Caret browsing is a feature in Microsoft Windows that allows a user to navigate and select text on a web page using only their keyboard. This feature brings up a blinking cursor on web pages, using which you can select, and highlight texts and images.
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What’s More on Caret Browsing?
Caret browsing is not a new feature, but it is one that isn’t widely known. One of the benefits of caret browsing is that it allows a user to navigate a web page without having to use a mouse. This can be helpful for users who have difficulty using a mouse, or for users who simply prefer to use their keyboard for everything.
It is similar to how a user would navigate and select text in a word processor such as Microsoft Word. It was first introduced in Internet Explorer 5.5 back in 2000. However, it only worked in Internet Explorer and not in any other web browsers. In 2015, Microsoft added caret browsing to the Edge web browser, and it has since been added to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. However, caret browsing is still not enabled by default in any of these web browsers.
Once caret browsing has been enabled, you can use the arrow keys to move around the web page just like you do in a word processor. They can also hold down the shift key while pressing the arrow keys to select text.
If you find yourself frequently navigating web pages without a mouse, then caret browsing may be a useful feature for you.
How to Enable Caret Browsing on Windows?
To enable caret browsing, you simply need to press the F7 key on your keyboard while you have a web browser open.
Alternatively, you can also follow these steps to turn on caret browsing on different browsers.
Google Chrome
Chrome is the most used browser of all time. To use caret browsing on your Chrome, follow these steps.
- Open the Chrome app.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Go to settings.
- Click on Advanced -> Accessibility.
- Toggle on the “Navigate pages with a text cursor” feature.
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer was introduced in 1995 as Microsoft’s first-ever web browser. It has been in service ever since. To use caret browsing on your Internet Explorer, follow these steps.
- Open the Internet Explorer app.
- Click on the settings icon in the top right corner.
- Go to Internet Options.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Under the accessibility heading, checkmark the Enable Caret Browsing Option.
- Click on Apply and then click on Ok.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge was released to the public in 2015, this was a massive improvement over Internet Explorer, the reason why people still use it to this day. To use caret browsing on your Microsoft Edge, follow these steps.
- Open the Microsoft Edge app.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Go to settings.
- Go to Accessibility.
- Under the Keyboard section, turn on the Navigate pages with a text cursor feature.
Safari and Opera
Both Safari and Opera do not have the feature of caret browsing as of now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Enable Caret Browsing?
We recommend that you should not enable caret browsing. Caret browsing is a feature that allows users to navigate websites using a keyboard instead of a mouse. However, this feature can be uncomfortable for those with zero experience. If your mouse is working just fine, there is really no need to turn on caret browsing.
