Accessibility Change How Long Notifications Stay Open on Braille Display in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to change how long a notification or flash message is displayed on your braille display with Narrator for your account in Windows 11.

Narrator is a screen reader included with Windows 11 that describes what's on your screen. Narrator lets you use your PC without a mouse to complete common tasks if you’re blind or have low vision. It reads and interacts with things on the screen, like text and buttons. Use Narrator to read and write email, browse the internet, and work with documents.

Narrator supports braille displays from several manufacturers that use a USB or serial port.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26300.8497 (Experimental) for Insiders, Microsoft is making refreshable braille displays easier to use in Windows. Narrator now supports displays that use the HID standard — an open industry standard for braille displays. If your display supports HID, simply connect it via USB and start reading — true plug-and-play with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory, and you can work wirelessly without being tethered to your PC. Compatible HID displays include models like the Orbit Reader 20, Orbit Slate 340, Freedom Scientific Focus 40, and APH Mantis Q40. HID braille displays now work during the initial Windows setup experience (OOBE) over USB — meaning users who are deaf-blind can set up their PC independently, right from the first screen. You can customize braille input and output options anytime in Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.

A notification or flash message is displayed for only two seconds by default, but you can change the amount of time a notification or flash message is displayed to what you want instead.

Reference:








1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on Accessibility on the left side, and click/tap on Narrator on the right side. (see screenshot below)



3 Under Braille, click/tap on Use a braille display with Narrator or Configure braille displays. (see screenshots below)


4 Under Notifications select the timeout value you want in the Notifications timeout after drop menu. (see screenshot below)

2 seconds is the default timeout.

You can select Disable notifications to not show notifications on the braille display.

5 You can now close Settings if you like.





1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 3)


3 In the right pane of the NoRoam key, double click/tap on the BrailleNotificationTimeout DWORD value to modify it. (see screenshot below)


4 Select (dot) Decimal, type in how many milliseconds (1 second= 1000 milliseconds) you want for the timeout, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



5 You can now close Registry Editor if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink