VoiceOver

With VoiceOver, a gesture-based screen reader, you can use iPhone even if you can’t see the screen. VoiceOver gives audible descriptions of what’s on your screen, for example, the battery level, who’s calling, or what item your finger is on. You can also customize the VoiceOver speaking voice to suit your needs.

When you touch the screen or drag your finger over it, VoiceOver speaks the name of the item your finger is on, including icons and text. To interact with the item, such as a button or link, or to move to another item, use VoiceOver gestures.

When you go to a new screen, VoiceOver plays a sound, then selects and speaks the name of the first item on the screen, typically in the top-left corner. It also tells you when the screen changes orientation, when the screen becomes dimmed or locked, and what’s active on the Lock Screen when you wake iPhone.

Turn VoiceOver on or off

Important: VoiceOver changes the gestures you use to control iPhone. When VoiceOver is on, you must use VoiceOver gestures to operate iPhone.

To turn VoiceOver on or off, use any of the following:

• Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then turn VoiceOver on or off.
• Use Control Center if you’ve added VoiceOver there.
• Use the Accessibility Shortcut if you’ve set it up to turn on VoiceOver.

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

Siri knows when VoiceOver is on and often reads more information back to you than appears on the screen. You can also use VoiceOver to read what Siri shows on the screen.

Use an interactive tutorial to learn VoiceOver

The interactive VoiceOver Tutorial is where you can learn VoiceOver basics and practice essential gestures.

With VoiceOver turned on, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then tap VoiceOver Tutorial to get started.

Practice VoiceOver gestures

To safely try out VoiceOver gestures and hear what they do, use the VoiceOver Practice area, where they won’t perform any action or otherwise affect iPhone.

Try different techniques to discover which works best for you. If a gesture doesn’t work, try a quicker movement, especially for a double tap or swipe gesture. To swipe, try brushing the screen quickly with your finger or fingers. For best results using multifinger gestures, touch the screen with some space between your fingers.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap VoiceOver.
2. Turn on VoiceOver, tap VoiceOver Practice, and then double-tap to start.
3. Practice the following gestures with one, two, three, and four fingers:
   • Tap
   • Double tap
   • Triple tap
   • Swipe left, right, up, or down
4. When you finish practicing, tap Done. Then double-tap to exit.

You can use VoiceOver Recognition on iPhone 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 can get descriptions and ask questions about your surroundings. It works while VoiceOver is on, and you can start it with a VoiceOver gesture.

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 iPhone models.

   • Get information about a document: Double-tap when you hear Document Capture to turn it on or off. Position iPhone 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.
3. 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: For faster access, set up a shortcut to quickly start and stop Live Recognition.

To detect and describe scenes, people, and more, you can also use Detection Mode in the Magnifier app.

To quickly access VoiceOver and the Magnifier app, you can customize the Action button. And you can set the Action Button to ask a question in Live Recognition.

Customize Live Recognition settings

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility, then 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. 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 iPhone 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

Even in apps and on webpages that don’t provide accessibility information, VoiceOver Recognition can describe the people, objects, and text in images. Apple Intelligence adds enhanced descriptions, and you can ask questions about images, too.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
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.
   • To get descriptions of text found in images, turn on Text Recognition.
3. Go to an app such as Photos or Safari and select an image.
4. Swipe down to hear more options and then double-tap when you hear Intelligent Image Description, Explore Image, or Ask About Image.
5. Move your finger around the image to find out the position of each object.

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

Get information and ask questions about content on your screen

When VoiceOver is focused on the Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence can help you explore what’s on your screen in detail, and you can ask follow-up questions about what’s displayed. And you can choose which custom actions appear while VoiceOver is focused on the Dynamic Island.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Only iPhone models with a Dynamic Island have this feature.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, tap VoiceOver Recognition, and tap Image Descriptions.
3. Do any of the following:
   • Get detailed descriptions of what’s on your screen: Turn on Explore Screen.
   • Ask questions and get information about what’s on your screen: Turn on Ask About Screen.
4. With VoiceOver focused on the Dynamic Island, swipe up to hear more options and then double-tap when you hear Explore Screen or Ask About Screen.

