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FastSMRW — Windows User Guide

← All FastSMRW guides

This is the guide for the Windows version of FastSMRW. There are also guides for Mac, iPhone, Android, and Linux.

FastSMRW is a fast, accessible Mastodon and Bluesky client for blind and low-vision users. On Windows it is keyboard-only, works cleanly with screen readers, uses gentle earcons (sounds) for feedback, and starts almost instantly by showing your cached posts first and refreshing in the background.

This guide covers how to get started, how the window is laid out, how to read and act on posts, how to open (spawn) timelines like Sent, Local, and Federated, the invisible interface for driving FastSM from other apps, and a full list of every keystroke.

Getting started

  1. Run FastSMRW.exe. (If you were given a run folder, the program lives inside it as FastSMRW.exe.)

  2. Add your account. Open the Account menu and choose "Add Account" (or press Ctrl+Shift+A). Pick Mastodon or Bluesky and sign in. You can add more than one account and switch between them at any time.

  3. Wait a moment while your timelines load. Your Home timeline and your Notifications open automatically. After the first run, FastSM shows your saved posts immediately and quietly refreshes them, so opening the app is fast.

  4. Start reading. Move between your open timelines with Left and Right arrows, and move through the posts in a timeline with Up and Down arrows. Your screen reader announces each post as you land on it.

  5. Open more timelines whenever you like with Ctrl+T (see "Spawning timelines" below).

That is all you need to begin. Everything else in this guide is optional depth.

How the window is laid out

The window has two lists and a menu bar.

  • The timelines list holds every timeline you currently have open (Home, Notifications, and any you add). Left and Right arrows move between them.

  • The posts list shows the posts in whichever timeline you are on. Up and Down arrows move through the posts.

  • The menu bar (Application, Me, Status, Timeline, Account) holds every command, and each menu item shows its shortcut. You can always find a command in the menus even if you do not remember its key.

Reading and moving through posts

When you are focused on the posts list:

  • Up / Down — Previous / next post.
  • Left / Right — Previous / next timeline.
  • Home / End — First / last post in the timeline.
  • Shift plus a letter — Jump to the next post whose spoken text starts with that letter (first-letter navigation).
  • Space — Open the thread the post belongs to.
  • Enter — Default action for the post. Out of the box this shows Post Info, but you can change what Enter does in Settings, on the Behavior page.
  • Shift+Enter — Secondary action (for example, play the post's media). Also configurable on the Behavior page.

Movement units let you skip through a timeline in bigger steps:

  • Ctrl+Left / Ctrl+Right — Choose the movement unit.
  • Ctrl+Up / Ctrl+Down — Jump backward / forward by the chosen unit.

The available movement units are: same user, whole thread, 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 20 posts, 50 posts, and 100 posts. For example, set the unit to "same user" and Ctrl+Down jumps to the next post by a different person; set it to "1 day" to leap a day at a time.

Acting on the current post

With a post focused in the posts list, these single keys act on it:

  • R — Reply.
  • Q — Quote.
  • E — Edit (your own post).
  • B — Boost or unboost.
  • F — Like or unlike (favorite).
  • M — Bookmark or remove the bookmark.
  • C — Copy the post (or the focused user).
  • U — Open the author's timeline.
  • P — Pin or unpin your own post to your profile.
  • H — Follow a hashtag (the prompt is pre-filled with the post's hashtags).
  • O — Open the links in the post.
  • A — Turn auto-reading of new posts on or off for this timeline.
  • N — Write a new post.
  • Delete — Delete your own post.
  • Period — Load older posts into the timeline.

The full Status menu offers more: view the thread, mute the conversation, open the author's profile, speak the user, speak the post a reply is answering, follow or unfollow the author, add or edit an alias for the user, and open the post in your browser. Their shortcuts are in the keystroke list below.

Spawning timelines

Home and Notifications open by themselves. To open anything else, press Ctrl+T (Timeline menu, "New Timeline"). A dialog appears with a drop-down of every timeline you can open. Some choices ask for a value first (a hashtag, a search term, an instance, or a user); for those a text field appears in the dialog.

