This article is for people 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 Outlook for Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in screen reader for macOS, to insert pictures and images into an email. You'll learn how to insert images from your computer or download pictures from the Internet to be added in your email. You'll also learn how to add alt text to the images in your email.
Notes:
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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.
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This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.
In this topic
Insert a picture from your computer
To insert pictures, your message must be formatted using HTML.
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In the email you're composing, place the focus where you want to insert the picture.
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To go to the menu bar, press Control+Option+M. You hear: "Menu bar, Apple."
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Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Format," press the Down arrow key until you hear "Insert picture ellipses," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. The file picker dialog box opens.
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To browse to the file location where the picture has been saved, press the Tab key until you hear the current location, followed by "Where, pop-up button," for example "Applications, Where, pop-up button." Press the Down arrow key until you hear the location you want, and then press Control+Option+Spacebar to select it.
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When on the correct location, press the Tab key, and then press the Up or Down arrow keys to browse to the subfolder or file you want. To enter a subfolder, press the Right arrow key.
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Use the arrow keys to place the focus on the picture you want to insert, and press Return or Control+Option+Spacebar. The picture is inserted into the email.
Insert a picture from an online source
Searching for and inserting online pictures directly from Outlook for Mac isn't currently supported. However, you can still search for a picture online, save a local copy, and then insert the local copy into the email.
Note: Bing Image Search filters are based on the highly respected Creative Commons license system. To better understand the licensing options, refer to Filter images by license type. Remember, you're responsible for respecting the rights of others' property, including copyright.
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Use your web browser to go to www.bing.com. The focus moves to the Bing Search box.
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In the Search box, type a keyword for the type of image you're looking for. The list of search results is updated as you type. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the result you want, and press Return. The Bing search results page opens.
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To filter the search results to images only, in the Bing search results, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Link, images," and then press Return.
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Press the Tab key until you find the image you want to insert. VoiceOver announces the images as "Link, image, image results for," followed by your search keywords.
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To open the full-sized image, press Return.
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To download the image, press the Tab key until you hear: "See the source image, image, main." The focus is now on the image. Press Command+S.
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The Export as dialog box opens. To choose the save location, press the Tab key until you hear the current save location, followed by "Where, pop-up button," and then use the arrow keys until you hear the location you want, and press Control+Option+Spacebar to select. To save the image, press the Tab key until you hear "Save, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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You're now ready to insert the picture you just saved to an email. For instructions, refer to Insert a picture from your computer.
Add alt text to an image
Make your email more accessible and add an alternative text in the images in your email.
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In your email, navigate to the image you want to add alt text to, and press Control+Option+Spacebar to select it.
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With the focus on the image, press Shift+Command+2. You hear: "Alt text, description." The Alt Text pane opens, and the focus is on the alt text description text box.
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Type alt text for the image.
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To exit the Alt Text pane, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Close tab button," and then press Spacebar.
See also
Use a screen reader to insert a picture or image in an email in Outlook (Windows, Web, Mobile)
Use a screen reader to save an image or attachment from an email in Outlook
Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook
Use a screen reader to add a signature in Outlook
Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook
Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail
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.
