accessibility

iPad comes with built-in tools for communicating in the way that works best for you, whether you’re nonspeaking, at risk of speech loss, or someone with a speech disability.

You can have what you type spoken out loud, create a synthesized voice that sounds like you, and control iPad with your voice. Siri can also wait longer while you finish speaking, and Dictation lets you enter text with just your voice.

To explore accessibility features for speech, go to Settings > Accessibility, then scroll down to the Speech section.

Type to speak

• Live Speech

  If you’re unable to speak or you have a speech disability, type what you want to say and have iPad speak it.

  Type to speak using Live Speech

• Personal Voice

  If you’re at risk of losing your ability to speak, create a synthesized voice that sounds like you.

  Record your Personal Voice

• Type to Siri

  Type your Siri requests instead of speaking them.

  Type instead of speaking to Siri

Control iPad with your voice

• Use voice commands

  Speak commands to navigate and interact with what’s on the screen, dictate and edit text, and more.

  Use Voice Control to interact with iPad

• Use simple sounds

  You can use voiced or voiceless sounds—like an S-sound or a mouth pop—to navigate and interact with what’s on the screen.

  Use sound actions with Switch Control

• Vocal Shortcuts

  Have iPad perform an action when you speak a word or another sound of your choosing.

  Use Vocal Shortcuts

• Have Siri listen for atypical speech

  If you have an acquired or progressive condition that affects speech, have Siri recognize a wider range of atypical speech patterns.

  Change Siri accessibility settings

You can also have Siri wait longer for you to finish speaking, or use Dictation to enter text using just your voice.

Quick tip: For quick control of your go-to accessibility features and settings, use the click of a button or Control Center. Check out our guide, Quickly open features with Accessibility Shortcut.

See also

• Get started with accessibility features on iPad

If you’re at risk of speech loss or someone with a speech disability, you can use Personal Voice on iPad to create a synthesized voice that sounds like you. You can use it with Live Speech and have what you type spoken out loud in person, in Phone and FaceTime calls, and in assistive communication apps.

Your Personal Voice is saved securely on your iPad, and it can be shared across your devices with iCloud. Apps can even request to use it, too.

Note: Personal Voice is available in English (U.S.), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), and Spanish (Mexico) and is available on iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 and later.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility and then tap Personal Voice.
3. Tap Create a Personal Voice and then follow the onscreen instructions.

   (If you need to pause your recording session, tap Done. To resume, tap Continue Recording.)

   To allow your Personal Voice to be used on all of your devices with iCloud, turn on Share Across Devices. To allow apps to request to use your Personal Voice, turn on Allow Apps to Request to Use.

Note: To see the option to create your Personal Voice, you must first set a passcode. Personal Voice is available on supported iPad models and isn’t available in all languages.

Your Personal Voice is saved securely on your iPad for you to use during Phone and FaceTime calls, in-person conversations, and third-party alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) apps, according to Apple.

Important: Personal Voice can be used only with Live Speech and with third-party apps that you allow, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps. You can use Personal Voice only to create a voice that sounds like you on device, using your own voice, and for your own personal, noncommercial use. Your Legacy Contact won’t be able to access your Personal Voice.

See also

• Type instead of speaking to Siri
• Hear iPad speak the screen, selected text, and typing feedback
• Accessibility features for speech on iPad

With AssistiveTouch on iPad, you can adapt the touchscreen to fit your needs. If certain gestures don’t work for you, you can replace them with a tap or alternate gesture, or use a simple sound. You can also use AssistiveTouch when you need to press iPad buttons.

AssistiveTouch works with or without a compatible adaptive accessory, such as a joystick. When it’s on, the AssistiveTouch menu button appears on the screen, and you can customize the top-level menu with up to eight icons.

AssistiveTouch can perform actions such as the following for you:

• Go to the Home Screen
• Double-tap
• Perform multifinger gestures
• Perform scroll gestures
• Activate Siri
• Access Control Center, notifications, the Lock Screen, or the App Switcher
• Adjust the volume on iPad
• Shake iPad
• Take a screenshot
• Use Apple Pay
• Speak screen
• Adjust dwell settings
• Control Analytics
• Restart iPad

Set up AssistiveTouch

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Turn on AssistiveTouch.” Learn how to use Siri.

