Embedded Files
VoiceOver gestures
The list that follows includes the more frequently used touch gestures in VoiceOver with the exception of the rotor gesture which merits a web page of its own.
To read a list of all available gestures go to Settings / Accessibility / VoiceOver / Commands and examine All Commands and Touch Gestures. Some gestures don't seem to appear in both lists so it's worth wading through them both if you want the full story but the descriptions of the gestures in Settings is necessarily terse and I suggest you read the list below first for a more complete description of most of the gestures you are likely to use.
The gestures listed here give the default actions for the gestures. It is possible to assign different actions to gestures at Settings / Accessibility / VoiceOver / Commands / Touch Gestures. Some gestures may have been changed for you by a trainer or you may have done this yourself if you are a confident VoiceOver user.
Performing double tap, triple tap and quadruple tap gestures
All multiple tap gestures need to be quite rapid to distinguish them from a sequence of individual taps. If you have difficulty tapping quickly enough for these gestures to work, go to Settings / Accessibility / VoiceOver and experiment with different values of the double tap timeout. It can be set to values exceeding 1 second but with a setting this high you will probably be plagued with unintentional double taps. Although it is called double tap timeout if changes the required repeat speed for triple and quadruple taps as well.
Where are VoiceOver gestures performed on the screen?
Unless a gesture specifies a specific screen position it can be performed anywhere on the screen. I suggest that you perform gestures near the centre of the screen, particularly when you are learning, in order to avoid fingers falling off the edge of the screen in multiple finger gestures. Be aware that older iPhone and iPad models have quite large borders around the active part of the screen which won't respond to gestures.
List of VoiceOver gestures begins:
explore the contents of the screen:
slide a finger slowly over the screen and give VoiceOver time to speak each item. Lift your finger to select the last item spoken. As well as describing this as the selected item, we sometimes say that we have moved VoiceOver focus to the item. When VoiceOver is focused on an item other gestures can be used to perform actions on it.
move to the next item on screen:
swipe right with one finger (swiping is a rapid flick gesture; ensure your finger is moving right before it touches the screen and is still moving right when it leaves the screen); this gesture moves VoiceOvert focus to the next item.
move to the previous item on screen:
swipe left with one finger; this gesture moves VoiceOver focus to the previous item.
activate an item (this is the equivalent of tapping with one finger if you’re not using VoiceOver):
move to the item using any of the methods above (you must hear its name spoken) and then double tap anywhere with one finger.
drag a slider
tap the slider to selet it and then swipe up or down with one finger to increase or decrease the value in steps. You may also be able to double tap and hold, wait for the rising tones, and then slide your finger horizontally to drag the slider more precisely.
perform the equivalent of a long press:
when VoiceOver isn't being used, a long press on some items pops up a menu. The VoiceOver equivalent is to select the item and then to perform a triple tap with one finger. If a menu appears, you will be able to swipe right through the available items.
answer an incoming phone call, FaceTime call or WhatsApp audio call:
double tap anywhere with two fingers.
end a phone call, FaceTime or Whatsapp audio call:
double tap anywhere with two fingers.
speak the entire screen from the top:
swipe up with two fingers (this is a rapid flick; ensure that your fingers are moving before they touch the screen)
speak from the current item to bottom of screen:
swipe down with two fingers.
Note that continuous reading may occasionally stop before reaching the end of the page. If you suspect this has happened, then swipe right to move on and, if there is more to read, swipe down again with two fingers.
pause or resume VoiceOver speech:
tap once with two fingers.
copy text just spoken by VoiceOver to the clipboard:
quadruple tap with three fingers. (It appears that if you start VoiceOver speaking text and then pause with a two finger tap that the three finger quadruple tap will copy all the text that would have been spoken to the clipboard. For example, start a message speaking with a tap, pausespeech with a two finger tap and then do a three finger quadruple tap. The entire message will be copied to the clipboard.)
This gesture can be used to pace multiple sections of text to a special version of the clipboard which comes automatically into action when you copy your second section of text. Items placed on this special clipboard may be browsed using the Copied Speech position on the rotor which will be available only if you have copied multiple spoken items to the special clipboard. Browse through the items using vertical swipes and paste the current item with a double tap. There is also an option to clear all copied speech.
