125+ Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Increase Your Productivity

Best Outlook shortcuts to boost your productivity and efficiency

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Key notes

  • Outlook Keyboard shortcuts can help you move around and get things done easily to enhance productivity.
  • These shortcuts will work on the new Outlook 2021 and Microsoft 365 both on Windows and Mac.
Outlook keyboard shortcuts

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager software system from Microsoft, which comes with Microsoft Office & Microsoft 365 software suites.

If you use Outlook often to send or receive emails, schedule meetings, and check tasks, then you must know the popular keyboard shortcuts that can help you get by & increase your efficiency.

This guide will discuss some of the Outlook keyboard shortcuts that will help you streamline your workflow.

How do I enable keyboard shortcuts in Outlook?

  1. Go to the Outlook Web app.
  2. Locate Settings from the upper right corner.
    Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts
  3. Next, click General from the left pane and select Accessibility from the right.
    Enable shortcut
  4. Under Keyboard shortcuts, for the Select which options you’d like to use option, you will find five options:
    • Outlook.com – Enable shortcuts for Outlook
    • Yahoo mail – Yahoo! Mail keyboard shortcuts in Outlook.com
    • Gmail – Gmail keyboard shortcuts in Outlook.com
    • Outlook – Standard Outlook shortcuts
    • Turn off keyboard shortcuts – Disable shortcuts in Outlook.com
  5. Select any of the options you find suitable and click Save to confirm the changes.

Choosing these options will affect how the shortcuts work on your OWA app only. The Outlook desktop will work on Outlook shortcuts.

If you are encountering common issues, such as Outlook not opening, we advise you to check out this detailed guide to get rid of the problem.

Can you create keyboard shortcuts in Outlook?

Since Outlook 2016, you can’t create your custom keyboard shortcuts for Outlook but can undoubtedly use the already assigned ones.

However, you can move between categories using Ctrl + Function keys, and Outlook lets you define which function key works with what category. To know more, move to the last section.

Also, you can use keyboard shortcuts from Gmail and Yahoo! mail by enabling the feature on the Outlook Web app.

What are the best Outlook keyboard shortcuts you can use?

1. Frequently used shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Ctrl + Y Open the Go to Folder window
Ctrl+NCmd + NCreates new calendar event or opens a new message window
Ctrl + EnterCmd + ReturnSends an email message
Shift+EnterCmd + OOpens chosen message in a new window
DeleteDeleteDelete a message
Ctrl + FCmd +JForwards a message
Ctrl+Shift+RCmd + Shift + RChooses the Reply All option
Ctrl + 2Cmd + 2Opens the calendar
Ctrl+RCmd + RReply to an email
Alt+DownDown arrowTakes you to the next mail on the list
Alt + LeftTakes you back to the previously selected folder
Alt + HTakes you to the Home tab
Alt + SCmd + ReturnSends an email
Alt + NCmd+EInserts a file
Ctrl+Shift+KCmd + NOpens a new task request
Ctrl + ECmd + Option + FOpens search
EscEscClose
Alt+ J +AAlt + F + MOpens Attachment save as window
Ctrl+Shift+ACmd + NCreates an appointment

