This page is probably being scrolled by you using your stylus, external mouse, stylus, or touchpad. What if we told ya there was another way to navigate web pages with your browser?
We’ll teach you how to use it on web browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. The feature is not supported by other browsers, such as Opera and Safari.
Caret Browsing: What is it?
The term “Caret Browsing“, also known as “Caret Navigation”, refers to a different way of browsing and reading web pages from your browser. This involves using the Cursor keys or direction keys on your keyboard to navigate and select text.
This method is useful for those with a defective trackpad, mouse, or stylus. This feature could also be used for fun.
How to enable Caret Browsing
One key press is all you need to activate Caret Browsing. The browser’s settings menu also contains the option to enable Caret Browsing for Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. You’ll find out how to activate Caret Browsing in Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
Enable Caret Browsing with Google Chrome
You can activate Caret Browsing using Google Chrome either by pressing a hotkey or via Chrome’s Accessibility menu. To toggle Navigate pages using a text cursor, press F7 on the keyboard.
Quick Tip: Paste chrome://settings/accessibility in Chrome’s address bar and press Enter to launch the browser’s Accessibility menu quickly. After that, toggle the option that reads Navigate webpages with a text cursor.
Caret Browsing can be enabled for all Chrome tabs and windows. To proceed, select Turn on at the confirmation prompt.
Allow Caret Browsing with Firefox
On any Firefox tab, press F7 and then select Yes at the confirmation prompt. This is the only way to activate Caret Browsing in Firefox. Firefox does not have a Settings menu option to enable Caret Browsing, unlike Chrome.
Allow Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge
As Firefox, pressing the F7 hotkey will activate Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge. To activate the feature, click Turn on.
Allow Caret Browsing with Internet Explorer
The browser will continue to work perfectly until Microsoft closes Internet Explorer in June 2022. It is also one of few browsers that support Caret browsing. Start Internet Explorer. Press F7 on any tab and then select Yes at the confirmation prompt.
Alternativ, click on the gear icon in the tab bar or press Alt + X, select File, then select Caret browsing.
Brave – Enable Caret Browsing
Brave, is a privacy-focused web browser built on the Chromium platform. To activate Caret Navigation if Brave is your primary browser, just press F7 on your keyboard. To close the window, click Turn on at the confirmation prompt.
Caret Browsing: How to Use
It is simple to activate Caret Browsing. If you’re not a keyboard-savvy person, however, it might take some getting used to the feature. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Navigation Web Pages in Caret Browsing mode
Caret Browsing should now be enabled. You will see a blinking cursor on the current page. The cursor will be moved to the next and previous lines using the arrow up or down keys. The left and right keys, on the other hand, will move the cursor one pixel to the left or right.
Opening Links in the Caret Browsing Mod
Chrome will highlight links with a border depending on which website you are visiting. To open the hyperlink in the same tab, press Enter or Return on Mac.
For Caret Browsing users who want to open a link in a background tab, press Control + Enter (on Windows), or Command+ Return [for macOS]. On Windows, Control + Shift + Enable (on Windows) and Command + Shift+ Return (on macOS), will open the link in a new active/foreground tab.
To open a link in new windows, drag the cursor to its anchor text and hit Shift + Enter or Shift @ Return on Mac.
Selecting Texts In Caret Browsing Mod
Caret Browsing mode allows you to copy text by highlighting the text. To highlight text letter-by-letter, move the cursor to the desired location.
Shift, the Arrow-up or Arrow-down keys will highlight horizontal text in a line-by-line fashion.
Highlight text word-by-word with the Alt + Shift+ Right/Left Arrow keys on Windows PCs or Option + Shift+ Left/Right Arrow keys on Mac.
You can also highlight a whole paragraph.
If you are using Windows, drag the cursor to where the first paragraph begins and then press Alt + Shift+ Arrow Down or Control + Shift+ Arrow Down (in Internet Explorer). The shortcut for Mac is Option + Shift + Arrow Down.
Alternativly, you can move your cursor to the end and press Option + Shift+ Arrow Up (on Mac) / Alt + Shift+ Arrow Up (on Windows).
Internet Explorer offers a shortcut to select a paragraph at once. To highlight a paragraph in a downward direction or upward direction, press Control + Shift+ Arrow Down or Control+ Shift+ Arrow Up.
To copy the highlighted text, press Control + (or command + on Mac).
How to disable Caret Browsing
You can return by using your stylus, mouse, or touchscreen to navigate web pages. Caret Browsing will be disabled for all the web browsers listed in this article by pressing F7.
Chrome users can access the Accessibility menu ( Setting > Accessibility), and toggle off Navigate with a text cursor.
Click the Tools icon (the gear icon on Internet Explorer) and select Caret browsing.
Caret Browsing is not working for you? Check that your browser supports it. Also, make sure your browser is up-to-date and then try again. Use the comments section to let us know if there are any questions.