Use a screen reader to explore and navigate office lens

Screen reader content

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Microsoft Support home.

iOSAndroid



Use Microsoft Lens with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to explore and navigate the different views and move between them.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

In this topic

• Navigate the main views and screen elements

• Move between views

Navigate the main views and screen elements

Microsoft Lens contains the following main views: Capture, Gallery, and Export to. To navigate through and inside the views and screen elements:

• Swipe left or right to move the focus through the screen elements.

• Slide one finger around the screen to explore the elements on the screen.

• When the focus is on a button, double-tap the screen to perform the action.

• When the focus is on the camera mode ribbon, you hear "Camera mode" and the current value. Swipe up or down until you hear the mode you want, and double-tap the screen to select the mode.

Capture view

When you open Microsoft Lens for the first time, the Capture view opens. The Capture view allows you to capture an image or select an existing photo from a library with the buttons on the lower part of the screen.

You can modify camera settings, such as Flash, using the toolbar at the top. You can also select the camera mode (whiteboard, document, business card, or photo) from the ribbon at the bottom.

Gallery view

The Gallery view displays a captured image. You can edit the image by, for example, cropping and rotating it from the toolbar at the top of the screen. If you have captured multiple images, the view identifies the current image with a counter, and allows you to use the toolbar to delete unneeded images.

You can hide the screen elements and explore the image without distractions. To save the image or take additional images, use the buttons on the lower part of the screen.

Export to view

After you activate the Done button in the Gallery view, the Export to view opens. You can modify the account used for the export, and select from a list of applications to store or share the image.

Move between views

To move from the Capture view to the Gallery view, you must capture an image, select an existing image from the Photo library, or open a previously captured image:

• On the Capture view, swipe left or right until you hear "Choose photo from library button," "Capture button," or "Button to open gallery view image," and then double-tap the screen.

• If you capture an image or open a previously captured image, the Gallery view opens directly.

• If you want to select an existing image, the Photo library view opens. Browse through the view by swiping and double-tapping until you find the image you want. Double-tap the screen to select the image and open the Gallery view.

To return from the Gallery view back to the Capture view, do one of the following:

• To cancel editing and delete all currently captured images, swipe left or right until you hear "Cancel," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "Delete button" or "Delete all button," and then double-tap the screen.

• To capture an additional image, swipe left or right until you hear "Add image button," and then double-tap the screen.

To move from the Gallery view to the Export to view, swipe left or right until you hear "Done button," and then double-tap the screen. To return to the Gallery view, swipe left or right until you hear "Back button," and then double-tap the screen.

See also

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Lens

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use Microsoft Lens with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to explore and navigate the different views and move between them.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.

In this topic

• Navigate the main views and screen elements

• Move between views

Navigate the main views and screen elements

Microsoft Lens contains the following main views: Capture, Gallery, and Save to. To navigate through and inside the views and screen elements:

• Swipe left or right to move the focus through the screen elements.

• Slide one finger around the screen to explore the elements on the screen.

• When the focus is on a button, double-tap the screen to perform the action.

Capture view

When you open Microsoft Lens for the first time, the Capture view opens. The Capture view allows you to capture an image or import an existing image from a library with the buttons on the lower part of the screen.

You can modify camera settings, such as Flash, using the toolbar at the top. You can also select the capture mode (whiteboard, document, business card, or photo) from the ribbon at the bottom.

Gallery view

The Gallery view displays a captured image. You can edit the image by, for example, cropping and rotating it from the toolbar at the top of the screen. If you have captured multiple images, the view identifies the current image with a counter, and allows you to use the toolbar to delete unneeded images.

You can hide the screen elements and explore the image without distractions. To save the image or take additional images, use the buttons on the lower part of the screen.

Export to view

After you activate the Save image button in the Gallery view, the Save to view opens. You can select from a list of applications to store the image.

Move between views

To move from the Capture view to the Gallery view, you must capture an image, import an existing image from the library, or open a previously captured image:

• On the Capture view, swipe left or right until you hear "Import button," "Capture button," or "Double-tap to see the images you took," and then double-tap the screen.

• If you capture an image or open a previously captured image, the Gallery view opens directly.

• If you want to import an existing image, the Recent library view opens. Browse through the view by swiping and double-tapping until you find the image you want. Double-tap the screen to select the image and open the Gallery view.

To return from the Gallery view back to the Capture view, do one of the following:

• To cancel editing and delete all currently captured images, swipe left or right until you hear "Navigate up button," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "Delete button," and then double-tap the screen.

• To capture an additional image, swipe left or right until you hear "Take more button," and then double-tap the screen.

To move from the Gallery view to the Save to view, swipe left or right until you hear "Save image button," and then double-tap the screen. To return to the Gallery view, swipe left or right until you hear "Go back," and then double-tap the screen.

See also

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Lens

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.