VoiceOver Basic Guide
On iPhone/iPad:
Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, and toggle it on.
Alternatively, you can ask Siri to "Turn on VoiceOver."
On Mac:
Go to System Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, and toggle it on.
You can also use the shortcut Command + F5 to enable/disable VoiceOver.
Once VoiceOver is enabled on your iPhone or iPad, you can use the following gestures to navigate:
Single Tap: Selects an item and speaks its description aloud.
Double Tap: Activates the selected item (e.g., opens an app).
Swipe Left/Right: Moves to the next or previous item.
Three-Finger Swipe Up/Down: Scrolls up or down a page.
Two-Finger Swipe Down: Reads from the top of the screen.
Two-Finger Double Tap: Starts and stops an action (such as playing or pausing media).
Four-Finger Tap at the Top of the Screen: Selects the first item on the screen.
Four-Finger Tap at the Bottom of the Screen: Selects the last item on the screen.
If you're using a Mac, you can control VoiceOver using the keyboard. Here are some essential shortcuts:
Control + Option + Left/Right Arrow: Move to the next or previous item.
Control + Option + Spacebar: Activate the selected item.
Control + Option + Command + H: Open the VoiceOver Help menu.
Control + Option + Shift + Down Arrow: Interact with an item (e.g., a list or text box).
Control + Option + U: Open the VoiceOver Rotor (a feature to navigate quickly between elements).
Escape: Stop speaking.
The Rotor is a powerful tool within VoiceOver that allows you to quickly navigate different types of content on your device, such as headings, links, or form fields.
On iPhone/iPad: Rotate two fingers on the screen (like turning a dial) to change navigation modes.
On Mac: Press Control + Option + Command + U to activate the Rotor. Use the arrow keys to choose an option and press Enter to select it.
You can personalize VoiceOver settings to suit your preferences:
On iPhone/iPad:
Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > VoiceOver Settings.
Here, you can adjust the speaking rate, voice, verbosity, and more.
On Mac:
Go to System Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Open VoiceOver Utility.
This opens the VoiceOver Utility, where you can modify settings for speech, Braille, verbosity, navigation, and more.
VoiceOver works across all Apple apps, such as Safari, Mail, Messages, and more. Here are some examples:
Safari (Web Browsing):
Swipe left or right (on iPhone/iPad) or use the arrow keys (on Mac) to navigate through elements on the webpage.
Use the Rotor to quickly jump between links, headings, and other elements.
Mail (Email):
Use Swipe Right (on iPhone/iPad) or Control + Option + Right Arrow (on Mac) to navigate through the inbox.
Double-tap (on iPhone/iPad) or press Control + Option + Spacebar (on Mac) to open an email.
iPhone/iPad: To get more help, you can triple-tap with four fingers to open the VoiceOver Quick Settings or use VoiceOver Practice under Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > VoiceOver Practice.
Mac: You can press Control + Option + Command + H to bring up VoiceOver Help. The help system provides detailed information about using VoiceOver.
You can also visit Apple's official VoiceOver webpage for detailed support and tutorials: VoiceOver User Guide
VoiceOver supports a wide range of Braille displays. To pair a Braille display:
On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Braille.
On Mac: Open the VoiceOver Utility and go to the Braille tab to add or configure a Braille display.
Control + Option + Command + H: Move to the next heading.
Control + Option + Command + L: Move to the next link.
Control + Option + Command + B: Move to the next button.
Here is a helpful video tutorial that introduces the VoiceOver app:
This video covers the basic features of VoiceOver, how to navigate using gestures, and tips for efficient use.