Gmail keyboard shortcuts and navigation

Siena demonstrated how to access and use keyboard shortcuts in Gmail on the web.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to access keyboard shortcuts by pressing question mark (shift+slash)
  • Siena: Explained that keyboard shortcuts work differently on PC and Mac – on PC use Control instead of Command
  • Siena: Demonstrated navigation shortcuts including G+I (go to inbox), G+T (go to sent messages)
  • Hans: Asked for clarification about using star+A to select all conversations
  • Siena: Clarified that you press the keys sequentially, not simultaneously
  • Palmer: Asked about using delete key vs. # (number sign) for deleting messages
  • Siena: Showed that Gmail uses # for deletion rather than the delete key
• Conclusion
  • Keyboard shortcuts make Gmail navigation more efficient
  • Users can always access the shortcuts list by pressing ? (question mark)
  • Most common shortcuts: C (compose), R (reply), A (reply all), F (forward), # (delete)

Virtual PC cursor in Windows screen readers

Siena explained the importance of toggling the virtual PC cursor when using JAWS with Gmail.

• Details
  • Siena: Demonstrated using Insert+Z to toggle virtual PC cursor on/off in JAWS
  • Siena: Explained that virtual cursor needs to be off when navigating message lists and using keyboard shortcuts
  • Siena: Showed that virtual cursor needs to be on when reading message content
  • Jackie: Asked for clarification about constantly toggling the virtual PC cursor
  • Siena: Confirmed this is necessary as JAWS can interpret Gmail shortcuts as JAWS commands when virtual cursor is on
• Conclusion
  • Windows screen reader users need to toggle virtual PC cursor on/off frequently
  • Virtual cursor off: for navigating message lists and using Gmail shortcuts
  • Virtual cursor on: for reading message content
  • Mac VoiceOver users don’t need to worry about this as it’s handled natively

Reading and managing email threads

Siena demonstrated how to navigate through email threads and perform actions on messages.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to open conversations with Enter or O key
  • Siena: Demonstrated using semicolon to expand threads and colon to collapse them
  • Siena: Showed using N to move to next message and P to move to previous message in a thread
  • Ali: Asked if P and N move between messages in a thread
  • Siena: Confirmed and demonstrated this functionality
  • Siena: Showed how to delete entire threads with # (Shift+3)
• Conclusion
  • N and P keys navigate between messages in a thread
  • Semicolon expands threads, colon collapses them
  • (Shift+3) deletes messages or entire threads
  • Users can select multiple messages with X key before deleting

Composing emails

Siena demonstrated how to compose new emails and use various composition features.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed using C to compose or D to compose in a new tab
  • Ali: Noted that Shift+C also works for composing
  • Siena: Demonstrated adding recipients, subject, and message body
  • Siena: Showed additional options like attaching files, inserting emojis, and scheduling sends
  • Siena: Demonstrated adding CC/BCC recipients with Command/Ctrl+Shift+C and Command/Ctrl+Shift+B
  • Siena: Showed sending a message with Command/Ctrl+Enter
• Conclusion
  • C, D, or Shift+C can be used to compose new messages
  • Command/Ctrl+Enter sends the composed message
  • Gmail offers many composition features accessible via keyboard shortcuts

Mac vs. Windows differences

Discussion about the differences between using Gmail on Mac and Windows.

• Details
  • Siena: Explained that Mac uses Command key where Windows uses Control key
  • Siena: Noted that Mac VoiceOver handles navigation natively without toggling virtual cursor
  • Palmer: Asked if Gmail web navigation is similar between Mac and Windows
  • Siena: Confirmed the shortcuts are the same, with the main difference being Command vs. Control
• Conclusion
  • Gmail keyboard shortcuts are consistent across platforms with Command/Control key difference
  • Mac users have a smoother experience without needing to toggle virtual cursor
  • Web interface is consistent across platforms

Apple Mail app issues

Discussion about issues with the Apple Mail app.

• Details
  • Palmer: Described how Apple Mail organizes messages by letter rather than date
  • Palmer: Explained issues with the archive folder behavior
  • Liz: Asked about dealing with 570 draft emails that were created automatically
  • Siena: Explained that Mail app saves drafts automatically when composing is interrupted
  • Siena: Suggested manually selecting and deleting drafts
• Conclusion
  • Apple Mail has some organizational quirks compared to Gmail
  • The app automatically creates drafts even for incomplete compositions
  • There’s no easy way to bulk delete drafts in the native Mail app

Coming Up Next Week

Join us for changing Voiceover pronounciations on Dec, 3. Also, check out the rest of the December lineup at the following link.

