Many people find that using keyboard shortcuts for help them work more efficiently. And for users with mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts can be easier than using the touchscreen and are a great alternative to using a mouse.
Frequently used shortcuts
This table lists the most frequently used shortcuts in new Outlook.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Create a new message or calendar event. | Ctrl+N |
| Open selected message in a new window. | Shift+Enter |
| Delete message or item. | Delete |
| Forward message. | Ctrl+F |
| Go to calendar. | Ctrl+2 |
| Select the Reply All option. | Ctrl+Shift+R |
| Reply to email message. | Ctrl+R |
| Send email message. | Ctrl+Enter |
| Open split buttons. | Alt+Down arrow key |
Edit text
The text editing keyboard shortcuts in new Outlook are the same as those in other Microsoft products.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Copy your selection to the clipboard. | Ctrl+C |
| Cut text you selected. | Ctrl+X |
| Delete selected text or characters to the left of the cursor. | Backspace |
| Delete the word to the left of the cursor, but not the space before the word. | Ctrl+Backspace |
| Insert a hyperlink. | Ctrl+K |
| Paste content from the clipboard into the current location. | Ctrl+V |
| Repeat the most recent action. | Ctrl+Y |
| Reverse the most recent action. | Ctrl+Z |
Format text
The text formatting keyboard shortcuts in new Outlook are the same as those in other Microsoft products.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Apply bold formatting. | Ctrl+B |
| Apply italic formatting. | Ctrl+I |
| Underline text. | Ctrl+U |
Use the message and reading list
The keyboard shortcuts in the below table can be used to perform the same action in both the message list and the reading list.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Delete selected message. | Delete |
| Mark the selected conversation or message as read. | Ctrl+Q |
| Mark the selected conversation or message as unread. | Ctrl+U |
| Permanently delete the selected message or item. | Shift+Delete |
| Flag a message or mark a flagged message as complete. | Insert |
| Cancel a search. | Esc |
| Go to the next message | Ctrl+> |
| Go to the previous message | Ctrl+< |
Use the reading list
The keyboard shortcuts in the below table are reading list specific.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Close a new message. | Esc |
| Create a new message. | Ctrl+N |
| Forward a selected message. | Ctrl+F |
| Go to the bottom of a conversation or message. | End |
| Go to the top of a conversation or message. | Home |
| Move down one page for conversations or messages of two or more pages. | Page down |
| Move up one page for conversations or messages of two or more pages. | Page up |
| Reply to the selected message. | Ctrl+R |
| Reply to the sender and all recipients of the selected message. | Ctrl+Shift+R |
| Send a message. | Ctrl+Enter |
Calendar keyboard shortcuts
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Create a new calendar item. | Ctrl+N |
| Delete the selected item. | Delete |
| Go to the calendar. | Ctrl+2 |
| Move to a different region in the calendar. | F6 |
| Move to the next event or area in the current view. | Tab key |
| Move to a previous event or area in the current view. | Shift+Tab |
| Open the selected item. | Enter |
Contacts (People) keyboard shortcuts
The People view is your address book in Outlook where your personal contacts are stored and where you can open any address book that has been set up for your organization. The People, Mail, and Calendar views work together so you can easily send mail to and schedule appointments with your most important people.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Go to People. | Ctrl+3 |
| Go to Mail. | Ctrl+1 |
| Go to Calendar. | Ctrl+2 |
| Delete a contact or contact list. | Delete or Ctrl+D |
| Create a contact. | Ctrl+N |
| Search for a contact. | Ctrl+E |
| Discard contact. | Esc |
| Save a contact or contact list. | Ctrl+S |
| Select all contacts or contact lists. | Ctrl+A |
| Unselect all contacts or contact lists. | Esc |
| Edit a contact or contact list. | Shift+E |
| Move down in the contact list or hub list. | Down arrow key |
| Move up in the contact list or hub list. | Up arrow key |
| Create a contact list. | Ctrl+L |
| Display the list of People keyboard shortcuts. | Shift+Question mark (?) |
| Move the focus to the Home tab. | Alt+Windows +H |
| Move the focus to the View tab. | Alt+Windows +V |
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