Here’s a complete list of the Outlook Function Key features from fast access to Help, jumping around your inbox, doc panes, spelling, grammar and key shortcuts.
Let’s look in detail the functionality of the F-keys labelled F1 through F12 on your keyboard.
F1 – Help, hide ribbon
- F1 – Displays the Outlook help pane. At times pressing F1 also takes you to Microsoft’s help support webpage and suggest similar topics about the function you are interested in researching. That mostly happens when a dialog box is open then pressing F1.
- Ctrl+F1: Displays or hides the ribbon. Alternatives are: double-clicking on a tab or right-clicking on the ribbon and selecting Collapse the Ribbon.
F2 – Calendar
- F2 – does nothing!
- Alt+F2: Opens the Calendar pane or, if already visible, switches calendar views.
F3 – Search, change case
- F3: Opens the search bar
- Shift+F3: Changes selected text around the Case options: upper, lowercase, Initial letter case. Same shortcut as in Word.
F4 – Find and replace, Messages
- F4: When in a message, opens Find under Find and Replace
- Shift+F4: When in a message, moves the cursor/insertion point to the start of the very start of the page / paragraph.
- Ctrl+F4: Asks to save any messages as draft before closing the active message.
- Alt+F4: Closes Outlook, but always asks to save any messages as draft before closing.
F5 – Find and replace and more
- F5: When in a message, opens Go To under Find and Replace
- Shift+F5: in a message moves the cursor/insertion around the last three edit points.
- Ctrl+Shift+F5: Opens bookmark tab
F6 – Panes
- F6: Switches between the parts of the current Outlook windows, tabs, reading pane, status bar and ribbon. This function helps to go to the window without using your mouse.
- Shift+F6: Switches in the reverse order between calendar, inbox, ribbon, tabs and status bar.
F7 – Spelling, Grammar etc
- F7: In a new message, opens the Editor dialog box and start spell check
- Shift+F7: Displays the thesaurus pane in a message. If you have selected a word and pressed this function key it will look up the selected word in the Thesaurus pane.
- Alt+F7: In a new message, reviews the spelling and grammar contained within the message.
F8 – Macro
- F8 – does nothing!
- Alt+F8 – Displays the “Macro” dialog box – create, run, edit or delete a macro.
F9 – Field codes
- Ctrl+F9: Inserts empty field code within a new message which shows 2 curly brackets.
F10 – Key shortcuts
- F10: Pressing this key display single letter shortcuts (Keytips) to access the menu commands on Outlook. Same as pressing Alt.
- Shift+F10: Displays a context menu.
- Alt+F10: Displays selection task pane.
- Alt+Shift+F10: Displays a menu for an available selection. Same as right-mouse click.
F11 – VBA
- F11: Brings up the search people box.
- Alt+F11: Switches between the VBA (Visual Basic Editor) and previous window.
F12 – Save, Open, Print
- F12: Opens the Save As window to save your email.
- Shift+F12: Saves your email.
- Ctrl+F12: Displays the Open window.
- Ctrl+Shift+F12: Open the Print window.
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