(Updated), What’s Coming Up on Techstravaganza for November and December 2025

Contact the team:

Email

support@techstravaganza.ca

Like us on Facebook

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On Audible:

https://www.audible.ca/podcast/Techstravaganza/B0FWTHWQG7?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

On iHeart:

On Spotify

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macOS Phone App Demonstration

Siena demonstrated the new Phone app in macOS, explaining its functionality as a secondary phone interface that works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac when devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi and iCloud account. The app allows users to make calls, send messages, and access call history, with Liz inquiring about its availability on iPad, which Siena confirmed. The discussion included practical uses of the app, such as making calls when the phone is charging or left in another room, and participants shared personal experiences about where they keep their phones at home.

Mac Phone Call and Notifications

Siena and Ali demonstrated how to make and end phone calls on a Mac using the phone app and Notification Center, including navigating call history and ending calls. They discussed the differences between full screen and banner modes for notifications, and Ali mentioned exploring the option to change the notification style on the Mac. John joined the conversation briefly to clarify that the notification banner on the Mac looks similar to iOS’s floating window.

Mac Notification Management Tutorial

Siena and Ali explored how to manage and interact with phone notifications on a Mac, including changing alert styles to persistent banners and adjusting notification settings for specific applications. They tested answering a FaceTime call through the Mac’s Notification Center, noting some initial confusion with the labeling but successfully completing the task. Both participants acknowledged this as a learning experience, as Siena had never used a Mac to make or answer calls before.

MacOS 2026 Phone Call Features

Siena demonstrated how to answer phone calls on a Mac using macOS 2026’s new notification center feature, which treats phone calls as FaceTime calls. She showed that calls can be answered through the notification center even when the phone app is closed, though the phone app must be open to end calls. Siena also briefly mentioned a new feature in macOS 2026 that provides message and email summaries, though she didn’t demonstrate this functionality.

Mail App VoiceOver Features Update

Siena demonstrated the new Mail app features on Mac, including how to navigate between mailboxes and messages using VoiceOver commands, and showed the AI summary button that provides a concise summary of email content. She noted that while there weren’t many new VoiceOver features in the update, the summary button was particularly useful for quickly understanding email content without reading the full message. Liz inquired about the VO left/right commands and learned that these gestures are equivalent to flicking left/right on iPads that support the feature, with Siena suggesting that the iPad Mini 7 and up, as well as the Air 3 and up, support this functionality.

Email Content Display Issues Investigation

The team discussed issues with email excerpts not displaying properly in some cases, with Ali confirming that the full newsletter content is actually visible when scrolling down in the email. They identified that the problem might be related to how the email is displayed on different devices or email clients, as some team members were able to see the full content while others saw only an excerpt with a “continue reading” link. Ali agreed to investigate further and potentially make adjustments to ensure consistent display of the full content across all devices.

Email Formatting and Accessibility Issues

The team discussed issues with email formatting and accessibility, particularly regarding heading blocks and their impact on mobile readability. They explored mail settings and default email app configurations, with Ali demonstrating how to adjust settings on both iPhone and Mac. The group agreed to investigate whether different account types (iCloud vs Gmail) might be affecting the display issues, and Siena confirmed she would try adding heading blocks to improve navigation while being mindful of potential formatting complications.

Gmail Email Header Improvements

The team discussed issues with email headers and navigation in Gmail, particularly regarding Techstravaganza reminders. Liz suggested adding a sentence to the existing header rather than creating new blocks, which would help maintain consistency. They explored potential causes for scrolling and link-finding difficulties, including the use of threaded views and calendar integration. The group agreed to investigate further before making changes to their email templates.

Email Calendar Invite Simplification

The team discussed issues with email calendar invites and decided to simplify the process by creating a block pattern or template with essential meeting details. They agreed to remove unnecessary information like Find Your Local Number and the calendar view to make it easier for participants. Siena suggested using Google Calendar directly and copying the link with the required information once, rather than doing it weekly. The team also discussed how switching from direct email to a newsletter format allows for larger, unlimited subscriber lists.

Newsletter Format Simplification Discussion

The team discussed streamlining the newsletter format by removing extraneous embedded content and focusing on essential information like Zoom meeting links. They identified that the current format was cluttered and made it difficult to see key details. Siena and Ali agreed to simplify the newsletter by using excerpts and removing unnecessary information like location tags. They also addressed an issue with the iPad status bar disappearing in Mac OS 26, finding that it was still present but harder to access due to smaller icons. The team decided to encourage participants to use the Zoom app for easier access to meeting details, noting that it was free.

Contact the team:

Email

support@techstravaganza.ca

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

https://www.audible.ca/podcast/Techstravaganza/B0FWTHWQG7?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

On iHeart:

On Spotify

https://spotify.link/vVGru9nKBXb