NV Access is pleased to announce that version 2024.1 of NVDA, the free screen reader for Microsoft Windows, is now available for download. We encourage all users to upgrade to this version.
Highlights
A new “on-demand” speech mode has been added. When speech is on-demand, NVDA does not speak automatically (e.g. when moving the cursor) but still speaks when calling commands whose goal is explicitly to report something (e.g. report window title). In the Speech category of NVDA’s settings, it is now possible to exclude unwanted speech modes from the Cycle speech modes command (NVDA+s). A new Native Selection mode (toggled by NVDA+shift+f10) is now available in NVDA’s browse mode for Mozilla Firefox. When turned on, selecting text in browse mode will also manipulate Firefox’s own native selection. Copying text with control+c will pass straight through to Firefox, thus copying the rich content, rather than NVDA’s plain text representation. The Add-on Store now supports bulk actions (e.g. installing, enabling add-ons) by selecting multiple add-ons. There is a new action to open a reviews webpage for the selected add-on. The audio output device and ducking mode options have been removed from the “Select Synthesizer” dialog. They can be found in the audio settings panel which can be opened with NVDA+control+u. eSpeak-NG, LibLouis braille translator, and Unicode CLDR have been updated. New Thai, Filipino and Romanian braille tables are available. There are many bug fixes, particularly for the Add-on Store, braille, Libre Office, Microsoft Office and audio.
Important Note:
- This release breaks compatibility with existing add-ons.
- Windows 7, and Windows 8 are no longer supported. Windows 8.1 is the minimum Windows version supported.
Please note, after updating any software, it is a good idea to restart the computer. Restart by going to the Shutdown dialog, selecting “restart” and pressing ENTER. Updating software can change files which are in use. This can lead to instability and strange behaviour which is resolved by rebooting. This is the first thing to try if you do notice anything odd after updating.
Links
While downloading NVDA, please consider becoming a monthly donor. Contributions like yours help NV Access continue our important work.
We also have a range of training material in the NV Access Shop to help you increase your skills with NVDA. Start with the popular Basic Training for NVDA in electronic text, audio and braille. Save with the NVDA Productivity Bundle. This includes Basic Training, all our Microsoft Office training, and telephone support.
- Download NVDA 2024.1
- SHA256 sum: 946F4DADB11CE05E14EBEBFF05E291DC1C87C66D0C3119EEC81FFFA5A2611F96
- What’s new in NVDA 2024.1
Close-up photograph of NVDA logo in notification area.