Software Updates for 2025 – JAWS, ZoomText and Fusion

Image of various low vision software-JAWS, ZoomText, Fusion

Table of Contents

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Low Vision Software Updates for 2025 Have Arrived

The 2025 low vision software updates for JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion have arrived, bringing a series of enhancements designed to improve accessibility and ease of use for those with visual impairments. With these latest upgrades, users of all experience levels will benefit from bug fixes, minor product improvements, and expanded functionality.

Whether you’re navigating JAWS, ZoomText or exploring the latest Fusion suite features, these updates demonstrate a commitment to continually refining assistive technology. Version 2025 also kicks off a regular update cycle, with new features and maintenance releases rolling out every eight weeks, ensuring users always have access to the latest advancements.

We strongly encourage installing new updates so you can take advantage of new features and updated performance. We regularly update JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion to stay current with Windows, browsers, Office, and other applications.

JAWS 2025 Features

FSCompanion: Your AI-powered assistant for Learning JAWS and Microsoft Applications

With so many features and keystrokes available between JAWS, Windows, and the various Office apps, it can be challenging to locate the information you need to perform a specific task or even look up a setting or keystroke you no longer recall. The new AI assistant, FSCompanion, lets you ask questions about JAWS and other applications and quickly provides the information you need without having to search multiple documents and web pages to find it. Want to know how a particular JAWS feature works or the sequence of keystrokes to perform a specific task in Word? Ask FSCompanion, and the AI will search through various help and training resources in a matter of seconds and provide the key details in a concise step-by-step format.

FSCompanion has been trained using JAWS help and training data as well as support content from Microsoft. It currently does not contain any data for ZoomText and Fusion, but it will be able to also assist with these products soon.

FSCompanion is capable of responding to questions about the following, with an emphasis on providing specific keystrokes as answers.

JAWS usage
Windows usage and navigation
Web browsing
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft PowerPoint

To open FSCompanion, do one of the following:

In JAWS, press the layered command INSERT+SPACEBAR, followed by F1. FSCompanion is also located in the JAWS Help menu under Web Resources.
Go to FSCompanion.ai from a PC or mobile device using your preferred web browser.

Once the FSCompanion page opens, press TAB to move to the edit field and type a question. After typing a question, press ENTER, and JAWS will automatically read the response as soon as it is displayed. Focus remains in the edit field, so you can ask any follow-up questions.

To review answers, use TAB, SHIFT+TAB, or the ARROW keys. Select the New Conversation button to start a new topic, or select the Feedback button to submit any comments about a response.

Here are a few example questions to help get you started.

How do I change the JAWS volume?
How do I select cells in Excel?
How do I turn off the Preview Pane in Outlook?
How do I select text?
How do I set a PlaceMarker on a page?

Please ask as many questions as you like, and don’t hesitate to give feedback on your experiences. The types of questions you ask and the feedback you provide are very important as it helps our team train the model to be more accurate.

Note: FSCompanion is optimized for English, as it has been trained with English documentation. This means that the answers it gives are based on English keystrokes and terminology. For the best experience, please use it in English. If you ask questions in another language, the keystrokes and descriptions it provides might not be accurate. We are working on supporting additional languages.

Automatic Language Detection

For users who read documents or web pages in various languages, there are times when authors do not use the correct language tags, which JAWS relies on by default in order to switch to the appropriate voice for a specific language.

To help with this, JAWS can now detect the language in use automatically and adjust its voice based on the written language. This feature runs entirely on your computer and does not access the Internet. To enable this option, open Settings Center, expand the Text Processing group, expand the Language processing subgroup, and press SPACEBAR on Detect Language to cycle through the available options and choose Based on AI predictions.

If you find that JAWS does not automatically switch languages in an application even when the correct voice is installed, open Settings Center while focused in the specific application and check the Detect Language option. This setting is off by default for certain applications.

EPUB Reading Improvements

EPUB is a popular format for producing textbooks and other digital publications. It is supported on a wide range of devices and eBook reading applications such as the Thorium EPUB book reader software, which works well with JAWS. When navigating an EPUB book, you use the same reading commands you would use to navigate web pages.

