Adjusting Hearing Settings in the Ease of Access Center

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated October 29, 2018)

2

In order to get to the Hearing settings, press the Win key, type (without the quotes) "Settings," and press Enter. Click the group with the heading "Ease of Access." By default, the Ease of Access settings come up with the Display settings selected, so you want to click one of the Hearing categories which appear most of the way down on the left side of the window: (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Choosing a Hearing option in the Ease of Access Center.

As you can see from the figure, there are two categories under the Hearing group—one is for Audio and the other is for Closed Captions. When you click Audio, you are presented with options that start with allowing you to change the device volume (including muting it). You can also toggle between mono audio and stereo. If you want to be visually alerted when notifications occur, you can choose from the following options: Flash the title bar of the active window, flash the active window, and flash the entire screen.

The other category under the Hearing group is for Closed Captions. By using closed captions, you make your device easier to use without sound by displaying audio as text. The control you have over closed captions allow you to change the caption color, its transparency, its style, its size, and its captivation effects.

In addition to changing these font options, you can also change the caption background (caption background color and background transparency). You can dim the window content and add a text background to improve contrast and make text easier to read. Two ways to do this are to change the window color and its transparency.

 This tip (13579) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Copying Files to a CD or DVD

You can have virtually unlimited disk space if you're willing to swap discs once in a while. By copying files to a CD or ...

Discover More

Improve Performance by Turning Off 3D Effects

Windows does a lot of nuancing to provide the user with a pleasing visual experience. All this attention to detail, ...

Discover More

Logging Robocopy Operations

If you schedule Robocopy operations, you may want to maintain log files of what happened. In this case, getting familiar ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Using an On-Screen Keyboard

For people who find it difficult to use a mechanical keyboard, the on-screen keyboard may provide an acceptable ...

Discover More

Using Sticky Keys

Sticky Keys is an accessibility feature designed for people who have trouble holding down two or more keys ...

Discover More

Using the Magnifier

With high-resolution screens it can be a stretch, at times, to see some small detail on the Windows desktop. Fortunately, ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven less than 7?

2018-10-30 16:08:39

Allen

You don't have a Windows key, Michael? Most every keyboard these days, designed for running Windows, has one or two Windows keys. It is the key that has the Windows logo on it, usually just to the left of the Spacebar.

-Allen


2018-10-30 12:58:29

Michael

I don't have a Win key , so I can't type (without the quotes) and there fore select "Settings," nor press or Enter. Click the group with the heading "Ease of Access." By default, the Ease of Access settings come up with the Display settings selected, so you want to click one of the Hearing categories which appear most of the way down on the left side of the window: (See Figure 1.)


Newest Tips