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Shift + Tab does not reverse indent, Windows 10 64bit, Microsoft Word 2010

Anonymous
2015-12-01T13:05:54+00:00

Hello,

Suddenly, my Shift + Tab is not reverse indenting in Word. I have already tried what many forums suggested:

File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > Check Set left- and first-indent with tabs and backspaces

This does not work. I also checked to see if it was a keyboard issue but opening NotePad++ and typing text and then reverse indenting with Shift + Tab - this works in NotePad ++, so I do not think it's my computer's keyboard. Can someone please help me resolve this problem?

Thanks

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-11-16T00:46:37+00:00

    I figured it out.  The behavior is different if your cursor is sitting in whitespace, or with text.

    If I have the following in my Word doc (no bullets, no list):

    HEADING

    Sub Heading

    First Bullet

    • If I place my cursor at the beginning of "First Bullet", then I can press Tab as many times as I want to increase the indentation of that text.
    • If I start a new line after "First Bullet", then my indentation level starts at the same level as the previous line and I can press Tab as many times as I want to add tab characters, but pressing Shift+Tab ALSO adds a tab character.
    • If I start a new line after "First Bullet" and type a single non-whitespace character, then I can place my cursor in front of that character and press Tab as many times as I want to increase the indentation of that text.  I can also then use Shift+Tab to decrease the indentation as many times as I want.

    Note:  It is really easy to think you are increasing the indentation level with Tab, but sometimes you are adding tab characters...  The presence of whitespace will prevent Tab from increasing the indentation level AND Shift+Tab from decreasing the indentation level - new tab characters will be added instead.

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  1. Stefan Blom 339.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2016-12-22T21:09:11+00:00

    I have no idea who you talked to, but the person is wrong. You can use the Shift key to indent text, and you can use Shift+Tab to outdent, assuming that the "Set left and first indent with tabs and backspaces" is selected in the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box.

    The limitation is that for indenting unnumbered/unbulleted paragraphs, you have to type some text first and then place the insertion point at the beginning of the text line.

    Also, the shortcuts do not indent or outdent text inside a table cell.

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  2. Stefan Blom 339.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2017-04-10T22:32:33+00:00

    This is so annoying that Shift-Tab does not do as expected in bulleted lists.

    Every other program Shift-Tab is simply a reverse Tab -- like the opposite of Tab.  I could swear that it had always worked like this in Word.  Now, in Word 2016 it no longer works?

    Tab and Shift+Tab work for me in multilevel lists as long as the "Set left and first indent with tabs and backspaces" is selected on the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box (File | Options | Proofing | AutoCorrect Options). The insertion point must be on the first line of text in a numbered or bulleted paragraph when you press the shortcut.

    Note that there are also other shortcuts which can be used as alternatives: Alt+Shift+Right arrow demotes and Alt+Shift+Left arrow.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-04-10T22:08:14+00:00

    This is so annoying that Shift-Tab does not do as expected in bulleted lists.

    Every other program Shift-Tab is simply a reverse Tab -- like the opposite of Tab.  I could swear that it had always worked like this in Word.  Now, in Word 2016 it no longer works?

    That's not right.  Some would call it a violation.

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  4. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 322.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2016-12-22T22:37:02+00:00

    SHIFT+Tab only does the following:

    1. In a Multi-Level List, it raises the level, if the "Set left and first indent with tabs and backspaces" is selected in the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box.
    2. In a table, it moves the selection to the previous cell of the table

    In all other instances, the SHIFT key has no effect when used in conjunction with the Tab key.

    When the "Set left and first indent with tabs and backspaces" is selected in the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box, Tab moves the paragraph indent to the right by the Default tab space.  The Backspace key moves the indent to the left by the Default tab space.

    It is better however to use Styles.

    6 people found this answer helpful.
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