2. Edit & format text

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Ctrl+CCmd + CCopy the selected text to the clipboard
Ctrl+XCmd + XCut the selected text
Ctrl+KCmd + KAdd a hyperlink
Ctrl+VCmd + VPaste the text from the clipboard to the selected location
Ctrl+YCmd + YRepeat the recent action
Ctrl+ZCmd + ZUndo the recent change
Ctrl+BCmd + BApplies bold formatting
Ctrl+UCmd + UUnderlines selected text
Ctrl+ICmd + IApplies italics formatting
BackspaceDeleteDeletes the selected text appearing on the left of the cursor
Ctrl+BackspaceFn+DeleteDelete the word to the left of the cursor but not the space before the word
Alt + O Shows the Format menu
Ctrl + Shift + PShows the font dialog box
Shift + F3Switches case for the selected text
Ctrl + Shift + KFormats the letters in small case
Ctrl + Shift + LCmd + Shift + LAdd bullets
Ctrl + TCmd + }Increases indent
Ctrl + Shift +TCmd + {Decreases indent
Ctrl +]Cmd + ]Increase font size
Ctrl +[Cmd + [Decrease font size
Ctrl + LAligns the selected text to the left
Ctrl + EAligns the selected text to the center
Ctrl + Shift +ZCmd+ Shift +ZClears all formatting
Ctrl + Shift +HCmd + Shift +HDeletes the next word
Ctrl + Shift +JCmd + Shift +JJustifies the text
Ctrl + Shift +SCmd + Shift +SApplies styles
Ctrl + LCmd + LAligns the paragraphs to the left
Ctrl + RCmd + RAligns the paragraphs to the right
Ctrl + TCmd + TCreates a hanging indent
Ctrl + QCmd + QRemoves formatting from a paragraph
Ctrl + Shift + TCmd + Shift + TReduces the hanging indent

3. Mail keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

3.1 Folder pane

Keyboard shortcutsAction
Right arrow keyExpands the selected section
Ctrl + Shift + ISwitch to Inbox
Ctrl + Shift + OSwitch to Outbox
Left arrow keyCloses or collapses the current folder

3.2 Message & reading list

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Ctrl+Shift+WDisplays blocked internet images
Ctrl+Shift+GCtrl + 1Flag or follow up
SpacebarPage upScroll down in the Reading pane
Shift + SpacebarPage downScroll up in the Reading pane
DeleteDeleteRemoves the selected message from the inbox
Shift+DeleteShift+DeletePermanently deletes the messages or items
EscEscAbort a search
InsertOption+Cmd+Apostrophe (')Flags a message or mark a flagged message as complete
Ctrl+<Ctrl+Left bracket ([)Go to the previous message
Ctrl+>Ctrl+Right bracket (])Takes you to the next message
Ctrl+UCmd + Shift + TMarks the selected email as unread
Ctrl+QCmd + TMarks the selected email as read
Ctrl + DeleteCmd + DeleteIgnore an email message or conversation
Ctrl + Alt + JCmd + Alt + J/Cmd + Alt + Option + JMoves the email from or to the Junk folder.
Ctrl + Alt + RReplies to a conversation with a meeting request

3.3 Use the message list

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Action
Shift+DownSelects the current and next message & you can use this to select multiple emails in the list
Home/Ctrl+HomeSelects the first message in the current folder
Shift+UpSelects the current and previous messages & you can use this to select multiple emails in the list

3.4 Reading list

Keyboard shortcutsAction
EscCloses a new message
EndGo to the last message in the list
Ctrl+NCreates a new message
HomeGo to the top of the email list
Ctrl+FForward the selected email
Ctrl+RReply to the selected message
Page downMoves down one page in emails which has two or more pages
Ctrl+Shift+RReplies to all the recipients of the selected email
Page upMoves up one page in emails which has two or more pages
Ctrl+EnterSends the email

4. Calendar keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

4.1 Common shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Ctrl+NCmd + NOpens or creates a new calendar item on Windows, but with Command Key on Mac, it creates a new appointment
Ctrl+2Cmd + 2Opens the Calendar view
DeleteDeleteRemoves the selected event
TabShift+Control+Right bracket (])Move to the next event in the current view
EnterShift+Control+Left bracket ([)Opens the selected item in the calendar
Shift+TabMoves to the previous appointment
F6Moves you to a different region in your calendar

4.2 Calendar broad view

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Alt + Up arrow key / Alt + Down Cmd + Option + Left arrow/ Right arrowTakes you to the previous week /next week (Week view)
Alt+Page up / Alt + Page DownCmd + Option + Left arrow/ Right arrowTakes you to the previous month/next month (Month view)
Alt+HomeTakes you to the start of the week.
Alt+EndTakes you to the end of the week.
Ctrl+0Reset pan and zoom
Ctrl+Shift+Left, Right, Up, or Down arrow keyMove the selected item left, right, up, or down
Ctrl+Left, Right, Up, or Down arrow keyPan left, right, up, or down
EscEscDeselect the selected items
Shift+Alt+6Opens the Broad view

