In the first two posts in this in-depth series, we looked at LeaseyWord and Leasey Media Centre, two major new areas in Leasey version 11.5.
This time, we turn to one of the most requested, most ambitious and most carefully designed new features in the Summer 2026 update: LeaseySocial.
LeaseySocial is a Windows desktop client for Mastodon and Bluesky, designed specifically for people using JAWS. Mastodon is the primary platform, while Bluesky support covers the core workflows many users need day to day. The aim is not to reproduce every possible feature of every large multi-service social media client. The aim is to make the core social media experience fast, practical, configurable and comfortable for blind users, especially those using speech and Braille.
This is a large feature. There is a great deal to say. But the best place to begin is with a simple question.
There are already social media clients available, including free ones. Some are very good at what they do. So why create another?
The simple answer is that, over a number of years, we have repeatedly been asked for one.
People wanted a social media client designed around the way JAWS users work. They wanted something fast. They wanted something which did not assume that the user was happy to spend time modifying configuration files or learning technical concepts before the client became comfortable. They wanted Braille to be central to the design rather than an afterthought. They wanted documentation with examples, not just a list of commands. They wanted a client which could handle Mastodon properly, support Bluesky where possible, and make day-to-day social media tasks feel efficient.
Those requests shaped LeaseySocial.
There are several requirements which mattered from the beginning.
First, LeaseySocial must start quickly. It is launched with the Leasey key followed by Control+Windows+S, and one of its distinct advantages is that it should start in approximately four to five seconds. After that short time, you should be able to begin browsing.
Second, it must be supported by extensive documentation. The documentation contains examples of what to do. Users will be able to read the full documentation, or use Leasey Quick Steps to ask specific questions about how to use LeaseySocial with Mastodon or Bluesky.
Third, Braille must be central to the design. LeaseySocial is not a speech-only client which happens to send a few things to Braille if convenient. The Columns options control what is spoken and Brailled. New item announcements can be spoken and Brailled. Braille status messages are used in areas such as nicknames and filters. When a new item arrives while you are focused elsewhere, the information can still be relayed in a way which is useful to a Braille display user.
Fourth, configuration must be easy through a user interface. This is extremely important. Other social media clients may be excellent, but in some cases users need a certain amount of technical ability to change what is spoken, adjust the way posts are presented, configure sound packs or customise the experience. LeaseySocial aims to make those processes easier. Options use standard controls. Columns can be moved or removed. Sounds can be previewed. Sound packs can be created through a manager. Shortcut keys can be typed into edit fields. Filters and nicknames can be created from accessible dialogs.
In other words, LeaseySocial is not being created because other clients have failed. It is being created because Leasey users asked for a client with Leasey's priorities: speed, documentation, speech, Braille, keyboard access and friendly configuration.
The main objective of LeaseySocial is simple: to provide a fast, keyboard-friendly, JAWS-friendly desktop client for Mastodon and Bluesky.
The app is designed around the core experience most people need every day. Reading timelines. Switching accounts. Reading posts. Posting. Replying. Quoting. Sending direct messages. Opening links. Playing media. Following and unfollowing users. Searching. Viewing profiles. Managing lists. Muting, blocking, filtering and customising what is spoken and Brailled.
It is important to understand what LeaseySocial is not trying to be. It is not trying to reproduce every feature of every large client. It is not trying to support every social platform in existence. It is not trying to become a complicated multi-service dashboard. The design is more focused than that.
It is trying to make social media practical and efficient for JAWS users.
LeaseySocial is started with the Leasey key followed by Control+Windows+S.
The main window is deliberately simple. It contains an Accounts list, a Timelines list, a Posts list and a small row of buttons including Refresh, New Post, Reply, View and Links.
The Accounts list remains available even if only one account is configured. This keeps startup focus predictable and makes the account context clear. It also means the layout does not change dramatically just because you have one account rather than several.
The intention is that your accounts are immediately available. You do not need to open a separate account manager just to switch accounts during normal use. If two or more accounts are present, use Up and Down Arrow in the Accounts list to choose the account. When an account is selected, the Timelines list changes to show the timelines configured for that account.
