VoiceOver for iPhone

What is VoiceOver?

VoiceOver is a screen reader built into iPhones. It is designed to help people who are blind or have low vision use their phones by hearing what’s on the screen instead of seeing it.

How does VoiceOver Work?

When VoiceOver is turned on:

• The iPhone speaks out loud everything on the screen — like text, buttons, icons, and messages.
• You use finger gestures to move around and control the phone.

Examples:

• Swipe right or left with one finger to move through items.
• Double-tap anywhere on the screen to select the focused item.
• Use three fingers to scroll through pages.

Why is VoiceOver Helpful?

VoiceOver allows people who can’t see well to:

• Use apps and the internet
• Read and send messages
• Make or receive calls
• Use the camera with descriptions
• Hear notifications and alerts

All through spoken feedback.

How to Enable VoiceOver on iPhone

From Settings

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Accessibility.
3. Tap VoiceOver (under “Vision”).
4. Turn on the VoiceOver switch.
5. Confirm by double-tapping “Enable.”

Once enabled, your phone will speak aloud what’s on the screen. You’ll use different gestures to navigate.

How to Enable the Shortcut for VoiceOver

You can set a shortcut to turn VoiceOver on/off quickly.

Option 1: Side Button Shortcut

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut (at the bottom).
2. Tap VoiceOver to select it.
3. Now, triple-press the side button (or Home button on older phones) to turn VoiceOver on or off.

Option 2: Back Tap (Optional)

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
2. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
3. Select VoiceOver as the action.

How to Use the Shortcut

• Triple-press the side button (or Home button) to turn VoiceOver on or off anytime.
• If using Back Tap, just double or triple tap the back of the phone.
• When VoiceOver is on, remember:
  • Tap once to select an item.
  • Double-tap to activate it.
  • Use three fingers to scroll.

How to Open VoiceOver Settings

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver.
2. Tap VoiceOver Settings to see all customization options.

Full List of VoiceOver Settings

1. Speaking Settings

• Speech Rate: Control how fast the voice talks.
• Pitch: Adjust how high or low the voice sounds.
• Voice: Choose a voice you like (male/female, accents).
• Pronunciation: Fix how VoiceOver speaks certain words.
• Sounds: Add sound effects for actions (optional).
• Typing Feedback: Hear letters or words as you type.
• Hint: VoiceOver can tell you what a button does (e.g., “Double-tap to open”).
• Punctuation: Choose how much punctuation VoiceOver reads (None, Some, All).

2. Navigation Settings

• Rotor: A virtual dial to change navigation quickly (headings, links, form controls, etc.)
• Verbosity: Choose how much detail is spoken (item labels, hints, etc.).
• Audio Ducking: Lowers music or videos when VoiceOver talks.
• