Southern New Hampshire University

Installing Read&Write Browser Extensions

Updated on

What is Read&Write?

Read&Write lets everyone read, write, and express themselves more confidently. An easy-to-use toolbar makes documents, files, and web pages more accessible. Read&Write is a big confidence booster for anyone needing little support with reading and writing at school or the workplace. Its friendly literacy features help English Language Learners and people with learning difficulties.

From hearing emails or documents read aloud to text prediction, picture dictionaries, summary highlighters, and a grammar, spelling, and confusable words checker, Read & Write makes many everyday literacy tasks simpler, quicker, and more accurate.

Texthelp Extensions for Microsoft Edge

Note: You add four extensions to your browser. Three extensions will be installed from the Edge Add-ons store, and one extension will be installed from the Chrome Web Store.

Microsoft Edge: Read&Write, OrbitNote, and Screenshot Reader Extensions are all required to get full access to the tool features

Screenshot of part of the Microsoft Edge browser showing an arrow pointing to the profile icon.


  • Sign in with your full Southern New Hampshire University email address and password associated with your SNHU/Microsoft 365 account. (The account you use to sign into Outlook, Word, etc.).
  • Once your Microsoft Edge Browser is synced to your SNHU account follow these steps to install each extension in your Edge browser:

Read&Write Extension

Go to the following link to install the Read&Write Extension and click on the "Get" button:

OrbitNote Extension

Go to the following link to install the OrbitNote Extension and click on the "Get" button:

Screenshot Reader Extension

Go to the following link to install the OrbitNote Extension and click on the "Get" button:

Equatio Extension

  • Click on the puzzle icon in the top right corner of your Edge browser and select “Manage extensions.”
Screenshot of part of the Microsoft Edge browser showing the extensions menu with an arrow pointing to the puzzle icon and "Manage Extensions"
  • In the left-hand column, toggle “Allow extensions from other stores.”
Screenshot of Microsoft Edge browser settings with "Allow extensions from other stores" toggled on.


  • You can see the extensions you just added by clicking the puzzle icon on the top right of the Edge browser. You can pin the extensions to make them always visible by clicking on the eye icon next to each extension.
Screenshot of extensions menu in Microsoft Edge browser showing pinned extensions.

Texthelp Extensions for Chrome Web Browser

Note: There will be four extensions to install on the Google Chrome browser. All four extensions will be installed from the Chrome Web Store.

Installing the Chrome Extensions: Please NOTE all extensions required to get full access to the tool features

  • Launch the Google Chrome browser.
  • Sign out of your Chrome browser profile by clicking on the button with your name and profile photo/icon on the top right of Chrome.
  • Make sure the text under the profile icon says "Not signed in"
  • Make sure sync is turned off.

Note: If you are signed in with your Google account, the extensions will automatically use your Google credentials to try to sign in and cause an error.

  • Users must "Sign in with Microsoft."
Screenshot of Chrome profile menu showing sync is turned off and a profile is not signed in.

Read&Write Chrome Extension

Go to the following link to install the Read&Write Extension and click on the "Add to Chrome" button:

  • When using the Google Chrome Extensions, select "Sign in with Microsoft." 
    • Users must "Sign in with Microsoft" 
Read and Write Chrome Extension Sign-in options (Sign-in with Google, Sign-in Microsoft, or Sign-in with NYC Public Schools)

Equatio Chrome Extension

Go to the following link to install the Equatio Extension and click on the "Add to Chrome" button:

OrbitNote Chrome Extension

Go to the following link to install the OrbitNote Extension and click on the "Add to Chrome" button:

IMPORTANT: MUST Install the Screenshot Reader Chrome Extension

Go to the following link to install the Screenshot Reader Extension and click on the "Add to Chrome" button:

  • You can see the extensions you just added by clicking the puzzle icon on the top right of the Chrome browser. You can pin the extensions to make them always visible by clicking on the pin icon next to each extension.
Screenshot of Chrome showing pinned extensions in the extensions menu with an arrow pointing to the puzzle icon.

Additional Resources

Previous Article Installing Read&Write Desktop Application
Next Article Read&Write Screen Mask Tool