Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Lens

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and  Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

Use Microsoft Lens with VoiceOver, the in-built iOS screen reader, to quickly do all essential basic tasks, such as choosing a capture mode, taking a picture, editing a picture, importing a file, or saving a picture.

Notes: 

  • 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 iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

In this topic

Choose a capture mode

  1. In Microsoft Lens, swipe right until you hear “Camera mode,” followed by the currently selected mode.

  2. Swipe up or down with to cycle between capture modes.

Take a picture

  1. Swipe right until you hear: “Capture button.”

  2. Aim the camera at the target you wish to take a picture of and then double-tap the screen. You hear: “Processing complete.”

Edit a picture

Crop a picture

  1. Once you have taken a picture, swipe right until you hear “Crop button,” and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Cycle between the crop handles around the image by swiping left or right. Double-tap and drag on the screen to move the crop handle.

  3. Swipe right until you hear “Done,” and then double-tap the screen.

Rotate a picture

  1. Once you have taken a picture, swipe right until you hear “Rotate button,” and then double-tap the screen. The image is rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

  2. To rotate the image further in 90-degree increments, double-tap the screen again.

Import a file

  1. In Microsoft Lens, swipe right until you hear “Choose photo from library button,” and then double-tap the screen. The Photos window opens.

  2. Select a folder you wish to import a file from by swiping right until you hear the name of the correct folder, and then double-tap the screen.

  3. Select the file you wish to import by swiping right until you hear the correct file name, and then double-tap the screen. The selected file is opened in Microsoft Lens.

Save a picture

  1. Once you have taken an image, swipe right until you hear “Done button,” and double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear “Title,” and double-tap the screen.

  3. Use the on-screen keyboard to give a name to the file.

  4. To select the location you wish to save the picture to, swipe right until you hear the location you want and double-tap the screen to select it. You can select multiple locations.

See also

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Lens

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use Microsoft Lens with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to quickly do all essential basic tasks, such as choosing a capture mode, taking a picture, editing a picture, importing a file, or saving a picture.

Notes: 

  • 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 Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.

In this topic

Choose a capture mode

  1. In Microsoft Lens, swipe right until you hear “Capture modes,” followed by the currently selected mode.

  2. Swipe up or down with two fingers to cycle between capture modes.

Take a picture

  1. Swipe right until you hear: “Capture button.”

  2. Aim the camera at the target you wish to take a picture of and then double-tap the screen.

  3. You hear “Processed image,” followed by the number of images in the current batch.

Edit a picture

Crop a picture

  1. Once you have taken a picture, swipe right until you hear “Crop” and then double-tap the screen.

  2. To cycle between the crop handles around the image, swipe left or right. Double-tap and drag on the screen to move the crop handle.

  3. Swipe right until you hear “Done button,” and then double-tap the screen.

Rotate a picture

  1. Once you have taken a picture, swipe right until you hear “Rotate,” and then double-tap the screen. The image is rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

  2. To rotate the image further in 90-degree increments, double-tap the screen again.

Import a file

  1. In Microsoft Lens, swipe right until you hear “Import button,” and then double-tap the screen. The Recent folder opens, listing recently added photos on the device.

  2. To change the root folder shown, swipe right until you hear “Show roots button,” double-tap the screen, and then select a new folder by swiping right until you hear the correct one, and selecting it by double-tapping the screen again.

  3. To navigate subfolders of the selected root folder, swipe right until you hear the correct name, then double-tap the screen to open that folder.

  4. Select the file you wish to import by swiping right until you hear the correct file, and then double-tap the screen.

  5. Swipe right until you hear “Done,” and then double tap the screen. The selected file is opened in Microsoft Lens.

Save a picture

  1. Once you have taken an image, swipe right until you hear “Save image button,” and double-tap the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear the date and time the picture was taken followed by “Office Lens, edit box” and double-tap the screen.

  3. Use the on-screen keyboard to give a name to the file.

  4. Swipe right until you hear: “Save to.”

  5. To select the location you wish to save the picture to, swipe right until you hear the location you want and double-tap the screen to select it. You can select multiple locations.

See also

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Lens

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

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.

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