Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Office Support home.

If you’re using a screen reader, and want to edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Office for the web with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update installed, turn off virtual/browse mode in your screen reader.

New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Windows screen reader, Narrator. To learn more about using Narrator, go to Complete guide to Narrator.

This topic assumes you are using this app with a PC. Some navigation and gestures might be different for a Windows phone or tablet.

Turn off scan mode in Narrator

In Narrator, the built-in Windows screen reader, virtual/browse mode is known as scan mode. If you have Windows 10 Fall Creators Update installed, Windows automatically turns on scan mode when using Narrator. In order to edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Office for the web, you have to turn off scan mode first.

To turn scan mode on and off, press Caps Lock+Spacebar.

You hear «Scan» when you turn scan mode on, and «Scan off» when you turn it off.

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

Windows 10: screen readers

I think this has been brought up here before, but here goes. I’m a blind user, so one of the most important things for me when using a computer is accessibility, specifically a fully functional screen reader. Right now I’m using NVDA, which works fairly well on WIndows 10 preview billed 10049. It would be nice, however, to be able to enable and use a fuly functional screen reader that’s fully integrated into Windows 10, however. Narrator, Microsoft’s native screen reader, is nowhere near fully functional. Compare with Apple’s VoiceOver or even with Google Talkback. Narrator comes out as a poor third or fourth or even father down the scale of usability. With a built-in, fully functional screen reader, Windows phones and tablets would become just as popular with the blind community as are IPhones and IPads, particularly if they are more affordable.

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Thanks for the feedback and for checking out Windows 10. I’m glad that NVDA is working fairly well for you on Windows 10.

I’d love to know what your top 1-3 suggestions for Narrator are. What features do you most want? What’s the top thing that doesn’t cut it for you?

We’re tracking feedback about Narrator from several places, including from these forums and the Windows Feedback App, so feel free to send us more suggestions there or upvote existing feedback. If you are ever using Narrator and come across something that isn’t right, you can send us a «frown» directly in Narrator using the new Negative Feedback command, CAPS + E. In build 10061, holding CAPS and pressing E twice will allow you to send additional written feedback about what went wrong.

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HiDanielle, thanks for the reply. One of the more annoying thingsabout Narrator is its lack of functionality, by which I mean that so many things are not accessible. Document editing and reading tops this list. If there’s a way to read documents with Narrator, I’ve never found. So a say-all function in Narrator would be extremely useful, along with acompatibility with Office apps and Project Spartan if possible. Right now Narratortends to be used mostly as a navigational aid—I personallyhave used it to installmore functional screenreaders time and time again. To be able to use this appas a full screen reader, rather than just a navigational aid to the PC, would be nice.

On a side note, the new mail and calendar apps look great. However, creating emails in mail, or documents in the office preview apps, is currently impossible with screen raders. When I attempt to open anew document or email with a screen reader, the apps promptly crash. Once this issue is fixed, these apps will become fully accessible.

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Windows 10: screen readers

I think this has been brought up here before, but here goes. I’m a blind user, so one of the most important things for me when using a computer is accessibility, specifically a fully functional screen reader. Right now I’m using NVDA, which works fairly well on WIndows 10 preview billed 10049. It would be nice, however, to be able to enable and use a fuly functional screen reader that’s fully integrated into Windows 10, however. Narrator, Microsoft’s native screen reader, is nowhere near fully functional. Compare with Apple’s VoiceOver or even with Google Talkback. Narrator comes out as a poor third or fourth or even father down the scale of usability. With a built-in, fully functional screen reader, Windows phones and tablets would become just as popular with the blind community as are IPhones and IPads, particularly if they are more affordable.

Was this discussion helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this discussion?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this discussion?

Thanks for your feedback.

Replies (6) 

Thanks for the feedback and for checking out Windows 10. I’m glad that NVDA is working fairly well for you on Windows 10.

I’d love to know what your top 1-3 suggestions for Narrator are. What features do you most want? What’s the top thing that doesn’t cut it for you?

We’re tracking feedback about Narrator from several places, including from these forums and the Windows Feedback App, so feel free to send us more suggestions there or upvote existing feedback. If you are ever using Narrator and come across something that isn’t right, you can send us a «frown» directly in Narrator using the new Negative Feedback command, CAPS + E. In build 10061, holding CAPS and pressing E twice will allow you to send additional written feedback about what went wrong.

1 person found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

HiDanielle, thanks for the reply. One of the more annoying thingsabout Narrator is its lack of functionality, by which I mean that so many things are not accessible. Document editing and reading tops this list. If there’s a way to read documents with Narrator, I’ve never found. So a say-all function in Narrator would be extremely useful, along with acompatibility with Office apps and Project Spartan if possible. Right now Narratortends to be used mostly as a navigational aid—I personallyhave used it to installmore functional screenreaders time and time again. To be able to use this appas a full screen reader, rather than just a navigational aid to the PC, would be nice.