Or do the following:

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Touch, and then tap AssistiveTouch.
2. Turn on AssistiveTouch. The AssistiveTouch menu button appears on the screen.
3. To customize AssistiveTouch, tap any of the following:
   • Customize Top Level Menu: Tap an icon to change its action. Tap the Decrement button or the Increment button to change the number of icons in the menu. The menu can have up to eight icons.
   • Single-Tap, Double-Tap, or Long Press: Assign custom actions that run when you interact with the menu button.
   • Create New Gesture: Add your favorite gestures.
   • Idle Opacity: Adjust the visibility of the menu button when not in use.
   • Virtual Trackpad: Turn a small region of the screen into a resizable trackpad. See Use an adjustable onscreen trackpad.
   • Confirm with AssistiveTouch: On an iPad with Face ID, use AssistiveTouch to confirm payments with Face ID instead of double-clicking the top button. Or on iPad (10th generation and later), iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad Air (4th generation and later), use AssistiveTouch to confirm payments with your passcode instead of double-clicking the top button.

Quick tip: Once you set up the Accessibility Shortcut, triple-click the top or Home button to quickly turn AssistiveTouch on or off.

Use AssistiveTouch

When AssistiveTouch is on, tap the AssistiveTouch menu button, then choose an action or gesture.

To return to the previous menu, tap the arrow in the center of the menu. To exit the menu without performing a gesture, tap anywhere outside the menu.

To move the AssistiveTouch menu button, drag it to a new location on the screen.

If you need to perform a multifinger gesture, do the following:

• Pinch and Rotate: Tap Custom, then tap Pinch and Rotate. When the two pinch circles appear, touch anywhere on the screen to move the pinch circles, then drag them in or out to perform a pinch or rotate gesture. When you finish, tap the menu button.
• Multifinger swipe or drag: Tap Device > More > Gestures, then tap the number of digits needed for the gesture. When the circles appear on the screen, swipe or drag in the direction required by the gesture. When you finish, tap the menu button.

Control iPad with a pointer device

Trackpads, game controllers, mouse devices, and other assistive pointer devices can connect over Bluetooth® or USB.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Touch, and then tap AssistiveTouch.
2. Turn on AssistiveTouch.
3. Below Pointer Devices, tap any of the following:
   • Devices: Pair or unpair devices and customize buttons.
   • Mouse Keys: Allow the AssistiveTouch pointer to be controlled using the keyboard.
   • Pointer Style: Adjust the size, color, and auto-hide settings.
   • Show Onscreen Keyboard: Display the onscreen keyboard.
   • Sound on Click: Play a sound when the pointer device is clicked.
   • Always Show Menu: Show the AssistiveTouch menu when a pointer device is connected.
   • Tracking Sensitivity: Adjust how quickly the pointer moves when you drag the mouse or your finger on the trackpad.

You can also change the appearance of the pointer.

Set up Dwell Control

Keep the cursor still on a screen element or any area of the screen, and iPad performs a selected action.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Touch and tap AssistiveTouch. Turn on Dwell Control.
2. Adjust any of the following:
   • Fallback Action: Turn on to revert the dwell action to the selected fallback action after performing an operation.
   • Movement Tolerance: Adjust the distance the cursor can move while dwelling on an item.
   • Hot Corners: Perform a selected action—such as take a screenshot, open Control Center, activate Siri, scroll, or use a shortcut—when the cursor dwells in a corner of the screen.
   • Extended Predictions: Under Keyboard, turn on Extended Predictions to get more word suggestions while typing.
   • Key Dwell Time: Under Keyboard, adjust the amount of time it takes to tap on a keyboard key by tapping the Decrement button or the Increment button. You can also enter a number of seconds.
   • Time needed to initiate a dwell action: Tap the Decrement button or the Increment button.