The Posts list is built from configurable fields. The default fields are Author, Post, Date, Client and Status. As you move through the list with Up and Down Arrow, JAWS reads the row. Left and Right Arrow move between the configured fields and speak the selected field. This means you can hear just the author, just the post text, just the date, just the client used or the status such as Public, Followers only or Direct message.
The list view is multi-column, so JAWS column reading keys can also be used if you wish. For example, Control+JAWS Key+1, 2, 3 and so on can speak the column header followed by the information in that column.
The order of fields, and whether they are included at all, is controlled from Options on the Columns tab. This is account-specific. That means one account can have a different reading layout from another if you want.
LeaseySocial also has a standard menu bar. This keeps the wider command set easier to browse with JAWS, while preserving the context menu for common actions on the focused post. The main menus are File, Post, Navigate, Timelines and Tools.
LeaseySocial supports multiple Mastodon and Bluesky accounts.
All configured Mastodon accounts are streamed while the app is running. This means you can receive new posts, mentions and notifications from more than one Mastodon account.
Bluesky accounts are also monitored while the app is running. LeaseySocial checks Bluesky Home, Mentions, Notifications and Messages repeatedly and announces new items as they arrive.
When a new item is spoken for a non-current account, the account name is included first so you know which account received it. This also applies if you are focused away from the application.
For example, if a mention arrives for a different account, you might hear the account name first, followed by the new mention. This matters when someone manages more than one account and does not want to constantly switch back to check.
Manage Accounts is available from Options with Control+Comma or from the File menu. The Manage Accounts dialog lets you review configured accounts, add another Mastodon account, add a Bluesky account or delete an account.
Mastodon login opens the authorisation page in the browser. After authorising the app, you paste the code into LeaseySocial.
Bluesky uses a handle and an app password. The app password is used only for logging in to Bluesky. You should not enter your normal Bluesky password.
Bluesky support includes many useful day-to-day workflows: adding a Bluesky account, reading Home, Mentions, Notifications, Messages and Sent posts, searching for posts and users, viewing a user's recent posts, finding Bluesky accounts by interest, viewing and editing your Bluesky profile, posting public Bluesky posts, replying and quote-posting where the Bluesky API provides the needed reference, sending direct messages where the app password allows DM access, following and unfollowing users, favouriting and reposting posts, adding and removing bookmarks, viewing Bookmarks and Favourites, muting, blocking and reviewing people you follow or people following you.
There are also limits. Post media upload, scheduling, polls, pinning, filters and list management are Mastodon features in LeaseySocial. Bluesky profile image upload is supported through Edit My Profile.
The core timelines are Home, Mentions, Notifications, Messages and Sent.
Other timelines can include Local, Federated, Bookmarks, Favourites, user timelines, conversation timelines, search timelines, list timelines, People I Follow, People Following Me, recent posts on the current instance and recent posts on another instance.
Control+1, Control+2 and Control+3 move to the first, second and third timelines. The exact timeline reached depends on the order configured in Options. Alt+Left Arrow moves back to the previous timeline you used, and Alt+Right Arrow moves forward again through that timeline history. LeaseySocial tries to restore the remembered post position for each timeline as you move back and forward.
Alt+1 switches to the first account, Alt+2 to the second account, and so on through to Alt+9.
Control+W closes a temporary or custom timeline. You are asked to confirm unless confirmation dialogs have been disabled under Options. Closing a timeline returns focus to the previous timeline and position.
Timelines such as user timelines, searches, list timelines and instance timelines can persist across sessions if they remain in the Timelines list. The app remembers your position in each timeline where possible. If you close the app and restart it, or move away from a timeline and back again, LeaseySocial tries to restore the same post where it can.
Messages is the timeline for direct-message conversations. On Mastodon it is built from the server conversations endpoint. On Bluesky it uses the chat conversations list, so the Bluesky app password must include DM access.
