NVDA and Windows 11 Apps: Issues with Browse Mode in Store, Feedback Hub, and Phone Link
Mister Kayne
Hi everyone,
I’m reaching out to see if others are struggling with the accessibility of certain native Windows 11 applications, specifically the Microsoft Store, Feedback Hub, and Phone Link.
I’ve noticed that Browse Mode simply refuses to activate in these apps. Currently, the only way I can navigate them is by using the Tab key. The major problem with this is that it completely skips over critical static information—I can't read already submitted feedback, I miss the full descriptions and user reviews in the Store, and I can't access actual message content within the Phone Link app.
I am aware that technically, "Object Navigation" or the "Review Cursor" are often suggested as the way forward here. However, to be honest, I am not comfortable using those methods. They feel like cumbersome workarounds for something that should be intuitive. It's frustrating that Microsoft’s accessibility commitments seem to fall short on these specific interfaces; it’s especially ironic that the Feedback Hub itself is such a nightmare to use when trying to report these very issues.
Has anyone found a way to force Browse Mode in these apps, or perhaps a more seamless way to interact with them that doesn't involve heavy reliance on object navigation? Any tips or settings adjustments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the support!
Warm regards,
Mister Kayne
Author: The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody & Everybody Blog!
Mail: writ...@mister-kayne.com
Sent from Outlook® for Windows 11
joseph....@gmail.com
Hi,
No, unfortuatenlyunfortunately as they do not support browse mode navigation at all. However, there is a workaround in the form of an add-on called ObjPad.
Cheers,
Joseph
--
***
Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of Conduct.
NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
You can contact the group owners and moderators via nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/TYZPR02MB9171A551CB9F2ED3A0840B719D3A2%40TYZPR02MB9171.apcprd02.prod.outlook.com.
Mister Kayne
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for the tip and for suggesting the ObjPad add-on. I have a hunch you might be the developer behind it?
I’ve downloaded and installed it, but I’m having some trouble figuring out how to actually get it running. I’ve looked through the various settings categories and the input gestures, but I couldn't find anything that clearly explained how to use it or what the commands are.
It might sound a bit stupid, but I’ve honestly tried to the best of my capacity to find the documentation or a "getting started" guide within the NVDA menus and just haven't had any luck. Could you provide a quick pointer or a few basic commands to help me get going?
Thanks again for the help!
Sarah
--
***
Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of Conduct.
NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
You can contact the group owners and moderators via nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
joseph....@gmail.com
HI,
Yes, I am indeed the original developer of that add-on.
The purpose of ObjPad is to provide one-handed shortcuts to navigate objects, browse mode elements, and emulate Narrator’s scan mode. You can toggle through these modes by pressing Control+NVDA+Tab.
The feature you might be looking for is scan mode where NVDA will “navigate” through an ap as if you are in a long text field or browse mode like feel (no quick navigation commands though).
Cheers,
Joseph
From: nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> On Behalf Of Mister Kayne
Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2026 8:09 AM
To: nvda-...@nvaccess.org
Subject: RE: [NVDA] NVDA and Windows 11 Apps: Issues with Browse Mode in Store, Feedback Hub, and Phone Link
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for the tip and for suggesting the ObjPad add-on. I have a hunch you might be the developer behind it?
I’ve downloaded and installed it, but I’m having some trouble figuring out how to actually get it running. I’ve looked through the various settings categories and the input gestures, but I couldn't find anything that clearly explained how to use it or what the commands are.
It might sound a bit stupid, but I’ve honestly tried to the best of my capacity to find the documentation or a "getting started" guide within the NVDA menus and just haven't had any luck. Could you provide a quick pointer or a few basic commands to help me get going?
Thanks again for the help!
From: nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> On Behalf Of joseph....@gmail.com
Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:21 PM
To: nvda-...@nvaccess.org
Subject: RE: [NVDA] NVDA and Windows 11 Apps: Issues with Browse Mode in Store, Feedback Hub, and Phone Link
Hi,
No, unfortuatenlyunfortunately as they do not support browse mode navigation at all. However, there is a workaround in the form of an add-on called ObjPad.
Cheers,
Joseph
--
***
Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of Conduct.
NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
You can contact the group owners and moderators via nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
Mister Kayne
On Phone link, when you open a message i.e. text/ iMessage; you will be in the edit box to write your message to them, but if you want to read the messages that were received
from them, you do a shift tab to get to the list of the messages from there you can use the up/ down arrow to read through the messages. HTH
P.S. I am still trying to figure out on how to use the add-on, waiting for instructions.
Gene Asner
I inadvertently sent my responses to this message off list. I'm composing a new message containing essentially the same information and comments and sending it on list if others are interested.
I first said that if you try using object navigation and screen review, you may become comfortable doing so if you aren't now. I also said that because of technical changes in Windows, screen review often doesn't work whereas object navigation does.
I wrote a tutorial explaining object navigation which I am including below my signature, for those who want to learn about object navigation. I also said that I haven't used Obj Pad, and I don't know if it is necessary or useful to know how to use object navigation to use it.
Gene
Here is a tutorial I wrote for someone on a list who asked about object navigation.
It was originally written in more than one message as part of
a discussion and it isn't organized as a formal tutorial would
be. But I believe it will be helpful to people who want to
understand object navigation.
