Apple's iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Watch) come with accessibility
features built-in. The purpose of this document is to give the blind or low
vision user a concise introduction to the accessibility features offered on
iOS devices.
VoiceOver
An Introduction to VoiceOver
* VoiceOver is a "screen reader"; it reads text aloud on the screen.
* To enable VoiceOver, go to Settings> General> Accessibility>
VoiceOver.
* You can also tell Siri, "Turn on VoiceOver."
Navigating the Screen with VoiceOver
* To hear VoiceOver speak an item, tap it with one finger.
* To activate an item, quickly double tap it with one finger.
* Navigate the screen by swiping left and right with one finger or
exploring by touch.
* To scroll, swipe with three fingers.
* To go back a screen, use a left-to-right two-finger "scrub"
gesture.
* To perform a "say all" and read everything on the screen, swipe
down with two fingers.
Typing with VoiceOver
* Locate the desired letter on the on-screen keyboard, either by
swiping or exploring by touch.
* Double-tap the desired letter to enter it.
* Holding one finger on the desired letter and single-tapping the
screen with another finger also works and may be more convenient. This is
called a "split-tap" gesture.
* If a mistake is made, double-tapping the "Delete" button will
remove the character.
* Other typing options are available, such as Braille Screen Input,
Handwriting Mode, and Touch Typing Mode.
VoiceOver Settings
* Access all VoiceOver settings in Settings> General> Accessibility>
VoiceOver.
* Speaking Rate: Adjusts the speaking rate of the text-to-speech
voice.
* Speak Hints: Toggles whether VoiceOver provides hints on navigating
the interface; good for beginners.
* Use Pitch Change: Changes the pitch of the text-to-speech voice for
hints, capitalized, typed, and deleted letters.
* Use Sound Effects: When enabled, VoiceOver plays a sound when one
moves from element to element on the screen.
* Speech (Settings): Allows one to change the dialect of the voice
and, for devices that support it, the speech synthesizer.
* Braille (Settings): Allows one to change a variety of
Braille-specific settings.
* Rotor (Settings): Allows one to customize which items appear in the
VoiceOver rotor-discussed in the next section.
* Typing Style: Allows one to choose between Standard Typing
(discussed earlier), Touch Typing, and Direct Touch Typing.
* Phonetic Feedback: Speaks a phonetic word after reading a letter on
the keyboard.
* Typing Feedback: Controls whether VoiceOver speaks characters,
words, characters and words, or nothing when they are typed.
* Always Speak Notifications: Toggles whether VoiceOver speaks the
full text of incoming notifications when the screen is locked.
* Navigate Images: Controls whether VoiceOver skips images when
swiping through the screen.
* Large Cursor: Provides extra visual emphasis as to the location of
VoiceOver focus.
The VoiceOver Rotor
* There are two purposes of the rotor: to change settings quickly and
advanced navigation.
* To use the rotor: place two fingers on the screen, with some space
in-between them.
* Rotate your fingers as though turning a radio dial; this often
involves rotating your entire hand.
* VoiceOver will make a ticking noise as you turn the rotor,
announcing various options as you reach them.
* Commonly-enabled rotor settings include speech rate, typing
preference, Braille Screen Input, Handwriting Mode, moving by
character/word/line, etc.
Other Helpful Hints for VoiceOver Use
* Three-Finger Triple Tap: Enables the screen curtain-most useful for
privacy. If you have speech but nothing visually displayed on the screen,
check this setting.
* Three-Finger Double Tap: Toggles speech. If VoiceOver is on but you
have no speech, check this setting.
* In some situations the volume of the device can be accidentally
lowered, so this is also something to check if VoiceOver is enabled but
there appears to be no speech.
* Four-Finger Double Tap: Enables (and disables) VoiceOver help and
is a great way to practice VoiceOver gestures.
Low Vision Accessibility Features
* Zoom: A built-in magnifier that works across the operating system.
* Invert Colors: Flips all colors on the screen.
* Grayscale: Displays the entire user interface in different shades
of gray.
* Larger Text: Allows one to enlarge the font across a variety of
built-in and third-party apps.
* Bold Text: When enabled, makes text thicker across a range of
built-in applications.
* Button Shapes: Makes buttons easier to distinguish from other user
interface elements, such as icons.
* Increase Contrast (Settings): Allows one to customize the visual
contrast of the user interface through Reduce Transparency, Darken Colors,
and Reduce White Point options.
* Reduce Motion: Reduces the motion of backgrounds, wallpapers, and
other user interface elements.
* On/Off Labels: Rather than using colors, indicates whether a
setting is enabled or disabled with the numbers 1 and 0, respectively.
Siri
* Siri is Apple's personal digital assistant.
* While Siri was not designed specifically as an accessibility
feature, it can enhance the iOS user experience for blind and low vision
users.
* To use Siri, press and hold the Home button until you hear the
device beep. Speak your request, then release the Home button.
* Siri will speak its response.
* Press and hold the Home button again to continue interacting with
Siri, or press the Home button without holding to dismiss it.
Apps and VoiceOver Accessibility
* Many, but not all, apps are accessible with VoiceOver.
* App developers must take specific steps to ensure that their app
fully supports VoiceOver.
* Some apps are not accessible because of their nature, e.g. video
games.
* Inaccessible apps are generally so only because developers are not
aware of VoiceOver.
* Many developers are quite receptive to accessibility improvement
requests.
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