Message Window and Multi-bar

You can adjust the User Settings to customize the message window and Multi-bar.

Go to Menu > Toolbox > User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar.

Message Window and Multi-bar tiles appear in the window.

Message Window Settings

Select Message Window. The text preview shows how the selections you make will look in the message window.

A red box highlights the text preview in the upper left corner of the window.

Text, Highlight, or Background: Select one of these tabs to change the color of the text, highlight, or background of the message window.

Edit Colors: Select this tab to change the colors in the message window by choosing a basic color or custom color.

Text Styles: Select this tab to change the font and size of text in the message window.

Settings: Select this tab to turn message window autoformatting, speak message window, and clear message window options on or off.

Custom Colors: Create your own colors for the message window.

Cancel: Close the message window settings without saving your changes.

Finished: When the text preview shows how you want the message window to appear, select Finished to save your changes and close the message window settings.

Basic Colors

Go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Message Window.
Select the Edit Colors tab on the left.
Select Text, Highlight, or Background at the top of the window.
Select the basic color or custom color you want. The text preview will show the change.
When you finish making changes on the Text, Highlight, and Background tabs, select Finished.

Custom Colors

You can find RGB color codes and hex color codes on the internet.

Go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Message Window.
Select the Edit Colors tab on the left.
Select Text, Highlight, or Background at the top of the window.
Select the Custom color button.
Create a custom color by using any of the following methods.
- Select the Red, Green, or Blue field, use the keyboard to enter a new RGB value, and select Finished. If applicable, repeat for the other RGB fields. The Hex Code and color slider values will change accordingly.
- Select the Hex Code field, use the keyboard to enter a new hex value, and select Finished. The RGB and slider values will change accordingly.
- Move the color gradient slider or move the cursor in the color gradient box.
The custom color will appear in the New Color/Current Color box.
If you are not satisfied with the color, continue making adjustments until you create the color you want.
Select Save Color. The text preview will show the change, and the New Color/Current Color box will show your custom color.
When you finish making changes on the Text, Highlight, and Background tabs, select Finished.
Note: The new color(s) also appear under Custom Colors in the basic colors window to select for future use.

Change the Font

Go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Message Window.
Select Text Styles on the left and Font at the top of the window.
To change the text style, select a different font. The text preview will show the change.
Select Finished.

Change Text Size

Go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Message Window.
Select Text Styles on the left and Size at the top of the window. The text size is set to M (medium) by default.
Change the text size as needed. Available sizes are XS (extra small), S (small), M (medium), L (large), and XL (extra large). The text preview will show the change.
Select Finished.

Turn Features On or Off

Go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Message Window.
Select Settings on the left. Options for adjusting spaces and capitalization automatically, speaking the contents of the message window, and clearing the contents of the message window are displayed.
Toggle each option on or off by selecting the on/off toggle.

Auto-format Message: When Auto-format Message is turned on, spacing and capitalization adjust automatically when you add punctuation. For example, when you add a period and start to enter additional words, a space will be inserted and the first letter of the next word will be capitalized automatically.

Speak Message Window: When Speak Message Window is turned on, you can speak the contents of the message window by touching or dwelling on the message window using any Access Method.

Clear Message Window: When Clear Message Window is turned on, the contents of the message window will be cleared after the message is spoken once.

Keyguard Mode: Turn Keyguard Mode on when you are using a keyguard with the device. Keyguard Mode will remain turned on when you change access methods. To turn the setting off, select Keyguard Mode and select Finished.

Play Recorded Messages: When Play Recorded Messages is turned on, the message window will play an audio file that you recorded.

When you finish making changes, select Finished.

Use a Privacy Mode Button to Show or Hide Text

Use this feature to create a button that toggles the Message Window between showing the text you enter or replacing the text with dots so other people cannot read it.

Go to the page that includes the button you want to use.
Go to Menu > Editor > Edit and select the button.
On the Edit Button window, go to Actions > Add Action > Message Functions. Under Add an Action, Choose Privacy Mode. Privacy Mode will appear in the Action List.
Select Finished and Save. “Successfully Saved” will appear. When you enter a message in the Message Window, dots will replace the text.
You can toggle Privacy Mode on and off by selecting the button. Each time you select the button, the Message Window will switch between showing the text you entered and dots.
Tip: Add the Privacy Mode button action to a keyboard key for entering passwords. Make a copy of a Spelling keyboard first and then set up the button.

Use a Quick Menu Shortcut to Turn Speech On and Off

To add the shortcut to the Quick Menu:

Select Menu to open the Quick Menu.
Select Customize Quick Menu.
Select a space with a plus sign + in it. The space will change color.
Select the Speech shortcut. The shortcut will appear in the selected space.
Select Save. The Speech shortcut will be available from the Quick Menu any time you select the Menu button.

To use the speech shortcut:

Select Menu. The Speech shortcut will appear in the Quick Menu.
Select the shortcut to toggle speech on or off.
- When Speech is ON, each word is spoken as you select it. When you select the message window, the entire message is spoken.
- When Speech is OFF, words are not spoken as you select them. When you select the message window, the entire message is spoken.
Note: To speak messages, Speak Message Window must be turned on in the Message Window Settings.
Go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Message Window.
Select the Settings tab.
Turn Speak Message Window ON.

Multi-bar Settings

To modify the multi-bar, go to User Settings > Message Window & Multi-bar > Multi-bar.

The Multi-bar Settings window displays the Show Positioning Guide and Symbol Buffer settings with on/off toggle buttons to the right.

Show Positioning Guide

Turn Show Positioning Guide on or off. When Show Positioning Guide is turned on, a miniature version of the positioning guide is displayed in the multi-bar to help you use eye tracking and head tracking. In addition, this can be used to pause and resume eye tracking with the touch of a finger.

Symbol Buffer

Turn Symbol Buffer on or off. When Symbol Buffer is turned on, the symbol buffer appears in the multi-bar.

Multi-bar Icons

When a feature is turned on, its icon appears in the status area of the multi-bar.

Icon	Description
	A Bluetooth phone is connected.
	A text message notification has been received.
	Touch access is turned on.
	Head tracking is turned on.
	Eye tracking is turned on.
	When either head tracking or eye tracking is turned on, a miniaturized version of the positioning guide is displayed. Show Positioning Guide must be turned on in the Multi-bar Settings window. This icon can be used to pause and resume eye tracking with the touch of a finger.
	Scanning is turned on.
	Keyguard Mode is turned on.
	Headphone Volume is set to 1 or higher. The number of blue bars to the right of the headphone icon indicates how high the Headphone Volume option is set.
	The Headphone Volume mute headphone button in Volume Settings is selected.
	Device Volume is set to 1 or higher. The number of curved lines to the right of the speaker icon indicates how high the volume is set.

	Device Volume is muted.
	Vocabulary Builder is turned on.
	Battery charge level. This icon turns red when the battery charge is critically low; it turns green when the battery is charging.
	Data Logging is turned on.
	An Empower software update is available.