How to Enable Narrator Scan Mode in Windows 10
As you may already know, Narrator is a screen-reading app built into Windows 10. Narrator lets users with vision issues to use PC and complete common tasks. One of its useful features is Scan mode. Today, we'll see how to enable and use it.
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.
Scan mode lets you navigate apps, email, and webpages using the arrow keys. You’ll also be able to use common keyboard shortcuts to read text and jump directly to headings, links, tables, and landmarks.
To Enable Narrator Scan Mode in Windows 10,
- Enable Narrator (You can press Ctrl+Win+Enter).
- To turn scan mode on, press Caps Lock + Spacebar. The keys can be customized.
- You will hear Narrator saying 'scan' when Scan mode is enabled.
- To turn off scan mode, press Caps Lock + Spacebar once again. You will hear 'Scan off'.
When scan mode is turned on, use the Up arrow key and Down arrow key to navigate apps and webpages. Press Enter or Spacebar to activate an item that you want to use, such as a button in an app, a link in a webpage, or a text box.
Scan mode turns on automatically when you use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome to browse the web. It also turns on automatically when you open any Windows app where you turned it on before.
If you turn scan mode off for an app, it will remain off for that app until you turn it on again. Scan mode automatically turns off in edit fields so you can enter text. Press up or down arrow again to leave the edit field and resume scan mode.
Narrator Scan Mode Keyboard Shortcuts
When scan mode is turned on, use the following keys to navigate apps and webpages.
| Narrator + Spacebar | Toggle scan mode |
| Enter Spacebar |
Primary action |
| Shift + Enter Shift + Spacebar |
Secondary action |
| Home | Move to and read the first character of a line |
| End | Move to and read the last character of a line |
| P | Read next paragraph |
| Shift + P | Read previous paragraph |
| Ctrl + Down arrow | Read next line |
| Ctrl + Up arrow | Read previous line |
| Ctrl + Right arrow | Read next word |
| Ctrl + Left arrow | Read previous word |
| Right arrow | Read next character |
| Left arrow | Read previous character |
| Ctrl + Home | Move to and read the first line of text |
| Ctrl + End | Move to and read the last line of text |
| Down arrow | Jump to next text or item |
| Up arrow | Jump to previous text or item |
| 1 | Jump to next heading at level 1 |
| Shift + 1 | Jump to previous heading at level 1 |
| 2 | Jump to next heading at level 2 |
| Shift + 2 | Jump to previous heading at level 2 |
| 3 | Jump to next heading at level 3 |
| Shift + 3 | Jump to previous heading at level 3 |
| 4 | Jump to next heading at level 4 |
| Shift + 4 | Jump to previous heading at level 4 |
| 5 | Jump to next heading at level 5 |
| Shift + 5 | Jump to previous heading at level 5 |
| 6 | Jump to next heading at level 6 |
| Shift + 6 | Jump to previous heading at level 6 |
| 7 | Jump to next heading at level 7 |
| Shift + 7 | Jump to previous heading at level 7 |
| 8 | Jump to next heading at level 8 |
| Shift + 8 | Jump to previous heading at level 8 |
| 9 | Jump to next heading at level 9 |
| Shift + 9 | Jump to previous heading at level 9 |
| B | Jump to next button |
| Shift + B | Jump to previous button |
| C | Jump to next combo box |
| Shift + C | Jump to previous combo box |
| D | Jump to next landmark |
| Shift + D | Jump to previous landmark |
| E | Jump to next edit box |
| Shift + E | Jump to previous edit box |
| F | Jump to next form field |
| Shift + F | Jump to previous form field |
| H | Jump to next heading |
| Shift + H | Jump to previous heading |
| I | Jump to next item |
| Shift + I | Jump to previous item |
| K | Jump to next link |
| Shift + K | Jump to previous link |
| R | Jump to next radio button |
| Shift + R | Jump to previous radio button |
| T | Jump to next table |
| Shift + T | Jump to previous table |
| X | Jump to next check box |
| Shift + X | Jump to previous check box |
Selecting Text in Scan Mode
Use these commands when you’re copying text from content areas like websites or email.
| Shift + Right arrow | Select current character |
| Shift + Left arrow | Select previous character |
| Ctrl + Shift + Right arrow | Select current word |
| Ctrl + Shift + Left arrow | Select previous word |
| Shift + Down arrow | Select current line |
| Shift + Up arrow | Select previous line |
| Ctrl + Shift + Down arrow | Select current paragraph |
| Ctrl + Shift + Up arrow | Select previous paragraph |
| Shift + Home | Select to beginning of line |
| Shift + End | Select to end of line |
| Ctrl + Shift + Home | Select to beginning of document |
| Ctrl + Shift + End | Select to end of document |
| Shift + Page down | Select current page |
| Shift + Page up | Select previous page |
| F9 | Mark the beginning or end of a block of text |
| F10 | Select all text between a mark and the current point |
| Ctrl + C | Copy selection |
| Ctrl + X | Cut selection |
| Ctrl + V | Paste selection |
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Narrator + Shift + Down arrow | Read selection |
| Narrator + Shift + Down arrow twice quickly | Spell selection |
That's it.
Related articles:
- Change Audio Output Device for Narrator in Windows 10
- Disable Lower Volume of Other Apps when Narrator is Speaking
- Disable Online Services for Narrator in Windows 10
- Disable Narrator Home in Windows 10
- Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Windows 10
- Customize Narrator Cursor Settings in Windows 10
- Customize Narrator Voice in Windows 10
- Change Narrator Keyboard Layout in Windows 10
- Start Narrator Before Sign-in in Windows 10
- Start Narrator after Sign-in in Windows 10
- All Ways to Enable Narrator in Windows 10
- Disable Narrator Keyboard Shortcut in Windows 10
- Hear Advanced Information About Controls with Narrator in Windows 10
- Change Narrator Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 10
- Turn On or Off Narrator Caps Lock Warnings in Windows 10
- Read by Sentence in Narrator in Windows 10
- Disable Narrator QuickStart Guide in Windows 10
- Unlock Extra Text to Speech Voices in Windows 10
- How to Change Narrator Audio Channel in Windows 10
Support us
Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options: