the account you're adding, you might need to give your password or accept your email service provider's terms of use before you can continue.
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Flick left or right to browse the fields and move to buttons. To activate the on-screen keyboard and type your password, you might need to double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Sign in button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear "Outlook account added."
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To go to the Inbox of your primary account, flick right until you hear "Skip button," and then double-tap the screen.
Add an additional email account
You can easily add additional email accounts after the initial email setup. The subsequent account can be any supported account type. Since all email accounts are different, the instructions below provide general guidelines for setting up an additional email account.
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In Inbox, flick left until you hear "Open navigation drawer button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Add account button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Add account," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Enter your email." Type the email address of the account you want to add.
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Flick right until you hear "Continue button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Depending on the account you're adding, you might need to give your password or accept your email service provider's terms of use before you can continue.
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Flick left or right to browse the fields and move to buttons. To activate the on-screen keyboard and type your password, you might need to double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Sign in button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the Settings menu.
Set a default email account
If you've added several email accounts in Outlook, you can set the one that you use the most as your default account. Your outgoing emails are sent using the default account.
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In Inbox, flick left until you hear "Open navigation drawer button," and double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Settings button," and double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Mail," and then double-tap the screen.Â
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Flick right until you hear "Default account button," and then double-tap the screen. A list of the email accounts added in Outlook opens.
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Flick left or right until you hear the account you want, and then double-tap the screen. The default account is changed, and the focus returns to the Settings window.
Add a file storage account
You can add a storage account such as OneDrive, OneDrive for work or school, Dropbox, or Box to Outlook. The files from the storage account will appear in the Files list in Outlook, and you can access them directly from Outlook.
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In Inbox, flick left until you hear "Open navigation drawer button," and double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Settings button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Accounts button," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Add account," and then double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear the storage account type you want, and then double-tap the screen.
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The account-specific sign in window opens. Type your email address. You might need to type the password in another window.
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Flick left or right to browse the fields and move to buttons. To activate the on-screen keyboard and type your password, you might need to double-tap the screen.
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Flick right until you hear "Next button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the Settings menu.
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To access your storage account from Outlook, in Inbox, flick right until you hear "Apps button,” and then double-tap the screen. Flick right until you hear “Files button,” and then double-tap the screen.​​​​​​​
See also
Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use your keyboard and screen reader to set up your account in Outlook on the web. You can login to any of the following Microsoft accounts: Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live.com, and MSN.com.
Notes: ​​​​​​​
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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This topic assumes that the Reading pane is off.
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When you use Outlook on the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Outlook on the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you'll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O(Open) apply to the web browser – not Outlook on the web.
Sign in to Outlook
If you're signing in with an Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN email account:
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Open your preferred web browser, go to the Outlook.com sign in page.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Sign in," and then press Enter.
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Type your email address, phone number, or Skype name, and then press Enter.
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Type your password, and then press Enter.
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Outlook opens, with the focus on the message list from your Inbox.
If you're signing in to your work or school account in Microsoft 365:
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Using a web browser, go to the Microsoft 365 sign in page.
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Do one of the following:
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If you are signing in for the first time, type the email address, and then press the Tab key.
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If you have previously signed in to an account, and you want to sign in to it, press the Tab key until you hear the account, and then press Enter.
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To log in to a new account, press the Tab key until you hear "Use another account button," and then press Enter. The focus moves to the email text field, then type the email address, and then press the Tab key until you hear "Next button."
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If required, the focus moves to the password text field. Type your password and press Enter.
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To go to Outlook on the web, press the Tab key until you hear "Search button" and then press Enter.
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Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Outlook button," and then press Enter.
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Outlook opens in a new window, with the focus on the message list from your Inbox.
See also
Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook
Use a screen reader to schedule appointments or meetings in Outlook
Use a screen reader to set up your email account in Outlook for Mac
Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail
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.
