accessibility

You can customize the settings for VoiceOver, such as the audio options, language, voice, speaking rate, and verbosity.

You can also save a group of settings for an activity, such as programming, so they’re applied automatically when you open certain apps. And when VoiceOver is turned on, Quick Settings lets you adjust VoiceOver from anywhere, without going back to the Settings app.

Here’s how to change your VoiceOver settings on iPhone.

Adjust the volume of VoiceOver speech and sounds

• To increase or decrease your iPhone’s volume, including the volume of VoiceOver speech and sounds, as well as all other iPhone audio, press the volume buttons on iPhone.
• To temporarily reduce the volume of other iPhone audio while VoiceOver is speaking, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Audio, tap Audio Ducking, then select When Speaking. Drag the Ducking Amount slider to set how much the volume decreases for other iPhone audio—like media and calls—when VoiceOver is speaking.
• To set other audio options, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Audio, then set options such as the following:
  • Sounds & Haptics: Adjust and preview sound effects and haptics.
  • Auto-select Speaker in Call: Automatically switch to the speaker during a call when you’re not holding iPhone to your ear.
  • Send to HDMI: Route audio to externally connected devices, such as an instrument amplifier or a DJ mixer.

Set the VoiceOver language

• Change the primary language: VoiceOver uses the same language you choose for your iPhone. To choose a different primary language, go to Settings > General > Language & Region, then tap Add Language.
• Switch languages using the rotor: Use the rotor to switch to a voice for another language.
• Automatically switch languages: VoiceOver can detect text in another language and automatically switch to a voice for that language. Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Speech, then turn on Detect Languages.

Note: VoiceOver isn’t available in all languages.

Change the speaking voice

Change the VoiceOver speaking voice, or add another voice and switch between voices with the rotor as needed.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap VoiceOver.
2. Tap Speech, then do one of the following:
   • Change the primary voice: Tap the name of the current primary voice, then tap Voice.
   • Add another voice: Tap Add Rotor Voice.
3. Choose a voice. To choose an enhanced voice, tap the Download button first.

Adjust the speaking voice

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then do any of the following:

• Adjust the speaking rate: Drag the Speaking Rate slider.
• Adjust the pitch: Tap Speech, tap a voice, then drag the slider. You can also turn on Pitch Change to have VoiceOver use a higher pitch when speaking the first item of a group (such as a list or table) and a lower pitch when speaking the last item of a group.
• Specify the pronunciation of certain words: Tap Speech > Pronunciations, tap the Add button, enter a phrase, then dictate or spell out how you want the phrase to be pronounced.

Note: Dictation needs Enable Dictation turned on in Settings > General > Keyboards.

Set how much VoiceOver tells you

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Verbosity, then do any of the following:

• Change how VoiceOver speaks punctuation: Tap Punctuation, then choose a group. You can also create new groups—for example, a programming group in which “[” is spoken as “left bracket.”
• Change how VoiceOver reads notifications: Tap System Notifications. By default, VoiceOver reads notifications, including incoming text messages, as they occur—even if iPhone is locked. Unacknowledged notifications are repeated when you unlock iPhone.
• Choose additional options: Have VoiceOver speak hints, uppercase letters, embedded links, and more. VoiceOver can even confirm rotor actions and tell you when the flashlight is turned on.

Customize VoiceOver settings for an activity

For an activity like programming, customize a group of VoiceOver settings. The settings for speech, audio, verbosity, typing, navigation, and braille then apply automatically when you open certain apps or adjust the rotor.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Activities.
2. Choose an existing activity or tap Add Activity.
3. Adjust the settings and then below Automatic Switching, do any of the following:
   • Apply the settings for certain apps: Tap Apps and then select the ones you want this setting to apply to.
   • Apply the settings for certain contexts: Tap Context, then select one or more contexts, such as Word Processing, Messaging, or Console.

Use flat or grouped navigation

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Navigation Style, then choose one of the following:

• Flat: VoiceOver moves sequentially through each item on the screen when you use the move next and previous commands.
• Grouped: VoiceOver moves through items and groups of items on the screen. To move into a group, use a two-finger swipe right. To move out of a group, use a two-finger swipe left.

Set a delay between touching the screen and selecting an item

You can control the amount of time before VoiceOver selects the item you’ve touched, and increasing it may help reduce accidental touches.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, tap Delay before Selection, then tap the Increment button or the Decrement button to increase or decrease the delay.

Adjust VoiceOver visuals

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then turn on any of the following:

• Large Cursor: If you have difficulty seeing the outline around the selected item, you can enlarge and thicken the outline.
• Caption Panel: The text spoken by VoiceOver is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Use Quick Settings to adjust VoiceOver from anywhere

When VoiceOver is turned on, you can access Quick Settings by doing a two-finger quadruple tap.

To customize Quick Settings, do the following:

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Quick Settings.
2. Choose the settings you want, or drag the Reorder button to reorder settings.

Reset VoiceOver settings

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility, then tap VoiceOver.
3. Tap Reset VoiceOver Settings. (You may need to scroll down.)

Reset VoiceOver Commands

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility and tap VoiceOver. Then tap Commands.
3. Tap Reset VoiceOver Commands.

If you use a pointer device with iPhone, you can adjust how it works with VoiceOver. You can set the pointer to ignore, follow, or move the VoiceOver cursor, and adjust the delay to speak the item under the pointer.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap VoiceOver.
2. Below Pointer Control, tap any of the following:
   • Pointer: Set the pointer to ignore, follow, or move the VoiceOver cursor.
   • Speak Under Pointer: You can adjust the delay to speak the item under the pointer.

