Why does my "tab" key no longer cycle out of the "TO" area? Outlook Live Web Browser

Anonymous
2025-04-02T19:53:28+00:00

Good morning,

Within the past 2 days, my Outlook Live web browser will no longer tab from the "TO" field to the "CC" field or the "BCC" field when email addresses autopopulate into the "TO" field.

It has tabbed fine for almost 5 years for all contacts, but for the past few days, it will no longer work on any of the names in my contact list.

If I enter their name and then try to tab down to the subject line, it highlights the name in yellow, but it will never tab down to the other fields.

If I put my cursor in the subject line and then tab, the cursor will move from the subject line to the body of the email.

Why is the Outlook Live web browser functioning this way on certain names in my contact list?

I have cleared my cache and cookies.

I have tried using incognito mode.

Nothing has worked.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-04-04T18:16:18+00:00

    Me too. I'm not using web version and I'm having this same problem using multiple computer laptops. Same problem at the office or at the home computer.

    Also here to confirm I'm experiencing this on desktop version. "New Outlook" on Win 11. Definitely just started happening to me today, I noticed immediately.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-04-04T20:46:01+00:00

    Had the same issue with tab key not progressing from TO to CC in Outlook after Windows 11 update.
    I found this fix online and it worked for me. It's weird but it did it. I performed the following while having a blank new Outlook message opened.

    1. Press the Alt key twice, then see if the Tab key restarts to work.
    2. Press and hold the Altkey, then press the 0,0, and 9 number keys on your keyboard, and release the keys.
    3. Press the Ctrl key twice, and try Tab to see if it works.
    4. Press the Windows logo keytwice, and see if it fixes your problem.

    source: \[SOLVED\] Tab key Not Working on Windows - Driver Easy

    UPDATE:

    Spoke to Soon...I tested with Contacts inside my organization and the tab key works fine for them. Contacts outside my organization in the TO or CC makes the tab key just highlight the CONTACT that is outside my organization. It wouldn't be a Windows update if there wasn't something weird like this. :-(

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-04-04T22:25:55+00:00

    No that doesn't work For clarity try this and see how far you get.

    Just using the keyboard and not a mouse in OWA or Outlook on the web.

    1. Compose a new email.
    2. You are put in the TO: field. Enter an email address, don't just tab past.
    3. Now try to use the TAB key to get to the Subject Field.

    You should be stuck there. You can SHIFT + TAB out, but that it is. There is no way to get to the subject field or message area unless you use a mouse to click in the Subject field or have a screen reader like JAWS where you can bring up the FIELDS links list and navigate to the "Subject edit" link.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-04-05T18:39:38+00:00

    Update: I found the workaround for her. Maybe it will help other JAWS people until this is fixed. Do not put the recipient's name in first. Use the tab to go first to the subject and type your message in the body. Then use the following Shift/Tab to return to the To line and type in the recipient. Ctrl+Enter to send.

    
I also assist a blind client with JAWS.  How do you get the JAWS field list?  I can't find anything on that, and she can no longer communicate with her family because of this issue.   
  
When she was forced to change from Winmail, which worked so wonderfully, to this Outlook nightmare, then this happens.  Accessibility is complicated enough without constantly having issues.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-04-05T19:00:34+00:00

    Use INS + F5 to get a list of form field controls on the page. There are 69 fields. The fastest way to get to the Subject edit field is to then press the letter "S" until you hear "subject edit" and then press ENTER. That will place the cursor in the Subject field.

    Alternatively, you can TAB past the address fields, without filling in an address and go directly to the Subject field. Type your subject and tab to the message body and type your message. Then SHIFT + TAB back to the TO field and fill in the address(es).

    That's the two workarounds that I've found.

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