No matter what industry you are in or what job function you have, the nature of work is transforming at a faster rate than ever before.
Employees are expected to accomplish more, faster than ever before.
The ASI Microsoft Specialist Team has compiled a list of top 100 shortcuts and features for M365 that will help boost your productivity in 2023.
Shortcuts
Get the most out of M365 with typing shortcuts that save you time and get you to your goals faster.
Let’s start with using the Windows Key in combination with the keyboard letters. The Windows key may vary depending on your keyboard or device model but is typically located in the bottom row and indicated with the windows icon.
1. Windows Key + A = Open Action Center
2. Windows Key + B = Highlight the first item in the Notification Area and use the Arrow key switch between the items
3. Windows key + C = Open Chat
4. Windows Key + D = Minimise all Windows and Snap to Desktop
5. Windows Key + E = Open File Explorer
6. Windows Key + F = Open Feedback Hub
7. Windows Key + G = Open Games Toolbar/Hub
8. Windows key + H = Start voice typing
9. Windows Key + I = Open Settings
10. Windows Key + K = Connect to a wireless Display
11. Windows key + L = Lock you Windows 11
12. Windows Key + M = Minimise all open windows
13. Windows Key + N = Open Notifications and Calendar
14. Windows Key + P = Project Screen Options
15. Windows Key + R = Open Run
16. Windows Key + S or Q = Open Search
17. Windows Key + T = Cycle taskbar programs/apps
18. Windows Key + U = Open Accessibility settings
19. Windows Key + V = Opens Clipboard
20. Windows Key + W = Open Widgets
21. Windows Key + X = Open Start Connect menu (Same as Right-clicking the Start Icon)
22. Windows Key + Z = Shows layout options in Windows 11
Here are a few additional shortcuts using the Windows key.
24. Windows key + ; OR Windows key + . = Open emoji viewer
25. Windows Key + Shift + S = Capture part of the screen with Snip & Sketch
26. Windows Key + Tab = Opens Desktop Screen
27. Windows Key + Ctrl + S = Setup Speech recognition
28. Windows Key + Ctrl + N = Open Narrator Settings
29. Windows Key + Ctrl + M = Open Magnifier Settings
30. Windows Key + Ctrl + D = Open New Virtual Desktop
31. Windows Key + Ctrl + F4 = Close Virtual Desktop
32. Windows Key + Arrow keys = Snap your windows for layout options
Here is a list of shortcuts using the Ctrl (Control) key.
33. Ctrl + N = (New) Creates a new blank document.
34. Ctrl + O = (Open) Displays the Open dialog box to select a file to open in Word.
35. Ctrl + S = (Save) Saves the current document.
36. Ctrl + P = (Print) Opens the Print dialog box to print the current page.
37. Ctrl + Z = (Undo) Cancels the last change made to the document.
38. Ctrl + Y = (Repeat) Repeats the last command executed.
39. Ctrl + C = (Copy) Copies the selected content to the Clipboard without deleting the content.
40. Ctrl + X = (Cut) Deletes selected content and copies the content to the Clipboard.
41. Ctrl + V = (Paste) Pastes the selected content from the clipboard
42. Ctrl + . = Shortcut to all Keyboard Shortcuts in Microsoft teams
43. Ctrl + E = Jump to Search in Microsoft Teams
44. Ctrl + Shift + X = Expand compose box (when typing message) in Microsoft Teams
45. Shift + Enter = Start a new line when tying a message in Microsoft Teams
46. Ctrl + Shift + I = Mark message as important in Microsoft Teams
47. Ctrl + F = Start searching the document
48. Ctrl + 4 = Shortcut to jump to your calendar in Microsoft Teams
49. Ctrl + 6 = Shortcut to go to recent files in Microsoft Teams
50. Ctrl + Shift + M = Toggle mute / unmute on teams call
51. Ctrl + Shift + O = Toggle video on / off in teams call
52. Ctrl + Shift + P = Toggle background blur in Team video calls
53. Ctrl + A = Selects all items within open Window
54. Ctrl + Shift + Escape = Open Task Manager
55. Ctrl + Alt + Delete = When all else fails… (terminate program or restart device)
Features
You can use these gestures on the touch screen of your Windows 11 device. To turn touch gestures on, select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touch > Three and four-finger touch gestures, and make sure it’s turned on.
56. Press down on the left side of your touchpad
Press to click, Select an item, or Left-click like on a mouse.
57. Press down on the right side of your touchpad
Press to right-click, Open app commands in Windows apps or a context menu in desktop apps. Right-click like on a mouse.
58. Tap one finger anywhere on the touchpad
Select an item, Left-click like on a mouse.
59. Tap two fingers anywhere on the touchpad
Open app commands in Windows apps or a context menu in desktop apps, Right-click like on a mouse.
60. Drag your finger on the touchpad
Moves the cursor.
61. Swipe three fingers up on the touchpad
Display your virtual desktop.
62. Press and hold the left touchpad button down and then slide a finger in any direction
Move an item or select text, like moving a mouse while you hold down the left button.
63. Tap, immediately tap and hold, then drag
Move an item or select text, like moving a mouse while you hold down the left button.
64. Pinch your thumb and forefinger together or move them apart
Zoom in or out, Like the gestures on your touchscreen.
