How to Change Narrator Verbosity Level about Text and Controls in Windows 10


Narrator is a screen-reading app built into Windows 10.

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 provides five verbosity levels that impact the amount of information you hear when Narrator reads text, such as web sites, and when you interact with controls.
  • Verbosity level 1: Text only - This level lets you read quickly without hearing details about text that you don’t need to know. For example, Narrator doesn’t announce links, doesn’t describe text formatting, and lets you work very quickly with an application that you know well. This level provides an ideal experience as you read text-heavy articles, books, and web sites.
  • Verbosity level 2: Some control details - This level provides more information than level 1 does as you interact with an application. It’s best if you’re familiar with an application and only need guidance with some controls.
  • Verbosity level 3: All control details - This is the default level for Narrator. It provides a full reading experience along with all details about an application’s controls as you interact with them.
  • Verbosity level 4: Some text details - This level provides most attributes and information about text. It’s best in situations when you’re writing text, such as when you create a document.
  • Verbosity level 5: All text details - This level gives you complete details about text, such as heading level, font type, size, formatting, bullet shape, list type, and more. It’s especially useful when you proofread or edit a document.

See also:

This tutorial will show you how to change the Narrator verbosity level of detail you hear about controls and characteristics of text for your account in Windows 10.


 CONTENTS:

  • Option One: Change Narrator Verbosity Level using Keyboard Shortcut
  • Option Two: Change Narrator Verbosity Level in Settings
  • Option Three: Change Narrator Verbosity Level using a REG file





OPTION ONE

Change Narrator Verbosity Level using Keyboard Shortcut


1. While Narrator is turned on, press the Narrator + V (increase) or Narrator + Shift + V (decrease) keys until you hear the verbosity level you want.






OPTION TWO

Change Narrator Verbosity Level in Settings


1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Ease of Access icon.

You can also press the Win+Ctrl+N keys to directly open Narrator settings.

2. Click/tap on Narrator on the left side, and select the verbosity level you want in the Change the level of detail Narrator provides about text and controls drop menu on the right side under the Change what you hear when reading and interacting section. (see screenshot below)

3. You can now close Settings if you like.

Change Narrator Verbosity Level about Text and Controls in Windows 10-change_narrator_verbosity_level.jpg






OPTION THREE

Change Narrator Verbosity Level using a REG file


The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Narrator\NoRoam

UserVerbosityLevel DWORD

1 = Text only
2 = Some control details
3 = All control details
4 = Some text details
5 = All text details


1. Do step 2 (Text only), step 3 (Some control details), step 4 (All control details), step 5 (Some text details), or step 6 (All text details) below for what you would like to do.


 2. Use Narrator Verbosity Level 1 - Text only

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 7 below.

Use_Narrator_verbosity_level_1_Text_only.reg

Download


 3. Use Narrator Verbosity Level 2 - Some control details

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 7 below.

Use_Narrator_verbosity_level_2_Some_control_details.reg

Download


 4. Use Narrator Verbosity Level 3 - All control details

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 7 below.

Use_default_Narrator_verbosity_level_3_All_control_details.reg

Download


 5. Use Narrator Verbosity Level 4 - Some text details

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 7 below.

Use_Narrator_verbosity_level_4_Some_text_details.reg

Download


 6. Use Narrator Verbosity Level 5 - All text details

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 7 below.

Use_Narrator_verbosity_level_5_All_text_details.reg

Download

7. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

8. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

9. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

10. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


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