15 Best Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows and Mac

Gmail is the most popular email provider. While most of the people opt for the Gmail service, Outlook enjoys a large following among consumers and business users. Unlike Gmail, Outlook offers a native application on Windows and Mac. While the job is done, you will find the icons and text too small. Instead of using the cursor to navigate and use the Outlook application, you should opt for Outlook keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Mac.

The Outlook application is not limited to the Mail function only. It also integrates Calendar, Contacts, Microsoft Tasks, and Sticky Notes. The Keyboard Shortcuts add-on becomes even more obvious as you may need to navigate the menus in the app.

Using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly mark emails as read, delete that marketing junk, flag an email to send directly to Microsoft To-Do, and even compose an event in the Outlook calendar.

This article will cover the top fifteen Outlook keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac. Memorize them and watch your productivity explode. Let’s start.

1. Navigate the Prime Outlook menus

As I mentioned earlier, Outlook desktop apps have built-in contacts, calendar, tasks, and sticky notes. You can either use the slider in the bottom corner to move between them, or go for the quick shortcut keyboard.

You can use command + 1/2/3/4/5 on Mac or Ctrl + 1/2/3/4/5 on Windows to navigate contacts, calendar, mail, etc. in Outlook.

2. Reply to the email

One of the main features of Outlook Windows and Mac applications is that most of the menus and icons are small. New users will have a hard time finding the correct action button. If you want to quickly reply to an email in Outlook, select the mail and press Command + R for Mac or Ctrl + R on Windows to open the reply to emails menu.

3. Forward mail

Another option that many of us use regularly is Email forwarding. You can press Command + J on Mac or Ctrl + F on Windows to forward the selected mail to Outlook.

4. Mark all emails as read

It’s pretty easy to fill the inbox with today’s irrelevant marketer emails, banking offers, and promotional items. Instead of going through all of those emails, you can quickly use Option + Command + T on Mac or Ctrl + Q on Windows to mark emails as read.

5. Use flags

I use the flag function all the time in Microsoft Outlook. When you tag an email, it goes straight to the Microsoft To-Do task app. You need to select an email and use Ctrl + Shift + G on Windows or Ctrl + 0 on Mac to mark an email.

6. Mark as unread

Did you accidentally mark an email as read? You can quickly set it as unread 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 feature to quickly find an email you’re looking for. You can use Ctrl + E on Windows Option + Command + F on Mac to use the filter in the search bar.

8. Archive mail

Outlook provides a convenient keyboard shortcut for archiving mail. Select the email and use Ctrl + E on Mac or the E key on Windows to send the email from the Archive menu.

9. Move mail to any folder

You can organize Outlook Inbox cleanly using folders. Select an email and use Shift + Ctrl + M on Windows or Shift + Command + M on Mac to move the email to another folder.

10. Mark as spam

Junk folder allows you to store irrelevant emails in a separate folder. To mark an email as junk, use the Ctrl + J keys on Windows or Shift + Command + J on Mac. You can also opt for Ctrl + Alt + J keys to mark an email as not junk on Windows.

11. Create a new event in the calendar

The Outlook calendar is one of the important parts of the Outlook experience. First, go to the Calendar menu (Command + 2 on Mac or Ctrl + 2 on Windows) and use Command + N on Mac or Ctrl + N on Windows to create a new event in Calendar.

12. Cycle through different views in the calendar

You can easily switch between different calendar views like Today, Week, Month, etc. First, switch to the Calendar menu using the keyboard shortcut and switch between calendar views using Alt + 1/2/3/4/5 on Windows or Ctrl + Command + 1/2 / 3/4/5 on Mac.

This is my most used Outlook calendar shortcut.

13. Synchronize the Outlook application

If you are missing the latest Outlook app data, use Ctrl + Command + K on Mac to sync the app.

14. Add a new task

Microsoft has integrated Microsoft To-Do in the Outlook application. You can switch to the Tasks menu using the hint, and then use Command + N on Mac or Ctrl + N on Windows to add new tasks.

15. Add an emoji in an email conversation

As you would expect, the Outlook email app comes with a rich editor to customize the text. If you want to add an emoji during the response, use Ctrl + Command + Space on Mac or Windows Key +. in Windows to open the emoji panel. Using the same keyboard shortcut, you can incorporate special characters like trademark, copyright, currency symbols, and more into the conversation.

Use Outlook like a pro

Using keyboard shortcuts, you can navigate the Outlook application efficiently. Master them and you will hardly need the trackpad or mouse to use the Outlook app. If there is any other keyboard shortcut that you use regularly in Outlook, let us know in the comments section below.