Outlook for Mac shortcuts for Apple Mail.
Moved from Outlook to Apple Mail and keep pressing the wrong keys? 4AM is a small Mac menu bar app that makes Apple Mail answer to Outlook for Mac’s shortcuts: ⌃E to archive, ⌘J to forward, ⌘T to mark as read and ⌃1 to flag.
Free for 7 days with everything working. One-time purchase of USD$9.99, no subscription. Requires macOS 27 or later.
Every key
Outlook for Mac shortcuts in Apple Mail, key by key
Outlook for Mac and Apple Mail already agree on several shortcuts, such as Command-R to reply. 4AM adds the ones where they differ, so the whole Outlook set works.
| Action | With 4AM’s Outlook for Mac set | Apple Mail by itself | Choose your own |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reply | ⌘R already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘R | ✓any key |
| Reply all | ⇧⌘R already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⇧⌘R | ✓any key |
| Forward | ⌘J | ⇧⌘F | ✓any key |
| New message | ⌘N already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘N | ✓any key |
| Send | ⌘↩ | ⇧⌘D | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
| Archive | ⌃E | ⌃⌘A | ✓any key |
| Delete | ⌫ already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌫ | ✓any key |
| Next message | ⌃] | ↓ | ✓any key |
| Previous message | ⌃[ | ↑ | ✓any key |
| Flag | ⌃1 | ⇧⌘L | ✓any key |
| Mark read | ⌘T | ⇧⌘U | ✓any key |
| Mark unread | ⇧⌘T | ⇧⌘U | ✓any key |
| Mark as spam | ⇧⌘J already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⇧⌘J | ✓any key |
| Undo | ⌘Z already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘Z | ✓any key |
| Search | ⌥⌘F already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌥⌘F | ✓any key |
| Open message | ⌘O already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘O | ✓any key |
| Copy | ⌘C already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘C | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
| Paste | ⌘V already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘V | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
| Cut | ⌘X already the same as Outlook for Mac | ⌘X | ✓with ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ |
⌃ is Control, ⌘ is Command, ⇧ is Shift, ⌥ is Option and ↩ is Return. Choose your own: every shortcut can be changed to a key you pick. Click Edit Shortcuts in the 4AM menu, click the action and press your key. Send, copy, paste and cut work while you’re typing, so those need ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ held down.
Getting started
How to turn on Outlook for Mac shortcuts in Apple Mail
It takes about a minute. 4AM lives in your menu bar, with no Dock icon and no window to manage.
- Install 4AM
Open the download and drag 4AM into your Applications folder, then open it. - Allow Accessibility
macOS asks you to let 4AM control your Mac. Choose Open System Settings and switch 4AM on. If it isn’t in the list, add it with the + button. - Choose Outlook for Mac
Click the 4AM icon in the menu bar and choose Outlook for Mac under Shortcut Set. Then select a message in Mail and press a key.
Good to know
How the Outlook for Mac set behaves
The details that matter when you move your habits over to Apple Mail.
Only the differences are added
Reply (⌘R), reply all (⇧⌘R), new message (⌘N), mark as junk (⇧⌘J), undo, search and Delete are the same in Outlook for Mac and Apple Mail, so Mail handles those itself.
Two of Mail’s own keys are replaced
While this set is on, ⌘J forwards instead of Mail’s Jump to Selection, and ⌘T marks as read instead of opening the Fonts window, when the message list or an open message is selected. Choose Off in the 4AM menu to get Mail’s own keys back.
Command-Return sends
In a compose window, ⌘↩ sends the message, as in Outlook for Mac. Apple Mail’s own ⇧⌘D keeps working too.
Nothing you type is recorded
4AM checks each key against the shortcut list and forgets it. Nothing is logged or stored, and it only looks at the keyboard while Mail is the app in front.
Questions
Outlook for Mac shortcuts in Apple Mail, answered
The things people ask before trying it.
Can Apple Mail use Outlook for Mac keyboard shortcuts?
Some already match, such as Command-R to reply. For the rest, install 4AM and choose its Outlook for Mac set: Control-E archives, Command-J forwards, Command-T marks as read and Control-1 flags.
What is the Apple Mail equivalent of Control-E in Outlook?
Apple Mail’s own archive shortcut is Control-Command-A. With 4AM’s Outlook for Mac set, Control-E archives in Apple Mail too.
How do I mark an email as read in Apple Mail with Command-T?
Install 4AM and choose the Outlook for Mac set. Command-T then marks the selected message as read and Shift-Command-T marks it as unread. Apple Mail by itself uses Shift-Command-U for both.
Does this change how Outlook itself works?
No. 4AM only acts while Apple Mail is the app in front. Outlook and every other app are left alone.
Can I change a key I don’t like?
Yes. With Outlook for Mac selected, click Edit Shortcuts in the 4AM menu, click the action and press the keys you want. Your changes are saved as a Custom set that starts from the Outlook for Mac keys.
Other sets
More shortcuts for Apple Mail
4AM includes every set, and you can switch between them from its menu. More about 4AM.
Gmail shortcuts for Apple Mail
Single keys, as in Gmail: E archives, J and K move through your inbox, R replies and # deletes.
Outlook for Windows shortcuts for Apple Mail
Ctrl shortcuts on the Mac’s Control key: ⌃R replies, ⌃F forwards, ⌃C and ⌃V copy and paste.
Your own shortcuts
Choose Custom, start from any set, then click an action and press the keys you want for it.
4AM is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple, Google or Microsoft. Apple Mail and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Gmail is a trademark of Google LLC. Outlook and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 4AM privacy policy · 4AM license terms