That file someone shared last month, that message with the meeting link: it's all in Teams somewhere. Getting to search instantly is how you find it before anyone else has even opened the right chat.
Ctrl+E
Step by step
- Press Ctrl+E to move to the search box at the top of Teams.
- Type what you're looking for and press Enter.
- Filter the results by messages, people or files.
- To search only the chat you're in, press Ctrl+F instead.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Ctrl+G jumps straight to a named chat or channel.
- Press Ctrl+. (full stop) to see every Teams shortcut.
Narrow the results
A single keyword in a busy organisation returns hundreds of hits. After pressing Enter, use the tools at the top of the results.
- Tabs: switch between Messages, People and Files.
- Filters: limit messages by who sent them, which team or chat they are in, and a date range. You can also show only messages that mention you or that have attachments.
- Exact phrases: put quotation marks around words that must appear together, such as "budget review".
- Combine a name and a keyword, for example a colleague's name plus the project name, to cut the list down fast.
Three kinds of search
- Ctrl+E searches everything you have access to: chats, channels, files and people.
- Ctrl+F searches only the chat or channel you are in, and lists the matches in a side pane in date order. It is the quickest way to find something you know was said in this conversation.
- Ctrl+G is Go to. Type the name of a team, channel or chat and press Enter to jump there without searching messages at all.
Finding files
If you remember who sent a file but not what it was called, open the chat with them and choose the Shared or Files tab at the top; everything exchanged in that chat is listed there. For channels, the Files tab shows the channel's SharePoint folder. The OneDrive app in the Teams sidebar lists files recently shared with you from anywhere.
When search can't find it
- The message is older than your organisation's retention period and has been deleted automatically.
- It was in a private channel or chat you are not, or are no longer, a member of.
- It was said in a meeting chat. Look under the meeting's name in your chat list.
- The word is inside an image or a recording, which message search does not read.
- On a Mac the shortcut is Cmd+E.