On a side note, the new mail and calendar apps look great. However, creating emails in mail, or documents in the office preview apps, is currently impossible with screen raders. When I attempt to open anew document or email with a screen reader, the apps promptly crash. Once this issue is fixed, these apps will become fully accessible.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How to Use Windows 10’s Narrator to Read Your Screen Aloud

Windows Narrator is a screen reader and text-to-speak tool that allows you to hear text and screen elements read aloud. Here’s how to use and customize this accessibility feature.

Windows has long offered a screen reader and text-to-speech feature called Narrator. This tool can read web pages, text documents, and other files aloud, as well as speak every action you take in Windows. Narrator is specifically designed for the visually impaired, but it can be used by anyone. Let’s see how it works in Windows 10.

Turn on Narrator

If you want to use Narrator, the feature must first be turned on. Click the Start button and open Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator to view the Narrator pane. Turn on the Narrator button and a message may appear explaining how the Narrator keyboard layout has been updated to more closely match your experience with other screen readers.

Click OK to dispense with this message, and check the box next to “Don’t show again” if you don’t want to see this message each time Narrator starts.

How to Use Narrator

Now, if you want to use Narrator as a helpful text-to-speech reader, you’re ready to go. You just have to turn on the functionality when inside a web page, document, or file. Move your cursor to the area of text you want Narrator to start reading. Press Caps Lock + R and Narrator starts reading the text on the page to you. Stop Narrator from speaking by pressing the Ctrl key.

Change Narrator Settings

First, let’s look at the different Narrator settings available as you scroll down the screen.

• Open Narrator Home. This opens a «Welcome to Narrator» screen where you can learn how to use and customize the tool and find out about new features.

• View the complete guide to Narrator online.This takes you a web page that offers complete information on using Narrator with a table of contents and a description of new features.

Start-Up Options

• Allow the shortcut key to start Narrator. If this box is checked, you can use the keystroke Win key+Ctrl+Enter to turn Narrator on and off.

• Start Narrator after sign-in for me. This starts Narrator after you sign into Windows with your account.

• Show Narrator Home when Narrator starts.This automatically takes you to the Welcome to Narrator screen when the tool starts.

• Minimize Narrator Home to the system tray. This minimizes the «Welcome to Narrator» screen to the taskbar.

Personalize Narrator’s Voice

You can change the Narrator’s voice a number of different ways. From the Narrator settings screen, use the drop-down menu to choose which voice you want to use for Narrator.

You can also change the speed, pitch, and volume of your chosen voice through the sliders on the settings screen. Certain keystrokes can also be used to change these elements.

Additional voices can be added to Windows, including those for other languages, by navigating to Settings > Time & Language > Language. Click the “Add more voices” link, and on the next screen, click the Add voices button. Choose the language you wish to add and click Add.

Change What You Hear

By default, Narrator will speak aloud any buttons, screens, or windows you hover over or select, as well as any text on those screens. If you want to change this level, click the drop-down menu next to “Change the level of detail Narrator provides about text and controls.” For example, to hear only text and not controls narrated, select the option for Text only or Some text details.

Below the drop-down menu are additional options to check that will have Narrator emphasize formatted text, read aloud by character, use punctuation to determine pauses, and speak advanced details, like help text, on buttons and other controls.

The second drop-down menu in this section allows you to set the level of context that Narrator provides for buttons and other controls. You may want to first try the highest option, “Full context of old and new controls,” and then lower the level if you wish to hear less context. You can then set when Narrator provides details about buttons, either before or after you activate them. Next, you can try the other three options for this section: Hear hints on how to interact with buttons and other controls; Hear Narrator announce why an action can’t be performed; and Hear audio cues when you perform actions.

Under the “Change what you hear when typing” section, you can determine whether you want to hear letters, numbers, words, function keys, navigation keys, toggle keys, and modifier keys as you type them.

Additional Settings to Change

Under the “Choose keyboard settings” section, you can select your keyboard layout and pick the Narrator modified key. Click the link for “Create your own keyboard commands,” and you can choose from a variety of commands to use with Narrator.

In the “Use Narrator cursor” section, you can determine how and where the Narrator cursor works and how you can control it with your mouse or keyboard. Under the “Use braille” section, you can install and set up braille software to use a braille display with Windows.

Under the “Sync my settings” section, click the “Use current settings before sign-in” button to save any changes you made to Narrator settings so they automatically apply to anyone else who uses Windows on this computer.