Screen readers are assistive tools that read on-screen content aloud. This guide covers how to turn on and off the most common screen readers on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook. The Swank Cloud Streaming Platform is tested against JAWS and NVDA on Windows; other available screen readers are listed below.
Tested screen readers (Windows)
JAWS (Job Access With Speech) Tested Paid license
By Freedom Scientific — requires installation from freedomscientific.com
Turn on
Launch from desktop shortcut or Start menu
Turn off
Insert + F4
Stop speaking
Ctrl
Pause / resume
Insert + F2
The JAWS key is Insert on standard keyboards. On some laptops it may be remapped to Caps Lock in JAWS settings. A 40-minute free trial mode is available without a license.
NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) Tested Free
By NV Access — requires installation from nvaccess.org
Turn on
Launch from desktop shortcut or Ctrl + Alt + N
Turn off
Insert + Q
Stop speaking
Ctrl
NVDA menu
Insert + N
The NVDA key defaults to Insert and can be changed to Caps Lock in NVDA preferences. NVDA is free and open source — donations to NV Access support continued development.
Other available screen readers
Windows — Narrator Free
Built into Windows 10 and 11 — no install needed
Turn on
Win + Ctrl + Enter
Turn off
Win + Ctrl + Enter
Via settings
Settings → Accessibility → Narrator
Stop speaking
Ctrl
A confirmation dialog appears on first launch. Check “Don’t show again” to skip it in future sessions.
Mac — VoiceOver Free
Available on all Macs running macOS 10.10 or later
Turn on
Cmd + F5
Turn off
Cmd + F5
Via settings
System Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver
Stop speaking
Ctrl
On Touch Bar MacBooks, use Fn + Cmd + F5. A welcome tutorial launches on first use — press V to skip it.
Chromebook — ChromeVox Free
Built into ChromeOS — no install needed
Turn on
Ctrl + Alt + Z
Turn off
Ctrl + Alt + Z
Via settings
Settings → Accessibility → ChromeVox
Stop speaking
Ctrl
The ChromeVox key is Search (the magnifier key on Chromebook keyboards). On an external keyboard, Search maps to Caps Lock in Chromebook settings.
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