Add custom descriptions of images in Photos

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
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 custom 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

VoiceOver Recognition can also describe interface elements when apps and webpages don’t provide accessibility information.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
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.

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.

When VoiceOver is on, you need to use special gestures to unlock iPhone, go to the Home Screen, open Control Center, switch apps, and more.

How you unlock depends on your model, whether it has a Home button, Touch ID in the top button, or Face ID. You can also enter your passcode silently using handwriting mode, switch to another app, or use the App Switcher.

Here’s how to operate iPhone when VoiceOver is on.

Unlock iPhone

• On an iPhone with Face ID: Wake iPhone and glance at it, then drag up from the bottom edge of the screen until you feel a vibration or hear two rising tones.
• On an iPhone with Touch ID: Press the Home button using the finger you registered with Touch ID.

If prompted, enter your passcode. To avoid having your passcode spoken as you enter it, enter your passcode silently using handwriting mode or type onscreen braille.

Go to the Home Screen

• On an iPhone with Face ID: Drag one finger up from the bottom edge of the screen until you feel a vibration or hear two rising tones, then lift your finger.
• On an iPhone with a Home button: Press the Home button.

Switch to another app

Swipe right or left with four fingers to cycle through the open apps.

Alternatively, you can use the App Switcher.

1. To open the App Switcher, do one of the following:
   • On an iPhone with Face ID: Drag one finger up from the bottom edge of the screen until you feel the second vibration or hear three tones. Lift your finger.
   • On an iPhone with a Home button: Double-click the Home button.
2. To browse the open apps, swipe left or right until the app you want is selected.
3. Double-tap to open the app.

Open Control Center

• On an iPhone with Face ID: Drag one finger down from the top edge of the screen until you feel a vibration or hear the second tone.
• On all iPhone models: Tap any item in the status bar, then swipe up with three fingers. Or touch and hold the bottom of the screen until you hear a tone, then swipe up.

To dismiss Control Center, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”).

View notifications

• On an iPhone with Face ID: Drag one finger down from the top edge of the screen until you feel the second vibration or hear the third tone.

  To dismiss the notifications screen, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”).

• On all iPhone models: Tap any item in the status bar, then swipe down with three fingers. Or touch and hold the top of the screen until you hear a tone, then swipe down.

  To dismiss the notifications screen, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”).

Speak status bar information

1. Tap the status bar at the top of the screen.
2. Swipe left or right to hear the time, battery state, Wi-Fi signal strength, and more.

Rearrange apps on your Home Screen

To rearrange apps with VoiceOver, do one of the following:

• Drag and drop: Tap an icon on the Home Screen, then double-tap and hold your finger on the screen until you hear three rising tones. The item’s relative location is described as you drag. Lift your finger when the icon is in its new location. Drag an icon to the edge of the screen to move it to another Home Screen.
• Move actions: Tap an app, then swipe down to hear available actions. When you hear “Edit Mode,” double-tap to start arranging apps. Find the app you want to move, then swipe down to the Move action and double-tap. Move the VoiceOver cursor to the new destination for the app, then choose from the available actions: Cancel Move, Create New Folder, Add to Folder, Move Before, or Move After.

When you’re finished, tap Done, then double-tap.

Search from the Home Screen

1. Tap anywhere on the Home Screen outside the status bar.
2. Swipe down with three fingers.

VoiceOver changes how you use the onscreen keyboard when you activate an editable text field. You can enter, select, and delete text, change the keyboard language, and more.

Once a text field is active, the insertion point and the onscreen keyboard appear. Standard typing is one way to enter text, and you can also edit text and change the keyboard settings.

Here’s how to use the onscreen keyboard with VoiceOver on iPhone.

