Supported Applications

NVDA provides enhanced support for many popular applications with specialized features and commands. This guide covers application-specific functionality.

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Web Browsers

NVDA offers comprehensive support for modern web browsers with full browse mode functionality.

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Supported Browsers

Additional supported browsers:

• Internet Explorer 11 (legacy support)
• Browsers based on Chromium (Brave, Opera, Vivaldi)

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Browser Features

Browse Mode

Read web pages as flat documents:

• Cursor keys navigate like text
• Single letter navigation for elements
• Elements list (NVDA+F7) for quick access
• Search function (NVDA+Control+F)
• Native selection mode for copying formatted content

Form Interaction

Automatic switching to focus mode:

• Enter text in edit fields
• Select from combo boxes
• Toggle checkboxes
• Activate buttons
• Press Escape to return to browse mode

ARIA Support

Full support for accessible web applications:

• ARIA landmarks (D key navigation)
• Live regions announce updates automatically
• Custom roles and properties
• Application mode for web apps

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Browser Tips

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Microsoft Office

NVDA provides deep integration with Microsoft Office applications.

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Microsoft Word

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Supported Versions

• Microsoft Word 365/2019/2016 (recommended)
• Microsoft Word 2013 (older features)
• Word Online (basic support)

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Word-Specific Features

Document Navigation

Sentence navigation:

• Next sentence: Alt+Down Arrow
• Previous sentence: Alt+Up Arrow

Heading navigation:

• Use single letter H in browse mode
• Specific levels with 1-6 keys

Track Changes

Toggle tracking: Control+Shift+ENVDA announces:

• Inserted text
• Deleted text
• Formatting changes
• Comments
• Author information

View Switching

Change view with announcements:

• Print layout: Control+Alt+P
• Outline view: Control+Alt+O

NVDA announces the view type when switching.

Mathematical Content

Read and navigate math equations:

• Navigate equation structure with arrow keys
• Interact with equations: NVDA+Alt+M
• Supports Office Math and MathType
• LaTeX input supported

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Word Settings

In Document Formatting settings, enable:

• Report revisions
• Report editor revisions
• Report comments
• Report font attributes
• Report heading levels

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Microsoft Excel

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Excel-Specific Features

Cell Navigation

Standard Excel navigation works with speech:

• Arrow keys: Navigate cells
• Control+Arrow: Jump to edge of data region
• Control+Home: Jump to A1
• Control+End: Jump to last used cell

NVDA announces:

• Cell address
• Cell content
• Cell formatting
• Comments/notes

Formula Reading

NVDA reads formulas in cells:

• Press F2 to edit: Hears formula
• Announces formula bar contents
• Speaks result when navigating away
• Reports calculation errors

Data Validation

Access dropdown lists:

• Press Alt+Down Arrow to open list
• Navigate with arrow keys
• Press Enter to select
• Press Escape to cancel

Charts and Objects

Navigate embedded objects:

• Use Tab to move to charts
• NVDA announces chart type
• Arrow keys navigate chart elements
• Press Escape to exit chart

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Excel Tips

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Microsoft Outlook

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Outlook Features

Email Reading

Enhanced email message access:

• Sender name
• Subject line
• Received date/time
• Unread status
• Attachment indicator
• Importance (high/low)
• Action status (replied/forwarded)

Message list: Arrow keys navigate, Enter opens

Email Composition

Full access to message editor:

• Word-based composition (uses Word features)
• Sentence navigation: Alt+Arrow keys
• Spell check integration
• Attachment list with Alt+Tab in composition window

Calendar

Navigate appointments and meetings:

• Day/Week/Month views accessible
• Arrow keys navigate dates
• Enter to open appointments
• Reports all-day events
• Announces meeting details

Contacts

Access contact information:

• Name, company, job title
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Addresses
• Navigate with arrow keys

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Microsoft PowerPoint

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PowerPoint Support

Slide Navigation

Navigate presentation slides:

• Arrow keys navigate objects on slide
• Page Down/Up change slides
• Announces slide numbers
• Reads slide titles
• Navigates text placeholders

Presenter View

Access presenter features:

• Current slide content
• Speaker notes
• Upcoming slide preview
• Timer information

Slide Show

Run accessible presentations:

• Navigate slides during presentation
• Read slide content
• Access MathType equations
• Announce animations (limited)

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Email Clients

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Mozilla Thunderbird

Message List

Full message list access:

• Arrow keys navigate messages
• Announces sender, subject, date
• Unread/flagged status
• Thread indicators
• Enter opens message

Message Reading

Browse mode for HTML messages:

• Single letter navigation
• Quick navigation to links
• Access inline images
• Read quoted text

Composition

Write accessible emails:

• Standard edit fields
• To/Cc/Bcc accessible
• Subject and body
• Attachment list
• Spell checking

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PDF Readers

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Adobe Acrobat Reader

Browse Mode

Read PDF documents as flat text:

• Cursor navigation
• Single letter navigation
• Heading navigation
• Link navigation
• Form filling support

Tagged PDFs

Enhanced access for properly tagged documents:

• Reading order follows tags
• Heading structure preserved
• Lists and tables accessible
• Form fields properly labeled
• Alternative text for images

Mathematical Content

Read math in accessible PDFs:

• MathML structure elements
• Interactive math navigation
• Speak math expressions

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Foxit PDF Reader

Similar support to Adobe Reader:

• Browse mode for reading
• Tagged PDF support
• Form field access
• MathML support
• Annotation reading

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Development Tools

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Visual Studio Code

Features:

• Code editor access
• Syntax highlighting announced as attributes
• Line number reporting
• Autocomplete list navigation
• Terminal window access
• Debug console accessibility

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Eclipse

Specialized support for Eclipse IDE:

• Editor pane access
• Code completion
• Error list navigation
• Console output
• Debug variable inspection

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Command Line

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Windows Console

Console Support

Applications:

• Command Prompt
• PowerShell
• Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Features:

• Output reading with review commands
• Text selection and copying
• Full buffer access (Windows 11 22H2+)
• Arrow key navigation

Console Navigation

Scroll commands:

• Scroll up: Control+Up Arrow
• Scroll down: Control+Down Arrow
• Scroll to start: Control+Home
• Scroll to end: Control+End

Required for older Windows versions to read scrolled output.

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Terminal Emulators

Supported terminals:

• Windows Terminal
• PuTTY
• SecureCRT
• mintty (Git Bash, Cygwin)

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Communication Apps

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Microsoft Teams

Access collaboration features:

• Chat messages
• Channel conversations
• Meeting chat
• Participant list
• File sharing
• Video call controls (limited)

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Zoom

Accessible video conferencing:

• Participant list
• Chat window
• Meeting controls
• Screen sharing notifications
• Waiting room indicators

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Skype

Full messaging and calling:

• Contact list
• Chat messages
• Call controls
• File transfers
• Screen sharing announcements

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Media Players

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Windows Media Player

Basic playback control:

• Play/pause
• Track information
• Playlist navigation
• Volume control

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foobar2000

Enhanced support with app module:

• Playlist navigation
• Track information
• Queue management
• Status bar access

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Spotify

Basic music playback:

• Track information
• Playback controls
• Playlist browsing
• Search functionality

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Text Editors

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Notepad++

Enhanced text editing:

• Multi-tab support
• Syntax highlighting
• Find/replace dialogs
• Line number reporting
• Plugin access

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Notepad

Full Windows Notepad support:

• Standard text editing
• Find/replace
• Status bar (line/column)
• Word wrap handling

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E-Book Readers

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Kindle for PC

Reading Features

Browse mode for reading:

• Single letter navigation
• Page turning: Page Down/Up
• Bookmark navigation
• Notes and highlights
• Dictionary lookup

Text Selection

Selection menu: Applications or Shift+F10Actions:

• Add note
• Add highlight
• Copy text
• Dictionary definition
• Search web

Mathematical Books

Early support for accessible math:

• Navigate math structure
• Interactive equation exploration
• Must be marked “Screen Reader: Supported”

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Bookshelf (VitalSource)

Digital textbook access:

• Browse mode reading
• Page navigation
• Table of contents
• Search within book
• Highlighting and notes

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Translation Tools

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Poedit

Accessible translation software (Poedit 3.5+): Features:

• Source text access
• Translation field
• Plural forms
• Context information
• Fuzzy/untranslated indicators

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File Managers

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Windows Explorer

Complete file system navigation:

• File list with details
• Tree view navigation
• Search results
• Context menus
• Properties dialogs
• Quick access toolbar

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Total Commander

Dual-pane file manager:

• Two panel navigation
• Directory trees
• File operations
• Built-in viewers
• Archive handling

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Archive Managers

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7-Zip

Accessible archive management:

• File list in archives
• Extract operations
• Compress dialogs
• Password protection
• Multi-format support

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System Utilities

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Task Manager

Monitor system resources:

• Process list
• Performance graphs (descriptive text)
• Startup programs
• Services list
• Details tab

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Windows Settings / System Settings

Full access to Windows 10/11 settings:

• All settings categories
• Search functionality
• Toggle switches
• Combo boxes
• Buttons and links

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Social Media

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Twitter/X

Web interface via browsers:

• Tweet reading
• Compose tweets
• Navigate timeline
• Notifications
• Messages

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Facebook

Web access through browsers:

• News feed reading
• Post composition
• Comments and reactions
• Messenger
• Notifications

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Application-Specific Modules

NVDA includes 79 app modules for specialized support: Notable app modules:

• Microsoft Office suite
• Web browsers
• Email clients
• PDF readers
• Development tools
• Media players
• Communication apps
• System utilities

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Requesting Support

For applications without specialized support:

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Tips for Unsupported Applications

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Getting More Help

Resources:

• NVDA User Guide: Full application support details
• Add-on Store: Community enhancements
• Email list: Ask about specific application support
• Certified Experts: Professional assistance