Customize Narrator Cursor Settings in Windows 10

Narrator is a screen-reading app built into Windows 10. Narrator lets users with vision issues to use PC and complete common tasks. The user can change its voice, adjust the speaking rate, pitch, and volume. In this article, we will see how to customize its cursor settings.

Microsoft describes the Narrator feature as follows:

Narrator lets you use your PC without a display or mouse to complete common tasks if you’re blind or have low vision. It reads and interacts with things on the screen, like text and buttons. Use Narrator to read and write email, browse the Internet, and work with documents.
Specific commands let you navigate Windows, the web, and apps, as well as get info about the area of the PC you're in. Navigation is available using headings, links, landmarks, and more. You can read text (including punctuation) by page, paragraph, line, word, and character as well as determine characteristics like font and text color. Efficiently review tables with row and column navigation.
Narrator also has a navigation and reading mode called Scan Mode. Use it to get around Windows 10 using just the up and down arrows on your keyboard. You can also use a braille display to navigate your PC and read text.

Windows 10 allows to customize options for Narrator. You can change its keyboard shortcuts, personalize Narrator's voice, enable Caps Lock warnings, and more. You can choose the voice for Narrator, adjust the speaking rate, pitch, and volume. Also, it is possible to customize Narrator's cursor options.

Cusror Options of Narrator

In Windows 10, Narrator comes with the following options.

Show the Narrator cursor on the screen. The Narrator cursor is highlighted with a blue focus box.

Have the text insertion point follow the Narrator cursor when on Editable text. When this is turned on, Narrator will move the text insertion point when navigating by views such as characters and words.

Sync the Narrator cursor and system focus. When this is turned on, the Narrator cursor and the system cursor will be synchronized when possible.

Read and interact with the screen using the mouse. When this is turned on, Narrator reads what is under the mouse cursor. Use the numeric keypad to move the mouse.

Have the Narrator cursor follow the mouse. This option becomes visible when the previous option is enabled. If you enable it, the Narrator cursor will follow the mouse pointer.

Select the Narrator cursor movement mode. Two modes are available: normal and advanced. Normal mode allows Narrator to move between various items such as links, tables, and other elements. Advanced mode lets you use the four arrow keys to move the Narrator cursor through a programmatic representation of an application.

Customize Narrator Cursor Settings in Windows 10

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Ease of Access -> Narrator. 
3. On the right, turn on the toggle option Narrator to enable it.
4. Under the Use Narrator cursor section, enable or disable the desired options.

You are done. Alternatively, you can apply a Registry tweak to change the Narrator cursor options.

Customize Narrator Cursor Settings using a Registry Tweak

1. Open the Registry Editor app.
2. Go to the following Registry key.

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Narrator

   See how to go to a Registry key with one click.

3. On the right, modify or create a new 32-Bit DWORD value NarratorCursorHighlight.
   Note: Even if you are running 64-bit Windows you must still create a 32-bit DWORD value.
   Set its value to 1 to enable the Narrator cursor. A value data of 0 will disable it.
4. The FollowInsertion 32-Bit DWORD value can be used to enable or disable the option Have the text insertion point follow the Narrator cursor when on Editable text. 1 = Enable,  0 = disable the feature.
5. The CoupleNarratorCursorKeyboard 32-Bit DWORD value can be used to enable or disable the option Sync the Narrator cursor and system focus. Supported values: 1 = Enable,  0 = disable the feature.
6. InteractionMouse 32-Bit DWORD. Supported values: 1 = Enable the option Read and interact with the screen using the mouse,  0 = disable it.
7. CoupleNarratorCursorMouse 32-Bit DWORD. Supported values: 1 = Enable the option Have the Narrator cursor follow the mouse,  0 = disable it.
8. To make the changes done by the Registry tweak take effect, you need to sign out and sign in to your user account.

To change the the Narrator cursor movement mode, go to the key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Narrator\NoRoam

Change the NarratorCursorMode 32-DWORD value to one of the following values:

• 2 = Normal Mode
• 1 = Advanced Mode

That's it.

Related articles:

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• Change Narrator Keyboard Layout in Windows 10
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• Start Narrator after Sign-in in Windows 10
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• Disable Narrator Keyboard Shortcut in Windows 10
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