65. Slide two fingers horizontally or vertically
Scroll though a screen or document, like dragging the scroll button on the screen, or using a scroll wheel on a mouse.
66. Swipe three fingers down on the track pad
Minimise all open Windows.
67. Swipe four fingers left or right on the touchpad
Toggle between your virtual desktops.
Microsoft PowerToys is a set of utilities for power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience for greater productivity. Download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store
68. Microsoft PowerToys ‘Quick Accent’
Easy way to write letters with accents, hold the key for the character, like on a smartphone.
69. Microsoft PowerToys ‘FancyZones’
Window manager makes it easy to create complex windows layouts.
70. Microsoft PowerToys ‘PowerRename’
Perform simple bulk renaming, searching and replacing file names.
71. Microsoft PowerToys ‘Keyboard Manager’
Allows you to customise the keyboard to be more productive by remapping keys and creating your own keyboard shortcuts.
72. Microsoft PowerToys ‘Mouse utilities’ (Find my mouse)
Shake the mouse or press the left Ctrl key twice to find your mouse.
Want to learn more about PowerToys? Check out this video for more information.
And finally some amazing features that can be utilised in Microsoft 365 apps such as OneNote, Outlook, Powerpoint and Word.
73. FindTime add-in in Outlook
Collaborate with meeting participants internally and externally to find the right meeting time.
Click here to learn more
74. Connect Surface Pen to navigate slides in PowerPoint
Click the top of the Surface Pen once for next slide, press and hold for previous slide.
75. Speaker Coach in PowerPoint
Practise and rehearse your presentation with instant feedback or presenter report.
Click here to learn more
76. OneNote Insert meeting details
Populate attendees and meeting details, add meetings notes and share.
Click here to learn more
77. Extract text from images in OneNote
Paste an image into OneNote or Print a file to OneNote. Right mouse click on the image and select ‘Copy Text from Image’ then paste that text wherever you want to!
Click here to learn more
78. Search your handwritten notes in OneNote
Using the search feature on the right hand side of OneNote, search will be able to filter through your tied AND your handwritten notes!
Click link to learn more
79. Convert your handwriting to text in OneNote
Write notes in OneNote, select them and then select ‘ink to text’ on the ‘Draw’ tab.
Click link to learn more
80. Translate using over 120 languages in Word and OneNote
Select the ‘Review’ Tab, then ‘Language’ and ‘Translate to access.
Click link to learn more
81. Translate handwriting to another language in OneNote
Select the handwriting you want to translate, then drop it into the ‘Translator’ tool to convert it into the chosen language. (Review>Translate>Selected text).
Click link to learn more
82. Windows Autopatch – Endpoint Manager
Automate updates to Windows PCs and devices
Click link to learn more
83. Transcribe in OneNote
Feature to either record or upload your own video and have it converted to text.
Click link to learn more
84. Collections in Microsoft Edge (Ctrl + Shift + Y)
Keep track of your ideas on the web.
Click link to learn more
85. Quick Assist
Remote desktop for technical assistance.
Click link to learn more
86. PowerPoint Morph
Create visually engaging transitions with 2D and 3D images.
Click link to learn more
87. PowerPoint Record
Record presentations with narrations, animations, inking, transitions and laser pointer gestures.
Click link to learn more
88. Loop in Microsoft Teams Chat
Enables everyone in chat to edit inline in the form of bulleted lists, checklists, numbered lists, paragraph, table and task list.
Click link to learn more
89. Right click Teams send arrow
Schedule Teams messages to be delivered at a later time.
90. Phone Link
Use your Android phone from your PC.
91. Dynamic Lock
Automatically lock your device when you’re away by pairing your phone to your PC.
Click link to learn more
92. Calculator and Converter hamburger menu
Open Calculator app for scientific, graphing, programmer and date calculator, and converters for currency, weight and mass, temperature and more.
Click link to learn more
93. Set Subtitle language in PowerPoint
PowerPoint uses AI to translate speech to 60 different languages and dialects.
Click link to learn more
94. Immersive Reader
Erase distractions and improve reading with Read Aloud and learning tools across Microsoft Edge, OneNote, Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Teams.
Click link to learn more
95. Recall sent emails in Outlook
Open the message you want to recall, Select ‘Actions’, then ‘Recall this message > delete unread copies’.
Click link to learn more
96. Outlook’s Quick Parts
Stop retyping the same emails, Outlook’s Quick Parts allows you to save blocks of texts that can be inserted into emails. Create a Quick Part by highlighting the text to save in an email, On the Insert Menu click Quick Parts, Save Quick Par.
Click link to learn more
97. Viva Insights in Outlook
Get insights about your work, while you work. Help protect your time to get more done, automatic tasks and prepare for your meetings and more.
Click link to learn more
98. Focus Assist
Activate Focus Assist from your bottom task bar or notification pane to silence notifications and customize how you are alerted so you can focus on the task at hand.
Click link to learn more
99. Windows Search
Universal Search across your device, web, OneDrive and SharePoint.
Click link to learn more
100. Pin OneNote
Add notebooks, sections and pages to start menu.
If you or your team would like to do some M365 training, ASI Solutions has dedicated specialists who can arrange in-person and virtual training.