Enter text with the onscreen keyboard

1. Select a text field, then double-tap.

   The insertion point and the onscreen keyboard appear.

2. To enter text, do one of the following:
   • Standard typing: Select a key by swiping left or right on the keyboard and then double-tap to enter the character. Or move your finger around the keyboard to select a key and, while continuing to touch the key with one finger, tap the screen with another finger. VoiceOver speaks the key when it’s selected, and again when the character is entered.
   • Touch typing: Touch a key on the keyboard to select it and then lift your finger to enter the character. If you touch the wrong key, slide your finger to the key you want. VoiceOver speaks the character for each key as you touch it, but doesn’t enter a character until you lift your finger.
   • Direct Touch typing: VoiceOver is disabled for the keyboard only, so you can type just as you do when VoiceOver is off.
   • Dictation: Use a two-finger double tap on the keyboard to start and stop dictation.

To enter an accented character, do one of the following:

• Standard typing: Select the plain character, then double-tap and hold until you hear a tone indicating alternate characters have appeared. Drag left or right to select and hear the choices. Release your finger to enter the current selection.
• Touch typing: Touch and hold a character until the alternate characters appear.

Edit text with the onscreen keyboard

• Move the insertion point: Use the rotor to choose whether you want to move the insertion point by character, by word, or by line. Swipe up or down to move the insertion point forward or backward in the text. To jump to the beginning or end, double-tap the text. VoiceOver makes a sound when the insertion point moves, and speaks the character, word, or line that the insertion point moves across. When moving forward by words, the insertion point is placed at the end of each word, after the space or punctuation that follows. When moving backward, the insertion point is placed before the first character of the word.
• Move the insertion point past the punctuation at the end of a word or sentence: Use the rotor to switch back to character mode. When moving the insertion point by line, VoiceOver speaks each line as you move across it. When moving forward, the insertion point is placed at the end of the next line. When moving backward, the insertion point is placed at the beginning of the line that’s spoken.
• Delete a character: Use the Delete key.
• Select text: Do any of the following:
  • Set the rotor to Text Selection, swipe up or down to choose Character, Word, Line, or Sentence, then swipe left or right to move backward or forward. (You may need to enable Text Selection—go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor.)
  • Set the rotor to Edit, swipe up or down to choose Select or Select All, then double-tap. If you choose Select, the word closest to the insertion point is selected when you double-tap. To increase or decrease the selection, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”) to dismiss the pop-up menu, then pinch.
• Cut, copy, or paste: Set the rotor to Edit, select the text, swipe up or down to choose Cut, Copy, or Paste, then double-tap.
• Fix misspelled words: Set the rotor to Misspelled Words, then swipe up or down to jump to the previous or next misspelled word. Swipe left or right to choose a suggested replacement, then double-tap to use the replacement.
• Undo: Shake iPhone, swipe left or right to choose the action to undo, then double-tap.

Change the keyboard settings

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap VoiceOver.
2. Tap any of the following:
   • Typing Style: You can choose a new style. Or, set the rotor to Typing Mode and then swipe up or down.
   • Phonetic Feedback: Speak text character by character. VoiceOver first speaks the character, then its phonetic equivalent—for example, “f” and then “foxtrot.
   • Typing Feedback: Choose to speak characters, words, both, or nothing.
   • Verbosity: Tap Deleting Text. To have VoiceOver speak deleted characters in a lower pitch, tap Change Pitch.

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.

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: Instead of selecting an item and double-tapping to activate it, you can touch and hold the item with one finger, then tap the screen with another.

Use gestures to control VoiceOver

Use the VoiceOver rotor

With the onscreen rotor, you can jump from one item to the next on the screen, change VoiceOver settings, select special input methods like Braille Screen Input or Handwriting, and more.

You can use these gestures with the rotor.

You can customize VoiceOver gestures and keyboard shortcuts on iPhone. 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 iPhone.
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.