Search Function with NVDA

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Jerry Martin

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Jul 27, 2026, 7:12:06 AM (7 days ago) Jul 27
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Good morning to all.
 
As a new NVDA user, I am trying to learn all of the quirks of it and was going through the settings.
 
When I was in a document, I used the control f function to find a word. When I pressed the enter key, it did not state the section/line where the word might be; and when I pressed the spacebar, it just, if I remember correctly, say next.
 
Is there a setting for NVDA t read the information as JAWS does? Thanks.
Jerry

James AUSTIN

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Jul 27, 2026, 9:03:50 AM (7 days ago) Jul 27
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Hi Jerry

The NVDA search function can be evoked using control plus NVDA plus F. Control F brings up the search function of the web browser. However, I’ve found that if you change the find key stroke within the input gestures dialogue, then control plus F if you choose that for NVDA find will override the web browsers find feature.

Hope this helps.

Warmest wishes

JAMES.
Sent from my iPhone

On 27 Jul 2026, at 12:12 pm, 'Jerry Martin' via NVDA Screen Reader Discussion <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> wrote:


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Jerry Martin

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Jul 27, 2026, 9:33:25 AM (7 days ago) Jul 27
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Thanks. And under which heading would  I find the input gestures? Thanks again.
 

Sean Randall

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Jul 27, 2026, 9:45:01 AM (7 days ago) Jul 27
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Hi Jerry.

Input gestures are under the NVDA menu (insert or caps-lock plus n), p for preferences, then n for input gestures.

From here, if you shift+tab once to the filter box and type find, you can then tab back to the search results and see that the results show up under the browse mode section. Cursor down to find a text string from the current cursor position, tab to the add button, press ctrl+f and enter to confirm.

 

You’ll want to launch the input gestures panel from a web page or other browse mode document, otherwise the browse mode gestures don’t’ show up.

 

If I can explain that any better do feel free to ask, I know it sounds a bit complicated!

 

sean.

Jerry Martin

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Jul 27, 2026, 10:21:09 AM (7 days ago) Jul 27
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Do these processes apply to non-web documents i.e. word or excel documents? Thanks.
 

Rahul Vaniya

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Jul 27, 2026, 10:25:06 AM (7 days ago) Jul 27
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You can find Input gestures in NVDA menu> preffrances> Input Gestures. You can press NVDA+N than P than N to move there. 
Thanks. Regards




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Quentin Christensen

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Jul 28, 2026, 12:22:01 AM (6 days ago) Jul 28
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NVDA doesn't override the browser search function, so it is still available, albeit not accessible.  If you use NVDA+control+f to find, that is NVDA"s search.  If you do use Input Gestures to override the functionality of control+f, it will work across the board, so in Word as well for instance.  You COULD get around that by using the pass next key through command of NVDA+f2 before pressing control+f when you want to use the application's own find function.

As a Jaws user, another resource you might find useful is the Switching from Jaws to NVDA guide: https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/wiki/SwitchingFromJawsToNVDA

Kind regards

Quentin



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Andrew Downie

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Jul 28, 2026, 8:18:59 PM (6 days ago) Jul 28
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The NVDA search applies to Word when in browse mode.  Just like the JAWS facility with the same default keystroke.


Andrew


Jerry Martin

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Jul 29, 2026, 7:51:25 AM (5 days ago) Jul 29
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Daniel Sommerfeld

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Jul 29, 2026, 8:19:54 AM (5 days ago) Jul 29
to 'Jerry Martin' via NVDA Screen Reader Discussion
Hello.

I cannot find the keystroke for the search. It doesn't seem to belisted.
There are so many keystrokes and also entries, that do not have a
keystroke yet but nothing about the NVDA Search.

Am i doing something wrong?

Sincerely

yours

Daniel

Am 29.07.2026 um 13:51 schrieb 'Jerry Martin' via NVDA Screen Reader
Discussion:
> Thanks.
>
> *----- Original Message -----*
> *From:* Andrew Downie <doveta...@gmail.com>
> *Reply-To:* <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
> *To:* <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
> *Sent:* 7/28/2026 7:18:15 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [NVDA] Search Function with NVDA
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The NVDA search applies to Word when in browse mode.  Just like
> the JAWS facility with the same default keystroke.
>
>
> Andrew
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 28, 2026 at 12:21 AM 'Jerry Martin' via NVDA Screen
> Reader Discussion <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> wrote:
>
> Do these processes apply to non-web documents i.e. word or
> excel documents? Thanks.
>
> *----- Original Message -----*
> *From:* Sean Randall <con...@seanrandall.me>
> *Reply-To:* <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
> *To:* <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
> *Sent:* 7/27/2026 8:44:55 AM
> *Subject:* RE: [NVDA] Search Function with NVDA
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hi Jerry.
>
> Input gestures are under the NVDA menu (insert or
> caps-lock plus n), p for preferences, then n for input
> gestures.
>
> From here, if you shift+tab once to the filter box and
> type find, you can then tab back to the search results and
> see that the results show up under the browse mode
> section. Cursor down to find a text string from the
> current cursor position, tab to the add button, press
> ctrl+f and enter to confirm.
>
> You’ll want to launch the input gestures panel from a web
> page or other browse mode document, otherwise the browse
> mode gestures don’t’ show up.
>
> If I can explain that any better do feel free to ask, I
> know it sounds a bit complicated!
>
> sean.
>
> *From:*'Jerry Martin' via NVDA Screen Reader Discussion
> <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
> *Sent:* Monday, 27 July 2026 14:33
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* Re: [NVDA] Search Function with NVDA
>
> Thanks. And under which heading would  I find the input
> gestures? Thanks again.
>
> *----- Original Message -----*
>
> *From:*James AUSTIN <james.lo...@gmail.com>
>
> *Reply-To:*<nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
>
> *To:*<nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
>
> *Sent:*7/27/2026 7:31:03 AM
>
> *Subject:*Re: [NVDA] Search Function with NVDA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> <mailto:nvda-users%2Bman...@nvaccess.org>.
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umesh rathore

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Jul 29, 2026, 8:35:49 AM (5 days ago) Jul 29
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hello nvda teem
how are you
i was talking about rui fontes could you no how olde are rui fontes please tel me!
thanks!
umesh Rathore

jacob kruger

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Jul 29, 2026, 9:09:52 AM (5 days ago) Jul 29
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It's labeled "find a text string from the current cursor position", and
is under browse mode input gestures category - defaults to NVDA+ctrl+F.


Jacob Kruger
"Resistance is futile...acceptance is versatile..."

jacob kruger

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Jul 29, 2026, 9:11:15 AM (5 days ago) Jul 29
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Sorry - should have mentioned that I just turned on help mode using
NvDA+number row 1, while the message was open, and then hit ctrl+NVDA+F,
and it read out that label to me, which made it easier to then find it
in the input gestures dialogue.


Jacob Kruger
"Resistance is futile...acceptance is versatile..."


On 2026/07/29 14:19, Daniel Sommerfeld wrote:

Sean Randall

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Jul 29, 2026, 11:52:41 AM (5 days ago) Jul 29
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as far As I recall, the browse mode keybinds only appear when in a browse document. So if you're looking for them at the desktop or in your inbox, for example, you might not see them.
Thanks

Sean


On 29 Jul 2026, at 14:11, jacob kruger <ja...@blindza.co.za> wrote:

Sorry - should have mentioned that I just turned on help mode using NvDA+number row 1, while the message was open, and then hit ctrl+NVDA+F, and it read out that label to me, which made it easier to then find it in the input gestures dialogue.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/89800073-6438-452f-b937-bdce970f0610%40blindza.co.za.

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