What is offered depends on your account:

On Mastodon you can open:

  • Local — Public posts from your own instance.
  • Federated — Public posts from across the fediverse.
  • Mentions — Posts that mention you.
  • Bookmarks — Posts you have bookmarked.
  • Favourites — Posts you have liked.
  • Trends — Trending posts on your instance.
  • Conversations — Your direct-message threads.
  • Sent — Your own posts.
  • Hashtag — Posts for a hashtag you type.
  • Search Posts — Posts matching text you type.
  • Search People — People matching text you type.
  • Remote Instance Timeline — The public timeline of another instance you name.
  • Remote User Timeline — Another user's public posts (name@instance).
  • Lists — Any of your Mastodon lists.

On Bluesky you can open:

  • Mentions, Sent, Hashtag, Search Posts, Search People, your Lists, and your custom Feeds.

Once a timeline is open it drops out of the list so you do not open two copies. You can also open your own followers and following from the Me menu (see below), and, when you focus a person in a list of users, open that person's timeline, profile, followers, or following.

Managing your open timelines:

  • Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+9 — Jump straight to that timeline.
  • Shift+Up / Shift+Down — Reorder the timelines (focus the timelines list first).
  • Ctrl+P — Pin the timeline so it can't be closed by accident.
  • Ctrl+M — Mute or unmute this timeline's sounds.
  • Ctrl+W — Close the timeline.
  • Ctrl+R — Refresh it now.
  • Ctrl+Delete — Clear the posts in this timeline.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Delete — Clear every timeline.
  • Ctrl+Z — Undo your last navigation (go back).

Your account (the Me menu)

The Me menu holds things about you and people:

  • Edit Profile — Change your display name, bio, and profile fields.
  • View My Followers — Open a timeline of the people who follow you.
  • View My Following — Open a timeline of the people you follow.
  • Lists — Create and manage your lists.
  • View Muted Users — People you have muted.
  • View Blocked Users — People you have blocked.
  • View Follow Requests — Pending requests to follow you (accept or reject each).
  • Followed Hashtags — Manage the hashtags you follow.
  • Trending Hashtags — See what is trending.
  • User Analysis — A breakdown of the people around a post or timeline.
  • User Aliases — Manage the custom names you have given people.

Accounts

  • Ctrl+Shift+A — Add an account.
  • Ctrl+[ — Switch to the previous account.
  • Ctrl+] — Switch to the next account.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Comma — Account settings for the current account.

Finding posts

  • Ctrl+F — Find text in the current timeline.
  • F3 — Find the next match.
  • Shift+F3 — Find the previous match.
  • Ctrl+Shift+F — Client filters (hide posts that match rules you set).

Full keystroke list (in the window)

These work while the FastSMRW window is focused.

Application menu:

  • Ctrl+Comma — Settings.
  • F1 — Open this user guide on the web.
  • Shift+F1 — Check for updates.
  • Ctrl+S — Stop media playback.
  • Ctrl+H — Hide the window (to the tray).
  • Ctrl+Q — Quit FastSMRW.

(Keyboard Manager and Server Filters are on this menu with no shortcut.)

Me menu (no shortcuts; open from the menu):

  • Edit Profile, View My Followers, View My Following, Lists, View Muted Users, View Blocked Users, View Follow Requests, Followed Hashtags, Trending Hashtags, User Analysis, User Aliases.

Status menu (act on the focused post):

  • Ctrl+N — New post.
  • R — Reply.
  • B — Boost.
  • F — Favorite (like).
  • M — Bookmark.
  • Ctrl+C — Copy.
  • Q — Quote.
  • Enter — Post info.
  • Ctrl+U — Open the user's profile.
  • Ctrl+Semicolon — Speak the user.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Semicolon — Speak the post this reply is answering.
  • Ctrl+L — Follow or unfollow the author.
  • Ctrl+Shift+N — Add or edit an alias for the user.
  • Ctrl+O — Open links in the post.

