How to set Windows to read text to you on the screen

Although many are unaware of it, within Windows we have a faculty that allows us to read text from the screen, something that can be very useful on certain occasions. Let’s see how we can use it.

The part of Windows in which we have this ability is called Narrator and what it will do is read text that appears on the screen.

This can be of great help for people who have some type of disability, although it is valid for any type of situation in which we cannot read by ourselves.

Let’s see how we can access and configure it to work in the most correct way possible.

How to activate Windows Narrator

Activating Windows Narrator is very easy and we have several methods, although we consider that one of them is much easier to use.

To use the first way to activate it, we only have to do the following:

• We open the Start Menu of Windows and we go to Setting.
• Once there we must go to the tab on the left whose name is Accessibility.
• Then we will see how within Viewthere is a button that says Storytellerwhich we must press.
• At that time we will see that, within Use Narratorthere is a button to the right of Storyteller which should be set to Off. We are only going to click on it, so that it changes to Activated.

This is the longest way to get Narrator up and running. The next way is much simpler, since it only involves hitting a series of keys at the same time.

If we press the keys Windows + Ctrl + Enter, Narrator will be activated directly. At that moment you will see a screen notifying us that Narrator has been activated. If we want to exit we can also do it by pressing those same keys.

How do I use Narrator?

It is extremely simple to use, since once it is activated, just we must move the mouse or use the tab keys to move through applications and web pages.

at the moment it goes passing words or paragraphs it identifies them and reads them aloud to us, being also possible that, when moving with the tabulation, when we want it to read something we hit the Intro.

But it will not only read text from websites, from texts that we have on a computer or from texts in programs, but it is also able to identify notifications and read them.

everything you are readingbe it a paragraph, a word or a notification, will mark it in a blue boxso we’ll always know exactly what you’re reading.

The keyboard will be our ally

We will be able to use the computer keyboard to vary certain parameters of the Narrator without having to find in the East Configuration, something that brings with it much more comfort.

By default, the keys Caps LOCK and Insert function as a key Storyteller, something important that everyone should know so that the keyboard controls work correctly.

With the keyboard we will be able to do the following:

• When we want Narrator to stop reading something, but without deactivating it, we only have to press the key ctrl.
• We push Narrator + Ctrl + Plus sign (+) + or Narrator + Ctrl + Add (numpad) to increase the volume.
• If we press Narrator + Ctrl + Minus Sign (-) either Narrator + Ctrl + Subtract (numpad) to reduce the volume
• playing together Narrator + Plus sign (+) either Narrator + Minus sign (-) We change the narration speed.
• we can push Narrator + T to read the title of the window that we have the focus on.
• To read the title and content of the window that is in focus, press Narrator + W.
• If you want to know the time, day of the week and date at any time, press Narrator + F12.
• If for whatever reason you want to know where a hyperlink will take you, press Narrator + Ctrl + D and Narrator will tell you the page title where the link will take you.
• To describe an image we press Narrator + Ctrl + D.
• To hear a summary of a web page, including the number of links, landmarks, and titles, touch at the same time Narrator + S.

When we are in a text, the keyboard can also be used to use the Narrator in elements, characters, words, phrases, lines, paragraphs, tables and even in suggestions.

You can use the computer mouse at all times if it is easier for you, but if you want to change the views you have these keyboard commands:

• Narrator + Page Up Y Narrator + Next Page
• Narrator + Ctrl + Up Arrow Y Narrator + Ctrl + Down Arrow
• To move around the selected view we can do it by pressing Narrator + Left Arrow Key either Narrator + Right arrow key.

Customize Narrator

Once we know the main keyboard commands and how Narrator works, we will be able to customize it the way we like it best, with numerous options.

This will make Narrator as close to what we expect it to work as we want it to work, which will make our task much easier.

If we go back into windows settingsafter in Accessibility and finally in Storytellerwe will be in the part where we can manage this whole system.

Now we will see how within Use Narrator we have several inherent options to configure it.

• Storyteller: this is where you turn the system on or off. If we unfold, we will have two options that, by their own name, specify very well what they are for: Start Narrator after logging in for me and Start Narrator before logging in for all users.
• Keyboard shortcut for Narrator: we activate this option to start and stop Narrator with the union of the Windows + Ctrl + Enter keys on a keyboard.
• Narrator home page: here we activate or deactivate the option Show Narrator Startup when narrator starts.
• Storyteller Complete Guide: in this option we can open a guide to know everything that includes Windows Narrator.

Narrator’s voice

Although there are other parts within the Narrator settings, we are going to focus on how to configure the voice to finish this tutorial.

Here we are going to have multiple options to get the voice and everything that has to do with it to develop to our liking.

• Voice: here we can choose between different voices for the Narrator. Narrator voices speak on average a maximum of approximately 400 words per minute, although there are English voices that reach 800.
• add voices: With this option you can install voices in different languages. Once installed, the voices will appear in the list of voices to choose from.
• Velocity: We will control the speed at which the Narrator speaks.
• Tone: The pitch of Narrator’s voice can be adjusted.
• Volume: We will adjust the volume of the Narrator, something that we can also do with the keyboard as we have seen before.
• Lower the volume of other apps when Narrator is speaking: the truth is that there is little to explain in this option. If it’s on, apps will lower the volume when Narrator speaks, and if it’s off, they won’t.
• Narrator audio output device: so we will choose which is the audio device through which we want Narrator to be heard and thus leave it as default.

With everything that we have seen in this article, we will be able to activate, manage, and even customize everything related to Windows Narrator, the system so that it reads any type of text aloud to us, wherever it is from.

If you have tried it, you can tell us what you think on our social networks. We are eager to hear your opinion.