Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

The File menu

The File menu contains commands such as New, Open, and Save a Copy. You can also access your accounts and the app settings from the File menu. The File menu consists of a tab pane on the left and the contents of a selected tab on the right.

• To open the File menu, press Alt+F. You hear: "File, home." The focus is on the Home tab in the tab pane.

• To navigate between the tabs in the tab pane, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the tab you want to open, for example, "New." Press Enter to open the tab. The content pane of the selected tab opens to the right of the tab pane. To move the focus to the content pane, press the Tab key once.

• To navigate within a tab content pane, press the Tab key, Shift+Tab, or the arrow keys.

• To exit the File menu and return to the main view, press Esc.

For the File menu keyboard shortcuts, refer to Keyboard shortcuts for the File menu in Microsoft 365 for Windows.

The Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar and title bar at the top of the screen contain the document name, buttons for AutoSave, ribbon display options, and your account, and buttons for minimizing, restoring the size, and closing the active window.

• To navigate to the Quick Access Toolbar and title bar, press Alt once. You hear: "Ribbon tabs." Then press Shift+Tab once. The focus is now on the Quick Access Toolbar.

• To browse the available options, press Shift+Tab repeatedly. You can add and remove Quick Access Toolbar buttons and change their order on the toolbar. For instructions, refer to Use a keyboard to customize the Quick Access Toolbar.

The Options window

The Options window contains Word settings, such as personalization, proofreading, and language preferences. The Options window consists of an options category pane on the left and the content pane of the selected category on the right.

• To open the Options window, press Alt+F, T. You hear: "Word options."

• To navigate the options categories, press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the category you want, then press the Tab key to move the focus to the content pane.

• To navigate the content pane, press the Tab key, Shift+Tab, or the Up and Down arrow keys.

• To exit the Options window and return to the main view, press the Tab key until you hear "OK," and press Enter. To return to the main view without making changes, press Esc.

Use the Narrator scan mode

To navigate the content of your document by elements, you can use the Narrator scan mode. To turn on the scan mode, press the SR key+Spacebar.

With the scan mode enabled, you can use the Up and Down arrow keys and keyboard shortcuts to navigate your document and cycle between paragraphs, other elements, areas, and landmarks. For detailed information on how to use the Narrator scan mode, refer to Chapter 3: Using scan mode.

To find the JAWS cursor that suits your needs, refer to So Many Cursors, So Little Time, Understanding Cursors in JAWS. To learn how to use the NVDA Browse mode which is also optionally available for Word, refer to 6. Browse Mode.

Use the Navigation pane

You can use the Navigation pane to quickly navigate between parts of the document such as headings or graphics.

1. To turn on the Navigation pane, press Alt+W, K. You hear: "Navigation, search document, edit box."

2. Do one of the following:

   • To navigate the headings in the document, press the Tab key until you hear "Heading tab item," press the Tab key until you hear the heading you want, and then press Enter. The focus moves to the beginning of the heading row in the document body.

   • To navigate by certain elements in your document, such as graphics, press the Tab key until you hear "Search, split button," and then press Alt+Down arrow key to expand the menu. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the element you want, for example, "Graphic," and then press Enter to select. The focus moves to the next result button. Press Enter repeatedly to move through the results.

3. To close the Navigation pane, press Alt+W, K.

Use Read Mode

Read Mode is designed to make reading text easier and includes reading tools such as Read Aloud.

1. To enable Read Mode, press Alt+W, F.

2. Do one or more of the following:

   • To access the Read Mode toolbar, press Alt, and then press the Tab key until you hear the name of the menu you want, and then press Enter to select it. Press the Down arrow key to move down on the list of available options, and press Enter to select an option.

   • To use Read Aloud, press Alt+W, R. To access the reading controls, press the Tab key until you reach the option you want, and then press Enter to select it.

     Tip: For the best results, it might be helpful to turn off your screen reader when you use Read Aloud.

3. To exit Read Mode, press Esc.

Use the Immersive Reader view

With Immersive Reader, you can improve focus, declutter the text you're reading, read scanned texts more easily, and decode complex texts.

1. To turn on Immersive Reader, press Alt+W, L, 2.

2. To access the Immersive Reader ribbon and options, press Alt. You hear: "Immersive, Immersive Reader, tab." Press the Tab key to move between the options on the ribbon and press Enter to select an option.

3. To turn off Immersive Reader, press Alt+W, L, 2.

Use the Focus mode

The Focus mode can help you minimize distractions and concentrate on writing, creating, and collaborating in Word. The Focus mode hides the ribbon and status bar, showing just the Word document itself.