5. Contacts keyboard shortcuts on Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts
(Mac)
Action
Ctrl+1Cmd + 1Go to Mail
Ctrl+2Cmd + 2Go to Calendar
Ctrl+3Cmd + 3Go to People
Delete or Ctrl+DDeleteDeletes a contact or contact list
Ctrl+ECmd + 0Searches for a contact
Ctrl+NCmd + NCreates new contact
Ctrl+SCmd + SSaves a contact or contact list
Ctrl+ACmd + ASelects all contacts or contact lists
EscEscDiscard contact/Unselect all contacts or contact lists
Shift+EEdit a contact or contact list
Down arrowMove down in the contact list
Up arrowMove Up in the contact list
Shift+Question mark (?)Shows the list of People keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+LCreate a new contact list
Alt+HShifts the focus to the Home tab
Alt+VShifts the focus to the View tab

6. Tasks keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Ctrl+CCmd + CAccept a task request
Ctrl+DDeleteDecline a task request
Ctrl + EOpens a search box
Ctrl+YOpens Go to Folder dialog box
Ctrl +NCreates a task in the Tasks view
Ctrl+OCmd + OOpens the selected item
Ctrl+PCmd + PPrints the selected item
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+UCmd + NCreate a task request
F6Switch between the Tasks list, To-Do bar, and Folder pane
InsertFlag an item or mark complete

7. Basic navigation shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)Action
Alt + F4Cmd + WCloses the active window
Ctrl + 4Cmd + 4Opens the Tasks view
Ctrl + 5Cmd + 5Takes you to Notes
Ctrl + 6Cmd + 6Switch to the Folders list in the folder pane
Ctrl + 7Cmd + 7Switches to shortcuts. For Mac, it opens the Sync status window
Ctrl + .Takes you to the next open email
Ctrl + ,Cmd + ,Takes you to the previous message. For Mac, it opens the Outlook Preferences window
Ctrl + TabCmd + TabAllows you to move around message header lines in the Folder pane
ArrowsArrowsAllows you to move around in the Folder pane
Alt + Left Takes you to the previous view in the main Outlook window
Alt + RightTakes you to the next view in the main Outlook window
Ctrl + Shift + WChooses the Infobar and shows commands menu if applicable
Ctrl + Shift + TabMove between Folder, Outlook, To-Do Bar, and Reading pane
Alt + F Switch to the File tab
Alt + JSSwitch to the Send/Recieve tab
Alt + VTakes you to the View tab
Alt + ESwitches to the Help tab

Apart from knowing the best Outlook shortcuts, learning how to create a task from an email can help save time and enhance productivity.

How to create your own Outlook keyboard shortcut (Categories)?

  1. Press the Windows key, type outlook, and click Open.
    outlook open keyboard shortcuts
  2. Go to the Home tab, locate Categories.
  3. From the dropdown menu, select All Categories.
    Categories
  4. On the Color Categories window, you will see the list of categories.
  5. You can add new, rename, or delete the existing ones.
  6. .Once done, select the Category, locate the Shortcut key option from the dropdown menu, and choose Ctrl + any function key.
    Category, locate the Shortcut
  7. Click OK.

Now, you can switch between categories using keyboard shortcuts.

So, these are some of the keyboard shortcuts on Outlook that can help you enhance productivity and streamline your workflow. And if you’d like to take it a notch higher, you can manage your Outlook email efficiently with better organization tips.

To further improve your productivity, you may move the Outlook bar from side to bottom, as instructed in the highlighted guide, or read our guide on how to view the next unread message in Outlook.

Please feel free to give us any information, tips, and your experience with the subject in the comments section below.

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