You can use VoiceOver Recognition on iPad to scan your surroundings and get live descriptions of the scenes detected in the camera view. With Apple Intelligence, you can also get information and ask questions about onscreen images and interface elements, even in apps and on webpages that don’t provide accessibility information.

With Live Recognition, you choose the kinds of visual information you want VoiceOver to describe.

Here’s how to hear what’s on your screen and around you with VoiceOver on iPad.

Important: VoiceOver Recognition should not be relied upon in circumstances where you could be harmed or injured, in high-risk situations, for navigation, or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.

Get descriptions and ask questions about your surroundings with Live Recognition

1. With VoiceOver on, triple-tap the screen with four fingers to start Live Recognition.
2. Do any of the following:
   • Ask questions and get information about your surroundings: Double-tap when you hear Ask to turn it on or off. The default question “What is this?” is asked automatically unless you Customize Live Recognition settings.
   • Get descriptions about your surroundings: Choose the kinds of visual information you want VoiceOver to describe, like scenes, people, doors, furniture, or text. Select a category and then double-tap to turn it on or off. If you turn on Point and Speak, you can point your finger at text and have VoiceOver read it aloud.

     Note: Detection of people, doors, and furniture is available only on supported iPad models.

   • Get information about a document: Double-tap when you hear Document Capture to turn it on or off.
3. Position iPad so the rear camera can detect what’s around you. VoiceOver describes what the camera detects.

   To interrupt VoiceOver speech and move to the next detected item, tap the screen with two fingers.

To turn off Live Recognition, triple-tap the screen with four fingers. Or if the VoiceOver cursor is focused on an interface element for Live Recognition, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”).

Quick tip: You can set up a shortcut that quickly starts and stops Live Recognition. See our guide, Set up shortcuts for Live Recognition.

Detection Mode in the Magnifier app can also detect and describe scenes, people, and more. Check out our article, Get live descriptions of visual information around you with Magnifier.

Customize Live Recognition settings

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, tap VoiceOver Recognition, and tap Live Recognition.
3. Do any of the following:
   • Set a default question that’s asked automatically: Turn on Default Question which is “What is this?” by default. You can also enter your own default question.
   • Choose whether to speak or type by default: Tap Speak or Type.
   • Use the volume buttons to take a picture: Turn on Use Volume Buttons to Recapture.
   • Select what options appear in the rotor: Tap Live Recognition Rotor, then tap an option, like People, Doors, Scenes, or Ask. You can also drag each option up or down to rearrange the order in the rotor.

   Note: Detection of people, doors, and furniture is available only on supported iPad models.

   • Create a custom activity that you can quickly turn on: Tap Activities, tap the Add button, and then enter an activity name. Select the detection modes that are on by default in the activity. You can also turn on Speech, Braille, Sounds, and Haptics for different detection modes.

Get descriptions and ask questions about images

VoiceOver Recognition describes the people, objects, and text in images, even in apps and on webpages that don’t provide accessibility information. And with Apple Intelligence, you can also ask questions about images and get enhanced descriptions.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver and tap VoiceOver Recognition. Do any of the following:
   • Explore content in an image, get descriptions, and ask questions: Turn on Explore Image.
   • Ask questions and get information about images: Turn on Ask About Image.
   • Get detailed descriptions of images: Turn on Intelligent Image Description.
3. To get descriptions of text found in images, turn on Text Recognition.
4. Go to an app such as Photos or Safari and select an image.
5. Swipe down to hear more options and then double-tap when you hear Intelligent Image Description, Explore Image, or Ask About Image.
6. Move your finger around the image to find out the position of each object.

   Note: Image descriptions aren’t available in all languages.

Add custom descriptions of images in Photos

1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
2. Double-tap the image you want to add a custom description to.
3. Double-tap the Edit button, then double-tap the Markup button.
4. Double-tap the Add button and then double-tap Image Description.
5. Enter your image description.
6. Double-tap the Done button, then double-tap the Done button again.

After you add a custom description to a photo in the Photos app, you’ll hear the description when you select the photo in the photo picker, and when you double-tap it.

Get descriptions of interface elements

When apps and webpages don’t provide accessibility information, VoiceOver Recognition still describes interface elements.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap VoiceOver Recognition.
3. Tap Screen Recognition and turn on Screen Recognition.
4. Tap Apply to Apps and select an app from the list to improve the accessibility of a specific app.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Get live descriptions of your surroundings
• Find and name people and pets in Photos on iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad

With Braille Screen Input in VoiceOver, you can use your fingers to type braille directly on the iPad screen, without a physical braille keyboard. You can also use Braille Screen Input to enter braille commands for navigating and controlling your iPad.

You can use it in tabletop mode, with iPad flat in front of you, or in screen away mode, with the screen facing away from you. Gestures let you enter a space, delete the previous character, move to a new line, or cycle through spelling suggestions.

