Introducing instantAccess - A Quick Layer for Launching Files, Programs, and Websites

[kamal yaser]

Hi everyone,

I am excited to announce the release of instantAccess (Version 2026.1), a new productivity add-on for NVDA designed to help you quickly launch your favorite websites, programs, files, and folders.

Instead of memorizing complex global shortcuts that might conflict with other applications, instantAccess uses a dedicated "Quick Layer." You simply press a single activation keystroke to enter "Quick Mode," followed by a single letter or number of your choice.

Key Features

• The "Quick Layer" Concept: Press NVDA + E to enter Quick Mode, then press your assigned key (e.g., G for Google, or N for Notes). The item launches immediately, and Quick Mode automatically closes.

• Universal File & Folder Support: Beyond executables and websites, you can launch any document (PDFs, text files, images) in its default viewer, or open specific directories in File Explorer.

• Background Launching (No Freezing): All files and URLs are launched in the background. NVDA will no longer pause or freeze while waiting for a slow network drive or browser to open.

• Command Line Arguments: You can easily add arguments or flags to programs right from the settings (e.g., launching a browser in -incognito or Private mode).

• Adjustable Verbosity Levels: * Beginner Mode: Provides helpful spoken descriptions to guide you while learning your shortcuts.

  • Advanced Mode: Designed for speed, using fast minimal beeps or short phrases.

• Import / Export Settings: Easily back up your custom shortcuts or share your configuration between different computers.

Compatibility

instantAccess is compatible with NVDA 2019.3 and later.

How to Get It

You can download the latest release, read the full documentation, and view the source code on the project's GitHub repository:

https://github.com/kamalyaser31/instantAccess

To manage your shortcuts after installing, just open the NVDA Menu, navigate to Preferences -> Settings, and scroll down to the instant Access category.

Feedback

This project is open-source, and I would love to hear your feedback! If you encounter any bugs, have feature requests, or have suggestions for improvement, please feel free to reply to this thread or open an issue on GitHub.

Thank you, and I hope instantAccess speeds up your daily workflow!

Best regards,

Kamal Yaser

[David Griffith]

Many thanks for  this.

If, like me, people find GitHub  pages a nightmare to trawl through with all the references to Commits, I think the following link actually takes you to the addon to try.

https://github.com/kamalyaser31/instantAccess/releases/download/v2026.1/instantAccess-2026.1.nvda-addon 

It worked for me at least.

David Griffith 

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From: nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> on behalf of kamal yaser <kamaly...@gmail.com>
Sent: 15 February 2026 11:06
To: nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
Subject: [NVDA] Introducing instantAccess - A Quick Layer for Launching Files, Programs, and Websites

 

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[Sean Randall]

Hi Kamal

 

Great idea for an addon. I’d not personally use it on my primary system, I run Executor  as a launcher. But for my portable setup, it might be just what I need. A couple of questions:

1. Is it possible to add shortcuts to NVDA settings or items in the input gestures dialog? One of my particular bugbears is the screen curtain, which I map to NVDA plus printscreen, but I often don’t know where printscreen is on a foreign keyboard or device initially. Having access to that from a launcher would be nifty.
2. Can I launch things relative to NVDA’s installation path? I’m thinking specifically of running from USB or a writable directory of portable apps. The drive letter may change or an absolute pathname not be known in these situations.
3. Why NVDA plus e? As a mnemonic I suppose e for easy works, but just curious as to your thought process.

 

 

 

From: nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> On Behalf Of kamal yaser
Sent: Sunday, 15 February 2026 11:06
To: nvda-...@nvaccess.org
Subject: [NVDA] Introducing instantAccess - A Quick Layer for Launching Files, Programs, and Websites

 

Hi everyone,

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[Sarah Alawami]

OH wow, cool. are you going to put this on the add on store when able?

note I I have not used the add on yet but I'm just curious what was your use case for creating such an add on when the start menu and task bar with pinned items is fine and does almost what you can do here. The concept sounds neat.

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[Steve Nutt]

Thanks for the pointer to Executor Sean, I didn’t know about this one.

All the best

Steve

 

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