Learn how to navigate Microsoft Planner using accessible features

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

Microsoft Planner includes accessibility features that make it easier for people with disabilities like limited dexterity or low vision to use the app. For more information about accessibility settings and features that are platform-specific, see Set up your device to work with accessibility in Office 365.

Notes: 

• New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 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 Windows screen reader, Narrator. To learn more about using Narrator, go to Complete guide to Narrator.

• This topic makes note of the JAWS functionality as well. To learn more about JAWS for Windows, go to JAWS for Windows Quick Start Guide.

• This topic assumes you are using this app with a PC. Some navigation and gestures might be different for a Windows phone or tablet.

• 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 are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you'll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Planner.

• For more information about Planner, go to Organize teamwork with Microsoft Planner.

In this topic

• Get to know the Planner-only layout

• Navigate with keyboard shortcuts in Planner

Get to know the Planner layout

Like other Office 365 apps, Planner is a web-based application that you use in a web browser.

You can use the main areas of the Planner layout that are described in the following table, along with some of the common elements, as landmarks in your mental model.

Landmarks to use in your mental model of the Planner UI

Area of the UI	Elements of the Planner layout
Top left: Office 365 navigational links	App Launcher link Office 365 link Planner link
Top right: Office 365 information	Notifications pane Settings pane Help pane, which also includes the Tell me what you want to do search box Account pane
Left: Planner navigation pane	New plan button. Creates a plan and a new board for it, and adds the plan to the All Plans list. Planner hub link. Includes overview cards for each of your favorite plans. These cards show the overall plan status and the number of tasks for the plan. The hub also includes a link to each of your plans, so you can see the big picture for your work. My tasks link. Includes each of your individual tasks, grouped by progress or plan. Favorite plans list. A collapsible list of your favorite plans. All plans list. A collapsible list of all your plans. Collapse/expand this menu button. Collapses or expands the navigation pane.
Right of the navigation pane (content area): Planner plans	Elements in plans: Board link. Links to the board for the plan that contains related task buckets and an Add new bucket button. (To learn more about the UI elements in task buckets, go to the next row of this table.) Charts button. Automatically creates and updates charts that show information about the overall status of the plan and the progress of each person (member) working on tasks for the plan. Notebook link. Links to the notebook for the plan in OneNote. Conversations link. Links to conversations about the plan in Outlook. Calendar link. Links to the calendar for the plan in Outlook. Members link. Links to contact information for the members of the plan in Outlook.
Right of the navigation pane (content area): Planner task buckets	Elements in task buckets: Bucket title Each task in the bucket, including details, such as who the task is assigned to and the task's due date Select an individual task in a bucket and press Enter to open the task so you can do the following: Change the bucket to which the task belongs. Update the task status. Specify the task start date and due date. Set labels for a task. Add a task description or checklist. Attach or link to a file. Set a preview image for the task. Post a comment or read other people's comments. Identify task assignments.

Navigate with keyboard shortcuts in Planner

Because Planner operates with your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts that work in your browser also work in Planner. However, if your browser does not support keyboard shortcuts, you can use the Tab key to move forward and Shift+Tab to move back.

The following table describes the keyboards shortcuts you can use to navigate the Planner UI—those which are included in most browsers, along with those which are specific to Planner.

Notes

• When you use Planner, we recommend that you use the Microsoft Edge web browser. When you do, you have access to the keyboard shortcuts available in Microsoft Edge.

• The keyboard shortcuts in this table refer to the US keyboard layout. Keys on other keyboard layouts may not correspond exactly to the keys on a US keyboard.

• If a shortcut requires pressing two or more keys at the same time, this table separates the keys with a plus sign (+).

Keyboard shortcuts for Planner

To do this	Press
Move forward to the next area or item For example, go to the next plan in the left navigation pane, go from one task bucket to the next, or go from one UI element in a task bucket to the next.	The Tab key
Move back to the previous area or item	Shift+Tab
Activate an item For example, when you select a plan, to navigate to the Board link, press the Tab key, and then, to open the plan's board, press Enter. When you select the New plan button, to create a new plan, press Enter. Or, to collapse or open the Favorite plans list or the All plans list, press Enter.	Enter
Exit a menu, dialog box, or mode For example, exit the New Plan dialog box or a task detail dialog box.	Esc
On a Board page, move to the next or previous task bucket	The arrow keys
On a Board page, move the selected task bucket up one position on the page	Ctrl+Up Arrow
On a Board page, move the selected task bucket down one position on the page	Ctrl+Down Arrow
On a Board page, when a column header is selected, move the selected column one position to the left on the page Note: Applies when the items on the page are grouped by buckets.	Ctrl+Left Arrow
On a Board page, when a column header is selected, move the selected column one position to the right on the page Note: Applies when the items on the page are grouped by buckets.	Ctrl+Right Arrow
When a scroll bar is shown in the left navigation pane, scroll down. Or, if a dialog box is too long for the screen, move down in the dialog box.	The Down Arrow key
When a scroll bar is shown in the left navigation pane, scroll up. Or, if a dialog box is too long for the screen, move up in the dialog box.	The Up Arrow key
Go back one page in the web browser	Alt+Left Arrow
Same as the Alt+Left Arrow keyboard shortcut	Backspace
Go forward one page in the web browser	Alt+Right Arrow

See also

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Office 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.