Use simple sounds to perform gestures

AssistiveTouch can turn a simple sound like a mouth pop or an S-sound into a gesture or other action on iPad.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Touch, tap AssistiveTouch, and turn AssistiveTouch on.
2. Tap Sound Actions, then tap a sound.
3. Select the gesture or other action you want performed when you make the sound.
4. To perform the gesture or action, just make the sound.

Create custom gestures

You can add gestures you use often (such as touch and hold or two-finger rotation) to the AssistiveTouch menu. You can even create several gestures with, for example, different degrees of rotation.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Touch, tap AssistiveTouch, and then tap Create New Gesture.
2. Perform your gesture on the recording screen. For example:
   • Touch-and-hold gesture: Touch and hold your finger in one spot until the recording progress bar reaches halfway. Lift your finger. Be careful not to move your finger while recording, or the gesture will be recorded as a drag.
   • Two-finger rotation gesture: Rotate two fingers on the iPad screen around a point between them. (You can do this with a single finger or stylus—just create each arc separately, one after the other.)

   If you record a sequence of taps or drag gestures, they’re all played back at the same time. For example, using one finger or a stylus to record four separate, sequential taps at four locations on the screen creates a simultaneous four-finger tap.

3. If your gesture doesn’t turn out quite right, tap Cancel. Then try again.
4. When you’re satisfied with your gesture, tap Save. Name the gesture.

To use your custom gesture, tap the AssistiveTouch menu button, tap Custom, then choose the gesture. When the blue circles representing your gesture appear, drag them to where you want to use the gesture, then release.

See also

• Adjust how iPad responds to your touch
• Accessibility features for mobility on iPad

You can quickly turn many accessibility features on or off by clicking an iPad button. You can also use Control Center, Siri, or Vocal Shortcuts.

With the Accessibility Shortcut, the top button or Home button turns the features you choose on or off, and if you select only one feature, it turns on or off right away. iPad can even recognize a slower triple-click.

Here’s how to quickly turn accessibility features on or off on iPad.

Use the Accessibility Shortcut

Triple-click the top button or Home button to turn the accessibility features of your choice on or off.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Accessibility Shortcut, and select the features you want.

   If you select only one feature, the feature is immediately turned on or off when you click the button shortcut.

2. Triple-click one of the following:
   • The Home button (on an iPad with a Home button)
   • The top button (on other iPad models)

   To have iPad recognize a slower triple-click, see Adjust settings for the top or Home button.

3. Tap the feature you want to turn on or off (if Accessibility Shortcut is set up with more than one feature).

Note: Some features, like Assistive Access or Guided Access, need to be set up before you can add them to the Accessibility Shortcut. The Accessibility Shortcut can enter and exit Assistive Access, but while Assistive Access is active, you can’t use it to turn on other features. And to use the Accessibility Shortcut while Guided Access is on, turn on Accessibility Shortcut in Guided Access settings.

Use Control Center

You can add accessibility features to Control Center for quick access when you swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.

1. To change the features available in Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen and tap the Add button in the top-left corner. Tap Add a Control.
2. Tap a control to add it to Control Center. Scroll down to see more controls, including categories of controls for accessibility, hearing, mobility, and vision.

You can change which features appear when you tap the Hearing button in Control Center. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Control Center, then add or remove features.

Use Siri

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Turn on Voice Control.” Learn how to use Siri.

Use a Vocal Shortcut

iPad can learn to turn on an accessibility feature whenever you say a word or make another sound of your choosing. Read our guide, Use Vocal Shortcuts.

Use the Shortcuts app

You can create a shortcut to get one or more tasks done with your apps using just a tap or by asking Siri. For example, if you have short-term memory loss, you can use Remember This to log what happens throughout the day. You can also run the In Case of Emergency shortcut to send your location to your chosen emergency contacts, share a message with custom instructions, and display a message of your choice onscreen for first responders to see.

See also

• Use Shortcuts to automate tasks on iPad
• Use AssistiveTouch on iPad
• Get started with accessibility features on iPad

With Voice Control on your iPad, you can speak commands to interact with what’s on the screen, perform gestures and button presses, dictate and edit text, and more. And with Apple Intelligence, you can describe onscreen elements in your own words instead of using exact labels—refer to an item by its name, what it does, its color, or where it appears on the screen.