Start Live Recognition:
triple tap with four fingers. Live Recognition describes what the camera sees and has several different functions. The gesture doesn't seem to be available on all devices and its functions vary between models. Swipe to listen to the available gestures and double tap to select those you want. A Stop Recognition button is below the row of features buttons.
mute or unmute VoiceOver - (VoiceOver continues to operate but without any spoken output):
double tap with three fingers.
Trainers sometimes disable this gesture since it is often performed unintentionally by new VoiceOver users who then report that VoiceOver has stopped working.
If Zoom is enabled in your accessibility settings, double tapping with three fingers will enlarge the screen. If your device has Zoom enabled, you will need to triple tap with three fingers to mute or unmute VoiceOver.
turn screen illumination off or back on (this will save battery if you are not looking at the screen). Apple calls this feature "screen curtain":
triple tap with three fingers; if Zoom has been enabled you will need to quadruple tap with three fingers. VoiceOver will speak “screen curtain on" when the screen has been turned off and will speak “screen curtain off” when the screen is made visible again.
move between app screens and generally move to the next or previous page to right or left:
swipe right or left with three fingers; this gesture will work only if VoiceOver is initially focused within the scrollable part of the screen, for example not in the dock at the bottom of the home screen.
scroll up or down:
swipe up or down with three fingers; this gesture will work only if VoiceOver is initially focused within the scrollable portion of the screen. It will scroll one page.
scroll quickly through a long item using the vertical scroll bar:
A vertical scroll bar can be found at the extreme right of long screens containing several pages. Touch this and you hear "vertical scroll bar, followed by your current position and the word adjustable". The word adjustable always signifies that vertical swipes can be used to change the value of an item. Swipe down to scroll down the page and swipe up to move back towards the top. Each scroll will be in a large increment, as large as 10%. The vertical scroll bar can also be scrolled smoothly; details in the next section.
smooth continuous scroll and fine adjustment of sliders:
Smooth continuous scroll is most likely to be useful for VoiceOver users who have sufficient sight to view the screen. A three finger swipe up or down often leaves the screen in an inconvenient position; for example, only part of a photograph may be showing.
The simplest solution for a low-vision VoiceOver user is to use VoiceOver 3 finger scroll as necessary to reach the approximate location and then turn VoiceOver off, position the screen by dragging with one finger as desired to examine visually. Complete visual use of the screen and then turn VoiceOver on again. The screen will probably jump away from the visually pleasing position when VoiceOver turns back on.
A smooth, continuous scroll can sometimes be performed using the so-called "standard gesture" gesture. Tap on the screen, preferably on an image, to ensure that VoiceOver is focused on the page. Then double tap rapidly with one finger and leave your finger on the screen for a second. You will hear a set of rising tones if sound effects are enabled in VoiceOver settings. Now, leaving your finger on the screen, slide it up or down to scroll smoothly through the screen. Be aware that the use of the "standard gesture" gesture for this purpose sometimes has unexpected results or simply doesn't work so please use it with care. I'm fairly confident that Apple didn't intend the gesture to be used this way but when it works it can be handy. In particular, double tap and hold is also used to perform a VoiceOver equivalent of a long press so try to avoid selecting an item that might respond to a long press.
An alternative that is much more reliable is available on long screens which have a vertical scroll bar. Touch the verticl scroll bar and hear something like "vertical scroll bar, 5 pages, adjustable". Double tap and hold somewhere near the top centre of the screen and wait for the rising tones. You will then be able to scroll smoothly through the entire item by sliding your finger down the screen.
