Narrator views
The different views in Narrator include items, characters, words, sentences, lines, paragraphs , headings, links, form fields, tables, landmarks, and suggestions. To change views, you can use the following commands:
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Narrator + Page up and Narrator + Page down
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Narrator + Ctrl + Up arrow key and Narrator + Ctrl + Down arrow key
To navigate by the view that you’ve selected, press Narrator + Left arrow key or Narrator + Right arrow key.
Tip: The Narrator key is a modifier key in the Narrator commands. Both the Caps lock key and the Insert key serve as your Narrator key by default. For more info on the Narrator key, go to Chapter 2: Narrator basics or Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures.
Tip: Views are especially useful when you’re navigating by touch. Learn more about using touch with Narrator in Chapter 6: Using Narrator with touch.
Navigate landmarks
Landmarks group similar elements on your screen so you easily navigate to them. Some webpages and apps, like Microsoft Store in Windows 11, have landmarks. Some Windows features like the Start menu also have landmarks.
To move to the main landmark, press Narrator + N. To get a list of landmarks for a page or app, press Narrator + F5. For more ways to work with landmarks, go to Chapter 3: Using scan mode.
Navigate suggestions
Suggestions are available when you enter information in a text box in some apps and parts of Windows 11. For example, when you enter text in the search box after pressing the Windows logo key, suggestions are provided as you type.
When a suggestion is available, Narrator indicates it by playing a sound and voice message. A Narrator view is available to navigate suggestions, but generally, you’ll also be able to press the Up and Down arrow keys to move through suggestions, and Enter to select one.
Use Narrator Find
Use Narrator Find to find what you need on the web, in applications, and in documents. To open Narrator Find and search for a word or phrase, press Narrator + Ctrl + F. Then, to go to the first result (starting from your cursor position), select Find next or press Enter. The narrator will focus on the result and not on the search dialog. Then press Narrator + F3 to go to the next result or Narrator + Shift + F3 to go to the previous result.
Note: Turn on the alternate command key (Fn or F Lock) before you press the function keys (F6 or F7) in the following sections. To find out more about the alternate command keys, read How do I use the Fn key/F Lock key/Alternate command keys?
Navigate links on a page
If you'd like to explore a list of all the links on a page, press Narrator + F7. To navigate the list, press the Up or Down arrow key, and press Enter to go to that link's location on the page. When you already know part of the link you want, you can type some text to filter this list. Then, to follow the link, press Enter.
Navigate headings on a page
If you’d like to explore a list of all the headings on a page, press Narrator + F6. To navigate the list, press the Up or Down arrow key, and press Enter to go to that heading’s location on the page.
Navigate landmarks on a page
If you’d like to explore a list of all the landmarks on a page, press Narrator + F5. To navigate the list, press the Up or Down arrow key, and press Enter to go to that landmark’s location on the page.
Web reading improvements
No more unhelpful hyperlinks
The narrator will give you the title of the webpage for a link. Press Narrator + Ctrl + D, and Narrator will take the URL of the hyperlink you are on and send it to an online service that will provide the page title to Narrator. If you would like to disable all online services used by Narrator, you can turn this off in Narrator settings.
Get a quick summary of a webpage
Hear a webpage summary that includes the number of links, landmarks, and headings by pressing Narrator + S.
Popular links and full webpage summary
Press Narrator + S twice quickly to pull up a dialog box on the screen with the following info: the number of links, landmarks, and headings on a page, and a list of popular links for a page (popular links are the links on the page that get the most clicks). If a page has popular links, you can press the Tab key to navigate through them, and press Enter to go to the linked webpage.
Webpages are read automatically
Narrator automatically starts reading webpages starting from the top.
Next: Chapter 6: Using Narrator with touch
Go back to the Table of Contents
Narrator views
The different views in Narrator include items, characters, words, sentences, lines, paragraphs , headings, links, form fields, tables, landmarks, and suggestions. To change views, you can use the following commands:
-
Narrator + Page up and Narrator + Page down
-
Narrator + Ctrl + Up arrow key and Narrator + Ctrl + Down arrow key
To navigate by the view that you’ve selected, press Narrator + Left arrow key or Narrator + Right arrow key.
Tip: The Narrator key is a modifier key in the Narrator commands. Both the Caps lock key and the Insert key serve as your Narrator key by default. For more info on the Narrator key, go to Chapter 2: Narrator basics or Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures.
Tip: Views are especially useful when you’re navigating by touch. Learn more about using touch with Narrator in Chapter 6: Using Narrator with touch.
Navigate landmarks
Landmarks group similar elements on your screen so you easily navigate to them. Some webpages and apps, like Microsoft Store in Windows 10, have landmarks. Some Windows features like the Start menu also have landmarks.
To move to the main landmark, press Narrator + N. To get a list of landmarks for a page or app, press Narrator + F5. For more ways to work with landmarks, go to Chapter 3: Using scan mode.
Navigate suggestions
Suggestions are available when you enter information in a text box in some apps and parts of Windows 10. For example, when you enter text in the search box after pressing the Windows logo key, suggestions are provided as you type.
When a suggestion is available, Narrator indicates it by playing a sound and voice message. A Narrator view is available to navigate suggestions, but generally, you’ll also be able to press the Up and Down arrow keys to move through suggestions, and Enter to select one.
Use Narrator Find
Use Narrator Find to find what you need on the web, in applications, and in documents. To open Narrator Find and search for a word or phrase, press Narrator + Ctrl + F. Then, to go to the first result (starting from your cursor position), select Find next or press Enter. Narrator will focus on the result and not on the search dialog. Then press Narrator + F3 to go to the next result or Narrator + Shift + F3 to go to the previous result.
Note: Turn on the alternate command key (Fn or F Lock) before you press the function keys (F6 or F7) in the following sections. To find out more about the alternate command keys, read How do I use the Fn key/F Lock key/Alternate command keys?
Navigate links on a page
If you'd like to explore a list of all the links on a page, press Narrator + F7. To navigate the list, press the Upor Down arrow key, and press Enter to go to that link's location on the page. When you already know part of the link you want, you can type some text to filter this list. Then, to follow the link, press Enter.
Navigate headings on a page
If you’d like to explore a list of all the headings on a page, press Narrator + F6. To navigate the list, press the Up or Down arrow key, and press Enter to go to that heading’s location on the page.
Navigate landmarks on a page
If you’d like to explore a list of all the landmarks on a page, press Narrator + F5. To navigate the list, press the Up or Down arrow key, and press Enter to go to that landmark’s location on the page.
Web reading improvements
No more unhelpful hyperlinks
Narrator will give you the title of the webpage for a link. Press Narrator + Ctrl + D, and Narrator will take the URL of the hyperlink you are on and send it to an online service that will provide the page title to Narrator. If you would like to disable all online services used by Narrator, you can turn this off in Narrator settings.
Get a quick summary of a webpage
Hear a webpage summary that includes the number of links, landmarks, and headings by pressing Narrator + S.
Popular links and full webpage summary
Press Narrator + S twice quickly to pull up a dialog box on the screen with the following info: the number of links, landmarks, and headings on a page, and a list of popular links for a page (popular links are the links on the page that get the most clicks). If a page has popular links, you can press the Tab key to navigate through them, and press Enter to go to the linked webpage.
Webpages are read automatically
Narrator automatically starts reading webpages starting from the top.
Next: Chapter 6: Using Narrator with touch
Go back to the Table of Contents
