Use a screen reader to add and update details to tasks in planner

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Microsoft Support home.

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Use Microsoft Planner with your keyboard and a screen reader to add and update task details. We have tested it with Narrator, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to add comments or a checklist, flag tasks, or update task progress.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

• When you use Planner, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Planner runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts that work in your browser also work in Planner.

In this topic

• Add a comment

• Flag a task with labels

• Set and update task progress

• Add a checklist to a task

Add a comment

Add a comment to a task to start a conversation with the person working on the task.

1. Navigate to and open the task to which you want to add comments.

2. Press the Tab key until you hear: "New comment." The focus is in the Comments text field.

3. Type your comment.

4. Once you're done, press the Tab key until you hear "Send," and then press Enter.

Flag a task with labels

You can use labels to tag, organize, or group tasks.

1. Navigate to and open the task you want to flag with labels.

2. Press Shift+Tab until you hear the first unnamed label, for example, "Label two, editing."

   Tip: If you already have named labels in the task, proceed to step 4.

3. Type the label name.

4. Press the Tab key once. You hear "Unchecked," followed by the name of the label.

5. To select and add the label, press Enter. You hear: "Checked."

Set and update task progress

1. Navigate to and open the task whose progress you want to update.

2. Press the Tab key until you hear "Progress," followed by the current status of the task.

3. To expand the status menu, press Alt+Down arrow key.

4. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the status you want, and then press Enter. You hear the new status.

Add a checklist to a task

To stay on top of your to-do list, add a checklist to a task.

1. Navigate to and open the task to which you want to add a checklist.

2. Press the Tab key until you hear: "Add a checklist item."

3. Type your text for the first item on your checklist, and then press Enter.

4. A new empty checklist item row is created. Type the text for the following item, and press Enter. Repeat this step until you've added all your items to the checklist.

5. To check items off of your checklist, press the Tab key until you hear "Unchecked," followed by the item, and then press Spacebar.

See also

Use a screen reader to group and filter tasks on a board in Microsoft Planner

Keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Planner

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Planner

Use Planner for iOS with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to add and update task details. You'll learn how to add comments or a checklist, flag tasks, or update task progress.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

In this topic

• Add a comment

• Flag a task with labels

• Set and update task progress

• Add a checklist to a task

Add a comment

Add a comment to a task to start a conversation with the person working on the task.

1. Navigate to and open the task to which you want to add comments.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Add comment," and then double-tap the screen.

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your comment.

4. Once you're done, slide one finger across the bottom of the screen until you hear "Send," and then double-tap the screen.

Flag a task with labels

You can use labels to tag, organize, or group tasks.

1. Navigate to and open the task which you want to flag with labels.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Labels field, Set labels," and then double-tap the screen.

   Tip: If you already have labels added to your task, you hear "Labels field," followed by the names of the labels. You can proceed to step 5.

3. To name a label, swipe right until you hear an unnamed label, for example, "Label name, label three," and then double-tap the screen.

4. Use the on-screen keyboard to type a name for the label. Once you're done, slide one finger across the bottom of the screen until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

5. To add a label to your task, swipe left or right until you hear "Checkbox," followed by the name of the label and "Unchecked." Double-tap the screen to select and add the label to the task.

Set and update task progress

1. Navigate to and open the task whose progress you want to modify.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Status field," followed by the current status.

3. Double-tap the screen. The Status menu opens.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear the status you want, and then double-tap the screen.

Add a checklist to a task

To stay on top of your to-do list, add a checklist to a task.

1. Navigate to and open the task to which you want to add a checklist.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Checklist field, Add checklists," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Item name."

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the text for the first checklist item. Once you're done, slide one finger across the bottom of the screen until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

   The first item is added to the checklist and the focus moves to a new empty checklist item. Repeat this step until you've added all your checklist items.

4. To return to the task, slide one finger across the top of the screen until you hear "Back button," and then double-tap the screen.

5. To check a completed item off of your checklist, swipe right until you hear "Checklist field," followed by the number of completed items. Double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "Checkbox," followed by the item that you want, and "Unchecked." Double-tap the screen to mark the item as completed.

See also

Use a screen reader to group and filter tasks on a board in Microsoft Planner

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Planner

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use Planner for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to add and update task details. You'll learn how to add comments or a checklist, flag tasks, or update task progress.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.

In this topic

• Add a comment

• Flag a task with labels

• Set and update task progress

• Add a checklist to a task

Add a comment

Add a comment to a task to start a conversation with the person working on the task.

1. Navigate to and open the task to which you want to add comments.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Add comment," and then double-tap the screen.

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your comment.

4. Once you're done, swipe right until you hear "Send comment," and then double-tap the screen.

Flag a task with labels

You can use labels to tag, organize, or group tasks.

1. Navigate to and open the task which you want to flag with labels.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Labels field," and then double-tap the screen.

   Tip: If you already have labels added to your task, you hear: "Labels field," followed by the number of set labels. You can proceed to step 5.

3. To name a label, swipe right until you hear "Name label, edit box," and then double-tap the screen.

4. Use the on-screen keyboard to type a name for the label. Once you're done, slide one finger across the bottom of the screen until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

5. To add a label to your task, swipe left or right until you hear the label you want. Then swipe left once. You hear: "Not checked, Checkbox." Double-tap the screen to select and add the label to the task.

6. To return to the task view, swipe down-then-left.

Set and update task progress

1. Navigate to and open the task whose progress you want to modify.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Status field," followed by the current status.

3. Double-tap the screen to open the status menu.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear the status you want, and then double-tap the screen.

Add a checklist to a task

To stay on top of your to-do list, add a checklist to a task.

1. Navigate to and open the task to which you want to add a checklist.

2. Swipe right until you hear "Checklist field, Add checklist," and then double-tap the screen.

3. Swipe right until you hear "Add an item," and then double-tap the screen.

4. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the text for the first checklist item. Once you're done, slide one finger across the bottom of the screen until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

   The first item is added to the checklist and the focus moves to a new empty checklist item. Repeat this step until you've added all your checklist items.

5. To return to the task view, swipe down-then-left.

6. To check a completed item off of your checklist, swipe right until you hear "Checklist field," followed by the number of completed items. Double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the item that you want. Then swipe left once. You hear: "Not checked, Checkbox." Double-tap the screen to mark the item as completed.

See also

Use a screen reader to group and filter tasks on a board in Microsoft Planner

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Planner

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.