New Region Navigation Types

JAWS 2025 adds more specific support for EPUB files by now allowing you to use the R and SHIFT+R navigation quick keys to move to the following region types, if available in the book. JAWS will also announce the start and end of these regions as you navigate with ARROW keys or Say All (INSERT+DOWN ARROW).

Abstract
Acknowledgment
Afterword
Appendix
Bibliography
Chapter
Conclusion
Cover page
Dedication
Epilogue
Errata
Example
Forword
Glossary
Index
Introduction
Notice
Part
Preface
Prologue
Table of Contents

Additionally, these region types, if available, will also be included in the Regions dialog box (CTRL+INSERT+R).

Page Break Indication

In EPUB files, you can now use the navigation quick key DASH to move to the next page or separator. JAWS now also says “page”, followed by the number when encountering page breaks while reading.

Announce Work Week

You can now press CTRL+INSERT+F12 twice quickly to have JAWS announce the week number. This is especially useful for anyone who uses week numbers to communicate their time frames for work.

Aria and Web

When INSERT+TAB is pressed on a radio button, JAWS now reads the current radio button along with the group.
Improved JAWS indication of graphical objects on web pages that also act as buttons or other controls.
When navigating through radio buttons on a web page, JAWS now correctly announces the position of the selected radio button in the group.
JAWS now provides additional information about separator elements.
Definition lists are now included in the Select a List dialog (CTRL+INSERT+L).
When focused on a bulleted link, resolved an issue where pressing the APPLICATION key or SHIFT+F10 did not open the context menu for the selected link.
For users who prefer to turn off the announcement of Smart Glance highlights, you should now find performance when loading pages more responsive.
Improved JAWS reading in tables where header rows contain elements.
When navigating to a combo box using the Virtual Cursor, the prompt and the current selection are now shown on the same line in Braille.
Improved the announcement of headings that include the aria-labelledby attribute.
If Forms Mode is set to Auto, JAWS now activates Forms Mode when focus moves to a tab control.
JAWS now says “on” or “off” when interacting with switch elements on web pages.
When encountering interactive elements on a web page that use the Separator ARIA role and JAWS Forms Mode is set to Auto or Semi-Auto, Forms Mode activates when focus moves to these elements.
When using Auto Forms Mode and you navigate in and out of an edit field using UP or DOWN ARROW, labels are no longer announced multiple times.
Using table navigation commands (ALT+CTRL+ARROWS) in some web-based applications no longer causes the browser’s menu bar to activate.
In Forms Mode, reduced speech verbosity when navigating ARIA menus by eliminating additional “menu” announcements for subsequent menu items.
If a table on a web page supports changing the sort order of a column, JAWS now properly recognizes the new sort order and speaks and displays it in Braille.
Labels for edit fields on web pages are now displayed correctly in Braille.
In certain instances, radio buttons no longer appear to have multiple labels.
If Mouse Echo is enabled, JAWS reads open browser tabs when hovering over them with a mouse.
Improved JAWS interaction with selecting items in Angular tree grids.
When typing a number into an edit spin box, JAWS no longer reads the entire number as each digit is typed.
When reading a PDF file in Edge or Chrome, JAWS no longer reads multiple paragraphs when pressing CTRL+DOWN ARROW to read the next paragraph.
Addressed issues with activating links through the Links List dialog in Firefox.
In Firefox, resolved issues with selecting or clearing check boxes on web pages.

Google Suite

When attempting to view spelling or grammar errors in Google Docs with Braille, moving to items using Cursor Routers is now more reliable.
JAWS now speaks deleted characters in Google Sheets as expected when using BACKSPACE.
In Google Sheets, JAWS no longer constantly speaks the grid and size of the spreadsheet each time you edit a cell.
If INSERT+UP ARROW is pressed to read the current row in Google Sheets, JAWS now says “blank” if the row is empty.
When using any of the Google apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Drive) and JAWS is running by itself without ZoomText or Fusion, the mouse pointer is now positioned in the top left corner of the screen by default. This keeps the mouse out of the main work area to avoid any unanticipated interactions.
JAWS now correctly reads buttons in the Google Drive setup application in Windows 11.

