Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Teams, Word, and Excel

Keyboard shortcuts are one of the most underutilised tools in a lot of software. Shortcuts can help to save time while you’re working, make finding specific tools easier and faster, and can even help you perform some of the basic functions at work more automatically.

Here is what you need to know about keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams, Word, and Excel.

Why Use Keyboard Shortcuts?

The short answer is that using keyboard shortcuts almost always saves time and energy. Keyboard shortcuts can even help office workers avoid excessive typing and typing injuries by minimising the number of keypresses required in a day.

But there are more benefits than simple speed or ease of use. Keyboard shortcuts, especially in programs like Excel, are often actually more effective and precise than trying to perform the same function manually.

Are Keyboard Shortcuts Always The Same?

Unfortunately, no, not all keyboard shortcuts are the same. There are some universalities, but you’ll need to learn the different keyboard shortcuts for different programs and remember which program you’re using.

For instance, Word and Microsoft Teams have very different kinds of keyboard shortcuts, despite being produced by the same company and having similar purposes as programs. While Word usually leads the way in word-processors keyboard shortcuts, other programs like Excel and workflow management software may not have the same keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard Shortcuts in Microsoft Teams

Like many keyboard shortcuts, shortcuts in Microsoft teams often rely on the control button and some combination of other buttons. Sometimes you'll need to press control and shift together, and some shortcuts are similar enough that memorising all of them can be difficult.

We recommend, instead of trying to learn all the shortcuts in Teams, you focus on just the shortcuts you use most frequently.

Helpfully, it’s easy to access shortcuts in Teams. Press Control + / (two buttons, the + is not a button) to see a list of all the keyboard shortcut commands available to you in Teams.

Emoticons can be found similarly quickly, simply type a colon followed by the type of emoticon you’d like to find. As an example, :apple would search for apple emoticons.

For miscellaneous shortcuts, press control + (+ is a key this time) into the search bar to get a list of all available commands.

Keyboard Shortcuts In Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word are a little more commonly understood, but it’s still important to go over them. After all, Word is one of the best word processing programs and is used extensively in business settings.

Everyone knows control + c to copy a selected text, and control + v to paste that text, but not many know that control + shift + v tells word to paste without formatting. These tips and tricks help save time and make it possible to navigate Work without relying on a mouse so much.

Control is also your key to navigating in Word. For instance, while arrow keys will let you move the cursor over or up and down one character or row at a time, control + arrow up or arrow down will move the document one paragraph at a time.

Here are a few more common shortcuts:

● Open a document: Ctrl + O
● Create a new document: Ctrl + N
● Save the current document: Ctrl + S
● Open the Save As window: F12
● Cut the current selection: Ctrl + X
● Copy the current selection: Ctrl + C
● Paste the contents of the clipboard: Ctrl + V
● Bold: Ctrl + B
● Italics: Ctrl + I
● Underline: Ctrl + U
● Underline words only: Ctrl + Shift + W
● Center: Ctrl + E
● Make the font smaller: Ctrl + [
● Make the font bigger: Ctrl + ]
● Change text to uppercase: Ctrl + Shift + A
● Change text to lowercase: Ctrl + Shift K
● Insert a page break: Ctrl + Enter
● Add a hyperlink: Ctrl + K

Keyboard Shortcuts In Excel

Keyboard shortcuts are similarly important in Excel, but the functions are a little different. Sometimes they are the same as in Word, more often than Word is the same as Teams, but you’ll need a range of different shortcuts to use them successfully.

Most keyboard shortcuts in Excel rely on the control or alt keys, though not all.

Here is a starter list of some of the most important keyboard shortcuts for Excel:

● Close a workbook: Ctrl+W
● Open a workbook: Ctrl+O
● Go to the Home tab: Alt+H
● Save a workbook: Ctrl+S
● Copy: Ctrl+C
● Paste: Ctrl+V
● Undo: Ctrl+Z
● Remove cell contents: Delete
● Choose a fill color: Alt+H, H
● Cut: Ctrl+X
● Go to Insert tab: Alt+N
● Bold: Ctrl+B
● Center align cell contents: Alt+H, A, C
● Go to Page Layout tab: Alt+P
● Go to Data tab: Alt+A
● Go to View tab: Alt+W

Want to learn more about using shortcuts in Microsoft Teams, Word and Excel? We’re a Gold Certified Microsoft  partner and can provide your business with Australian based IT support. Our teams in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and are happy to work with you and your business to understand how to use the entire Microsoft suite.