New accessibility features in Play My Emails
Microsoft is committed to creating products and services designed for everyone, including over one billion people with disabilities. In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft is excited to announce new accessibility features for the Outlook Mobile app on iOS and Android phones that will empower blind and low-vision customers to achieve more. Cortana’s updated features were designed to be more compatible with mobile screen readers through innovative gesture controls and improved interaction models. This will enable customers to effortlessly switch between voice commands and screen reader controls to catch up on emails, organize their day, and take advantage of Microsoft’s powerful search capabilities. An eyes-free email experience We made it easier than ever to invoke Cortana and start listening to your emails. On an Android phone, simply say, “Hey Google, play my emails in Outlook.” iPhone users can set up a Siri Shortcut and add it to the Home Screen or widgets. For even quicker access, you can combine a Siri Shortcut with Apple’s new Back Tap feature, which allows you to start listening to your emails just by tapping the back of your phone. Once you’ve set up a Siri Shortcut for Play My Emails, go to Back Tap in the Accessibility Touch Settings, choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, and then select Play My Emails from the list of Shortcuts. To learn more about Play My Emails accessibility features for mobile devices see, Accessibility gestures in Play My Emails. As you’re listening to your emails on an iPhone with VoiceOver turned on, you can use customizable touch gestures to triage your inbox. The default setting lets you archive an email by swiping up with three fingers and flag an email by swiping down with three fingers. On both iPhone and Android, you can pause playback by double tapping the screen with two fingers and you can control the readout speed by asking Cortana to "speed up" or "slow down." Plus, you can switch to a different app or turn the screen off while continuing to listen to your emails in the background. With a more accessible Cortana, you can easily ask about upcoming meetings, emails from specific contacts, and even schedule focus time. Play My Emails is optimized for both Cortana and your screen reader to provide a seamless audible email experience. For a full list of things you can say to Cortana while listening to your emails, see What Can You Do With Play My Emails from Cortana? We’re committed to accessibility At Microsoft, we’re dedicated to providing inclusive tools and features that empower people living with disabilities to achieve more. To ensure we're creating products that effectively meet the needs of all our customers, all our products follow a set of accessibility principles based on transparency, accountability and inclusion. Throughout the development of Play My Emails, Microsoft worked with blind customers to understand and implement the necessary requirements to translate their needs into voice-enabled capabilities. As Play My Emails continues to evolve, we're committed to creating new features and experiences that are accessible to all our customers. This is achieved thanks to the insightful and valuable feedback we receive from you. When the Outlook Mobile app is open you can say, “I have feedback,” at any time to share your thoughts and suggestions. We want to hear from you! Frequently asked questions How do I customize the up and down swipe gestures on iOS? When using Play My Emails on iOS with VoiceOver turned on, you can archive an email by swiping up with three fingers and flag an email by swiping down with three fingers. These swipe gestures map to custom action buttons that appear to the left and right of the Play button on the Play My Emails screen. These gestures can be customized to perform different actions, like flag, snooze, delete, and more, by going to Settings > Play My Emails > Swipe Options. To change the action taken when swiping up with three fingers, you need to change the Swipe Left option. To change the action taken when swiping down with three fingers, choose Swipe Right. How do I change the speed of the readout? You can change the readout speed by going to Settings > Play My Emails > Readout Speed. Or while you’re listening to your emails, you can tap the mic and ask Cortana to “speed up” or “slow down.” Where can I learn more about Cortana in Play My Emails? For more information, see What can you do with Play My Emails from Cortana? How do I give feedback on Play My Emails accessibility features? When you have the Outlook Mobile app open, just say, “I have feedback.”
How can I easily install pending Windows updates on my PC?
Call 1-855-535-7109. To install pending Windows updates easily on your Windows PC, follow these steps: Open Windows Settings: Press Windows + I to quickly open the Settings menu. Go to Update & Security: In the Settings window, select Update & Security. Check for Updates: Under the Windows Update section, click Check for updates. Windows will search for any pending updates. Install Updates: If updates are available, click on Install to begin the installation process. Windows will automatically download and install the updates. Restart Your Computer: After updates are installed, a restart may be required. Windows will prompt you to restart, or you can manually restart your PC. Use Windows Update Troubleshooter (if issues occur): If updates aren’t installing properly, try using the Windows Update Troubleshooter. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters, then select Windows Update and run the troubleshooter.I want to turn off or hide the draft with copilot dingbat that follows my cursor around in MS Word.