(View Thread, Mute Conversation, Open User Timeline, and Open in Browser are on this menu with no shortcut.)

Timeline menu:

  • Ctrl+T — New timeline.
  • Ctrl+R — Refresh timeline.
  • Ctrl+P — Pin timeline.
  • Ctrl+M — Mute timeline sounds.
  • A — Auto-read new posts.
  • Ctrl+W — Close timeline.
  • Period — Load older posts.
  • Ctrl+F — Find.
  • F3 — Find next.
  • Shift+F3 — Find previous.
  • Ctrl+Shift+F — Client filters.
  • Ctrl+Delete — Clear this timeline.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Delete — Clear all timelines.
  • Ctrl+Z — Undo navigation.
  • Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+9 — Go to timeline 1 through 9.

Account menu:

  • Ctrl+Shift+A — Add account.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Comma — Account settings.
  • Ctrl+[ — Previous account.
  • Ctrl+] — Next account.

In the posts list (single keys, no menu needed):

  • Up / Down — Previous / next post.
  • Left / Right — Previous / next timeline.
  • Ctrl+Up / Ctrl+Down — Jump by the movement unit.
  • Ctrl+Left / Ctrl+Right — Choose the movement unit.
  • Space — Open the thread.
  • Enter — Default action (configurable).
  • Shift+Enter — Secondary action (configurable).
  • Shift plus a letter — Jump to the next post starting with that letter.
  • R — Reply.
  • Q — Quote.
  • E — Edit.
  • N — New post.
  • B — Boost or unboost.
  • F — Like or unlike.
  • M — Bookmark or unbookmark.
  • C — Copy.
  • U — Open the author's timeline.
  • P — Pin or unpin your post to your profile.
  • H — Follow a hashtag.
  • O — Open links.
  • A — Auto-read new posts on or off.
  • Delete — Delete your own post.
  • Period — Load older posts.

In the timelines list:

  • Shift+Up / Shift+Down — Move the current timeline up or down in the order.

The invisible interface

The invisible interface lets you drive FastSM without switching to its window, so you can read and post while you work in another program. Turn it on in Settings, on the Invisible Interface page. There are three modes:

  • Global hotkeys. FastSM registers system-wide key combinations. Press them from anywhere and FastSM responds in the background. This is the simplest mode and the default choice.

  • Low-level keyhook. Like global hotkeys, but it can capture key combinations that Windows normally reserves, giving you more freedom in what you can bind.

  • Layer. A single activation key opens a temporary "FastSM layer." While the layer is open, plain keys act on FastSM (Up and Down move through posts, R replies, and so on), then it closes. Inside the layer, press Slash to hear the list of keys and Escape to leave. You choose the activation key on the same settings page.

Default global hotkeys (used by Global hotkeys and Low-level keyhook modes). These are the built-in "default" keymap; you can change any of them in the Keyboard Manager.

Navigation:

  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+Down — Next post.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+Up — Previous post.
  • Ctrl+Win+PageDown — Jump forward by the movement unit.
  • Ctrl+Win+PageUp — Jump back by the movement unit.
  • Alt+Win+Period — Next movement unit.
  • Alt+Win+Comma — Previous movement unit.
  • Alt+Win+Home — Top of the timeline.
  • Alt+Win+End — Bottom of the timeline.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+Right — Next timeline.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+Left — Previous timeline.
  • Alt+Shift+Win+Right — Next account.
  • Alt+Shift+Win+Left — Previous account.
  • Alt+Win+Space — Speak the current post.
  • Alt+Win+Z — Undo navigation (go back).
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+U — Refresh the timeline.

Posts:

  • Ctrl+Win+R — Reply.
  • Alt+Win+Q — Quote.
  • Alt+Win+E — Edit.
  • Alt+Win+N — New post.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Win+R — Boost or unboost.
  • Alt+Win+I — Like or unlike.
  • Alt+Win+V — Post info.
  • Alt+Win+Enter — Default action.
  • Alt+Shift+Win+Enter — Secondary action.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+O — Open the link in the post.
  • Alt+Win+C — View the thread.

