Outlook has millions of users due to its variety of valuable features, which makes tedious work easy to manage. Suppose you are one of the frequent users of Outlook, using Outlook to manage your emails and contacts, delegate projects, or schedule meetings. In that case, you navigate through different outlook menus using a cursor, which takes a lot of time.
You can save time using the Outlook keyboard shortcut to finish general operations. Instead of clicking, pointing, and scrolling with the help of a mouse, you need to press one or more keyboard keys to perform your required operation. Once you start using shortcuts, you will never return to the mouse because you will see an increase in your productivity in a short duration.
To increase your productivity, you have to memorize keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts are helpful for people with visual or mobility disabilities. Like Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook also has plenty of keyboard shortcuts to increase your performance in less time.
List of the Most useful Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts
To start using Outlook shortcuts on your computer, you must ensure that keyboard shortcuts are turned on. To enable keyboard shortcuts, you have to do the following steps.
- Click on “Home screen.”
- Then select “setting.”
- Click on “More mail settings.”
- Now select “customizing Outlook.”
- Click on “keyboard shortcuts.”
- Select your mode of choice and after that, click “save.“
First of all, you have to understand how shortcuts are generally written.
You must press keys simultaneously if there is a “+” sign between the keys.
You have to press keys sequentially, which means one after another when there is a “,” sign between the keys.
Below is the frequently used list of Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts.
Help Guide Keyboard Shortcut
When you are going to work with a new application, you must have to go through a help guide. A help guide is a primary resource providing guidance and instruction to understand the application readily.
F1 – Open the help menu
Alt or F10 – On or Off key tips
Ctrl + F1 – Show or hide the ribbon
Basic Navigation in Outlook
In Outlook, you spend a reasonable amount of time moving back and forth among its menu to speed up with the following navigation shortcut keys.
Ctrl + , : Navigate to previous mail
Ctrl + . : Navigate to the next Mail
Ctrl + 1: Switch to Mail (i.e., if Calendar view is open, it will switch to Mail)
Ctrl + 2: Switch to Calendar
Ctrl + 3: Switch to contact (i.e., if Mail view is open, it will switch to Contact)
Ctrl + 4: Switch to To-Do-List (i.e., if Mail view is open, it will switch to To-Do-List)
Ctrl + 5: Switch to Notes (i.e., if the contact view is open, it will switch to Notes)
Ctrl + 6: Switch to Folder List in the folder pane
Ctrl + 7: Switch to Shortcuts
Esc: Close the current window or menu
Spacebar: Page down through the text
Shift +Spacebar: page up through text
Ctrl + Y: Go to Folder
Ctrl + Shift + B : Open Address book
Ctrl + Shift + I : Switch to Inbox
Ribbon Navigation
Alt + H: Open the Home tab
Alt + F: Open File Menu
Alt + S: Open Send/ Receive tab
Alt + O: Open Folder tab
Alt + V: Open view tab
Alt + Q: Go to Tell me search field
Ctrl + E: Open Search bar
Most frequently used Outlook keyboard shortcuts for Emails
Ctrl + Shift + M : Compose New Email
Ctrl + D : Delete Email
Ctrl + R: Reply to Email
Ctrl +Alt + R: Reply with Meeting request
Ctrl + Shift + R : Reply to all
Ctrl + Q: Mark message as read
Ctrl + U: Mark the message as unread
Ctrl + Alt + J: Mark the message as not junk
Ctrl + F: Forward Email
Ctrl + Alt + F: Forward Email as an attachment
Ctrl + O: Open selected Email
Ctrl + A :Select all emails
Alt + S: Send Email
Ctrl + S: Save as draft
F12: Save as
F7 : Spell Check in Email
Ctrl + Shift + G : Flag Email for follow up
Alt + N,A,S: Select Signature tab in Email
Alt + N, A, F: Insert file in Email
Ctrl + K : Check names
F3,or Ctrl +E: Open Search Bar
F9: Refresh
Basic Keyboard Shortcut keys related to Folders
The folder is a crucial feature of Outlook for organizing your Emails. It would be best if you created different folders to manage your emails by Priority, task, timeline, etc.
Following is the list of Shortcuts helpful while working with the folders.
Ctrl + Shift + E : Create new folder
Ctrl + Shift + Y: Go to different folder( Folder picker dialogue)
(Copy selected item to folder)
Ctrl+ Shift + O: select outbox folder
Ctrl + Shift + I : select Inbox folder
Ctrl + Alt + B: Open Address book
Alt + Left Arrow: Previous folder selection
Alt + Right Arrow: Next folder selection
Right Arrow or “+”(on Numpad) : Expand selected folder
Left arrow or “-” (on Numpad): collapse the selected folder
Ctrl + “+”(on num pad): Expand all groups in views
Ctrl +”-“(on num pad): Collapse all groups in view
Alt + Left Arrow: Previous folder selection
Alt + Right Arrow :Next folder selection
Shortcuts for Toggling Panes
Ctrl + F1: show/hide Ribbon
Alt+F1: Show/hide Navigation Pane
Alt+F2: Show/hide To-Do Bar
Manage Appointment, tasks, and contacts
Ctrl+ N (In Calendar view) or Ctrl+shift+A: Create new Appointment
Ctrl + Shift + Q: Create a Meeting request
Ctrl + Shift + K: Create New task
Ctrl+C: Accept Task request
Ctrl+D: Decline Task request
Ctrl+ Shift + H: Create a New Microsoft Office document
Ctrl + Shift + C : Create New Contact
Ctrl+ Shift + L: Create New contact group
Ctrl+Shift + B : Open Address book
Symbols or Special Character
While writing/replying to the Email, you want to add some particular character; at that time, you click the insert button. From there, you have to find a specific symbol that you need which takes your time. If you memorize some basic symbol shortcuts you need repeatedly, it will save your search time.
Alt + Ctrl + T : Insert Trademark symbol (™)
Alt + Ctrl + C : Insert Copyright symbol (©)
Alt + Ctrl + R : Insert Registered Trademark symbol(®)
Outlook Shortcut keys for Calendar
Organizations become easy with the help of a calendar. The calendar feature is beneficial for large organizations.
Alt + –: Show current week
Alt + = : Show the current month
Home: Go to the beginning of the working day
End: Go to the end of a working day
Ctrl + Home: switch to the beginning of the day
Ctrl + End: Go to the end of the day
Alt + Home: Go to the beginning of the week
Alt + End: Go to the end of the week
Right Arrow: Go to the next day
Left Arrow: Go to the previous day
Alt + Page Up: Go to previous month
Alt + Page Down: Go to next month
