15 Best Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows and Mac

Gmail is the most popular email providers out there. While most people prefer the Gmail service, Outlook has a sizable following among consumers and corporate users. Unlike Gmail, Outlook offers a native app on Windows and Mac. While it gets the job done, you’ll find the icons and text very small. Instead of using the cursor to navigate and use the Outlook application, you must select the Outlook keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Mac.

The Outlook application is not limited to the Mail functionality only. It also integrates Calendar, Contacts, Microsoft To-Do and Sticky Notes. The keyboard shortcuts addon becomes even more prominent as you may need to navigate the app menus.

Using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly mark emails as read, delete this marketing junk, mark an email for sending directly to Microsoft To-Do, and even create an event in the Outlook calendar.

This post will cover the fifteen best Outlook keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac. Memorize them and witness your productivity skyrocket. Lets start.

1. Navigate Between Prime Outlook Menus

As I mentioned earlier, Outlook desktop apps include Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Sticky Notes integration. You can use the cursor in the bottom corner to move between them or choose the quick keyboard of shortcuts.

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, and more in Outlook.

2. Reply to Email

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

3. Mail Forward

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 in Outlook.

4. Mark All Emails as Read

It’s easy to fill the inbox with irrelevant emails from marketers, banking offers, and promotional materials in today’s age. Instead of skimming through all 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 always use the flag function in Microsoft Outlook. When you bookmark an email, it goes directly to the Microsoft To-Do tasks app. To mark an email, you must select an email and use Ctrl + Shift + G on Windows or Control + 0 on Mac.

6. Mark as Unread

Has an email been marked as Read by mistake? You can quickly set it to 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 function 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 Post

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

9. Move Mail to Any Folder

You can organize the Outlook Inbox neatly 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

The junk folder lets you put irrelevant emails in a separate folder. Use Ctrl + J on Windows or Shift + Command + J on Mac to mark an email as Junk. You can also select Ctrl + Alt + J to mark an email as Junk in Windows.

11. Create New Event in Calendar

The Outlook Calendar is an essential part of the Outlook experience. First, switch 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. Navigating Different Views in the Calendar

You can easily switch between different calendar views such as Today, Week, Month and more. 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 Control + Command + 1/2/3/4/5 on Mac.

This has become my most used Outlook Calendar shortcut.

13. Sync Outlook App

If you miss the latest data from the Outlook app, use Control + Command + K on Mac to sync the app.

14. Add New Task

Microsoft has integrated Microsoft To-Do into the Outlook app. You can switch to the Tasks menu using a trick and then use Command + N on Mac or Ctrl + N on Windows to add new tasks.

15. Adding Emoji to Email Conversation

As you can imagine, the Outlook email application comes with a rich editor for customizing text. If you want to add an emoji while replying, use Control + Command + Space or Windows Key + on Mac. To open the emoji panel in Windows. You can include special characters in speech such as trademark, copyright, currency symbols, and more using the same keyboard shortcut.

Use Outlook Like a Professional

You can navigate the Outlook application efficiently using keyboard shortcuts. Master these and you’ll hardly need a trackpad or mouse to use Outlook. If you have another keyboard shortcut that you use regularly in Outlook, let us know in the comments section below.

Next: You can forward emails automatically using Outlook. Read the post below to learn how to auto forward emails in Outlook.