You can pause or resume Voice Control, see what commands you can use, label onscreen items, and show a numbered grid on the screen.

Note: When Voice Control is on, you use Voice Control to dictate text; standard iPadOS Dictation isn’t available. If you just want to enter text using Dictation, without controlling your iPad with your voice, see Dictate text. Voice Control isn’t available in all languages.

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.* To use Apple Intelligence with Voice Control, you must have your system language and Voice Control language set to English. See Change the language and region and Set up Voice Control.

Set up Voice Control

The first time you turn on Voice Control, iPad has to be connected to the internet over a Wi-Fi network. After iPad finishes a one-time file download from Apple, you can use Voice Control without an internet connection.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap Voice Control, tap Set Up Voice Control, and follow the onscreen instructions.

   When the download is complete, the Voice Control icon appears in the status bar to indicate that Voice Control is turned on.

3. Set options such as the following:
   • Language: Set the language and download languages for offline use.
   • Commands: View the available commands and create new commands.
   • Vocabulary: Teach Voice Control to recognize new words and phrases. You can enter a word or phrase and teach Voice Control how you pronounce it, or import a vocabulary list.

     Note: Not all Voice Control languages support a custom vocabulary.

   • Show Confirmation: When Voice Control recognizes a command, a visual confirmation appears at the top of the screen.
   • Play Sound: When Voice Control recognizes a command, a sound plays.
   • Show Hints: See command suggestions and hints.
   • Flexible Item Names: With Apple Intelligence, you can refer to onscreen items in your own words instead of using their exact labels. This is turned on by default and can be turned off to use exact labels.
   • Continuous Overlay: Display numbers, names, or a grid over screen elements.
   • Attention Aware: On an iPad with Face ID, Voice Control wakes up when you look at your iPad and goes to sleep when you look away.
   • Prefer Bluetooth Mic: Use AirPods or Bluetooth® headsets when connected instead of the iPad microphone.

     Note: Using Voice Control with AirPods and third-party headsets impacts audio quality and audio features like Siri announcements and Share Audio with AirPods.

Turn Voice Control on or off

After Voice Control is set up, you can quickly turn it on or off by doing any of the following:

• Use Control Center if you’ve added it there.
• Use Accessibility Shortcut if you’ve set it up.

  Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Turn on Voice Control.” Learn how to use Siri.

Start using commands

Using Voice Control on your iPad is as simple as saying a command. And with Apple Intelligence, you can describe what you want to act on instead of giving its exact label.

Voice Control: Say, for example, “Open Control Center,” “Go home,” “Tap item name,” or “Turn up volume.” Or with Apple Intelligence, say “Tap the button that sends the message” or “Tap the button at the bottom right.”

Quick tip: To get familiar with Voice Control and practice essential commands, try the interactive Voice Control Tutorial. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control, where you can tap Open Voice Control Tutorial.

Pause or resume Voice Control

If you don’t want what you say treated as commands or dictation, pause Voice Control. Resume Voice Control when you want it listening for commands and dictation again.

Voice Control: Say “Stop listening” or “Start listening.”

See what commands you can use

The list of available commands varies depending on the app you’re working in and what you’re doing, so text formatting commands show up while you’re writing a document, for example. Apple Intelligence also understands an item described in your own words, rather than by its exact label.

Voice Control: Say “Show commands.”

To browse the full list of supported commands and see examples of how to use them, go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control > Commands.

Label onscreen items

If you’re not sure what to call something, a name or number can appear next to each item on the screen, and you can use it to interact with the item. Or, with Apple Intelligence, skip the name or number and describe the item in your own words.

Voice Control: Say “Show names,” “Show numbers,” or “Show text numbers.” Or with Apple Intelligence, say “Tap the blue button at the bottom.”

To interact with an item, say its name or number, or say a command—such as “Long press”—followed by the item’s name or number. The item names or numbers disappear after you say the command.

