Microsoft Teams Tip | Control + Shift + X

Microsoft Teams Tip | Control + Shift + X

Key Points:

• Sometimes a handy feature gets revealed.
• What do Ctrl+Shift+X commands do in Teams?
• What’s on the miniature ribbon toolbar?
• How to close the expanded compose box.

If you’re an avid user of Microsoft Teams, every once in a while, someone uncovers a feature hidden in plain sight that makes you do a double-take. You may ask yourself, “How long has that been there?” Well, it’s happened again!

With a simple key command of Control + Shift + X, you get a miniature Microsoft Word document in Teams. In today’s ‘Tuesday Tech Tip’ video, Curtis Hyde, Sales and Marketing Director with Colorado Computer Support, spills the beans on this awesome reveal.

What Do Ctrl+Shift+X Commands Do In Teams?

The message composing box inside your Microsoft Teams app looks small and narrow. Almost like you’re texting someone from a phone.

To expand the box, all you have to do is tap inside that message area first. Then, on your keyboard, hold down the Control, Shift, and finally, the X keys and release.

Instantly, you’ve expanded your Team’s compose box, revealing a hidden ribbon toolbar similar to what you’ll find in Microsoft Word. The expanded compose box also resembles a miniature version of a Word document layout, allowing you to hit the ‘Enter’ key to go to the next line.

What’s On The Miniature Ribbon Toolbar?

Across the top of the ribbon, you will immediately see six sections, with 3-5 composition tool icons per section. Hover your mouse over any of those images. A pop-up box reveals what the tool is used for or does.

These are the following icons, from left to right, on your ribbon toolbar:

• Section 1 – Bold, Italics, Underline, & Strikethrough
• Section 2 – Text Highlight Color, Font Color, Font Size, Rich Style & Clear All Formatting
• Section 3 – Decrease Indent, Increase Indent, Bullet List, & Numbered List
• Section 4 – Quote, Insert Link, Mark As Important & Insert Horizontal Rule
• Section 5 – Insert Table, Insert Column and Row, & Delete Column, Row or Table
• Section 6 – Undo Typing, Repeat Typing, & Delete Trash Can

A quick note about the Trash Can icon: when you’re typing a message in its expanded form and want to delete it entirely, tap the Trash Can icon. Next, a pop-up message will ask, ‘Do you want to discard this draft?’ with the option to cancel or discard.

How To Close The Expanded Compose Box

Let’s assume you want to return the compose box to its original size and no longer need to use the expanded option. You have three ways to do that.

1. The first is to repeat the key command you initially did to expand the box. Hold down the Control, Shift, and finally, the X keys, and release. That returns the box to its default one-line size and hides the ribbon.
2. The second way is from the Format icon in the far left corner below that message. It looks like the capital letter A with the image of a pen slanted next to it. Tap it once it closes. But if you tap it again, it expands the box.
3. The third way is to exit the Teams app altogether. When you initiate the app again to reenter Teams, the message composition box returns to its original default one-line size and hides the ribbon.

There’s one exception to the last option. Suppose text, wording, or content doesn’t get deleted from the expanded compose box view before exiting the app. Microsoft Teams saves it as a draft, so when you relaunch the app, you’ll see the box is still expanded.

Colorado Computer Support Helps Microsoft Teams Users

Now that you have discovered the option to expand your composition box, we’re positive your messages in Teams will get an immediate facelift moving forward. As long-time users of Microsoft Teams, we get just as excited when we uncover another hidden feature we can share.

What did you like about the Control + Shift + X commands? Feel free to let us know! Also, contact us today or call (719) 310-3035 when you need Microsoft Teams help.