VoiceOver is the screen reader on Apple Platforms.
Navigating Voice Over Cheat Sheet
It’s helpful to learn some basic gestures first. You will not be the first person to turn VoiceOver on, after which it will not be possible to turn it off again.
Swiping to the right takes you to the next element. Swipe left to go to the previous element.
Double tap to activate an element. These three gestures will get you a long way.
The main gestures to learn are:
- Touch the screen with 1 finger to explore
- Swipe right with 1 finger to go to the next element
- Swipe left with 1 finger to go to the previous element
- Tap the screen twice with 1 finger to activate an item
- Swipe left, right, up, or down with 3 fingers to scroll in that direction
Note: it will often happen that you cannot fully control apps with VoiceOver.
Swipe with 1 finger
Gestures to control VoiceOver by swiping with 1 finger.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Select and read an item aloud | Swipe the screen with 1 finger |  |
| Navigate to the next item | Swipe right with 1 finger |  |
| Navigate to the previous item | Swipe left with 1 finger |  |
| Increase setting | Swipe up with 1 finger |  |
| Decrease setting | Swipe down with 1 finger |  |
Swipe with 2 fingers
Gestures to control VoiceOver by swiping with 2 fingers.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Have the entire screen read aloud | Swipe up with 2 fingers |  |
| Have the screen read aloud from the current item | Swipe down with 2 fingers |  |
Swipe with 3 fingers: (Scrolling)
Gestures to control VoiceOver by swiping with 3 fingers.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll up | Swipe up with 3 fingers |  |
| Scroll down | Swipe down with 3 fingers |  |
| Scroll right | Swipe right with 3 fingers |  |
| Scroll left | Swipe left with 3 fingers |  |
Tap with 1 finger
Gestures to control VoiceOver by tapping with 1 finger.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Activate the selected item | Tap the screen twice with 1 finger |  |
| Long press the selected item | Tap 2 times with 1 finger and hold |  |
| Double-tap the selected item | Tap the screen 3 times with 1 finger |  |
Tap with 2 fingers
Gestures to control VoiceOver by tapping with 2 fingers.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Pause or resume reading | Tap the screen with 2 fingers |  |
| Start or stop the current operation | Tap the screen twice with 2 fingers |  |
| Change the label of a part | Tap 2 times with 2 fingers and hold |  |
| Open the Item Chooser | Tap the screen 3 times with 2 fingers |  |
Tap with 3 fingers
Gestures to control VoiceOver by tapping with 3 fingers.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Have additional information spoken | Tap the screen with 3 fingers |  |
| Mute or unmute VoiceOver | Tap the screen twice with 3 fingers |  |
| Turn the screen curtain on or off | Tap the screen 3 times with 3 fingers |  |
Tap with 4 fingers
Gestures to control VoiceOver by tapping with 4 fingers.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Go to the first section | Tap with 4 fingers at the top of the screen |  |
| Go to the last section | Tap with 4 fingers at the bottom of the screen |  |
Shortcuts
Gestures to activate VoiceOver shortcuts.
| Action | Explanation | Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing a rotor setting | Make a rotating movement with 2 fingers |  |
| Close a notification or go back to the previous screen | Make a zigzagging movement with 2 fingers in the shape of the letter Z |  |
| Make direct touch | Tap the screen twice with 1 finger and hold until you hear three rising tones. Then move your finger across the screen. |  |