NVDA Keyboard Shortcuts

Q: Which key is the NVDA key?

Insert by default. During installation you can also enable Caps Lock, which is the usual choice on laptops without a convenient Insert. Both work simultaneously if both are enabled.

Q: How is NVDA’s K different from JAWS?

In NVDA, K is the link key. In JAWS it moves to PlaceMarkers instead, and links are Tab and Shift + Tab. The radio-button key swaps too: NVDA uses R, JAWS uses A. These two letters cause most of the confusion for people who switch between the readers.

Q: How do I copy text that I can only reach with the review cursor?

Position the review cursor at the start and press NVDA + F9 to mark it. Move to the end, press NVDA + F10 once to select, and again to copy to the clipboard.

101 commands in 10 groups, from NV Access’s official quick reference (desktop layout).

Essentials (9)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `N`	Start or restart NVDA	The Windows desktop shortcut created at installation.
`NVDA` + `Q`	Quit NVDA	Exits NVDA. The NVDA key is Insert by default, or Caps Lock if you chose that in the welcome dialog.
`NVDA` + `N`	NVDA menu	Opens the menu for preferences, tools, and help.
`Ctrl`	Stop speech	Instantly silences the current speech.
`Shift`	Pause speech	Pauses speech; press again to resume where it left off.
`NVDA` + `S`	Cycle speech mode	Cycles between talk, beeps, on-demand and off.
`NVDA` + `1`	Input help	Every key you press is described instead of executed — the safest way to learn the layout.
`NVDA` + `F2`	Pass next key through	Sends the next keystroke straight to the application.
`NVDA` + `Shift` + `S`	Sleep mode	Disables NVDA for the current application only — useful in apps that self-voice. Desktop layout; laptop uses NVDA + Shift + Z.

Reading & System Information (12)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NVDA` + `Down`	Say All	Reads continuously from the caret. Desktop layout; laptop uses NVDA + A.
`NVDA` + `Up`	Read current line	Speaks the caret line; twice quickly spells it. Laptop: NVDA + L.
`NVDA` + `Shift` + `Up`	Read selected text	Speaks the current selection. Laptop: NVDA + Shift + S.
`NVDA` + `Tab`	Report focus	Announces the control that has the system focus; twice spells it.
`NVDA` + `T`	Report title	Speaks the active window title; three presses copy it to the clipboard.
`NVDA` + `B`	Read active window	Reads every control in the current window — ideal for dialogs.
`NVDA` + `End`	Report status bar	Speaks the status bar if one exists. Laptop: NVDA + Shift + End.
`NVDA` + `F`	Report text formatting	Speaks font and formatting at the caret; twice shows it in a browsable window.
`NVDA` + `K`	Report link destination	Speaks the URL of the link at the caret; twice shows it in a window.
`NVDA` + `F12`	Report time	Once for the time, twice quickly for the date.
`NVDA` + `Shift` + `B`	Report battery status	Speaks the charge level and whether AC power is connected.
`NVDA` + `C`	Report clipboard text	Speaks the text currently on the clipboard.

Browse Mode (8)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NVDA` + `Space`	Toggle browse/focus mode	Switches between reading a page and typing into it.
`Esc`	Exit focus mode	Returns to browse mode when focus mode was entered automatically.
`NVDA` + `F5`	Refresh document	Reloads the browse-mode content when something seems missing.
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `F`	Find	Searches the text of the current document.
`NVDA` + `F3`	Find next	Repeats the search forward; NVDA + Shift + F3 goes backward.
`NVDA` + `F7`	Elements list	One dialog listing the links, headings, form fields, buttons and landmarks of the page.
`NVDA` + `Shift` + `Space`	Toggle single-letter navigation	Turns the letter keys below on or off for the current document.
`,`	Move past end of container	Jumps past the end of the current list or table; Shift + Comma jumps to its start.