• To turn on the Focus mode, press Alt+W, O.

• To turn off the Focus mode, press Esc.

Navigate between floating shapes 

1. To quickly move the focus to the first floating shape such as a text box or a chart, press Ctrl+Alt+5.

2. To cycle between the floating shapes, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab.

3. To return to the normal navigation, press Esc.

Zoom in or out

Zoom in to get a close-up of your document or zoom out to get an overview of the page at a reduced size.

1. Press Alt+W, Q. You hear “Zoom dialog” or “Zoom window.”

2. Press the Tab key until you reach the Percent spinner, and then type a percentage or use the Up or Down arrow key to change the percentage.

3. Press the Tab key until you reach the OK button and press Enter.

Word start page

When you open the Word app, you land on the start page. On the start page, you can create a new document, browse templates, open an existing document, and access your account info. The start page consists of a tab pane on the left and the contents of a selected tab on the right.

• To navigate the tab pane, press the Tab key. To display the tab contents, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

• To navigate from the tab pane to the content pane of the selected tab, press the Tab key until you hear: "Entering scroll area." To browse the available sections in the content pane, press Control+Option+Right arrow key. To interact with a section, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key. To stop interacting with a section, press Control+Option+Shift+Up arrow key.

• To navigate to the start page from the main view, press Shift+Command+P.

The app menu bar

The app menu bar contains additional options and controls, for example, for editing text and formatting tables. You can also access the File menu with options to start a new document or open an existing one.

1. To move the focus to the app menu bar, press Control+Option+M.

2. To browse the options on the menu bar, press Control+Option+Right arrow key.

3. To exit the menu bar, press Esc.

The Word Preferences window

In the Word Preferences window, you can access Word settings such as AutoCorrect and ribbon options.

1. To open the Word Preferences window, press Command+Comma (,).

2. To navigate the window, press the Tab key. To select a setting, press Spacebar. The setting dialog box opens. To navigate within a setting dialog box, press the Tab key or the arrow keys.

3. To close the Word Preferences window and return to your document, press Esc.

Use the keyboard shortcuts

One of the quickest ways to move around in a document is to use the keyboard shortcuts. For a full list of keyboard shortcuts for navigating a document, refer to the "Navigate the document" section in Keyboard shortcuts in Word.

Use the VoiceOver rotor, Quick Nav, or Item Chooser

You can use the VoiceOver features such as rotor, Quick Nav, or Item Chooser to navigate directly to an item, for example, a section heading or link.

• To open the rotor, press Control+Option+U. For more info, refer to Use the VoiceOver rotor on Mac.

• To open the Item Chooser, press Control+Option+I. For more info, refer to Use the VoiceOver Item Chooser to navigate on Mac.

• To activate Quick Nav, press the Left and Right arrow keys at the same time. For more info, refer to Use VoiceOver Quick Nav in apps and webpages on Mac.

Use the Navigation Pane

Use the Navigation Pane to quickly navigate between parts of the document such as headings.

1. To turn on the Navigation Pane, press Command+F6 until you hear the name of the current ribbon tab. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "View, tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. Press the Tab key until you hear "Navigation pane, toggle button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

2. To move the focus to the navigation pane, press Command+F6 until you hear: "Thumbnails pane, selected."

3. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Document map, tab," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

4. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Table," and then press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to open the headings table.

5. To move between the headings, press the Down or Up arrow key until you find the heading you want, and then press Control+Option+Spacebar to move the focus to the beginning of the heading in the document body.

The Home, New, and Open tabs

When you open the Word app, you land on the Home tab. This tab lists the documents that you've recently worked on and documents that others have shared with you. At the top of the Home tab, you can find the Search text field to search for a document.

The New tab is where you can start a new document. Here you can also find the available templates.

On the Open tab, you can access the document storage locations that are available to you, such as OneDrive, SharePoint, and your iPhone. You can browse for a file in each location and open it for editing.

• To navigate the contents of each tab, swipe left or right. To select a file, folder, or storage location, double-tap the screen.

• To switch between the Home, New, and Open tabs, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers, swipe left or right until you hear the tab you want, and then double-tap the screen.

• To navigate to a tab when you're editing a document in the main view, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Close file," and double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the tab from where you opened the document you just closed.

The File menu

The File menu contains options such as Save a Copy, Export, and Print.

