There are a few standard gestures to master with or without VoiceOver.
The Home Button
A triple press of the Home button will turn on VoiceOver if set to do so. You can alter the number of presses and length of press to perform different functions.
Once you have turned on VoiceOver gestures used to navigate and open applications will be different.
The video to the left demonstrates a drag(constant contact) and a double tap. As the index finger is dragged across the screen, VoiceOver announces what is located under the finger. Visually there is a square around what is being announced on screen. Note that the double tap (two rapid taps) is performed anywhere on the screen and opens the last item that was announced regardless of tap position. The time between the taps can be changed in Accessibility Settings if needed.
A split tap is an alternative to the double tap. Some users have difficulty timing the double tap or have challenges with manual dexterity and this is a viable alternative. The video to the left demonstrates a drag(constant contact) and a split tap. As the index finger is dragged across the screen, VoiceOver announces what is located under the finger. Visually there is a square around what is bring announced on screen. To use the split tap, the user must stop with a finger on the item they want to open and tap the screen one more time, as the finger touching the screen is counted as tap 1 of a double tap. NOTE: In the video, one hand is used, however, if manipulating a second finger on the same hand proves difficult, a second hand can be used to perform the second tap anywhere on the screen.
The Rotor is a way to quickly access certain VoiceOver Accessibility settings and can be customized to include certain options. The video to the left demonstrates the gesture used to access the rotor. Place a thumb and finger on the screen and turn them to the left or to the right just as you would a volume dial to choose a setting or method of navigation. Swipe up or down to adjust or navigate using the setting you chose. In the video, the rotor is turned to Speaking Rate and the Voice increases in speed with a swipe up or decreases in speed with a swipe down.
Once you have mastered the basic gestures, you can add fingers, add more taps and change direction to perform different actions.