Office Apps

When using Outlook on the web, JAWS now loads the New Outlook scripts and settings to help improve the experience.
You can now use INSERT+A in the New Outlook to move to the attachments list for the currently open message.
The message, “App Ctl,” is no longer shown in Braille for many instances in the New Outlook as it takes up space on the display and provides no real useful info.
The ALT+1 through 6 keystrokes to read message headers now work as expected in the New Outlook.
When replying to an email in Outlook, resolved an issue where the first few typed characters were dropped. This was primarily encountered when running Fusion, or when using JAWS and ZoomText together.
Resolved an issue in Outlook where pressing CTRL+SHIFT+V from an open message was not opening the Move Items dialog.
In French Outlook, JAWS no longer says “unknown” when navigating message lists.
In Word, JAWS now reads alt text when assigned to a table.
When inserting new rows or columns into a table in Word, JAWS now properly announces updated table information.
In Word, JAWS now indicates when you enter or exit a list.
With JAWS running, pasting document formatting in Word now works correctly.
When navigating by heading in Word using navigation quick key H or SHIFT+H, JAWS no longer shows “hlp” along with the word “heading” and its level spelled out in Braille. This info is not needed as the heading level is shown in the status cells.
JAWS now reads additional details about comments as you navigate them in the Word Comment pane. Additionally, the open/resolved status of comments is announced as you navigate the document.
In Word, JAWS is more consistent with announcing tables when using navigation quick key T.
In Word, alt text for graphics is now correctly read by JAWS when navigating with the ARROW keys or when using navigation quick key G.
If you hover the mouse over search results in Word, mouse echo now reads the current result as expected.
In Word, Navigation Quick Keys are no longer turned off unexpectedly if G is pressed to move to a graphic that includes a flashing image.
JAWS now indicates the resolved state of comments as you navigate Word documents.
In Excel, you can now press INSERT+SHIFT+V to display cells containing multiple lines of content in the Virtual Viewer. This enables you to read the content line by line.
In an active Teams call or meeting, the Hang up option in the Manage Calls dialog (ALT+WINDOWS+C) now works as expected to end the call.

JAWS Application

If Screen Shade is enabled and you use Picture Smart AI to try and describe the screen or window, you will now receive a message stating that the image cannot be described while Screen Shade is on.
Added Picture Smart AI language support for Icelandic, Macedonian, Albanian, and Croatian. To select a language, open Settings Center, expand the Convenient OCR and Picture Smart group, and choose the language you want to use for describing images from the Picture Smart Language combo box.
Improved the responsiveness of the JAWS Scan and Touch Cursors (SHIFT+NUM PAD PLUS or SHIFT+INSERT+SEMICOLON in Laptop Layout) when navigating to the first or last element.
Starting with JAWS 2025, the Grade 2 Translator combo box in Settings Center now only lists the most recent version of the Liblouis Braille translator, which has been updated to 3.31.0.
If JAWS is configured to run in the System Tray, improved JAWS performance in a Windows Security prompt.
Pressing CTRL+INSERT+V twice quickly in the Fusion window to display application version information now correctly shows the Fusion version at the top instead of ZoomText.
Updated JAWS to run on the latest features and improvements from Microsoft .Net 8 Core.
Added language support for Slovak.
If a Chinese Vocalizer Expressive voice is installed and Chinese text is encountered in a document, JAWS now automatically switches to the Chinese voice as expected.

Other

JAWS now reads as expected when navigating from a message edit field to the list of chat messages in Slack.
In Thunderbird, using INSERT+ALT+1 through 5 now correctly reads message headers instead of displaying “unknown function call” errors.
In Adobe Reader DC, labels for edit fields and check boxes in PDF forms are now more consistently spoken and shown in Braille.
If JAWS Tutor Messages are set to announce menu and control help, resolved an issue where help messages were not announced for items on the Windows Taskbar.
Resolved an issue where JAWS keyboard functionality was not working reliably after using the Windows System Information utility.
Pressing CTRL to interrupt speech in Remote Incident Manager now works even with JAWS unified keyboard processing enabled.
JAWS no longer speaks password characters on the Windows Logon screen after opening the Language menu.
JAWS now correctly reads the list of input languages on the Windows Logon screen.
JAWS now automatically reads the content of Windows Forms dialog boxes when they gain focus.
JAWS now reads text in a Terminal window after startup, even if JAWS is set to run on the Logon screen.

