This guide provides a detailed overview of Narrator, a screen-reading application integrated into Windows 11. It serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding Narrator’s functionalities and leveraging them to navigate applications, browse the web, and more. Furthermore, it points to resources to assist with internet and web programming.
Note: This guide is available as a Word doc and a PDF (in English only). For additional languages or formats, contact the Disability Answer Desk.
For guidance on using Narrator within Office applications like Outlook and Word, refer to these articles: Use a screen reader with Office apps.
Table of Contents
| Chapter | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Introducing Narrator | An overview of Narrator including how to start and stop it. |
| Chapter 2: Narrator basics | How to get around the screen, find and open apps, change what Narrator reads, and adjust speech rate and volume. |
| Chapter 3: Using Scan Mode | How to use scan mode to navigate apps, email, and the web. |
| Chapter 4: Reading text | How to read and get info about text, such as font, text color, and punctuation. |
| Chapter 5: Navigation | How to get more info on the app or page you’re exploring using Narrator views. |
| Chapter 6: Using Narrator with Touch | How to use Narrator with touch, including basic gestures. |
| Chapter 7: Customizing Narrator | How to change how the Narrator starts, determine how much feedback you hear when typing, change Narrator commands, and use third-party text-to-speech (TTS) software. |
| Chapter 8: Using Narrator with Braille | How to use Narrator with a refreshable braille display. |
| Appendix A: Supported languages and voices | A list of supported languages for legacy and natural voices in Narrator. |
| Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures | A list of Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures. |
| Appendix C: Supported braille displays | A list of braille displays supported by the Narrator. |
| Appendix D: Narrator sounds | A list of the sounds the Narrator uses and what those sounds mean. |
| Appendix E: Narrator with Outlook | How to use Narrator with Outlook extension. |
| Appendix F: Narrator with Excel | How to use Narrator with Excel extension. |
| Appendix G: Troubleshooting Narrator Natural Voices setup issues | How to Troubleshoot the Narrator Natural Voices setup issues. |
| Appendix H: List of Issues and Bugs fixed | A list of issues and bugs fixed in this release. |
| Appendix I: History of Narrator Updates | A list of narrator update history. |
What’s New in Narrator
Stay up-to-date with the latest Narrator enhancements and features.
November 2024 Release
This version focuses on improving Narrator’s overall performance, introducing three new shortcuts, and resolving various bugs. Notably, it addresses performance degradation issues that occurred with prolonged usage, ensuring consistent performance over time.
Narrator now provides new keyboard shortcuts. By pressing the Narrator key + Ctrl + X, users can copy the last phrase spoken by Narrator to the clipboard. This copied text can then be pasted into applications such as Teams, Outlook, or Word.
Scan mode gains two new shortcuts. When scan mode is active, pressing ‘L‘ navigates directly to lists within documents, emails, or web pages. The ‘N’ shortcut skips blocks of links, useful for quickly accessing the primary content of a webpage. Scan mode can be toggled by pressing the Narrator key + spacebar.
This update resolves an issue where Narrator incorrectly announced “contains style” when encountering text with styling attributes like bullets or numbers in applications like Microsoft Edge, Teams, and Outlook. A bug preventing certain dialog boxes from scaling correctly with the 200% text scaling setting in Windows has also been fixed.
The narrator will now start auto-reading the email as soon as you press the ‘Enter’ key on the new Outlook Monarch, similar to the classic Outlook, without having to navigate to the email body and then pressing a separate shortcut to auto-read.
August 2024 Release
This release focuses on enhancing the performance of scan mode in Narrator. Typing in edit fields, such as the address bar, is now easier because Narrator scan mode will now turn off faster. This improvement will also help when filling in form fields, such as typing your name and address in different edit boxes.
A new keyboard shortcut has been added to hear battery and network status. The new shortcut is Narrator key + Shift + B. This will announce if your laptop is plugged for charging, followed by battery status, network name, and network status.
Few sample announcements are:
- Battery 79%, time remaining 1 hour 48 minutes, Network Sample Wi-Fi Internet access.
- Plugged in, battery 23%, network No internet access.