The double tap and hold gesture also works for horizontal sliders. This will allow you to adjust slider values more precisely than with the alternative swipes up or down which usually change a slider value by amounts as large as 10%. Select the slider, for example the speaking rate slider in VoiceOver settings, and then double tap and hold. You wil then be able to fine adjust the slider in 1% increments by sliding your finger carefully by a small distance to right or left.
scroll to the top
Touch any item in the status bar at the top of your screen and hear it spoken, for example battery status at top right and then double tap anywhere with one finger. This will scroll any display to its top, including Mail, Contacts and web pages.
select the first item on the screen:
tap with four fingers near top of screen.
select the last item on the screen:
tap with four fingers near bottom of screen.
perform a standard double tap, e.g. to enlarge a photo or map:
When VoiceOver is not being used, a double tap with one finger is used to carry out some special tasks in certain apps. For example, a double tap zooms a photo in the Photos app or a map in the Maps app. When VoiceOver is being used, the equivalent gesture is a quadruple tap with one finger. If this is used to zoom a photo or other item, the item can then be panned using the double tap and hold gesture described above.
request additional information
A three finger tap will speak additional information about VoiceOver's current state. This includes the current location, information about text styles, and selected text.
dismiss an alert or return to the previous screen:
Perform a two finger scrub - (Draw a letter z with two fingers). This gesture can be used in place of a back button in most situations.
open the control centre (where you can change screen brightness, go to airplane mode, turn on the magnifier and more):
On devices with FaceID: Drag one finger down from the top edge of the screen until you feel a vibration or hear the second sound. Once you have the control centre swipe right to hear the items available.
Or, on all devices: Select any item in the status bar at the very top of the screen by sliding your finger around the top of the screen until you hear a status bar item spoken then lift your finger. Next swipe up with three fingers from anywhere on the screen. Once you have the control centre swipe right to hear the items available.
dismiss the control centre:
Perform a two finger scrub. (Draw a letter z with two fingers).
open the notifications screen:
On devices with FaceID: Drag one finger down from the top edge of the screen until you feel the second vibration or hear the third sound. Once you have the notifications screen swipe right to hear the items available.
Or, on all devices: Select any item in the status bar at the very top of the screen by sliding your finger around the top of the screen until you hear a status bar item spoken then lift your finger. Next swipe down with three fingers from anywhere on the screen. Once you have the notification centre swipe right to hear the items available.
dismiss the notifications screen:
Perform a two finger scrub. (Draw a letter z with two fingers).
open VoiceOver quick settings
A quadruple tap with two fingers opens the VoiceOver quick settings. The items that appear in this list are chosen in Settings / Accessibility / VoiceOver / Quick Settings. Quick Settings can be useful for items you change regularly and may also help de-clutter your rotor.
typing:
slide your finger over the on-screen keyboard until the key you want is spoken, then: either leave your finger resting on the key and tap anywhere with another finger or lift your finger and double tap anywhere. This is what VoiceOver calls "standard typing", the default typing method in VoiceOver. Other typing methods are available in Settings / Accessibility / VoiceOver / Typing or possibly on your rotor.
dictation:
dictation is an alternative to typing when a keyboard is displayed on the screen. VoiceOver will have spoken something like “text field, is editing”. To start dictation, double tap with two fingers anywhere on the screen and speak after you hear a ping. To stop dictation, double tap again with two fingers.
pause or resume media playback (e.g. music or a video):
double tap with two fingers
open the app switcher:
On devices with FaceID: Drag one finger up from the bottom edge of the screen until you feel the second vibration or hear the third rising tone, then lift your finger.
On devices with a home button: rapidly double click the home button.
These gestures work in all contexts. Open apps can be heard one-by-one with a 3 finger swipe right, or a 3 finger swipe left to move back towards the current app. Double tap with one finger to return to a previous app when you hear its name spoken, folowed by "active". Swipe up with three fingers if you wish to close the app. You may find that closing an app that is behaving strangely will fix the problem.
switch to another app
When an app is open, a four finger swipe right will switch immediately to the previous app. Continue to move through all open apps. Swipe left with 4 fingers to return towards the most recently opened app.
go to the home screen:
On devices with FaceID: Slide one finger up from the bottom edge of the screen until you feel a vibration or hear the second rising tone, then lift your finger.
On devices with a home button: click the home button.
turn VoiceOver off or on:
Siri can be instructed to “turn VoiceOver on” or “turn VoiceOver off”. Don’t add additional words; they just increase the risk of Siri misunderstanding you. It is also possible to configure the so-called accessibility shortcut to turn VoiceOver on or off. If the accessibility shortcut has been configured appropriately, then VoiceOver can be toggled with a triple click of the side or top button on devices with FaceID or the home button on all other devices.
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