The number of posts loaded for most timelines is configurable in Options. The default is 100 and the maximum is 400. Mastodon servers often cap a single request at around 40 items, so LeaseySocial requests additional pages where possible to reach the selected amount.
Dates and times use the Windows regional date order where possible. There are options for 12-hour time and relative times such as 3 minutes ago, 1 hour ago or 1 day ago.
Reading posts is straightforward.
Use Up and Down Arrow in the Posts list to move through posts. Use Left and Right Arrow to move through the configured fields in the focused row. Press Enter or Numpad Enter to open the focused post in a Post Details dialog.
The Post Details dialog contains the full post and detailed post information. That information can include the published date and time, whether the post was boosted and by whom, author, username, client if known, how many boosts, how many favourites, how many replies, and whether it was boosted or favourited by you. This latter point is particularly telling; there is no value in favouriting a post if you have previously done so.
Buttons are shown for actions such as Follow, Unfollow, Read Profile, Edit Profile, Mention, Boost, Favourite, Bookmark, Open Web and Close, depending on the post and account.
For boosted posts, LeaseySocial tries to say both who boosted the post and who originally wrote it. Quoted posts are also included in the full post text where the instance provides quote data.
Control+Shift+I is Where Am I. In the main window, it can say things such as the account name, current timeline and post position. In Options, it can say which settings page is being configured. In Compose, it gives composition information such as the current field, characters typed and characters remaining. In dialogs such as Command Centre, Soundpacks Manager, Search, Report and Direct Message, it identifies the dialog and the current field or selected item.
LeaseySocial provides a standard menu bar and a context menu.
The menu bar gives access to the wider command set without making the context menu too large. File contains account, export and Options commands. Post contains posting, reply, quote, favourite, bookmark, vote, report and delete commands. Navigate contains conversation, context, user timeline, profile, links, media, image description, find, copy and Where Am I. Timelines contains refresh, close timeline, instance timelines, pinned posts, scheduled posts, blocked users, muted users, following and followers. Tools contains Lists Manager, Filters Manager, Nicknames Manager, profile pinning, mute, block and streaming commands.
The context menu is opened with the Applications key or Shift+F10. It contains common commands directly, including New Post, Reply, Reply All, Quote, Open Links, Play Media, Copy Post, Direct Message, Conversation, User Timeline, View Profile, Lists Manager, Boost, Favourite, Bookmark and more. Less frequent commands are placed under More Actions.
Leasey Command Centre is opened with Control+Shift+C. It is a command search feature for quickly finding actions without remembering keystrokes or browsing menus.
Type part of a command name, such as bookmark, mute, profile or reply. The Matching commands list updates as you type. Some plain-language words are also supported. For example, save can find Bookmark, like can find Favourite, and browser can find Open Post on Web. Press Enter or Numpad Enter on a matching command to run it.
This is exactly the kind of tool which makes a large client less intimidating. You can learn by searching for what you want to do.
Control+N composes a new post.
The Compose dialog uses standard Windows controls. It includes the post text, visibility, content warning, thread mode, scheduling, poll controls, media attachment controls, alternative text for images and OK and Cancel.
The post text field is deliberately wide so JAWS reads more comfortably while composing. By default, pressing Enter sends the post. If the option Use Control+Enter to send posts instead of Enter is enabled, Enter inserts a new line and Control+Enter sends.
The title bar shows the character count. If you exceed the instance limit, a sound can play if sounds are enabled.
The Spell Check button checks the message text. If the post or reply begins with usernames, those leading usernames are left out of the spell check and put back unchanged afterwards. This is a thoughtful detail because usernames are not ordinary words and should not clutter the spelling process.
Auto-complete is available with Alt+A. If the cursor is after a partial username beginning with @, LeaseySocial searches for matching accounts and inserts the selected username. If there is no username fragment, Alt+A offers people you follow so you can choose someone even if you do not know their exact username.
Visibility options include Public, Unlisted, Followers only and Direct.