You can use VoiceOver in all the built-in apps that come with your iPhone, such as Safari, Maps, and more. With VoiceOver Recognition, you can get descriptions of images and screen elements on webpages and in apps, even if they don’t provide accessibility information.

You can browse the web, read PDFs, take photos and videos, and even hear visual Weather data as sound.

Here’s how to use VoiceOver in apps on iPhone.

Browse the web in Safari

1. With VoiceOver on, open the Safari app on your iPhone.
2. Do any of the following:
   • Search the web: Select the address field, double-tap to show the keyboard. Then enter a search term, phrase, or URL. Double-tap Go, or select a search suggestion, then double-tap.
   • Skip to the next element on a webpage: Set the rotor to the element type—such as headings, links, and form controls—then swipe up or down.
   • Set the rotor settings for web browsing: Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Rotor. Select or deselect items, or drag the Reorder button up or down to reposition an item.
   • Skip images while navigating: Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Navigate Images. You can choose to skip all images or only those without descriptions.
   • Reduce page clutter for easier reading and navigation: In the Safari address field, select the Format Options button, double-tap, select Show Reader View (not available for all webpages), and then double-tap.

Quick tip: Single-key Quick Nav works for web browsing when you use Magic Keyboard with iPhone.

Navigate in Maps

1. With VoiceOver on, open the Maps app on your iPhone.
2. Do any of the following:
   • Control how the map tracks your current location: Select the Tracking button and then double-tap until you hear the tracking option you want.
     • Tracking on: The map automatically centers on your current location.
     • Tracking on with heading: The map automatically centers on your current location and rotates so that the heading you’re facing is at the top of the screen. In this mode, iPhone speaks street names and points of interest as you approach them.
     • Tracking off: The map doesn’t automatically center on your current location.
   • Explore the map: Drag your finger around the screen, or swipe left or right to move to another item.
   • Zoom in or out: Select the map, set the rotor to Zoom. Swipe up or down with one finger.
   • Pan the map: Select the map, then swipe with three fingers.
   • Browse locations and pins on the map: Select the map, set the rotor to Points of Interest and then swipe up or down with one finger.
   • Follow a road: Hold your finger down on the road, wait until you hear “pause to follow” and then move your finger along the road.
   • Get information about a location: Select the location (for example, a business, landmark, or pin). Then double-tap to open the information card. Swipe left or right to hear information such as directions, street address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews.
   • Get guidance to the starting point: When you start walking directions in Maps, iPhone guides you in the direction of the starting point using sound and haptic feedback.
   • Get a description of the map: Tap the screen with three fingers to get information about nearby places, including directions and distances.

Read PDFs

VoiceOver can read PDFs in the Books and Files apps, and it even describes detailed information like forms, tables, and lists.

Make and receive phone calls

1. With VoiceOver on, open the Phone app on your iPhone.
2. Do any of the following:
   • Answer or end a call: Double-tap the screen with two fingers.

     When a phone call is established with VoiceOver on, the screen displays the numeric keypad by default, instead of showing call options.

   • Display call options: Select the Hide button in the lower-right corner. Double-tap.
   • Display the numeric keypad again: Select the Keypad button near the center of the screen and then double-tap.

Take photos and videos

1. With VoiceOver on, open the Camera app on your iPhone.

   VoiceOver describes objects in the viewfinder.

2. Select Camera Mode and swipe up or down with one finger to switch between modes, like Photo or Video.
3. To take a photo or start or stop recording a video, double-tap the screen with two fingers.

Trim voice memo recordings

You can use VoiceOver to edit recordings in the Voice Memos app.

1. With VoiceOver on, open the Voice Memos app on your iPhone.
2. Select the recording you want to trim, then double-tap.
3. Select the More button and then double-tap.
4. Select Edit Recording and then double-tap.
5. Select the More button and tap the Trim button.
6. In the Waveform Overview, select Trim Beginning or Trim End, double-tap and hold. Then swipe up or down to adjust the start or end time.
7. Select Trim, then double-tap.
8. Select Save and then double-tap.
9. Select Done, then double-tap.

Hear visual Weather data as sound

Some maps in the Weather app are encoded so you can hear the data as a changing tone or pitch. As the intensity of a weather condition changes in a visual animation on screen, for example, variations in sound can describe those changes for you.

1. With VoiceOver on, open the Weather app on your iPhone.
2. Open a location page with a precipitation, wind, or air quality map.
3. Double-tap and hold the map until you hear a tone or the words “Weather Map Snapshot.” If you hear spoken instructions, follow them.

Run your finger or pointer over a sonified map, and the pitch shifts to represent the changing values.

Read math equations

In supported Apple apps like Numbers and Keynote, and on the web (encoded using MathML), VoiceOver can read math equations.

• Hear an equation: Have VoiceOver read the text as usual. VoiceOver says “math” before it starts reading an equation.
• Explore the equation: Double-tap the selected equation to display it in full screen and move through it one element at a time. Swipe left or right to read elements of the equation. Use the rotor to select Symbols, Small Expressions, Medium Expressions, or Large Expressions, then swipe up or down to hear the next element of that size. To drill down into the selected element, double-tap it, then swipe left or right to read one part of the element at a time.

VoiceOver can also output the equations it speaks to a braille device using Nemeth Code, along with the codes for Unified English Braille, British English, French, and Greek.