February 2024 Release
This update enhances the image reading experience, takes the first steps to support dictation using voice access alongside Narrator, allows previews of natural voices, and fixes bugs. To provide feedback, press Narrator + Alt + F while Narrator is running.
Tip: Remember that the Narrator key is a modifier key for commands. Both Caps Lock and Insert keys serve as the Narrator key by default. See Chapter 2: Narrator basics or Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures for details.
Enhancements to Image Consumption in Narrator
Two key improvements are made to how Narrator handles images:
-
A new keyboard command allows quick navigation between images on a screen or page. In Scan mode (Narrator key+spacebar), press G or Shift+G to move forward or backward between images.
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Text recognition within images, including handwriting, is improved, and overall image descriptions are more accurate. To experience this, focus on an image and press Narrator key+CTRL+d. An active internet connection is required, and the “obtain Image Descriptions” option must be enabled in Narrator settings. For more information, refer to image descriptions in Chapter 2: Narrator basics.
Dictate Text with Voice Access
Voice access in Windows 11 allows users, especially those with mobility limitations, to control their PC and write text using voice commands. Users can open and switch applications, browse the web, and create emails using their voice. Voice access utilizes on-device speech recognition, ensuring accuracy even without an internet connection. More information is available here: Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice.
Narrator users can now use voice access to dictate text and hear the dictated text read back. Furthermore, voice access can be used to control Narrator with commands such as “Turn on Narrator,” “speak faster,” “read selection,” and “read next line.”
A full list of Narrator commands supported by voice access is available by clicking the help icon (?) on the voice access bar, selecting View all commands, and choosing Narrator commands.
Note that not all voice access features work with Narrator. See the section below for more details. Voice access can be started by searching for it in the Windows Search bar or by pinning it to the task bar.
Functioning Features:
- Starting and setting up voice access, including downloading a speech model.
- Reading lists of voice access commands and Narrator commands from the voice access help menu.
- Changing the voice access microphone state.
- Dictating text and hearing the dictated text read back.
Non-Functioning Features:
- Using the voice access guide with a screen reader.
- Core voice access features for task completion:
- Using “Click” commands or number overlays to interact with specific screen items.
- Using grid overlays to control the mouse pointer.
- Using text editing features like corrections and spellings in voice access.
Tips:
- Use Alt+Tab to cycle through open applications and focus on the voice access UI.
- If you do not use headphones, the screen reader audio may be picked up by the voice access microphone, causing unwanted behavior.
Preview Natural Voices in Narrator
As part of the Windows September 2023 update, natural voices were added in 10 new locales: Chinese, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Japanese, English (UK), French, Portuguese, English (India), German, and Korean. Users can now preview these natural voices before downloading the voice model.
Downloaded Natural Narrator voices support on-device text-to-speech and do not require an internet connection. See the natural voices section in Appendix A: Supported languages and voices. for further details.
Resources for Internet and Web Programming PDF Learning
While this document primarily focuses on Narrator, a crucial accessibility tool, it’s essential to provide resources for those interested in learning internet and web programming. Many resources offer comprehensive guides in PDF format, covering various aspects of web development:
- Web Development Fundamentals: Introductory guides covering HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Backend Development: Resources on server-side languages like Python, Node.js, and databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL.
- Frontend Frameworks: Tutorials and documentation for popular frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js.
- Accessibility in Web Development: Guides on creating accessible websites that comply with WCAG standards, ensuring inclusivity for all users. This is particularly relevant to Narrator users.
These resources can be found through online searches for “A Complete Guide To Internet And Web Programming Pdf” along with specific topics of interest. Always ensure the source is reputable and the information is up-to-date.
Conclusion
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Narrator screen reader in Windows 11, detailing its features, recent updates, and resources for further learning. By understanding and utilizing Narrator, users can effectively navigate their computers and access digital content. Furthermore, for individuals interested in internet and web programming, numerous PDF resources are available online, offering in-depth knowledge and practical guidance. Remember to consider accessibility when developing web applications to ensure an inclusive experience for all users, including those who rely on screen readers like Narrator.
