Basic tasks using a screen reader with news and interests

Widgets are small cards that display dynamic content from your favorite apps and services on your Windows desktop. They appear on the widgets board, where you can discover, pin, unpin, arrange, resize, and customize widgets to reflect your interests. Your widgets board is optimized to show relevant widgets and personalized content based on your usage. 

In this topic

• Open widgets pane
• Navigate the Widgets region
• Add a widget to the Widgets region
• Unpin a widget
• Resize a widget
• Customize the widget
• Hide a widget
• Navigate my feed region
• Frequently asked questions

Open widgets pane

Widgets are customizable cards that show live updates from your favorite apps and services. They provide brief information with personalized content such as weather, news, calendar events, and more all in one location. This allows users to access information without switching between different apps or websites. 

1. On the Taskbar pane, press the Tab key until you hear “Widgets,” and then press Enter to access the widget pane.

   • Alternatively, press the Windows logo key+W to open the widgets pane.

2. To refresh the feed, use the Tab key to select the Refresh button and press Enter.

3. To expand the widgets pane, navigate using Tab, select the Expand to full view button, and press Enter.

4. To provide your feedback, use the Tab key to select the Feedback button and press Enter.

5. Navigate using the Tab key to select the Settings button and press Enter to manage your widget settings.

Navigate the Widgets region

The widgets region contains all the available widget cards; you can add, resize, pin, hide, and customize the widgets according to your preferences. 

1. In the widgets pane, navigate using Tab until you hear “Weather,” then press the Down arrow key to select the required widget.
2. Use the Tab key to navigate a widget. Your screen reader will provide information as you move through elements.

Add a widget to the Widgets region

The Add Widgets option allows you to customize your Widgets region by selecting and adding new widgets from a list of available options. 

1. Navigate using the Tab key until you hear the “Add widgets button” and press Enter to open the widget list.
2. Press the Down arrow key to select the desired widget from the list.
3. Once you've selected a widget, use the Tab key to navigate until you hear the "Pin" button, then press Enter to add it to the Widgets region.

Unpin a widget

The Unpin widget option allows you to remove a widget from the pinned section. This lets you focus on your most important widgets. 

1. Navigate using Tab until you hear the “More options button,” and then press Enter to open the context menu.
2. Use the Down arrow key to select the Unpin widget menu item, and press Enter to confirm your selection.

Resize a widget

Follow these steps to resize your widgets in the pinned section to small, medium, or large, depending on your preferences: 

1. Navigate using Tab until you hear the “More options button,” and then press Enter to open the context menu.
2. Use the Down arrow key to select either the Small, Medium, or Large menu options from the context menu and press Enter to confirm your selection.

Customize a widget

The customization option allows you to personalize the content and appearance of each widget to better suit your preferences. For example, adjust the settings, like location for weather updates, favorite teams for sports scores, or specific stocks to track in the finance widget.  

1. Navigate using Tab until you hear the “More options button,” and then press Enter to open the context menu.
2. Use the Down arrow key to select the Customize widget menu item and press Enter. Follow the prompts to adjust settings according to your preferences.

Hide a widget

The Hide This Widget option lets you remove unwanted widgets, keeping the area organized and focused. 

1. Navigate using Tab until you hear the “More options button,” and then press Enter to open the context menu.
2. Use the Down arrow key to select the Hide This widget menu item and press Enter.

Navigate my feed region

The My Feed region provides a personalized space where you can explore news, entertainment, and updates tailored to your interests. It includes the following sections: 

MSN

This hub for news and content, powered by Microsoft Network (MSN), provides trending stories, articles, and updates on topics like technology, health, lifestyle, and more. 

Navigate using the Tab key until you hear the “My feed region, link MSN,” and press Enter. 

Discover

This section assists you in discovering new subjects and passions by suggesting articles, videos, and other content according to your browsing habits and preferences. 

Navigate using the Tab key until you hear “Discover tab item” and press Enter. 

