Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Turn on Caret Browsing in Internet Explorer

Posted: 02 Jan 2011 03:41 AM PST

Caret browsing is an accessibility option found in most popular web browsers that allows you to control your browser using a keyboard. Although intended for people with special needs, caret browsing is an efficient method for navigating the web without a mouse. Learn how to turn on and get the most from caret browsing in Internet Explorer.

What is Caret Browsing?

If you do a lot of typing while using your web browser, you know how annoying it can be to have to move your hand to the mouse just to make a single click. For years, programmers and data entry professionals have used the keyboard alone rather than a keyboard/mouse combination to work more efficiently. With caret browsing, you can make your Internet Explorer sessions faster and more convenient.

Caret browsing refers to using a web browser solely with a keyboard. Much as you navigate a document in Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer places a cursor on the screen that you can move using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

You use the Shift key plus the arrow keys to select text and the Enter key to navigate. The Tab key is used to navigate larger sections defined on a web page. With a little practice, you can navigate the web much faster using caret browsing.

How to Turn on Caret Browsing in IE

There are two ways to turn on caret browsing in Internet Explorer. For the page you are currently viewing, you can simply press the F7 key. This temporarily turns on caret browsing for the current session. When you press the F7 key, IE asks if you want to turn on the feature. It also offers the option to Don’t Show Me This Message Again.

However, you can permanently turn on caret browsing using an IE option. Click on Tool>Internet Options to open IE’s main list of options. Click on the Advanced tab and locate a section labeled Accessibility. Locate and select and option titled Enable Caret Browsing for New Windows and Tabs.

Click the OK button and notice that the caret appears in the web page you are currently viewing. When you want to select some text, hold down either Shift key on your keyboard and use the arrow keys to select the text.

You can also use the Tab key on your keyboard to navigate major sections of a webpage. This helps you speed around the page and avoid having to move the caret line by line.

When you want to follow a link (as if you were clicking on a link with your mouse), position the caret anywhere on the link and press the Enter key. In this way, you can navigate a web page as easily as you navigate a Word document.

Using caret browsing, you can navigate a web page in Internet Explorer using only a keyboard and no mouse. There are two ways to turn on caret browsing in IE.

Use the F7 key to turn caret browsing on temporarily and an option under Tools>Internet Options to turn it on permanently. With practice, you will find that your browsing experience is significantly faster and more efficient.