Monarch 1.4: New Ways to Read, Connect, and Work

We’re excited to bring you the Monarch 1.4 update, which continues to expand how Monarch fits into everyday reading, learning, and work. This release builds on recent progress while focusing on practical improvements that support real use across a range of situations. 

Today’s update highlights several key areas, including continued growth in braille terminal support with screen readers like JAWS and NVDA, the introduction of KeyDrive for cloud file access, and meaningful improvements to eBraille reading performance and formatting. Together with refinements across core apps and expanded language support, these changes reflect a steady move toward making Monarch more capable, more connected, and easier to use. 

Braille Terminal via Bluetooth 

Version 1.3 introduced braille terminal support on Monarch, opening a new way to interact with multiline braille through screen readers like JAWS.  For many, this marked a real shift in what was possible, bringing richer context, better navigation, and deeper interaction with digital content to a multiline braille display. Users, including those in Monarch RISE, are already putting multiline braille to work for tasks like live notetaking, coding, and presenting, offering an early glimpse of how this capability can support real, everyday workflows. 

With this update, braille terminal support expands to include Bluetooth, making it easier to connect Monarch to a computer without relying on a physical cable. That flexibility makes it simpler to incorporate Monarch into everyday setups and lowers the barrier to using terminal mode more often. 

Screen readers are central to the braille terminal experience, and tools like JAWS and NVDA help shape how multiline braille can be used in practice. Their existing braille support works with Monarch’s multiline display to support more complex reading and navigation, offering a clearer sense of what this capability can enable. Seeing that combination move forward is a big moment for access. 

Introducing KeyDrive 

One of the most requested features, we’re pleased to bring KeyDrive to Monarch. 

KeyDrive is a new way to access cloud storage directly on Monarch. With KeyDrive, you can connect to Google Drive or OneDrive and work with your files much like you would with locally stored content, as long as you have an internet connection. 

Once signed in, your cloud accounts appear alongside other storage locations, making it easier to open, move, and manage files in one place. If a cloud service requires you to sign in again after some time, Monarch will clearly indicate that the account is signed out and prompt you to log in when you select it. This helps avoid confusion and makes it clear what action is needed. 

KeyDrive also provides clear feedback when working with shared files. If a file cannot be downloaded due to permission limits, Monarch will let you know, helping you understand whether access needs to be adjusted before continuing. 

Overall, KeyDrive is designed to make cloud storage feel like a natural extension of Monarch, supporting common workflows while keeping the experience straightforward and predictable. 

A Big Step Forward for eBraille 

If you use eBraille on Monarch, this update brings meaningful improvements you’ll notice right away. 

Monarch now supports more spatial formatting in eBraille content, including lists, margins, and indentation. As a result, eBraille books can better reflect the structure and layout intended by the author, from clean, readable lists, to more complex page designs. 

You’ll also see a performance boost. Thanks to new image caching, eBraille books open significantly faster than before. While importing books with images may take a little longer the first time, subsequent reading sessions are much quicker and smoother. To take full advantage of these improvements, users should reimport their existing eBraille books after updating.

Having just released the first public version of the eBraille Converter, we look forward to hearing your feedback! To learn more about the BRF to eBraille Converter, check out the BRF to eBraille Converter blog and our Meet eBraille page.

Smoother Experiences Across Apps 

This update also includes refinements across several Monarch apps, all aimed at reducing friction and increasing reliability. 

• KeyWord includes fixes that improve editing, math input, and document reliability. 

• KeySoft benefits from a range of under-the-hood improvements that make browsing and reading more consistent. 

Together, these changes help Monarch feel faster, clearer, and more dependable. It should all make for a better experience during longer reading and writing sessions. 

Additional Languages 

This update adds support for Arabic, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Swedish, and Turkish. Translated user guides and release notes are being expanded alongside these changes. 

What’s Next 

This update reflects ongoing work to expand what Monarch can support, both in how people read and in how they connect to the tools they already use. From multiline braille through screen readers, to faster, more flexible eBraille reading and easier access to files, these changes build a stronger foundation for what comes next. 

We’ll continue sharing updates, documentation, and learning resources as Monarch evolves, including new ways to explore braille, tactile literacy, and navigation through upcoming content and projects.