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.
Microsoft Teams recently updated its chats and channels experience to provide a simpler, more accessible interface. Now, with chats and channels in a single list view, along with custom sections, filters, and sorting options, it’s easier than ever to keep up with important conversations.
Notes:
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The New message feature in Teams is available as part of the public preview program and might undergo further changes before being released publicly. To get access to this and other upcoming features, switch to witch to Teams public preview.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
An overview of key changes
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Pinned is now Favorites: The pin Chats and Channels option has been renamed to Favorites. This change reflects a simpler way to organize frequently accessed chats and channels.
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Combined and separate list views : Microsoft Teams now lets you choose between two viewing options for chats and channels called combined and separate list views.
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Combined list view: In this view, all your chats and channels are combined into one Chats app on the app bar. Within this app, you’ll find Chats and Channels that organize everything in one list for easier navigation.
Note: In the Combined view, message preview is turned off by default. To enable message preview in the Chats and Channels list, go to Teams settings>Chats and Channels, find Show message previews for chats and team names for channels, and toggle the switch on.
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Separate list view: For a layout closer to the previous Teams experience, the separate view splits Chats and Channels into different apps on the app bar. This places Chats and Teams as separate apps, allowing you to navigate directly to either chats or channels from the app bar.
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Filters: Unread, Chats, Channels, Muted, and Meetings: The filters allow user to easily find and focus on chats or channels, meeting chats, and have a state of unread or unmuted.
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Unread: This option displays only unread messages across both chats and channels, making it easier to catch up on important updates. Press Ctrl+Alt+U for Windows and Opt+Cmd+U for macOS to view unread items.
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Chats: This option displays all your recent conversations, whether they are individual or group chats. Press Ctrl+Alt+C for Windows and Opt+Cmd+C for macOS to see all chat items.
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Channels: This option lists the channels from your teams, providing you with access to team discussions and collaborations. press Ctrl+Alt+A for Windows and Opt+Cmd+A for macOS to view all items from channels list.
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Unmuted: This option shows the non-muted chats and channels you have, allowing you to review all non-muted chats or channels. Press Ctrl+Alt+Q for WIndows and Opt+Cmd+Q for macOS to view unmuted items.
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Meetings: This option provides a list of your scheduled meetings, ensuring you can easily track and join upcoming discussions and collaborative sessions. Press Ctrl+Alt+B for Windows and Opt+Cmd+T for macOS to view all meetings.
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Discover, Copilot, and Mentions views: You'll now find quick-access view options for Discover, Copilot, and Mentions in Microsoft Teams. These additions provide users with powerful tools and resources to stay engaged and productive.
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Discover: A dedicated space to explore new channels, conversations, or teams you might want to join. It helps you find relevant content and connect with new people or teams effortlessly.
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Copilot: Integrated AI-powered assistance designed to help you with tasks, from drafting messages to suggesting replies or summarizing conversations. Copilot works within your chats and channels to improve productivity.
Note: Access to Copilot may vary based on licensing. Not all users may have access to this feature, so please confirm with your administrator if Copilot is available in your setup.
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Mentions: This section compiles all the messages that mention you (@mentions). This helps you stay on top of conversations that directly require your attention, ensuring you don't miss critical updates.
Notes:
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Some options and filters are only available in either combined view or separate view in Teams. In combined list, options like Discover and Tag mentions are grouped with other filters, and additional filters can be accessed through the More filters button.
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In separate apps, the Chat list includes filters like Unread, Chats, Meetings, and Muted, with view options for Copilot and Mentions. The Teams and channels list shows Discover, mentions, and Tag mentions as view options.
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The app bar and navigation: The app bar remains your main navigation hub, with options to access Activities, Chat, Calendars, Calls, OneDrive, and more. To know more about the navigation of Microsoft Teams, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams.
Tips:
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Make sure to open the Microsoft Teams app and sign in using your Microsoft account.
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Use the Tab key to cycle through different elements in Microsoft Teams, and your screen reader will announce which part of the screen you're interacting with.
This guide explains how to navigate the list view options and add a chat or channel to the Favorites section in the new chats and channels experience on Microsoft Teams for Windows.
In this topic
Add chats and channels as Favorites
Easily access your most important conversations by marking chats and channels as Favorites. This keeps them at the top of your list for easy navigation.
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Navigate to the desired Chats or Channels list and select the item you want to move to Favorites.
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Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu and access additional menu items.
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Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear “Move to menu item,” then press Enter.
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Navigate to the Favorites menu item, then press Enter to move it to the Favorites section.
Note: You can also create new sections directly from the context menu, and the selected item will automatically be moved to the newly created section.
See also
Quick Start Guide: Using Microsoft Teams with a screen reader
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams
This guide explains how to navigate the list view options and add a chat or channel to the Favorites section in the new chats and channels experience on Microsoft Teams for macOS.
In this topic
Add chats and channels as Favorites
Easily access your most important conversations by marking chats and channels as Favorites. This keeps them at the top of your list for easy navigation.
-
Navigate to the desired Chats or Channels list and select the item you want to move to Favorites.
-
Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu and access additional menu items.
-
Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear “Move to menu item,” then press Return.
Note: You can also create new sections directly from the context menu, and the selected item will automatically be moved to the newly created section
See also
Quick Start Guide: Using Microsoft Teams with a screen reader
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams
Use Sign Language View in Microsoft Teams
Screen reader support for Microsoft Teams
This guide explains how to navigate the list view options and add a chat or channel to the Favorites section in the new chats and channels experience on Microsoft Teams for iOS.
Note: This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to iOS accessibility.
In this topic
Add chats and channels as Favorites
Easily access your most important conversations by marking chats and channels as Favorites. This will keep them at the top of your list for quick and convenient navigation.
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Flick left or right to the desired Chats or Channels from the list and select the item you want to move to Favorites.
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Flick left or right until you hear “Profile or Channel name,” then double-tap to activate it.
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To move to Favorites, flick right until you hear “Move to button,” then double-tap to activate it.
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Flick to select the Favorites button in the list, and double-tap the Done button to mark it as Favorites.
See also
Quick Start Guide: Using Microsoft Teams with a screen reader
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
This guide explains how to navigate the list view options and add a chat or channel to the Favorites section in the new chats and channels experience on Microsoft Teams for Android.
Note: This topic assumes that you're using the built-in Android screen reader, Talkback. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.
In this topic
Add chats and channels as Favorites
Easily access your most important conversations by marking chats and channels as Favorites. This will keep them at the top of your list for quick and convenient navigation.
-
Flick left or right to the desired Chats or Channels from the list and select the item you want to move to Favorites.
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Flick left or right until you hear “Chat details button,” then double-tap to activate it.
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To move to Favorites, flick right until you hear “Move to button,” then double-tap to activate it.
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Flick to select the Favorites button in the list, and double-tap the Done button to mark it as Favorites.
See also
Quick Start Guide: Using Microsoft Teams with a screen reader
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
This guide explains how to navigate the list view options and add a chat or channel to the Favorites section in the new chats and channels experience on Microsoft Teams for web.
In this topic
Add chats and channels as Favorites
Easily access your most important conversations by marking chats and channels as Favorites. This keeps them at the top of your list for easy navigation.
-
Navigate to the desired Chats or Channels list and select the item you want to move to Favorites.
-
Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu and access additional menu items.
-
Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear “Move to menu item,” then press Enter.
-
Navigate to the Favorites menu item, then press Enter to move it to the Favorites section.
See also
Quick Start Guide: Using Microsoft Teams with a screen reader
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams
Keyboard shortcuts 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.
