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.
If you're using a screen reader, and want to edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Microsoft 365 for the web with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update installed, turn off virtual/browse mode in your screen reader.
Notes:
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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.
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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.
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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 Microsoft 365 for the web, you have to turn off scan mode first.
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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.
