Caret Browsing in Windows 10 is an alternative way of navigating applications and the web. Primarily focused to help users in situations where they can’t use a mouse, it allows you to navigate with only the keyboard. Even if you’re on a bumpy car ride or simply don’t have a mouse or trackpad nearby, Caret Browsing can help you.
This feature can also help users who require extra assistance to use computers. The simplified navigation makes it easier to move around on websites and in applications. Some users also praise the feature for speeding up workflows.
Tip: If you’re not familiar with the Windows 10 interface, we recommend reading our How to Get Started with Windows 10 article before troubleshooting.
In this article, you can learn how to enable Caret Browsing in Windows 10 web browsers, and how to use it to its fullest extent.
How to enable Caret Browsing in Windows 10 browsers
Typically, you can open any web browser on Windows 10 and press the F7 key to start caret browsing. However, this might not work for everyone, especially if you don’t have function keys. The steps below describe how you can enable caret browsing in some of the most popular web browsers.
Turn on caret browsing in Google Chrome
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Click on the More button in the top-right corner of your browser, displayed by 3 vertical dots. From here, select Settings.
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Scroll to the bottom of the page, and then click on the Advanced button. This is going to reveal more settings.
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Scroll down until you reach the Accessibility section. Here, ensure to toggle the Navigate pages with a text cursor option on.
Turn on caret browsing in Firefox
Mozilla Firefox only allows you to toggle caret browsing on and off with the F7 key. Try pressing it on your keyboard, or use the on-screen keyboard provided by Microsoft to be able to turn this feature on.
Recommended: How To Use Function Keys Without Pressing Fn Key On Windows 10
Turn on caret browsing in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge only allows you to toggle caret browsing on and off with the F7 key. Try pressing it on your keyboard, or use the on-screen keyboard provided by Microsoft to be able to turn this feature on.
When prompted, click the checkbox next to Don't ask me again if you don't want to be warned the next time you turn caret browsing on. This is useful if you plan on using the feature regularly.
How to enable Caret Browsing in Windows 10 Mail app
The Mail application in Windows 10 is one of the software that natively supports caret technology. Below are the steps to find and turn this feature on.
- Open the search bar in your taskbar by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. You can also bring it up with the Windows + S keyboard shortcut.
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Type in Mail and click on the application from your search results.
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Click on the Settings icon in the bottom left corner of the application — it should look similar to Windows 10’s local Settings icon in the Start menu.
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A pane should open on the right-side of the application. Here, click on the Reading pane option.
- Scroll down until you see Caret browsing. Make sure to toggle the feature on, then click on any space outside of the Settings pane.
How to select text while Caret Browsing is active
You can select any text on the page even while caret browsing is active.
All you have to do is use the arrow keys to navigate to where you want your selection to begin and then hold the Shift key. Next, move with the arrow keys to where you want your selection to end, and let go of the Shift key.
Your selection is complete!
Final thoughts
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