What Is Caret Browsing and How Does It Work?
Caret browsing is a feature in web browsers that allows users to navigate and select text using only the keyboard. With caret browsing, users can move the cursor around a webpage, highlighting and selecting text as they go, without ever taking their hands off the keyboard.
To activate caret browsing, users can use the keyboard shortcut F7 on Windows PCs or Command + Option + F7 on macOS. Once enabled, users can move the cursor around a webpage using the arrow keys on their keyboard. To select text, users can hold down the Shift key and use the arrow keys to highlight the text they want.
Caret browsing is especially useful for those who have limited mobility, as it allows them to navigate and select text on a webpage without having to use a mouse or trackpad. It’s also helpful for those who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts rather than a mouse.
Caret browsing doesn’t change the appearance or functionality of a website in any way. Instead, it simply provides users with an alternative way of navigating and selecting text.
One potential downside of caret browsing is that it can be easy to accidentally activate it if you’re not familiar with the keyboard shortcuts. However, users can easily turn it off by pressing the same keyboard shortcut they used to activate it.