People:

  • Alt+Win+U — Open the user's timeline.
  • Alt+Win+Shift+U — Open the user's profile.
  • Alt+Win+Semicolon — Speak the user.
  • Alt+Win+Shift+Semicolon — Speak the referenced reply.
  • Alt+Win+L — Follow or unfollow.
  • Alt+Win+Shift+L — Mute or unmute the user.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Win+B — Block or unblock the user.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+N — Add or edit a user alias.

Timeline and app:

  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+T — New timeline.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+P — Pin or unpin the timeline.
  • Alt+Win+A — Auto-read new posts.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Win+C — Copy.
  • Alt+Win+Delete — Delete your post.
  • Alt+Win+H — Follow a hashtag.
  • Alt+Win+Apostrophe — Close the timeline.
  • Ctrl+Win+W — Show or hide the window.
  • Alt+Win+O — Settings.
  • Alt+Shift+Win+Q — Exit FastSMRW.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+K — Keyboard Manager.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Win+S — Stop media.

Your account:

  • Alt+Win+LeftBracket — View your followers.
  • Alt+Win+RightBracket — View your following.

Many more actions ship unbound so you can assign your own keys in the Keyboard Manager, including: who liked or boosted a post, report a post or user, open a user's followers or following, Sent, Lists, muted users, blocked users, follow requests, trending hashtags, user analysis, manage aliases, server and client filters, add an account, check for updates, About, load older posts, clear the timeline, and open a post in a browser.

Layer keys (in Layer mode, after the layer opens):

  • Up / Down — Previous / next post.
  • Left / Right — Previous / next timeline.
  • Home / End — Top / bottom of the timeline.
  • Comma / Period — Previous / next movement unit.
  • Page Up / Page Down — Jump back / forward by the movement unit.
  • Space — Open the thread.
  • Enter — Default action.
  • Shift+Enter — Secondary action.
  • R — Reply.
  • Q — Quote.
  • E — Edit.
  • N — New post.
  • B — Boost.
  • F — Like.
  • M — Bookmark.
  • P — Pin.
  • A — Auto-read.
  • C — Copy.
  • T — New timeline.
  • U — User's timeline.
  • W — Close timeline.
  • L — Follow or unfollow.
  • H — Follow a hashtag.
  • O — Open links.
  • Semicolon — Speak the user (or open a list of the post's users).
  • Shift+Semicolon — Speak the post this reply is answering.
  • Shift+H — Show or hide the window.
  • Slash — Show this list of keys.
  • Escape — Leave the layer.

Customizing the keyboard (Keyboard Manager)

Open the Keyboard Manager from the Application menu (or press Ctrl+Alt+Win+K). It lets you view and change the keys used by the invisible interface.

  • FastSM ships with ready-made keymaps: the built-in "default" set above, a "Windows 10" set, and a "Windows 8.1" set. The Windows 8.1 set uses Control plus Windows key combinations. Those combos work on Windows 8.1, but Windows 10 no longer lets apps use Control plus Windows hotkeys, so this set is for people on Windows 8.1 who prefer them.

  • Duplicate makes an editable copy of any keymap so you can tailor it without disturbing the original.

  • To rebind or unbind an action, select it and set a new key (or unbind it). If you are on a built-in keymap that cannot be edited directly, FastSM automatically makes a personal copy called "My Keymap," switches to it, and applies your change there, so your edits are always kept.

Sounds and settings

FastSM plays short earcons for events (a new post arrives, a boost, a like, a sent post, reaching the top or bottom of a timeline). Moving between posts is deliberately silent, because your screen reader already announces each one. You can mute a single timeline's sounds with Ctrl+M, and adjust sound behavior in Settings.

Settings (Ctrl+Comma) is organized into pages covering general behavior, how Enter and Shift+Enter behave, the invisible interface, sounds, and more. Each front end of FastSM keeps the same settings in the same shape, so what you learn here carries over.