Show a numbered grid on the screen

For easier interaction with a precise area of the screen, you can superimpose a grid.

Voice Control: Say “Show grid.”

• Interact with a location on the grid: If a number is at the location you want to interact with, say any command—such as “Tap”—followed by the grid number. The grid disappears after you say the command.
• Drill down on an area of the grid: If you need to further refine the location, say a grid number to show a more detailed grid in that area.

Say “Hide names,” “Hide numbers,” or “Hide grid” to turn the overlay off.

Enter text

In a text input area, you can use Dictation mode to dictate word by word, or Spelling mode to go character by character. Command mode, meanwhile, has Voice Control respond only to commands, so you don’t mistakenly enter a Voice Control command as text.

When you’re in a text input area and label onscreen items with numbers, numbers are shown next to each line of text. Select a line or another section of the text to display a number for each word in the selection; select a single word to show a number for each character in the word. To interact with a text item (such as a line or a word), say a command followed by the item’s name or number. For example, you can say “Delete [item number]” or “Uppercase [item number].”

*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

• Accessibility features for mobility on iPad

With Hover Text on iPad, you can move the pointer over text and other items on the screen (such as icons) to view a larger version of them. Or use Hover Typing to display a separate window with a larger version of text that you’re typing.

Hover Text works with a pointing device such as a trackpad or mouse, and on supported models, Apple Pencil (2nd generation) or Apple Pencil Pro. You don’t need a pointing device for Hover Typing, and you can customize both.

Before you begin

You’ll need a pointing device, such as a trackpad or mouse, connected to your iPad to use Hover Text. Apple Pencil (2nd generation) or Apple Pencil Pro can also serve as the pointing device on supported iPad models.

You don’t need to connect a pointing device to use Hover Typing.

Show a larger version of text when you hover over it

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap Hover Text, and then turn on Hover Text.
3. Move the pointer over text to display a larger version of it. Or hover the tip of a supported Apple Pencil over the text.
4. If you have a connected keyboard, you need to press and hold the Control key to show the Hover Text window.

If you use iPad with a connected keyboard, you can have the Hover Text window automatically displayed when you move the pointer over text, without needing to press and hold a key every time. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hover Text, then turn on Activation Lock. To use activation lock, quickly press the Control key three times.

You can change the key you press to activate Hover Text and activation lock. Tap Activation Modifier, then choose another key.

Show a larger version of text you’re typing

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap Hover Text, tap Hover Typing, and turn on Hover Typing.
3. As you type in a text entry field, a larger version of what you’re typing is displayed.

   To temporarily hide the Hover Typing window, swipe on it. It reappears when you start typing again.

Customize Hover Text

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Hover Text.
3. Customize any of the following:
   • Display mode: Choose where to show the Hover Text or Hover Typing window—inline (near the cursor), at the top of the screen, or directly above the onscreen keyboard.
   • Content: Choose to show Text, Color, or Text & Color.
   • Scrolling speed: Choose a faster or slower speed (for scrolling in the Hover Text window when viewing large blocks of text).
   • Font: Choose a custom font.
   • Size: Adjust the slider to change your preferred reading size.
   • Text Color: Choose a text color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Background Color: Choose a background color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Border color: Choose a border color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Activation Modifier: Choose Control, Option, or Command.
   • Activation Lock: Turn on Activation Lock.

Customize Hover Typing

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility and tap Hover Text. Tap Hover Typing.
3. Customize any of the following:
   • Display mode: Choose where to show the Hover Text or Hover Typing window—inline (near the cursor), at the top of the screen, or directly above the onscreen keyboard.
   • Font: Choose a custom font.
   • Size: Adjust the slider to change your preferred reading size.
   • Text Color: Choose a text color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Insertion Point Color: Choose an insertion point color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Background Color: Choose a background color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Border color: Choose a border color by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Misspelled Word Color: Choose a color for misspelled words by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
   • Autocorrected Word Color: Choose a color for autocorrected words by Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.

See also

• iPad Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard
• Connect iPad to Bluetooth accessories
• Make the pointer easier to see when using a mouse or trackpad with iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad