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On supported Windows 11 Insider builds, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and change Include screen reader audio. Leave it off to keep Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA speech out of Live Captions; turn it on to add that speech to the same caption stream as microphone and system audio. The control is off by default and is rolling out gradually, so it may not appear on every Windows 11 computer.
What does Include screen reader audio change in Windows 11?
The setting controls whether Live Captions transcribes audio produced by a screen reader. When it is disabled, Live Captions continues to caption supported microphone and system audio but excludes speech generated by screen readers. When enabled, Microsoft says audio from Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA can be included in the caption stream.
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This is an option inside the existing Live Captions feature, not a replacement for a screen reader and not a separate captioning application. It changes the sources that Live Captions listens to. The control is documented for newer Windows Insider builds and gradual rollouts, while the general Live Captions feature is available in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later.
How do I include Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA audio in Live Captions?
Use the Captions page in Windows Settings, enable the new control, and then start Live Captions if it is not already running.
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- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Select Accessibility in the left navigation.
- Under the Hearing section, select Captions.
- Find Include screen reader audio.
- Switch the control On. The documented default is Off.
- Close Settings. If captions are not visible, start Live Captions from the same Captions page, the Quick Settings or Accessibility flyout, or by pressing Windows + Ctrl + L.
Once Live Captions is running, speech generated by a supported screen reader can be transcribed along with other audio sources. The caption window does not require you to route the screen reader through a separate recording application.
How do I stop screen-reader speech from appearing in captions?
Return to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and switch Include screen reader audio off. This restores the narrower caption scope: Live Captions excludes screen-reader output while continuing to process the microphone and system audio sources it normally supports.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTurning the option off does not turn off Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA. It only removes their generated audio from the Live Captions stream, which is useful when a caption panel should show spoken conversation or media audio without duplicating every screen-reader announcement.
What is the difference between the two settings?
The choice is primarily about caption scope and workflow. Use the comparison below when deciding which state fits your task.
| Setting | Screen-reader speech | Other caption sources | Typical reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off | Excluded from Live Captions | Microphone and system audio remain in scope | Keep captions focused on a conversation, meeting, video, or other non-screen-reader audio |
| On | Audio from Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA can be included | Microphone and system audio remain in scope | Read or record a single caption stream that also reflects screen-reader output |
The option does not create a separate caption pane for each audio source. It simply determines whether screen-reader audio is eligible to enter the existing Live Captions stream, so overlapping speech can still produce captions in the order Windows detects the audio.
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Is Include screen reader audio available on my Windows 11 build?
Availability depends on the Windows Insider channel, build, and staged rollout. Microsoft’s Release Preview notes dated October 16, 2026 list the control for specific 25H2 and 26H2 builds, while other Insider notes list additional preview builds.
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| Build | Windows release or channel context | What the documentation establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 26200.9807 | Windows 11 25H2, Release Preview | Release Preview notes list the Include screen reader audio setting |
| 26300.9807 | Windows 11 26H2, Release Preview | Release Preview notes list the setting |
| 28120.3272 | Windows 11 26H1, Insider Experimental | Experimental notes document the setting |
| 26340.9502 | Windows Insider preview | Insider notes document the setting |
| 26220.9492 | Windows 11 25H2, Beta | Beta notes document the setting |
These entries identify builds in preview documentation, not a promise that every computer on that build has the switch immediately. Microsoft uses gradual feature rollouts, and Insider features can change, be removed, or never ship in a final public release. A retail Windows 11 installation may therefore have Live Captions without having this newer screen-reader option.
What should I check if the setting is missing?
First confirm that you are looking at the exact Captions page rather than only the Quick Settings caption button. The switch is located under Settings > Accessibility > Captions; it is not a general audio setting in System or Sound.
- Open Settings > Windows Update and check the installed Windows version and build number. Press Windows + R, enter
winver, and press Enter for a quick version check. - Compare the build with the preview builds documented for this feature. A supported Windows 11 version alone does not guarantee the newer control.
- If the build is eligible but the switch is absent, wait for the staged rollout or check whether your organization manages preview features. Do not assume that reinstalling the screen reader will create the control.
- Make sure you are using Windows 11. The general Live Captions requirement described by Microsoft is Windows 11 version 22H2 or later; the specific screen-reader switch is documented in newer Insider builds.
Microsoft’s preview documentation does not establish a separate edition requirement for this control. The deciding factors described publicly are the Windows build, Insider channel, and rollout status.
How do I start Live Captions after changing the option?
The screen-reader switch and the Live Captions start command are separate. After changing the switch, use whichever launch method is most convenient:
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- Open Settings > Accessibility > Captions and start Live Captions from that page.
- Open Quick Settings from the taskbar and choose the captions control.
- Open the Accessibility flyout and select Live Captions.
- Press Windows + Ctrl + L.
If this is the first time Live Captions has been started, Windows may ask for consent to process voice data on the device and may download language files. Complete that setup before testing screen-reader speech; otherwise a missing language component can look like a problem with the new toggle.
Why is Live Captions not transcribing JAWS or NVDA?
The most common causes are an unavailable rollout, an off switch, incomplete first-run setup, or a language-file problem. Microsoft specifically names Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA in its description of the feature, but inclusion remains dependent on the supported build and the captioning pipeline recognizing the generated audio.
- Reopen Settings > Accessibility > Captions and verify that Include screen reader audio is on.
- Confirm that Live Captions itself is running. The switch can be enabled while the caption window is closed.
- Test with a short, clear screen-reader announcement rather than simultaneous music or speech. Overlapping audio can make a correct transcription difficult to notice.
- Finish any language download or consent prompt shown when Live Captions starts for the first time.
- If language setup fails, check internet connectivity and access to the Microsoft Store. On managed enterprise devices, an administrator may need to deploy the appropriate Store package.
- Check the Windows build. If the control is not present, the device may not yet be in the gradual rollout even though general Live Captions works.
There is no documented setting that forces JAWS or NVDA into captions on an unsupported build. Updating to a build that actually lists the feature, or waiting for rollout on an eligible build, is the relevant remedy.
Does Windows send screen-reader audio or captions to the cloud?
Microsoft states that Live Captions processes audio and generates captions on the device. Its support documentation says detected voice data, audio processing, and generated captions do not leave the device or get stored. That privacy statement applies to the Live Captions feature; it is separate from the choice of which audio sources you include.
Initial setup can still require an internet connection because Windows may need to download language files. If setup cannot reach the required Microsoft Store package, the caption engine may not be ready even though its later transcription work is performed locally.
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When should I leave the option off?
Leave it off when screen-reader announcements would add noise to a caption stream intended for other speakers, media, or a meeting. It is also the better default for shared displays where showing every navigation announcement would expose more interface activity than viewers need.
Turn it on when you need a text record of what the screen reader says, when a listener follows along through captions instead of audio, or when troubleshooting an accessibility workflow requires seeing the generated speech. Because the setting affects the shared Live Captions stream, decide whether that stream is private before enabling it in a meeting or presentation.
What should I expect from caption accuracy?
Live Captions transcribes detected audio; it does not expose the underlying text events emitted by a screen reader. Pronunciation, speech rate, overlapping sounds, and the selected language can therefore affect the resulting words just as they can for microphone audio. The feature should be treated as a captioning aid, not as a guaranteed verbatim log of every announcement.
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Can I use this on a non-Insider Windows 11 installation?
You can use general Live Captions on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, but the specific Include screen reader audio switch is documented in newer Insider and Release Preview builds. Until Microsoft ships it to your release, a standard installation may show captions without offering a way to add screen-reader audio.
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Insider enrollment is not a guarantee of immediate access. Microsoft can stage the feature, revise its behavior, remove it, or decide not to carry it into a broad Windows release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Include screen reader audio available on Windows 10?
The documented control is a Windows 11 feature. Microsoft’s general Live Captions requirement is Windows 11 version 22H2 or later, and the screen-reader addition is described for newer Windows 11 Insider builds rather than Windows 10.
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No separate source selector is documented for this control. It adds eligible screen-reader output to the existing Live Captions stream; it does not create a screen-reader-only caption mode.
Does Microsoft publish a separate toggle for Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA?
No. The documented interface uses one Include screen reader audio switch, and Microsoft names those screen readers as examples covered by the setting. Individual per-reader switches are not described.
What happens if my company blocks the Microsoft Store?
First-run Live Captions setup may need language files from the Store. Microsoft notes that enterprise administrators may need to deploy the appropriate Store package when normal Store access is unavailable.
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