It looks like the latest version of windows 10 will be making its way to your computer after May/June 2020.

I have compiled the information below from several sources from blogs, to release notes of windows insider builds. I am highlighting the new features that will be of interest to most people. I am also focusing on those features that either make windows easier to use, or offer an accessibility benefit.

Text cursor improvements

You can now easily find the text cursor by making it more comprehensive and an indicator. It comes as feedback from consumers who were finding it difficult to find because it was too thin and did not contrast enough with text. It applies to apps and parts of Windows 10, but not to browsers like Chrome. You can also change mouse pointer size, and select custom colors which will make it easy to find the mouse pointer and the cursor.

Along similar lines, you can choose magnifier to follow the text cursor in the center of the display by default, so that users can find the text cursor in an expected location.

Magnifier reading reduces strain and fatigue

Magnifier now has Play, Pause, Next Sentence, Previous Sentence, and Read From Here controls. It will help to make it easy to have text read aloud to reduce the strain of reading. Those who need to work and read through text all day will find it useful. It works with Edge, Chrome, and Firefox browsers, as well as other Windows applications like Microsoft office.

It will highlight each word that is spoken and will scroll content into view if it is not currently displayed. It is also compatible with Dark mode settings, making it easy to use and see text.

Screen reader improvements

There are a lot of improvements with Narrator. Microsoft has made sure it works equally well with the browsers and not limited to Windows and its Apps. If you need to browse through pages, you can find out all details such as links, headings, etc.

Narrator

• Reduced unnatural pauses and processing complete sentences. It is to aid in proper pronunciation.
• Use of tones instead of words when you switch between modes
• Option to change the level of detail that the Narrator speaks about text
• Control to hear fewer words for collective actions.
• Improved support for announcing capital words and letters. It can handle initial, mixed, and all-cap words.

Smarter browsing

• The Narrator will automatically start reading web pages from the top of the page.
• Page summary on demand can help figure out landmarks, links, and headings (NARRATOR KEY+S to hear).
• Get a list of the most popular links generated by Bing to make it easier to get to where you want to go.
• NARRATOR+CTRL+D to hear the title of the linked page before pressing the link.
• Works with popular browsers

Outlook mail

• Automatically start reading content when you open a message
• Automatically enable scan mode
• Recognize and ignore layout tables to make it easier to navigate and read message content.
• Improved Outlook responsiveness

The End

We have made it to the end of this short list of new windows features. As I said, this list is not an exhaustive list, just some of the more notable updates and features.

This took some time and research to put together. If you are not an email subscriber, this is a great time to set that up for yourself. The form is below this post. This way, you won’t miss anything from WebFriendlyHelp.com.

One more thing. If you aren’t a paid member of WFH, please consider becoming a member. You could also donate if you’d like to by me a taco. 🌮 Hold the onions!

Anyway, that’s a wrap for now. If you’ve made it this far, you’re a real trooper and I appreciate you taking the time to read this. As always…

Qapla!