Windows 11 comes equipped with a built-in Narrator that helps make Windows more accessible. The Narrator app acts as a screen-reading app that integrates directly with Windows 11 and can help navigate Windows apps, web pages, and more.
Microsoft recently introduced new naturalistic voices for Narrator in Windows Insider Build 22543. Improvements to Narrator voices make reading, authoring mail and web browsing more realistic. Read on as we detail how you can get the most out of Narrator’s new natural voices.
What’s the big deal with natural sounds?
Windows has long supported a built-in screen-reader, but a narration tool that supports natural voices is relatively recent. Robot-like narratives can be unattractive, primarily because they are naive and lack emotion.
New and improved natural voices are made possible thanks to the incredible speech synthesis capability of Azure Cognitive Services. Developers use neutral text-to-speech to convert screen text to natural human speech.
From the dialog box, choose Genie or Aria as your preferred voice. If you want to install both, you’ll need to do so separately. You can preview both options using the Preview button.
Once you have made your selection, click on Install.
After the installation is complete, you may need to manually change the Narrator’s voice from the Voice dropdown box under Narrator’s voice.
Narrator gets even better in Windows 11
Currently, Microsoft has released natural voices for Narrator only to Windows Insiders. We expect Microsoft to release the update elsewhere soon as well.
Like Windows 10, Windows 11 is packed with accessibility features that make it easier to work on your computer. One such feature is the Magnifier tool, which lets you zoom in on any part of your screen, even if the app you’re using doesn’t have a built-in magnification tool.
You can use this feature to read documents with smaller fonts, edit images, or magnify a portion of your screen so it’s easier on your eyes. Learn below how you can use this tool on your Windows 11 device.
Tip: If you have poor eyesight, it’s a good idea to have Magnifier open automatically when you open your computer to reduce the extra steps required to use it. Under Magnifier Settings, check the box next to Start Magnifier before sign-in and Start Magnifier after sign-in.
Once this option is turned on, you will see a blue box around the text or section that the tool is reading. If you read the previous or next sentence, click the Previous or Next button. You can press and hold down the Ctrl + Alt + H keys to go to the last sentence and Ctrl + Alt + K to go to the next sentence.
You can use the Tab key to navigate the screen and choose which part of the screen you want to direct the Magnifier reading. You will see a box appear around the sentence or word where the pointer is currently located.
Magnifying Reader option also allows you to choose from where you want it to start reading. From the Magnifier dialog box, press the icon with the cursor and speaker. Alternatively, you can hold down Ctrl + Alt and left-click on the part you want the tool to read from.
On the right-hand panel, look for the strings Magnification and ZoomIncrement. The Magnification string allows you to adjust the zoom level setting, while the ZoomIncrement string indicates how much the screen zooms in or out.
Remember, this shortcut only works when the Magnifier tool is open. Otherwise, it will take a different action.
How to invert colors using the Magnifier tool
If you’re always in front of a computer screen, inverting the colors can help reduce eye strain, making text more readable.
Make the Windows 11 screen easier on your eyes
With the Magnifier tool, you can better see words and images on your Windows 11 screen. It can also help reduce eye strain due to the tool’s choice of inverted colors. Apart from this tool, Windows 11 has a lot more accessibility features that you can enjoy.
With companies around the world stepping up their efforts towards building a more inclusive and accessible tech world, it’s no surprise that Microsoft is playing its part as well. The redesigned Windows 11 OS is said to be the most inclusive Windows ever.
Windows 11 comes with a significant overhaul of its user interface. Microsoft’s commitment to tackling the “disability divide” is evident through improved accessibility features that empower people to achieve more. Read on for everything you need to know about setting up accessibility options on Windows 11.