Single-Letter Navigation (24)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`H`	Next heading	All of these jump to the next instance; add Shift for the previous one.
`1–9`	Heading at level	Jumps to the next heading of that level.
`K`	Next link	Moves to the next link — in NVDA, K is the link key, unlike JAWS where it is a PlaceMarker.
`U`	Next unvisited link	Moves to the next link you have not opened.
`V`	Next visited link	Moves to the next link you have opened before.
`B`	Next button	Moves to the next button.
`F`	Next form field	Moves to the next form field of any kind.
`E`	Next edit field	Moves to the next edit field.
`X`	Next checkbox	Moves to the next checkbox.
`C`	Next combo box	Moves to the next combo box.
`R`	Next radio button	Moves to the next radio button — note this differs from JAWS, where the radio key is A.
`L`	Next list	Moves to the next list.
`I`	Next list item	Moves to the next list item.
`T`	Next table	Moves to the next table.
`D`	Next landmark	Moves to the next ARIA landmark region.
`N`	Next non-linked text	Jumps past a block of links to ordinary text.
`G`	Next graphic	Moves to the next graphic.
`M`	Next frame	Moves to the next frame.
`Q`	Next block quote	Moves to the next block quote.
`S`	Next separator	Moves to the next separator.
`O`	Next embedded object	Moves to the next audio or video player, application, or dialog.
`A`	Next annotation	Moves to the next comment or editor revision.
`P`	Next text paragraph	Moves to the next paragraph of text.
`W`	Next spelling error	Moves to the next reported spelling error.

Tables (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Right`	Next column	Moves one cell right, staying in the row; Ctrl + Alt + Left goes back.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Down`	Next row	Moves one cell down, staying in the column; Ctrl + Alt + Up goes up.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Home`	First column	Jumps to the first cell of the row; Ctrl + Alt + End to the last.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Page Up`	First row	Jumps to the top of the column; Ctrl + Alt + Page Down to the bottom.

Object Navigation (Desktop Layout) (8)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NVDA` + `NumPad 5`	Report current object	Speaks the navigator object; twice spells it, three times copies it.
`NVDA` + `NumPad 8`	Move to containing object	Steps up the object hierarchy.
`NVDA` + `NumPad 2`	Move to first contained object	Steps down into the current object.
`NVDA` + `NumPad 4`	Previous object	Moves to the object before the current one.
`NVDA` + `NumPad 6`	Next object	Moves to the object after the current one.
`NVDA` + `NumPad Minus`	Move to focus object	Returns the navigator to whatever has system focus.
`NVDA` + `NumPad Enter`	Activate object	Acts like clicking the navigator object.
`NVDA` + `Shift` + `NumPad Minus`	Move focus to navigator	Pulls the system focus to the navigator object; twice moves the caret to the review cursor.

Text Review (Desktop Layout) (13)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NumPad 7`	Previous line in review	Shift + NumPad 7 jumps to the top line.
`NumPad 8`	Current line in review	Twice spells the line.
`NumPad 9`	Next line in review	Shift + NumPad 9 jumps to the bottom line.
`NumPad 4`	Previous word in review	Moves the review cursor back one word.
`NumPad 5`	Current word in review	Twice spells the word.
`NumPad 6`	Next word in review	Moves the review cursor forward one word.
`NumPad 1`	Previous character in review	Shift + NumPad 1 jumps to the start of the line.
`NumPad 2`	Current character in review	Twice describes the character; three times gives its numeric value.
`NumPad 3`	Next character in review	Shift + NumPad 3 jumps to the end of the line.
`NumPad Plus`	Say All with review	Reads from the review cursor onward.
`NVDA` + `F9`	Mark start for copy	Marks the review-cursor position as the start of a selection.
`NVDA` + `F10`	Select, then copy	First press selects from the marker to the review cursor; second press copies it to the clipboard.
`NVDA` + `NumPad 7`	Next review mode	Cycles object, document and screen review; NVDA + NumPad 1 cycles backward.

Mouse (Desktop Layout) (5)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NumPad Slash`	Left mouse click	Clicks the left button at the mouse position; twice quickly double-clicks.
`NumPad Star`	Right mouse click	Clicks the right button at the mouse position.
`NVDA` + `NumPad Slash`	Move mouse to navigator object	Warps the pointer to the current navigator object.
`NVDA` + `NumPad Star`	Move navigator to mouse	Sets the navigator object to whatever is under the pointer.
`NVDA` + `M`	Toggle mouse tracking	Announces the text under the pointer as you move it.

Tools & Recognition (3)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NVDA` + `R`	OCR the current object	Recognises text in the navigator object with Windows OCR — the way into inaccessible images.
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `Esc`	Screen curtain	Blacks out the display for privacy while NVDA keeps working; once until restart, twice until disabled.
`NVDA` + `D`	Report annotation details	Speaks a summary of any annotation details at the caret.

Configuration (15)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `G`	General settings	Opens the General category of NVDA Settings; V opens Speech, K Keyboard, M Mouse, B Browse Mode, D Document Formatting.
`NVDA` + `P`	Punctuation level	Cycles how much punctuation is spoken.
`NVDA` + `2`	Speak typed characters	Toggles echoing each character you type.
`NVDA` + `3`	Speak typed words	Toggles echoing each completed word.
`NVDA` + `4`	Speak command keys	Toggles announcing non-character keys such as Ctrl combinations.
`NVDA` + `5`	Report dynamic content	Toggles announcing new content in terminals and chat histories.
`NVDA` + `6`	Review follows caret	Keeps the review cursor glued to the system caret.
`NVDA` + `7`	Review follows focus	Keeps the review cursor glued to the system focus.
`NVDA` + `U`	Progress bar output	Cycles how progress-bar updates are reported.
`NVDA` + `V`	Screen layout	Toggles whether browse mode keeps links in the flow of text or gives each its own line.
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `Right`	Next synth setting	Steps through rate, pitch, voice and volume; NVDA + Ctrl + Up and Down change the value.
`NVDA` + `Shift` + `D`	Audio ducking mode	Chooses when other applications' volume is lowered.
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `C`	Save configuration	Saves settings so they survive a restart.
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `R`	Revert configuration	Once returns to the last save; three presses restore factory defaults.
`NVDA` + `Ctrl` + `P`	Configuration profiles	Opens the profiles dialog for per-application setups.

📜 Source: NV Access — NVDA Commands Quick Reference. Every shortcut below comes from NV Access’s Commands Quick Reference, desktop keyboard layout, with laptop equivalents noted where they matter. Braille-display and touch commands are out of scope here — the quick reference covers them per device. Checked 2026-08-02.

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The NVDA key, and why every table has two columns

Almost every NVDA command is built on the NVDA modifier key — Insert by default, or Caps Lock if you selected that in the welcome dialog. NV Access documents two layouts: desktop, which uses the numeric keypad heavily, and laptop, which folds those commands onto letters. This page shows the desktop set and notes the laptop form where the difference bites — Say All is NVDA + Down on desktop but NVDA + A on laptop, and the entire review cluster moves off the numpad. If a command here seems dead on your machine, the layout setting in Keyboard preferences is the first thing to check.

Browse mode is where NVDA lives on the web

On a web page NVDA starts in browse mode: keystrokes navigate rather than type, and the single letters in the table above do the heavy lifting — H for headings, K for links, F for form fields, D for landmarks, each with Shift reversing direction. Landing on an edit field and pressing Enter switches to focus mode so typing works; Esc or NVDA + Space switches back. NVDA + F7 collects the page’s links, headings and landmarks into one dialog, and NVDA + Shift + Space turns single-letter navigation off entirely for web apps that need their own letter keys.

Object navigation and review: the part worth learning second

Beyond the caret, NVDA has a second, independent position: the navigator object, driven from the numpad. NVDA + NumPad 8 climbs to the container, NVDA + NumPad 2 descends into it, 4 and 6 move between siblings, and NVDA + NumPad Enter activates whatever the navigator is on — which is how you reach controls the Tab key never visits. The bare numpad reviews text line by line (7/8/9), word by word (4/5/6) and character by character (1/2/3), and NVDA + F9 then NVDA + F10 select and copy a span of it. When something is pure pixels, NVDA + R runs Windows OCR on the navigator object.

Frequently asked questions

Which key is the NVDA key?

Insert by default. During installation you can also enable Caps Lock, which is the usual choice on laptops without a convenient Insert. Both work simultaneously if both are enabled.

Why do NVDA commands differ between desktop and laptop layouts?

Desktop layout leans on the numeric keypad for review and object navigation; laptop layout remaps those onto letter combinations for keyboards without a numpad. The command set is the same — only the keys differ. Change it under NVDA Settings › Keyboard.

What is the difference between browse mode and focus mode?

Browse mode treats the page as a document: letters navigate and nothing you press reaches the site. Focus mode passes keys through so you can type into fields and use a web app’s own shortcuts. NVDA + Space toggles them, and NVDA switches automatically when you land on an edit field.

How is NVDA’s `K` different from JAWS?

In NVDA, K is the link key. In JAWS it moves to PlaceMarkers instead, and links are Tab and Shift + Tab. The radio-button key swaps too: NVDA uses R, JAWS uses A. These two letters cause most of the confusion for people who switch between the readers.

How do I copy text that I can only reach with the review cursor?

Position the review cursor at the start and press NVDA + F9 to mark it. Move to the end, press NVDA + F10 once to select, and again to copy to the clipboard.

Can NVDA read text in images?

Yes. Put the navigator object on the image or window and press NVDA + R — Windows OCR recognises the text and opens it in a readable view. It is the standard workaround for inaccessible dialogs and scanned documents.

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