Gene
the main things to know are that an object may be very small or
very large. I don't know technically what the definition of an
object is but for practical purposes, it is something you can
move to and at times work with.
If you open a document, the document is one single object. You
can tell that by Using move right and left by line in an object.
The commands are numpad 9, move right, numpad 7 move left and
numpad 8, read current line.
The commands correspond for smaller movements. Numpad 6 4 and
5, move by word, numpad 3, 1, and 2, move by character.
Objects often have other objects in them and you can often move
up to higher objects. For example, if you open a document in
the Windows 11 notepad, you are in the document, one object.
You can't move to a lower object, there is no object in the
document. The command to move to an object inside an object is
numpad insert, numpad 2.
If you move to a higher object, numpad insert numpad 8, you are
in an object still in Notepad but higher than the document. You
will hear the title of the document and then Notepad Window.
You are in Notepad but not in the lowest level, the document
object. You can try moving to the right and left but there is
nowhere to move in this object. It is a very small object.
If you move to the next object to the right if there is one to
move to, you will hear something, in this case, I don't know
what you will hear, because I don't know what else is opened in
your computer but you will move to an object for another program
or I should say, for something in that program but there is
nothing in Notepad to move to the right to so you move into an
object for something else.. Move right by object is numpad
insert, numpad 6. Move left is numpad insert numpad 4. Numpad
insert, numpad 5 announces part or the whole of the current
object, depending on it's size.
Let's say you keep moving up and get to the desktop. Or let's
say you move up once in Notepad, then try to move down again to
the object where you started. You won't be back where you
started. You will be in another object maybe in the same
program but not where you started. I don't know why that is but
you can easily move back to where you started. The object
navigator, by default, moves as the cursor moves. If you are in
a Notepad document not the object nnavigator, but where you are
working in the program window itself, no matter where the object
navigator is, and you move the cursor, even by one character,
the navigator object will be on the character you have moved to
and you are back in the same object. Move anywhere you want in
the document and the navigator object will be there. That's
true in lists and other structures as well. Move with the arrow
keys to return. Or if you can't for some reason, going to the
desktop and alt tabbing back moves you to where you started.
Alt tabbing to another opened program and back will as well.
You may have questions but this will, I hope, give you a
framework to understand what you are doing.
Here are the movement keys in one place:
Move by line, right, numpad 9, left, numpad 7, read current,
numpad 8.
Lower numbers move in the same ways in smaller units.
Numpad 4, 5, and 6, move by word..
Move to higher object, numpad insert, numpad 8.
Move to lower object, numpad insert numpad 2.
Move left by object, numpad insert, numpad 4.
Move to the right by object, numpad insert, numpad 6.
Numpad insert numpad 5 reads the current object or part of it,
depending on it's size,
Object navigation is used when you can't see information in ways
such as by moving a cursor, because there is none. Even if you
can hear information in a dialog without using object
navigation. open object navigation and move around using
different commands previously given.
For example, open the About NVDA dialog, NVDA key n, h, a. The
point isn't that you hear the dialog spoken when it opens. the
point is to move around and get experience with object
navigation.
You will find that you can't move using numpad 7 or numpad 9.
You are in a very small object and if you use read current
object line, numpad 8, you hear OK button. That is the object
you are in.
The next thing to do is experiment. What happens if you move up
to the next object with numpad insert numpad 8. You can move
around and you will hear the information in the dialog spoken as
you move.
In short, don't worry if you can hear items like dialogs spoken
when you open them and tab around. Use object navigation for
experience and familiarization.
Another example is to try things on the desktop.
Once there, read the current object line with numpad 8. You
will hear the same thing as you do with the other read current
line. you can't move using numpad 9 or 7. You are in a very
small object, that one desktop icon.
Now, move from object to object with numpad insert, numpad 4 or
six. You hear other desktop icons and you have moved to the one
you hear. They are all very small objects, all one icon.
If you move up to the next object, numpad insert numpad 8, the
same as you used in the about dialog, you are in an object that
says desktop list. That's the object above the one where you
were.
Move down to the object inside the desktop list object. You
are, once again, on the single desktop icon you were on before
you moved up. Often, when you move down, after you move up, you
won't be in the same place you were before. As I said perhaps
two days ago, move in ways that will place you where you started
if that's where you want to be. Up and down arrow in the list to
the same icon, Alt tab to another program, then move back to the
desktop, open the start menu, press escape, then return to the
desktop, move however you want not using object navigation, then
move back.
pad,
joseph....@gmail.com
Hi,
For most add-ons, you can read their help file by going to add-on store, select the add-on, press Enter to open context menu, then choose “help”. ObjPad does include a help file.
Cheers,
Joseph
Edward Green
Hi,
And don't forget there's also an add-on which puts the help for all installed add-ons in a submenu of the NVDA help menu.
Cheers,
Ed
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/006e01dcdfc4%24e7dbd480%24b7937d80%24%40gmail.com.
Mister Kayne
Thank you, Joseph and members, all tips and work arounds were really helpful. Thanks to you all I was able to figure out on how to use this add-on, how to read the help files and work with such applications. All the support is much appreciated.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/006e01dcdfc4%24e7dbd480%24b7937d80%24%40gmail.com.