I have seen a few articles on this website, and I know it's not possible but I'm going to ask anyway. For reference this is what I'm referring to: It's more I find the little thing following me around on my screen to be annoying and distracting, I've managed to hide or disable anything related to copilot on my system except this little dingbat. When a new document is open you get a little message that says "Select the icon or press Alt + i to draft with copilot" It would be nice if I could hide that as well, yes copilot is a *feature*, and I don't care about it. I also want to hide the paste with copilot and just used the local paste options that were built into previous versions of word. I suspect that there is a copilot dingbat that is stored somewhere on my system, possibly in a font, and as I have already made a few detrimental modifications to my operating system registry, I'm not wary of messing up my computer any more than it could be. The only saving grace I have at the moment is there is an issue with my account, so any accidental triggering of the feature causes it to crap out. (So long as I don't accidentally press the 'fix account" button) I know that if it was easy to turn off there would be a button for it, I know Microsoft probably wants us to use this feature because it means more data for them to collect, an I'm disappointed in the loss of user agency that's resulted from this rollout, and there's a spike in animosity towards AI in general.
Issue with "Edit with Paint 3D" Functionality
I have recently encountered an issue with Paint 3D. When I try to edit a picture using Paint 3D by right-clicking on the photo and selecting "Edit with Paint 3D," I am unexpectedly prompted to choose an app to open the file instead of Paint 3D launching directly. Has anyone else experienced this problem, or does anyone have any insights on why this might be happening and how to resolve it? Thank you for your assistance! Following was done: Reinstall Paint 3D Open Microsoft Store: Go to the Start menu and open the Microsoft Store. Search for Paint 3D: In the search bar, type "Paint 3D." Reinstall Paint 3D: If the app is installed, you can click "Open." If it’s not installed or you suspect it might be corrupted, click "Install" or "Get" to reinstall it. Ensure Paint 3D is Enabled Open Settings: Press Win + I to open Settings. Go to Apps: Navigate to "Apps" and then "Apps & features." Find Paint 3D: Scroll through the list of installed apps to find "Paint 3D." Ensure It’s Enabled: If you find it, make sure it’s not disabled. If it is, re-enable it. Associate Image Files with Paint 3D Manually Right-click on the Image File: Right-click on an image file. Select Properties: Choose "Properties" from the context menu. Change the Default Program: In the Properties window, click the "Change" button next to "Opens with." Manually Find Paint 3D: Click "More apps" if Paint 3D is not listed. Scroll down and click "Look for another app on this PC." Navigate to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps and look for the Paint 3D executable. Note that you may need administrative permissions to access this folder. Use the Default Apps Settings Open Settings: Press Win + I to open Settings. Go to Apps: Navigate to "Apps" and then "Default apps." Reset Default Apps: Scroll down and click "Reset" under "Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults." Change Defaults Manually: After resetting, try setting Paint 3D as the default app for your image files again. Check for System Updates Open Settings: Press Win + I to open Settings. Go to Update & Security: Navigate to "Update & Security." Check for Updates: Click "Check for updates" and install any available updates. Sometimes updates can fix issues with system apps like Paint 3D. 1. Check if Paint 3D is Installed Correctly Open PowerShell as Administrator: Press Win + X and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)." Check Installation: Enter the following command to check if Paint 3D is installed: powershell Copy code Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.MSPaint* | Select Name, PackageFullName If Paint 3D is listed, it’s installed. If not, proceed to reinstall it. Reinstall Paint 3D: Uninstall Paint 3D using PowerShell: powershell Copy code Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.MSPaint* | Remove-AppxPackage Reinstall from the Microsoft Store: Open the Microsoft Store, search for "Paint 3D," and install it. 2. Reset Paint 3D Open Settings: Press Win + I to open Settings. Go to Apps: Navigate to "Apps" > "Apps & features." Find Paint 3D: Scroll down and select "Paint 3D." Advanced Options: Click on "Advanced options." Reset: Click the "Reset" button. This will reset Paint 3D to its default state. 3. Create a New User Profile Open Settings: Press Win + I to open Settings. Go to Accounts: Navigate to "Accounts" > "Family & other users." Add Someone Else to This PC: Click on "Add someone else to this PC." Create a New User: Follow the prompts to create a new user account. Log In: Log out of your current account and log in with the new user account. Check if Paint 3D works correctly in the new profile. 4. Repair Windows Using DISM and SFC Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press Win + X and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)." Run DISM: Enter the following command to repair the Windows image: powershell Copy code DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth Wait for the process to complete. Run SFC: Enter the following command to check and repair system files: powershell Copy code sfc /scannow Wait for the process to complete and restart your computer.