Control+R replies to the author of the focused post only. Control+Shift+R replies to all relevant users mentioned in the post while avoiding your own username where appropriate. There is also an option to put reply usernames in a separate recipients field. This is useful if you often select and delete text while rewriting a reply, because the recipients are kept outside the main message field and are less likely to be removed by mistake, such as when pressing Control+A followed by Delete.
Control+Q quotes the focused post. Where the Mastodon instance supports quote posts, LeaseySocial sends the quote using the instance's quote-post API. Where native quote support is unavailable, the app falls back to inserting a link to the original post. LeaseySocial also tries to render fallback quoted posts in a cleaner form when Mastodon exposes them.
Control+D opens Direct Message.
If a post is focused, the username field is prefilled with the focused user's username. Direct messages always keep the recipient separate from the message text. If the recipient is already known, focus starts in the message field and Shift+Tab moves back to Username.
Incoming direct messages can still appear in Mentions on Mastodon, but LeaseySocial also uses the Messages timeline and the Direct message received sound event where possible.
Search is opened with Control+Slash. You can search All, Posts, Users or Hashtags. Search results open as a timeline named Search followed by the search term. Search timelines can persist across sessions if left in the Timelines list.
Find in Current Timeline is Control+F, with F3 for next match and Shift+F3 for previous match. This is a local find command. It searches what is currently loaded in the Posts list rather than asking the server for new results.
Discover features are also included. For Mastodon, Discover can include trending posts, trending hashtags, trending links, followed hashtags and hashtag timelines. For Bluesky, Discover includes suggested follows and Find Bluesky Accounts by Interest. The interest search can use subjects such as assistive technology, radio, music, sport or politics, and opens a Users timeline containing accounts which may be relevant.
Control+O opens a list of links found in the focused post. Links from quoted posts are included where quote data is available. LeaseySocial attempts to avoid presenting only the Mastodon status URL when there are more useful web links in the post.
If a post contains an image, the Posts list begins the post text with "Image attached." If a post contains audio, it begins with "Audio attached." If a post contains media more generally, sounds can be configured to play when moving over the row.
Describe Image with ChatGPT is available with Control+Shift+D. The OpenAI API key is read from Leasey's ChatGPT settings, so there is no separate configuration to do. A carefully constructed prompt is sent to ChatGPT containing the image so as to return a description which is rich in detail.
Audio playback can pass playable audio attachments to Leasey Media Centre. Control+Enter is the shortcut for Play Media. This means you have Media Centre functionality as your disposal, such as to read the remaining time or to adjust the speed of playback.
Content warnings are supported in the Compose dialog. Reading content warnings is controlled from Options. You can show post text only, show the content warning followed by the post text, or hide post text and show the content warning only. That last choice is useful if the user does not want protected text exposed automatically while arrowing through a timeline.
Thread Mode is available in Compose. When enabled, after one part of the post is sent, the compose edit field appears again so the next part of the thread can be written.
Scheduling is available for Mastodon posts. The scheduling controls use combo boxes rather than requiring you to type a date or time manually. Scheduled Posts opens a timeline containing Mastodon posts you have scheduled but which have not yet been published.
Polls are available for Mastodon accounts. Poll creation and voting are not shown for Bluesky accounts because Bluesky does not currently provide native poll support. LeaseySocial checks the Mastodon instance configuration for poll limits, such as the number of options, maximum characters per option and poll duration rules.
Mastodon does not allow polls and media attachments in the same post, so LeaseySocial prevents that combination.
Voting in a poll is easy. Focus a post containing an open poll and choose Vote in Poll from the context menu, or press Control+Shift+V. You may know a poll is focused because a sound might play, the leading question is spoken, and the options and percentages are announced. LeaseySocial then lets you choose the option or options allowed by the poll.
User timelines can be opened with Control+U. If a post is focused, the username field is prefilled. For boosted posts, the dialog can offer both the original author and the person who boosted where possible.
People I Follow and People Following Me are available from More Actions, opening timeline-style lists of accounts. LeaseySocial uses paginated loading where the platform supports it.
