Microsoft Teams

How to Customize the Enter Key in Microsoft Teams Chat

By default, pressing Enter in a Microsoft Teams chat sends the message immediately. If you have ever accidentally sent a half-finished message, there is now a setting to change this behavior so Enter starts a new line instead.

The Default Behavior

In the default Teams configuration, typing a message and pressing Enter sends it right away. If you intended to start a new line, the message is already gone. You can press the up arrow key immediately to enter Edit mode on the last sent message, but that is a workaround, not a fix.

Microsoft Teams chat showing a message that was sent prematurely by pressing Enter — By default, pressing Enter immediately sends your message — which can be frustrating if you wanted a new line.

Changing Enter to Start a New Line

To change the behavior, go to Settings & more (the three-dot menu at the top right), then click Settings. In the left panel, select Chats and channels. Scroll down to the section that says "When writing a message, press Enter to" and you will see two options:

Send the message — the default
Start a new line — the new option (to send, use Ctrl+Enter)

Teams Settings showing Chats and channels with When writing a message press Enter to option set to Send the message — Navigate to Settings > Chats and channels to find the Enter key behavior option.

Select Start a new line. There is no save button — the setting takes effect immediately.

Teams Settings showing the Enter key option changed to Start a new line with note about using Ctrl+Enter to send — Select "Start a new line" and the change applies instantly. Use Ctrl+Enter to send messages.

Using the New Setting

Now when typing a message, pressing Enter creates a new line instead of sending. You can type multi-line messages naturally — for example, a list of items you are working on. When ready to send, press Ctrl+Enter.

Teams chat compose box showing a multi-line message with Enter starts a new line indicator at the bottom — With the new setting, Enter creates new lines and "Enter starts a new line" appears at the bottom of the compose box. Press Ctrl+Enter to send.

The up arrow shortcut still works the same way — pressing it with an empty compose box puts you into Edit mode on your last sent message.

Bonus Tip: Search Your Settings

If you ever forget where a setting is, use the search box at the top of the Settings panel. Type a keyword like "Enter" and Teams filters the options to show matching settings. Select the one you need and it jumps directly to that section.

Teams Settings search box with ENTER typed showing filtered results including Chats and channels When writing a message press Enter to — Search your Settings by keyword to quickly find any option — many people overlook this feature.

Bonus Tip: Formatting Mode with Ctrl+Shift+X

If you prefer to keep the default setting where Enter sends the message, there is another way to get multi-line support on demand. Press Ctrl+Shift+X to open the formatting toolbar. While the formatting toolbar is active, pressing Enter creates a new line instead of sending. When ready, press Ctrl+Enter to send.