Enter braille on the screen

1. With VoiceOver turned on, do one of the following to start Braille Screen Input:
   • Use a gesture: Place one finger from each hand at the top and bottom edges of the screen and double-tap. If the gesture doesn’t work, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Braille. Tap Braille Screen Input and turn on Use Activation Gestures.
   • Use the rotor: When you’re in a text input area, set the rotor to Braille Screen Input. If Braille Screen Input isn’t in the rotor, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Rotor. Tap Rotor Items, then select Braille Screen Input.
2. Place iPad in one of the following positions:
   • Tabletop mode: Lay iPad flat in front of you.
   • Screen away mode: Hold iPad in landscape orientation with the screen facing away from you. Your fingers wrap around the sides of iPad to tap the screen.
3. Enter braille characters by tapping the screen with one or more fingers at the same time.

   Tip: To hear where each dot is located, touch and hold, then drag your finger around the screen. To move the entry dots to match your natural finger positions, double-tap all six typing fingers at the same time (your right three fingers for dots 4, 5, and 6, and your left three fingers for dots 1, 2, and 3).

   You can also use gestures to perform actions such as the following:

   Action	Gesture
   Enter a space	Swipe right with one finger; in screen away mode, swipe to your right
   Delete the previous character	Swipe left with one finger
   Move to a new line	Swipe right with two fingers
   Cycle through spelling suggestions	Swipe up or down with one finger
   Enter a carriage return, or send a message (in Messages)	Swipe up with three fingers
   Cycle through modes (like Braille Entry Mode and Command Mode)	Swipe left or right with three fingers
   Translate immediately (if you’re typing contracted braille)	Swipe down with two fingers
   Switch to the next braille table	Swipe up with two fingers

4. To exit Braille Screen Input, slide two fingers in opposite directions, or do a two-finger scrub (draw the letter “z” by quickly moving two fingers back and forth three times).

Quick tip: Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Commands > Braille Screen Input, and you can view and edit the commands and gestures you can use when Braille Screen Input is turned on.

Type on the screen to enter braille commands

Braille Screen Input Command Mode means you can control iPad by typing braille commands on the screen, using the same commands you use with a refreshable braille display.

1. With VoiceOver turned on, place one finger from each hand at the top and bottom edges of the screen and double-tap to start Braille Screen Input.
2. Switch to Command Mode by swiping left or right with three fingers.
3. Type braille commands directly on the screen.

Change Braille Screen Input settings

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, then tap VoiceOver.
3. Tap Braille, then tap Braille Screen Input.
4. Set any of the following:
   • Use Activation Gestures: To start Braille Screen Input, place one finger from each hand at the top and bottom edges of the screen and double-tap. If this option is off, use the rotor to start Braille Screen Input.
   • Start Automatically when Editing Text: Have Braille Screen Input start automatically when you enter a text input area.
   • Keep Active until Dismissed: After you launch an app or choose an item in Braille Entry Mode, automatically switch to Command Mode and keep it active.
   • Customize Commands: Go to the command you want to customize and tap Assign New Braille Keys.
   • Learn Dot Positions: Have Braille Screen Input calibrate the positions of dots as you enter them.
   • Reverse Dot Positions: For six-dot braille, swap the positions of dots 1 and 3, and dots 4 and 6.
   • Visual Text Feedback: As you type in braille, display a text translation of what you’re typing.
   • Typing Feedback: Get sound feedback as you enter text with Braille Screen Input.
   • Mode announcements: When you switch Braille Screen Input modes, have VoiceOver speak, play sounds, or both.
   • Choose a Braille table: Select a braille format.

See also

• Use a braille display with VoiceOver on iPad
• Customize VoiceOver gestures and keyboard shortcuts on iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad

You can customize VoiceOver gestures and keyboard shortcuts on iPad. You can list the gestures and the associated commands, including the gestures for handwriting and Braille Screen Input, and assign new braille keys. You can also clear your custom gestures and keyboard shortcuts, and turn on Magic Tap to pause or play media.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility and tap VoiceOver. Then tap Commands.
3. Tap any of the following:
   • All Commands: Go to the command you want to customize. Then tap Edit, Add Gesture, or Add Keyboard Shortcut.
   • Touch Gestures: List the gestures and the associated commands.
   • Keyboard Shortcuts: Go to the shortcut you want to customize and then enter the key combination.
   • Magic Tap: Turn on Magic Tap to pause or play media when no other action is available.
   • Handwriting: List the gestures for handwriting and the associated commands.
   • Braille Screen Input: List the gestures for Braille Screen Input and the associated commands.
   • Braille Screen & Braille Keyboard Input: Go to the command you want to customize and tap Assign New Braille Keys.

