Testing Web Pages with VoiceOver
About VoiceOver
VoiceOver comes as the default screen reader with the iPhone, iPad desktop. 47% of screen reader users use VoiceOver.
Deciding Which Browser to Use
According to the WebAIM Screen Reader Survey #8 (2019):
- 9.1% of screen reader users use VoiceOver with Safari.
- 3% use VoiceOver with Chrome
Voiceover Gestures on iOS
Getting Started
To start VoiceOver, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver.
Navigation
The primary form of navigation using VoiceOver is by swiping Left or Right.
You can also navigate between items of particular type using the Rotor control. To use the rotor, rotate two fingers on the screen as if you're turning a dial. VoiceOver will say the first rotor option. Keep rotating your fingers to hear more options. Lift your fingers to choose an option.
Some of the common navigation options are:
- Characters: Reads one character at a time.
- Words: Reads one word at a time.
- Lines: Reads one line at a time.
- Containers: Moves from one onscreen container to the next. The Dock and Home screen, for example, are containers.
- Headings: Moves from one heading to the next. Try using this rotor in Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
- Landmarks: Moves between banners, navigation, and buttons in HTML content (such as a web page or HTML email).
- Links: Moves from one link to the next.
- Tables: Moves the VoiceOver cursor to the start of a table on a web page.
- Form Controls: Moves between buttons and menus when using a form.
To customise the options that you want to show in the rotor go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor.
Voiceover Shortcuts on Mac
Getting Started
- Command + F5 = Turn Voiceover on or off
- Control + Option = Voiceover activation or VO keys
VoiceOver keystrokes start by pressing the VO keys Control + Option.
Navigation
- Control = Stop speaking the current text
- Control + Option + ↓ = Next line
- Control + Option + ↑ = Previous line
- Control + Option + → = Next word
- Control + Option + ← = Previous word
- Control + Option + A = Start reading
- Control + Option + P = Read paragraph
- Control + Option + S = Read sentence
- Control + Option + Home = Top of page
- Control + Option + Command + H = Next heading
- Control + Option + Command + L = Next link
- Control + Option + Command + T = Next table
- Control + Option + Command + G = Next graphic
- Control + Option + Command + J = Next form
- Control + Option + Command + X = Next list
- Control + Option + Shift + Command + (H/L/T/G/J/ X ) = Previous (heading / link / table / graphic / form / list)
- Control + Option + Spacebar = Activate the currently selected item
Tables
- Control + Option + → = Next column
- Control + Option + ← = Previous column
- Control + Option + ↓ = Next row
- Control + Option + ↑ = Previous row
- Control + Option + C = Read column header
- Control + Option + R = Read row
- Control + Option + R + C = Read column