Follow and Unfollow are Control+L and Control+Shift+L. When invoked from a post, the app can present users found in the post, including the author, boosted-by user, quoted author and mentioned users where available.
Profiles can be read and edited inside the app. Read Profile displays available information for another user. Edit Profile is available for your own account. For Mastodon accounts, Edit Profile offers considerable control without sending you to the instance web site, including display name, profile text, privacy options, quote policy where supported, profile fields and images. For Bluesky accounts, Edit My Profile supports display name, profile text, avatar image and banner image.
Report Post and Report User are available from the Post menu and More Actions. These are Mastodon-only features. The report dialog uses standard controls and can include a reason, comment, whether to include the focused post and whether to forward the report to the remote instance where available.
Mute Conversation, Mute User, Unmute User, Block User and Unblock User are included. Blocked Users and Muted Users are available from the Timelines menu, each opening a timeline-style list of accounts.
Lists Manager is available with Control+Shift+S. It displays Mastodon lists already present on the server. You can create, edit, delete and open lists, add accounts and review list members. Lists created in another client should appear because they are server-based Mastodon lists.
Filters Manager is one of the most important configuration areas.
It contains LeaseySocial filters and server keyword filters. LeaseySocial filters are local, account-specific filters which apply to what LeaseySocial displays, speaks, Brailles and sounds. They can be applied retrospectively to the current cached timeline. For example, if a Home timeline already contains boosts and you create a local filter for boosts, those boosts can disappear from the visible timeline when the manager closes. The cached data is not deleted.
Local filter categories include original posts, replies to others, replies to me, threads, boosts or reposts, quote posts, posts with media, posts without media, your posts and your replies. Filters can also match text.
Server keyword filters use Mastodon's server filter API. They can apply on the server to contexts such as Home, Notifications, public timelines, conversations and profiles, with actions such as hide completely, warn before showing and blur media where supported.
Nicknames Manager is similar to a small speech dictionary. It lets you enter a name or username and specify what should be said instead. If a username is long, difficult to remember, full of punctuation or just inconvenient to hear repeatedly, you can create a nickname.
Nicknames are account-specific and apply to visible timeline columns, post list speech, new item speech, Braille status messages, copied post text and Post Details text.
This is a good example of configuration being brought into a user interface. The user does not need to edit a technical file. They use a manager.
Options are opened with Control+Comma.
The main tabs are General, Reading, Timelines, Columns, Speech, Sounds and Shortcut keys.
General options include data location, account management, newest posts at bottom, condensed leading mentions, reply usernames in a separate recipients field, time format, relative times, minimize to system tray, confirmation dialogs, Control+Enter sending, posts to load and timeline cache clearing.
The timeline cache is automatic. Cached items should appear quickly after startup, then the app refreshes the timeline in the background and merges newer items.
Reading options include content warning behaviour, removing emojis and other Unicode characters from post text and syncing home timeline position with Mastodon.
Columns options control what is spoken and Brailled for each item in the Posts list and the order in which that information appears. The current fields are Author, Post, Date, Client and Status. You can move fields, remove fields and restore defaults. At least one field must remain.
Speech options are account-specific. There is a Mute speech and sounds for this account check box, which prevents new items for that account from being spoken or Brailled and stops timeline sounds for that account. Other accounts are not affected. Individual timelines can also be controlled so, for example, Home can be quieter while Mentions and Notifications remain active.
Sounds are a major part of LeaseySocial, but they are designed to supplement speech and Braille, not replace them.
The Sounds tab is account-specific. It includes options such as muting sounds for the current account, playing the startup sound, choosing the sound pack, opening Soundpacks Manager, adjusting volume, previewing sounds and choosing which timelines should play sounds.
The default soundpack is worth special mention. The sounds in the default soundpack were specially commissioned for LeaseySocial and prepared by Andre Louis. Andre is an expert in music composition and sound design. He is especially well versed in creating sounds for similar projects and has a strong understanding of how to provide short sounds which succinctly indicate the activity which has taken place.