1. To open the File menu, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "File," and double-tap the screen.

2. To navigate the menu, swipe left or right.

3. To exit the menu, swipe left until you hear "Done," and double-tap the screen.

The Search view

In the Search view, you search the currently open document and browse search results.

1. To navigate to the Search view when you're editing a document, swipe left until you hear "Find," and double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to type the search words.

2. To browse the search results, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe left until you hear "Next search result" or "Previous search result," and double-tap the screen.

3. To exit the Search view, swipe right until VoiceOver starts to read the document content, and then double-tap the screen.

The Recent, Shared, and Open views

When you open the Word app, you land on the Recent view. It lists the documents that you've recently worked on. To browse the list, swipe right or left. To select a document, double-tap the screen. The document opens in the editing view.

In the Shared view, you can find the documents that others have shared with you. To browse the list, swipe right or left. To select a document, double-tap the screen. The document opens in the editing view.

In the Open view, you can browse the available file storage locations or navigate to a document you want to open.

• To switch between the Recent, Shared, and Open views, slide one finger near the bottom of the screen until you hear the view you want, and double-tap the screen.

• At the top of each view, you can find buttons for accessing your account info, and creating a new document. Slide one finger at the top of the screen until you hear "New button," or "Signed in as," followed by your username. In the Recent and Shared views, you can also find a button to search for a document. Swipe right or left until you hear "Search, button," and double-tap the screen.

• To navigate to the Recent view when you're editing your document in the main view, swipe left or slide one finger near the upper-left corner of the screen until you hear "Back button," and double-tap the screen.

The Word menu

The Word menu contains options for saving, sharing, and printing your document. From here you can also access the Word for Android settings.

1. To open the Word menu, swipe left until you hear "Menu," and then double-tap the screen.

2. To navigate the Word menu, swipe left or right until you hear the option you want, and then double-tap the screen.

3. To exit the menu, swipe down-then-left.

The Find bar

Use the Find bar to search the currently open document and browse the search results.

1. To navigate to the Find bar when you're editing a document, swipe left until you hear "Find," and then double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to type your search words.

2. To browse the search results, swipe left until you hear "Find previous" or "Find next," and double-tap the screen.

3. To close the Find bar, swipe right you hear "Close Find bar," and then double-tap the screen.

The File menu

The File menu contains options such as New, Open, and Save a Copy. You can also access your account info and the app settings. The File menu consists of a tab pane on the left and the contents of a selected tab on the right.

• To open the File menu, press Alt+Windows logo key+F. You hear: "Close." The Home tab is selected and its contents are displayed in the content pane.

• To navigate between the tabs in the tab pane, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the tab you want to open, for example, "New." Press Enter to open the tab. The content pane of the selected tab opens to the right of the tab pane. The focus moves to the first item in the content pane.

• To navigate within a content pane, press the Tab key, Shift+Tab, or the arrow keys.

• To exit the File menu and return to the main view, press Esc.

Reading View

Reading View is designed to make reading text easier for everyone. In Reading View, Word for the web also offers Accessibility Mode, which can make reading a document easier for people who use screen reader. In Accessibility Mode, Word for the web presents a Portable Document Format (PDF) version of the file with tagging in your browser. Your screen reader reads the text and its formatting from the PDF version in the browser.

• To turn on Reading View, press Alt+Windows logo key, W, F.

• To navigate to the Reading View toolbar, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Accessibility Mode," press the Tab key to explore the options on the toolbar.

• In Reading View, to turn Accessibility Mode on or off, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Accessibility Mode," and press Enter.

• To exit Reading View, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Accessibility Mode," press the Tab key until you hear "Edit document," and press Enter. You hear: "Edit document, Make quick changes right here in  Word." Then do one of the following:

  • To continue editing and reading the document in Word for the web, press Enter.

  • To open the document in the full desktop version of Word, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Open in desktop app," and press Enter.

Use the Navigation Pane

You can use the Navigation Pane to quickly navigate between headings in a document.

1. To turn on the Navigation Pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, W, K. You hear: "Navigation, search for."

2. Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Headings," and press Enter. Press the Tab key until you hear the currently selected tab, for example, "Find tab item," and then press the Right arrow key until you hear: "Heading tab item."

3. Press the Tab key until you hear the heading you want, and press Enter. The focus moves to the beginning of the heading row in the document body.

Use zoom

1. Press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the current page number followed by the total number of pages in the document, for example, "Page one of three."

2. To zoom in, press the Tab key until you hear "Zoom in," and press Enter. You hear the new zoom percentage, for example, "90 percent." To zoom out, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Zoom out," and press Enter.