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This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with Skype and is part of the Skype Accessibility content set. For more general help, visit Skype Support home.
Use Skype with your keyboard and a screen reader, such as NVDA or Narrator, the built-in Windows screen reader, to add chat expressions to your instant messages (IM) by searching for them or browsing through expression categories. You can add emoticons, GIFs, and Stickers. Emoticons are small emotion icons that can be added within text in a single chat message. GIFs and Sticker images are larger entities, where they are sent as an individual message without additional text. The information provided in this article is for use with the latest version of Skype. For more information please go to How do I update Skype?
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Search for chat expressions
- While writing chat messages in the Type a message text input field, press Shift+Tab. You hear "Open expression picker." Press Enter.
- The expression picker opens, and the focus is in the Emoticons tab. To move to the GIFs or Stickers tab, press the Left arrow key until you hear the correct tab name, and then press Enter.
- To search for an expression, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Search edit." Enter text describing the expression. As you type, the screen reader announces the number of results found.
- To access the result list, press the Tab key twice. To browse in the list, use the arrow keys.
- To select an expression, press Enter. The expression picker closes. If you selected a GIF or Sticker, it is sent to your conversation. If you selected an Emoticon, it is added to your current chat message in the Type a message text field.
Note: To exit the expression picker without selecting anything, press Esc.
Browse chat expression categories
- While writing chat messages in the Type a message text input field, press Shift+Tab. You hear "Open expression picker." Press Enter.
- The expression picker opens, and the focus is in the Emoticons tab. To move to the GIFs or Stickers tab, press the Left arrow key until you hear the correct tab name, and then press Enter.
- To select an expression category:
- With NVDA, press the Tab key until you hear "Tab control." Use the Left and Right arrow keys to move between the categories. The screen reader announces them as you move.
- With Narrator, press the Tab key until you hear "Close expression picker," and then press Shift+Tab. Use the Left and Right arrow keys to move between the categories. The screen reader announces them as you move.
- To select the category that interests you, press Enter. The cursor moves to the result list and you can browse through the expressions in that category using the arrow keys.
- To select an expression, press Enter. The expression picker closes. If you selected a GIF or Sticker, it is sent to your conversation. If you selected an Emoticon, it is added to your current chat message in the Type a message text field.
Note: To exit the expression picker without selecting anything, press Esc.
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.
