While general consumers opt for Gmail to manage emails, Outlook enjoys a sizable following among small businesses and enterprise users. Unlike Gmail, Outlook offers a native app on Windows and Mac. While it gets the job done, some may find the icons and text too small. Instead of using the mouse or trackpad to navigate Outlook, master these best Outlook keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac.
Outlook app isn’t limited to email management only. It also integrates Calendar, Contacts, Microsoft To-Do, and Sticky Notes. Using Outlook keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly mark emails read, delete those marketing junk, flag an email to send it straight to Microsoft To-Do, and even compose an event in the Outlook calendar.
We will cover the top twenty-five Outlook keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac. Memorize them and witness your productivity going through the roof. Let’s get started.
1. Navigate Among Prime Outlook Menus
As mentioned earlier, the Outlook desktop apps have Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Sticky Notes integration. You can use the keyboard shortcuts to move among them.
You can use the Command + 1/2/3/4/5 on Mac or Ctrl + 1/2/3/4/5 on Windows to navigate Mail, Contacts, Calendar, To-Do, and Sticky Notes.
2. Reply to Email
One of the major quirks with Outlook Windows and Mac apps is that most menus and icons are small. New users may have a hard time finding the relevant action button. If you want to reply to an email in Outlook quickly, select the mail and hit Command + R for Mac or Ctrl + R on Windows to open the reply mail menu.
3. Forward Mail
Email Forwarding is another option that many of us use regularly. You can press Command + J on Mac or Ctrl + F on Windows to forward the selected mail on Outlook.
4. Mark All Emails as Read
In today’s day and age, it’s quite easy to fill the inbox with irrelevant emails from marketers, banking offers, and promotional stuff. Instead of going through all these emails, you can quickly use the Option + Command + T on Mac or Ctrl + Q on Windows to mark emails as read.
5. Use Flags
We use the flag function all the time in Microsoft Outlook. When you flag an email, it will directly go to the Microsoft To-Do app. You should select an email and use the Ctrl + Shift + G on Windows. It’s one of our most used keyboard shortcuts for Outlook.
6. Mark As Unread
Did you accidentally mark an email as Read? You can quickly set it as unread by using a keyboard shortcut. Select an email and use Ctrl + U on Windows or Shift + Command + T on Mac to mark it as unread.
7. Use the Search Bar
Outlook offers an advanced search function to swiftly find an email that you are looking for. You can use Ctrl + E on Windows Option + Command + F on Mac to use the filter in the search bar.
8. Archive Email Shortcut in Outlook
Outlook provides a handy keyboard shortcut to archive mail. Select the mail and use Control + E on Mac or E key on Windows to send the email to the Archive menu.
9. Move Mail to Any Folder
You can neatly organize the Outlook Inbox using folders. Select an email and use Shift + Ctrl + M on Windows or Shift + Command + M on Mac to move the email to a different folder.
10. Mark As Junk
Junk folder lets you put away the irrelevant emails in a separate folder. To mark an email as Junk, use the Ctrl + J on Windows or Shift + Command + J on Mac. You can also opt for the Ctrl + Alt + J keys on Windows to unmark an email in the Junk folder.
11. Create New Event in the Calendar
Outlook Calendar is one of the important parts of the Outlook experience. First up, switch to the Calendar menu (Command + 2 on Mac or Ctrl + 2 on Windows) and use the Command + N keys on Mac or Ctrl + N on Windows to create a new event in Calendar.
12. Sync Outlook App
If you miss the latest Outlook app data, use the Control + Command + K keys on Mac to sync the app. Windows users can hit the F9 button to sync the Inbox and Outbox in Outlook.
13. Navigate Different Views in the Outlook Calendar
You can easily switch among different calendar views such as Today, Week, Month, and more. First, switch to the Calendar menu using the keyboard shortcut and switch among calendar views using Alt + 1/2/3/4/5 on Windows or Control + Command + 1/2/3/4/5 keys on Mac.
That has been our most-used Outlook Calendar shortcut.
14. Add New Task
Microsoft has integrated To-Do in the Outlook app. Thanks to the integration, you can also add Outlook tasks on your iPhone. You can switch to the Tasks menu using the trick one and then use the Command + N on Mac or Ctrl + N on Windows to add new tasks.
15. Send an Email
After drafting a reply or a new email, you can hit Command + Return on Mac or Ctrl + Enter on Windows to send an email.
16. Text Formatting Options
Outlook supports the same familiar text formatting options as other apps.
- Bold: Ctrl + B on Windows and Command + B on Mac
- Italic: Ctrl + I on Windows and Command + I on Mac
- Underline: Ctrl + U on Windows and Command + U on Mac
17. Insert a Link
Do you want to insert a link to a specific phrase or word in an email? You can select the word and hit Ctrl + K on Windows or Command + K on Mac to insert a link.
18. Reply All to an Email Message
You can select an email and hit Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows or Command + Shift + R on Mac to ‘Reply All’. Be careful when you use ‘Reply All’ function. It will send a reply to all the recipients in an email.
19. Mark Email as Not Junk
Sometimes, you may accidently mark an email as junk. Outlook can be aggressive at marking important emails as junk too. You should frequently open the ‘Junk Email’ inbox on Outlook and select an email. You can use Ctrl + Alt + J on Windows or Option + Shift + Command + J keys to mark an email as not junk. You can repeat the same for all your important emails.
20. Open an Email
You can use Ctrl + O on Windows or Command + O on Mac to open an email on a new window. You can open important emails in a new window and reply to them without looking at a busy inbox.
21. Print an Email
If you want to print an important email for future reference, hit the Ctrl + P on Windows or the Command + P keys on Mac. You can read our dedicated post to learn about the top wireless printers for Windows and Mac.
22. Select All Outlook Emails
If you want to bulk-delete, read, or mark emails as junk, use the Ctrl + A on Windows or Command + Mac on Windows to select all emails. It’s also a handy way to select all your junk emails and delete them with a single click.
23. Delete an Email
You can quickly delete an email by pressing the Delete key on Windows. Mac users can press the Command + Delete keys to move an email to Bin.
24. Switch to Inbox
It is one of the useful Outlook keyboard shortcuts. You can use the Ctrl + Shift + I keys on Windows to move back to the main Inbox. On Mac, you can switch between the Focused Inbox (Command +,) and Other Inbox (Command + .) using the keyboard shortcuts.
25. Outlook Emoji Keyboard Shortcut
As you may expect, the Outlook email app comes with a rich editor to customize the text. If you want to add an emoji during the reply, use Control + Command + Space on Mac or Windows Key + . on Windows to open the emoji panel.
Using the same keyboard shortcut, you can integrate special characters such as trademark, copyright, currency symbols, and others in conversation.
Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts: FAQ
How to create a keyboard shortcut in Outlook email?
There is no way to create or customize keyboard shortcuts in Outlook for Mac. Since Outlook 2016, Microsoft doesn’t offer a way to create keyboard shortcuts on Windows too. There are lengthy workarounds in the old Outlook app, but the company has removed the option in the new Outlook app for Windows.
Use Outlook Like a Pro
Using keyboard shortcuts, you can efficiently navigate the Outlook app. Master them; you will hardly need the trackpad or mouse to use the Outlook app. If there is another keyboard shortcut that you regularly use in Outlook, let us know about it in the comments section below.
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