That matters because social media sounds need to be brief, distinct and informative. A new mention, a direct message, a notification, a post containing media, a boundary at the top or bottom of a list and an error all need different identities, but they cannot be long or distracting. They need to tell you something quickly and then get out of the way.
Users can also create their own sound packs with Soundpacks Manager. Sound packs live under the app's Data\Sounds folder, which means they can potentially be synchronised across devices. Each sound pack has its own folder.
The Soundpacks Manager lets you add, edit and delete sound packs. The default soundpack cannot be edited or deleted. When adding or editing a soundpack, the editor contains the soundpack name, sound events list, the expected WAV filename for the selected event, the path to the sound file, Browse and Preview.
When saved, LeaseySocial copies the chosen WAV files into the soundpack folder and gives them the filenames it expects. This means the soundpack does not depend on the original files staying in their old locations.
The preview in the Sounds tab and Soundpacks Manager works even if Leasey sounds are disabled, so users can learn and test a pack before enabling it.
Again, the key point is that configuration is done through a user interface. You do not need to know where to place files manually or how to name them without guidance. LeaseySocial tells you what it expects.
The Shortcut keys tab lets you review and change shortcut keys for LeaseySocial actions.
It contains an Actions list, Description field, Shortcut key edit field, Make this shortcut global check box, Assign, Clear, Reset This Shortcut and Restore Defaults.
Choose an action from the Actions list. The Description field explains what the selected action does. The Shortcut key edit field shows the assigned key if one exists. You type the keystroke as text, such as Alt+Shift+Up. The app does not capture the keystroke physically.
If Make this shortcut global is unchecked, the shortcut works only while LeaseySocial is focused. If it is checked, LeaseySocial tries to register the shortcut with Windows so it can work even when LeaseySocial is not focused. Global shortcut keys may conflict with Windows, JAWS, Leasey or other applications, so the primary LeaseySocial window remains highly recommended.
In addition to regular menu and Command Centre actions, the Actions list includes features such as Repeat Focused Item, Repeat Last Spoken Message, Next Timeline, Previous Timeline, Up or Down in current timeline, Start or End of current timeline and Minimize or restore from system tray. These are intended for users who want to read timelines without focusing the LeaseySocial window.
Discover actions are also included so they can be assigned shortcut keys even though they live in menu submenus.
If LeaseySocial detects a duplicate shortcut assignment in the same scope, it warns you. Some Windows-wide conflicts can only be detected when Options is saved and LeaseySocial tries to register the global shortcut.
Streaming starts automatically.
New Home posts, Mentions and Notifications are streamed. If multiple accounts are configured, all accounts are monitored.
Timeline speech and sound settings are respected when new items arrive. The per-account Mute Speech and Sounds option is also respected. This means one busy account can stay loaded and monitored without constantly interrupting you. Control+Alt+M remains the full quiet mode for the entire app; ideal if you want to keep the app running but wish to use your computer to watch a movie.
At startup, LeaseySocial checks whether there are new Mentions or Notifications since the last time the app saw those timelines. If there are, it can announce a summary such as the account name followed by the number of new mentions and notifications.
LeaseySocial matters because it brings social media into the Leasey environment in a way which reflects Leasey's values.
It starts quickly. It uses a clear main window. It supports multiple Mastodon and Bluesky accounts. It provides a menu bar, context menu and Command Centre. It can compose, reply, quote, favourite, boost, bookmark, search, open links, play media, describe images, vote in polls, manage direct messages, read profiles, edit your own profile, manage lists, report, mute, block, filter and customise.
But the most important part is not just the feature count.
The important part is that the experience is designed for JAWS users. The app is keyboard-friendly. Braille is central. Speech can be configured. Columns can be changed. Sounds can be previewed and replaced. Sound packs can be created through an accessible manager. Shortcut keys can be assigned through Options. Documentation is extensive, and Leasey Quick Steps will let users ask specific questions about how to use the client.
Leasey version 11.5 is scheduled for release in July 2026. In future posts, we will continue exploring the major new and redesigned features in this Summer update.