While you were typing in a Teams chat, you accidentally pressed the Enter key and the unfinished message was sent. Have you ever experienced that?

Actually, Microsoft Teams is designed to send a message immediately when you press the Enter key. If you think that "Enter will break a line" like in Word or LINE, you will end up sending the wrong message over and over again.

But don't worry. In the February 2026 update, an official setting was finally added that allows you to change the behavior of the Enter key to "line feed". In this article, we will explain everything from how to use the new settings, traditional line break techniques, and what to do if you send a message by mistake.

Why does Teams send on Enter?

In the first place, why is Teams designed to send messages by pressing the Enter key?

This is a design philosophy specific to chat tools. In many business chat tools such as Slack and Discord, "Enter key = Send" is the default. Unlike email, chat is based on exchanging short messages at a fast pace, so we make it possible to send messages quickly with a single press of Enter.

However, in document creation software such as Word and Google Docs, "Enter = new line" is common. If you use Teams with this feeling, a ``certain accident'' will occur where the message will fly away when trying to break a line.

Especially in Japanese input, you often press to confirm the conversion, so you may be more likely to send a wrong message than an English-speaking user.

[From February 2026] New setting to change the behavior of the Enter key to "line feed"

``Line break with Enter key'', which has been requested by users for many years, has finally been officially supported in late February 2026 update (MC1217643). According to the Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement, it will be rolled out sequentially from the end of February 2026, targeting the desktop and web versions of Teams.

The setup procedure is very easy.

  1. Open “…” (three-dot menu) → “Settings” in the top right corner of Teams
  2. Click Chats & Channels in the left menu
  3. Find the item "When composing a message, press Enter..."
  4. Select Start new line

This is all you need. If you change the settings, you will be able to use the Enter key to break a line, and sending messages will change to Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter for Mac).

By the way, this setting is saved per user and automatically synced across multiple devices. If you configure the settings on your work PC, the same settings will be reflected on your home PC, which is convenient.

Please note that this new setting is only compatible with the desktop version (Windows / Mac / Linux) and web version. Not yet deployed to the mobile app version (as of February 2026).

4 ways to break lines when new settings have not arrived yet

There is a time lag before updates are deployed to your organization. If you think, "The new settings haven't appeared in my environment yet!", use the traditional method below to break the line.

Method 1: Use Shift+Enter to break a line (most reliable)

Shift+Enter always results in a new line no matter the setting. You can use it whether or not the new settings have arrived, so if you keep this in mind, you'll be sure to do so.

However, to be honest, it's a pain to press Shift every time. For such people, we recommend the following method.

Method 2: Use formatting mode (format bar)

Click the A pen icon (Formatting) below the message input field to expand the input area and enter "Formatting mode."

In format mode, the Enter key acts as a line break, and to send, click the send button (paper airplane icon) at the bottom right of the input field, or press Ctrl+Enter.

In other words, the behavior of the Enter key changes just by switching to format mode, so you can have almost the same experience even without new settings.

Method 3: Switch formatting mode with Ctrl+Shift+X

If you don't want to click on icons with the mouse, you can toggle formatting mode on and off with the shortcut key Ctrl+Shift+X. It is convenient to switch quickly only when writing long sentences.

Method 4: Draft in Notepad and then copy and paste

If you are really worried about sending it by mistake, you can also write the text in Notepad or a text editor, then copy and paste it into Teams. Line breaks are reflected as they are, so you can safely send long messages. However, the drawback is that it is a little time-consuming.

I sent it by mistake! How to cancel/edit

Even if you think you've done something wrong, Teams has the ability to edit/delete sent messages, so stay calm and deal with it.

Edit sent messages

  1. Hover your mouse cursor over the message you sent
  2. Click “…” (more options) that appears
  3. Select Edit
  4. Rewrite and send the content

Edited messages will be marked with a small "Edited" message, but this is the smartest method if you have sent a half-finished message.

Delete sent messages

  1. Hover over the message and click “…”
  2. Select Delete

If you delete it, the message "This message has been deleted" will remain, but the contents will no longer be visible. However, If the other party has already read the message, there is a possibility that the content has been seen, so the golden rule is to ``delete it as soon as you notice.''

Edit quickly with keyboard shortcuts

Actually, if you have just sent a message, just press ↑ (up arrow key) to enter edit mode. If you notice a mistake, the quickest way to fix it is to immediately press the up arrow key.

Recommended operating rules: It is safe to decide as a team

Mis-sent messages are not only an individual problem, but also affect the communication of the entire team. Sharing the following rules with your team will help everyone feel comfortable using Teams.

  • Anyone can send a message, so create a tacit agreement not to poke fun at each other
  • Encourage your team to use format mode when sending long messages
  • When new Enter key settings arrive, inform the entire team to reduce false submission rates
  • Important communications should be Channel posts instead of chats (channels were originally created by pressing Enter to break a line)

By the way, in channel posts (threaded posts) in Teams, the Enter key originally works as a line break. Another cause of confusion is that the Enter key behaves differently in chats and channels, so it's a good idea to keep this difference in mind.

FAQ

Can I change the Teams Enter key settings on the mobile app?

As of February 2026, the new Enter key settings are only compatible with the desktop version (Windows / Mac / Linux) and web version. It has not yet been rolled out to iOS or Android mobile apps. On mobile, continue to press Shift+Enter to break a line.

If I change the Enter key settings, will the behavior of channel posts change?

No, channel posts are originally designed to break lines with the Enter key, so this setting change will not affect them. The only setting that will change is the chat input field.

Can an IT administrator change the Enter key settings in bulk?

According to Microsoft's announcement (MC1217643), this setting is a personal setting for each user, and there is no ability for IT administrators to control it collectively through policy. Each user must change the settings themselves.

If I press Enter after confirming the conversion of Japanese input, will it be sent?

Usually, Enter when converting Japanese input is not sent. However, depending on the operation and timing of the IME (Japanese input software), there have been cases where a message is sent at the same time the conversion is confirmed. If you are worried, you can feel safe by changing the Enter key setting to "Start a new line".

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