Following

You can stay updated with news and updates from the topics, publishers, or interests you've chosen to follow in this personalized space. 

1. Navigate using the Tab key until you hear “Following tab item” and press Enter.

2. To add a channel to your feed, press the Tab key to select the Add Channel button and press Enter.

3. Use the Tab key in the Personalize MSN window until you hear the "Search for channels to follow edit" prompt. Then, type the name of the channel you want to follow, and press Enter.

   • Alternatively, press the Tab key to navigate through the Recommended topics and Recommended publishers; once selected, press Enter to add to your feed.

Watch

The dedicated section for video content provides access to trending or recommended videos, encompassing news clips, entertainment, and more. 

1. Navigate using the Tab key until you hear “Watch tab item” and press Enter.

2. To watch the video, use the Tab key until you hear "link", followed by the name of the video, and then press Enter.

3. To block the channel, manage your interest, and report an issue, press the Tab key to select the More button and press Enter.

   Note

   Use the Tab key to navigate and select the Like, Dislike, Comment, and Share buttons.

Play

Focused on gaming, this section highlights games, interactive experiences, and gaming-related news, keeping you engaged with the latest in gaming. 

1. Navigate using the Tab key until you hear “Play tab item” and press Enter.
2. Press the Tab key to select the desired game and press Enter.
3. Your browser will search for the game; press Tab to select the Install button and press Enter to start playing the game.

Frequently asked questions

I have suggestions for improvements. How do I send feedback?

Let us know what you like, share your ideas, and offer suggestions on how to make the experience better through the Feedback Hub app. For more information on launching Feedback Hub and sending feedback, see Use a screen reader to submit feedback with the Feedback Hub. 

Use your keyboard and a screen reader to perform basic tasks with the news and interests feed in your taskbar. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn to browse the news and interests feed, how to personalize the feed contents, and will get answers to some frequently asked questions.

In this topic

• Turn news and interests on and off
• Browse and personalize your news and interests
• Frequently asked questions

Turn news and interests on and off

1. On the Windows desktop, press the Tab key until you reach the taskbar, and press Shift+F10 to open the context menu.

2. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "News and interests," and press the Right arrow key once.

3. Do one of the following:

   • To turn on news and interests, press the Down arrow key until you hear either "Show icon and text," or "Show icon only," and press Enter.
   • To turn off news and interests, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Turn off," and press Enter.

Browse and personalize your news and interests

The news and interests window contains a selection of cards that contain news headlines, the weather for your location, and other items of interest. It can be accessed at all times from the weather icon in your taskbar.

1. On the Windows desktop, press the Tab key until you reach the taskbar, then press the Tab key until you hear the temperature at your current location. Press Enter to open the news and interests window.
2. Navigate inside the cards and headlines inside the news and interests window with the Tab key or Shift+Tab. Select items with Spacebar. Selected stories open inside your browser.
3. The More options button for each card lets you personalize the content of the news and interests window. You can remove cards or news sources from the window, access settings for a specific card, or fine-tune your recommendations with the More stories like this and Fewer stories like this menu items.

Frequently asked questions

I don’t see this feature yet. How do I get access to it?

To get news and interests on your device, ensure you've installed the latest recommend updates for Windows 10. To manually check for updates:

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Settings," and press Enter.
3. Press the Tab key until you hear "System," then press the Down arrow key until you hear "Update & Security," and press Enter.
4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Check for updates," and press Enter.

• News and interests requires a device running at least Windows 10 (version 1909 or later).
• News and interests is only available on primary monitors and where the taskbar is aligned to the bottom of the screen.
• News and interests can also be turned off by the administrator of your organization.
• Make sure you have the latest Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge installed.

I have suggestions for improvements. How do I send feedback?

Let us know what you like, share your ideas, and offer suggestions on how to make the experience better through the Feedback Hub app. For more information on launching Feedback Hub and sending feedback, see Use a screen reader to submit feedback with the Feedback Hub.