Here are links to the different versions of JAWS

ZoomText 2025 Features

Update to ZoomText and Fusion 2025

To enhance the update process, we made sure that moving from the 2024 to 2025 version is smooth. Upon updating, your startup settings will automatically transfer to 2025. You can check if you are using the latest version by looking at the ZoomText or Fusion toolbar, which now displays the version year.

Performance Improvements

With the 2025 update, we have implemented key adjustments to enhance performance, particularly in Fusion, but also affecting ZoomText. Some of the most notable improvements include:

Better Performance in Office 365 Apps: Navigation and typing in Word are smoother, as well as opening and composing emails in Outlook. Copying and pasting large amounts of text in Word is also much quicker, reducing delays.
Enhanced xFont Performance and Reliability: Ongoing improvements to xFont with Fusion continue to deliver a more responsive experience.
Faster Start Times: Startup times have improved significantly, especially for users who launch ZoomText or Fusion automatically with Windows.
Improved Stability in Windows File Explorer: Both ZoomText and Fusion now offer greater stability when running File Explorer, minimizing slowdowns.

Multi-Monitor Changes

When operating in multi-monitor mode, ZoomText can signal a monitor switch or insert an artificial boundary between the monitors to help users identify where their mouse is located. Although some found these features beneficial, we discovered that a majority of users preferred retaining the original behavior. Hence, these features are now off after the first installation.

The default values for two “Multiple Monitor Options” settings have changed.

The “Keep the pointer from crossing the border for” setting is now off. This means you can move the mouse pointer smoothly and instantly between desktops and displays without any delay. Previously, there was a delay (ranging from 0.25 to 2 seconds) when moving the pointer between displays.
The “Play sound cues when the pointer touches and crosses the border” setting is now off. You will not hear a sound cue when moving between desktops and displays.

If you want to restore these settings, do the following:

On the Magnifier toolbar tab, click the Window button and then choose Settings.
In the Multiple Monitor Options dialog box, choose Multiple Monitor Options.
Select the border crossing and sound cue settings.
Click OK.

AppReader

You will notice improved performance when switching among the different tabs in the AppReader Settings dialog box while running Fusion.
If you are using AppReader to read a Word or NotePad file and you press CTRL or ENTER to stop reading, AppReader will now continue reading when you double click on text in the document.
In Fusion, the Reading Rate settings in AppReader’s Shared Settings tab are disabled. These settings are unavailable in Fusion.

Other Enhancements

ZoomText has now migrated from .NET Framework to .NET Core 8.
Some ZoomText users had trouble turning on magnification after they upgraded from Windows 11 version 23H2 to version 24H2. This has been fixed.
Mouse echo in ZoomText and Fusion will now read browser tabs in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome correctly when you hover your mouse over them.
xFont now correctly appears in the Windows Settings dialog box.
A system freeze is fixed when a camera is in use on the secondary display during ZoomText or Fusion startup.
A shortcut for List Zones, which is part of the Reading Zones dialog box, can now be added to the Quick Access Bar.
Freeze Views now have a minimum window size when drawing a Freeze View window around an area on the screen. This eliminates the possibility of accidentally creating a window that is too small to use.
Command Search is a feature available in both JAWS and Fusion. It allows you to enter a full or partial description of a command whose keystrokes you do not remember. Commands that match your search are displayed in a window along with a description of the feature and associated keystrokes.
For Fusion, Command Search has been expanded to include more magnification commands and other functionality typically used by ZoomText. For example, if you have forgotten the keystroke to toggle xFont bold on and off, you can do the following:

1. Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, J to open Command Search.
2. Move focus to the Search box, and type a term like “xFont.”
3. A list of related results is displayed showing the command, keystroke, and description.

Here are links to the different versions of ZoomText and ZoomText Fusion:

Download Links

JAWS

ZoomText

Fusion