VoiceOver Is Built In — You Just Need to Turn It On
macOS includes a full-featured screen reader at no extra cost. VoiceOver reads on-screen text, describes interface elements, and provides keyboard-driven navigation for users who are blind or low-vision. It also works as an accessibility testing tool for developers. Here’s how to get started.
Turning VoiceOver On and Off
The fastest way: press Command + F5. This toggles VoiceOver on or off. If your Mac has Touch ID, press it three times quickly to toggle VoiceOver.
You can also enable it through System Settings: Apple Menu → System Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver → toggle on.
At login, VoiceOver can be started by pressing Command + F5 on the login screen, or you can set it to start automatically in the Accessibility settings.
The VoiceOver Utility
When you first enable VoiceOver, the VoiceOver Utility opens. This is where you configure how it works:
- Speech: Choose the voice, rate, and pitch. macOS includes dozens of voices. Try a few — some are more natural-sounding than others.
- Verbosity: Control how much detail VoiceOver provides. “High” verbosity reads everything including descriptions. “Low” reads just the essential information. Start with medium and adjust as you learn.
- Navigation: Choose how VoiceOver moves through content — by heading, link, table, or text element.
- Sound: Enable audio cues and positional audio (sounds that indicate where elements are on screen).
Basic Navigation
VoiceOver uses the VO key (Control + Option by default) combined with other keys:
- VO + Arrow keys: Move through elements on screen
- VO + Space: Activate (click) the current element
- VO + Shift + Down Arrow: Enter a group (like a table or list)
- VO + Shift + Up Arrow: Exit a group
- VO + H: Open the Help menu (lists all commands)
The trackpad can also be used with VoiceOver — enable “Trackpad Commander” in VoiceOver Utility to use gestures for navigation.
The VoiceOver Rotor
The rotor lets you switch what type of element you’re navigating by. Press VO + U to open it, then use the arrow keys to select navigation type: headings, links, form controls, tables, etc. This makes it fast to jump to specific content types on a page instead of reading through everything linearly.
Tips for New Users
- Start with a simple app like TextEdit or Safari. Don’t try to learn VoiceOver while also learning a complex app.
- Use the built-in VoiceOver tutorial: press VO + H and select “VoiceOver Training.”
- Slow the speech rate down at first. Speed it up as you get comfortable.
- VoiceOver works with Braille displays. If you use one, macOS supports most USB and Bluetooth Braille displays natively.