To clear your custom gestures and keyboard shortcuts, tap Reset VoiceOver Commands.

See also

• Use VoiceOver on iPad with an Apple external keyboard
• Use the onscreen keyboard with VoiceOver on iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad

If you use an Apple external keyboard with iPad, you can use keyboard shortcuts to activate VoiceOver commands.

VoiceOver Help can teach you the keyboard layout and the actions associated with various key combinations, since it speaks keys and keyboard commands as you type them without performing the action. You can set the VoiceOver modifier to Caps Lock, or to Control and Option together. Then you control VoiceOver with key combinations, like VO-K to turn on VoiceOver Help.

Choose the VoiceOver modifier

The modifier is a key or set of keys you press with one or more other keys to enter VoiceOver commands. You can set the modifier to be the Caps Lock key or the Control and Option keys pressed at the same time.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, tap Typing, and then tap Modifier Keys.
2. Choose the modifier for VoiceOver commands: the Caps Lock key or the Control and Option keys.

   This modifier is abbreviated as “VO” below.

VoiceOver keyboard commands

You can control VoiceOver using key combinations.

(VO = modifier keys)

Quick Nav using the arrow keys

Turn on Quick Nav to control VoiceOver using the arrow keys.

Single-key Quick Nav for web browsing

To navigate a webpage quickly, turn on Quick Nav (VO-Q), then press keys on the keyboard to navigate to specific item types, such as headings or links. To move to the previous item, hold the Shift key as you press a key for the item type.

Text editing

Use these commands (with Quick Nav turned off) to work with text. VoiceOver reads the text as you move the insertion point.

See also

• Use VoiceOver gestures on iPad
• Use VoiceOver on iPad with a pointer device
• Use Voice Control to interact with iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad

When VoiceOver is on, standard touchscreen gestures have different effects, and additional gestures let you move around the screen and control individual items. VoiceOver gestures include two-, three-, and four-finger taps and swipes.

You can use different techniques to perform VoiceOver gestures. For example, a two-finger tap can be done with two fingers on one hand, one finger on each hand, or your thumbs. And instead of selecting an item and double-tapping it, you can use a split-tap gesture. As you explore, VoiceOver names each item you touch.

Explore and speak items on the screen

To explore the screen, drag your finger over it. VoiceOver speaks the name of each item you touch.

You can also use VoiceOver gestures to explore the screen in order, from top to bottom and left to right.

For more information about navigation styles, see Use flat or grouped navigation.

Scroll up, down, left, and right

Use VoiceOver gestures to move to another page.

Take action on an item

Use VoiceOver gestures to perform actions on an item.

Quick tip: Besides selecting an item and double-tapping to activate it, there’s another way: Touch and hold an item with one finger, and then tap the screen with another.

Use gestures to control VoiceOver

Use the VoiceOver rotor

With the onscreen rotor, you can change VoiceOver settings, jump between items on the screen, select special input methods like Braille Screen Input or Handwriting, and more; read our guide, Control VoiceOver using the rotor.

You can use these gestures with the rotor.

See also

• Turn on and practice VoiceOver on iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad

With handwriting mode in VoiceOver, you can enter text by writing characters on the screen with your finger. In addition to typing or dictation, you can use handwriting mode to enter your iPad passcode silently or to open apps from the Home Screen.

You can also use it to quickly navigate a long list, and to select an item on the Home Screen by spelling its name, even when there are multiple matches.

Use handwriting mode

1. Set the rotor to Handwriting.

   If Handwriting isn’t in the rotor, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor, then add it.

2. To choose a character type (lowercase, numbers, uppercase, or punctuation), swipe up or down with three fingers.

   To hear the selected character type, tap with three fingers.

3. Trace a character on the screen with your finger.

   You can also do any of the following:

   • Enter an alternate character (a character with an accent, for example): Write the character and then swipe up or down with two fingers until you hear the character you want.
   • Enter a space: Swipe right with two fingers.
   • Go to a new line: Swipe right with three fingers.
   • Delete the previous character: Swipe left with two fingers.
4. To exit handwriting mode, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”), or set the rotor to a different setting.

Enter your passcode silently with handwriting mode

1. On the passcode screen, set the rotor to Handwriting.
2. Write the characters of your passcode with your finger.

Select an item on the Home Screen

1. On the Home Screen, set the rotor to Handwriting.
2. Start writing the name of the item with your finger.

   If there are multiple matches, continue to spell the name until it’s unique, or swipe up or down with two fingers to choose from the current matches.

Quickly navigate a long list

1. Select the index to the right of the list (for example, next to your Contacts list or in the VoiceOver Item Chooser).
2. Set the rotor to Handwriting and then use your finger to write the letter you want to go to.

See also

• Use the onscreen keyboard with VoiceOver on iPad
• Use VoiceOver gestures on iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad