Use and manage keyboard shortcuts
To streamline your calling experience, you have the ability to place and receive calls via keyboard shortcuts optimized for Windows and Mac. Using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly call a phone number copied to your clipboard, manage incoming and active calls, and more!
Under Settings 
> Keyboard shortcuts, you have access to:
- Global shortcuts, which work regardless of whether 8x8 Work for Desktop is open and selected. You can edit your global shortcuts at any time; with a few clicks, assign a new key combination to any global shortcut!
- In-app shortcuts, which work if 8x8 Work for Desktop is open and selected.
Note: When you use an in-app keyboard shortcut rather than a global shortcut, you must have 8x8 Work for Desktop open and selected as you enter the shortcut.
| Default Shortcut | Shortcut Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
|
Highlight to dial (Windows)
|
|
|
|
Accept incoming call
|
Answer an incoming call. |
|
|
Decline incoming call
|
Decline an incoming call. |
|
|
Hangup
|
End the current call. |
|
|
Switch between Work and the Call Control window
|
Switch focus between the Work app main window and the Call Control window. |
|
|
Search
|
In-app |
Open the search bar. |
|
Keypad
|
In-app |
Open your keypad. |
|
Mute/unmute
|
In-app |
Mute or unmute the current call. |
|
Hold and answer
|
In-app |
Place the current call on hold, and answer an incoming call. |
|
End and answer
|
In-app |
End the current call, and answer an incoming call. |
|
Monitor
|
In-app |
(Only available on extensions set up for Barge-Monitor-Whisper) Monitor the current call of the selected contact. Note: In order to use the shortcuts for monitor and direct barge, you must have the desired person's contact details in 8x8 Work for Desktop open and selected as you enter a shortcut. |
|
Barge
|
In-app |
(Only available on extensions set up for Barge-Monitor-Whisper) Barge in on the current call of the selected contact without monitoring. Note: In order to use the shortcuts for monitor and direct barge, you must have the desired person's contact details in 8x8 Work for Desktop open and selected as you enter a shortcut. |
|
Promote call to meeting
|
In-app |
Promote the current call to a meeting via 8x8 Meet. |
|
Meet now
|
In-app |
Launch a meeting via 8x8 Meet. |
|
New message
|
In-app |
Open a new chat message. |
|
Compact/Expanded mode
|
In-app |
Switch between a narrow Compact and wide Expanded view of the application window. |
|
Close window
|
In-app |
Close the application window. |
|
Send feedback
|
In-app |
Open a feedback form for ideas and suggestions on the application. |
|
Quit
|
In-app |
Quit the application. |
Important: If some of the keyboard shortcuts available for 8x8 Work for Desktop overlap with shortcuts used for other applications on your computer, entering a shortcut intended for 8x8 Work may bring up a different application instead.
For details, see our FAQ on keyboard shortcut conflicts.
In addition, If you are an office manager or supervisor whose extension is set up to use the Barge-Monitor-Whisper feature, you can take advantage of new shortcuts to monitor calls and to barge directly in on calls. To use whisper or to barge in on a call you are already monitoring, you continue to dial the existing combinations from within a monitored call.
Note: In order to use the shortcuts for monitor and direct barge, you must have the desired person's contact details in 8x8 Work for Desktop open and selected as you enter a shortcut.
Manage global shortcuts
When you go to Settings > Keyboard shortcuts, you see a list of some of the keyboard shortcuts available to you. These are your global shortcuts, which function regardless of whether 8x8 Work for Desktop is open and selected.
At any time, you can edit or delete a key combination in the list, or reset to the default key combinations for all related features. When you update or delete a key combination in your shortcut list, the corresponding shortcut listed under the Calls drop-down of the top menu is immediately updated.
To edit a keyboard shortcut:
- In your list of keyboard shortcuts, hover over the desired shortcut, and click the Edit
option that pops up to highlight the existing key combination.
- With the existing combination highlighted, enter the desired combination (such as pressing Ctrl+Shift+Q simultaneously on Windows, or Ctrl+Cmd+Q on Mac). The combination is detected and entered as the new keyboard shortcut for the selected feature.
To remove a keyboard shortcut:
- In your list of keyboard shortcuts, hover over the desired shortcut, and click the Delete
option that pops up to highlight the existing key combination. - At the prompt, confirm to delete the key combination associated with the selected feature. The shortcut is replaced with a Click to set option, enabling you to set a new shortcut for the feature at any time.
