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Use a screen reader to review file activity in a document library in SharePoint Online

This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

Use SharePoint in Microsoft 365 with your keyboard and a screen reader to review file or folder activity in a document library. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. By checking the recent activity of a file or folder, you can quickly find out when an item was changed, who changed it, and any comments about the changes.

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 365.

  • When you use SharePoint in Microsoft 365, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because SharePoint in Microsoft 365 runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in a 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 SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

In this topic

Review file or folder activity in a document library

  1. Switch to the List or Tiles view. For instructions, refer to Switch to the List or Tiles view.

  2. In List or Tiles view, press the Tab key until you hear the first or the currently selected item in the document library.

  3. To move the focus to the file whose version history you want to check, press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the file or folder you want.

  4. Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu.

  5. In the context menu, press the Up arrow key until you hear “Open the details pane,” and press Enter. The details pane opens.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "More details," and press Enter.

  7. Press the Tab key until you hear: "File and folder activity." To browse the list of recent activity, press the Down arrow key. You hear the date modified and the name of the person who made the modification.

  8. To exit the details pane, press the Tab key until you hear “Command bar,” press the Right arrow key until you hear "Open the details pane, menu item, expanded," and press Enter.

Switch to the List or Tiles view

To review a file or folder's activity, switch to the List or Tiles view.

  1. Make sure no files or folders are selected. The View Options menu is available on the menu bar only when no files are selected in the document library.

  2. Press the Tab key until you hear: “Command bar.”

  3. Press the Right arrow key until you hear “All documents view,” and press Enter.

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear “List” or “Tiles,” and press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to get notified when a file or folder changes in SharePoint Online

Use a screen reader to check out or check in files in a document library in SharePoint Online

Keyboard shortcuts in SharePoint Online

Basic tasks using a screen reader with SharePoint Online

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate SharePoint Online

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.

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