Narrator is a screen-reading app built into Windows 10. This guide describes how to use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on desktop PCs, providing you with enough info to start exploring Windows, using apps, and browsing the web. It’s written for those who use a screen reader regularly.
To use this guide, choose a link from the following table of contents. When you’re done reading a chapter or appendix, select the Back button in your browser to return to this page and select another chapter. There are also links at the end of each chapter and appendix to go to the next chapter or return to this table of contents.
Following the table of contents on this page is a section about what's new in Narrator in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
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: Learning 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: Using Narrator with touch | How to use Narrator with touch, including basic gestures. |
| Chapter 6: Customizing Narrator | How to change how Narrator starts, determine how much feedback you hear when typing, change Narrator commands, and use third-party text-to-speech (TTS) software. |
| Chapter 7: Using Narrator with braille | How to use Narrator with a refreshable braille display. |
| Appendix A: Supported languages | A list of supported languages in Narrator. |
| Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures | A list of Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures. |
| Appendix C: TTS voices | A list of the text-to-speech (TTS) voices available in Narrator. |
| Appendix D: Supported braille displays | A list of braille displays supported by Narrator. |
What's new
We've made several improvements to Narrator in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
Input learning
To hear the command for each key on the keyboard, press Caps lock + 1 to turn on input learning. When input learning is turned on, Narrator tells you the name of the key and the associated command when you press it.
For more info about input learning, see Chapter 2: Learning Narrator basics.
Scan mode improvements
When using scan mode, pressing the up and down arrow keys now navigates text by paragraph instead of by line.
Scan mode now turns on automatically when you use Microsoft Edge to browse the web. It also turns on automatically for any Windows app where you turned it on before. Likewise, scan mode will turn off for any app where you previously turned it off and will remain off for that app until you turn it on again.
Lastly, scan mode now turns off automatically in edit fields, so you can enter text. Press the up or down arrow again to leave the edit field and resume scan mode.
For more info, see Chapter 3: Using scan mode.
New reading commands and automatic image descriptions
You can now read continuously from your current location in an app by pressing Caps lock + R. You can also press Caps lock + W to read the title of the current window and all its content.
Additionally, Narrator can now automatically generate image descriptions when you press Caps lock + Shift + D.
For more info, see Chapter 4: Reading text.
Easily open Narrator settings
You can now press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + N to open Narrator settings. For more info about Narrator settings, see Chapter 6: Customizing Narrator.
New braille commands and devices
Narrator now includes additional commands for keyboard input and common keyboard shortcuts, such as Alt + Tab to switch between apps. For more info, see Chapter 7: Using braille with Narrator.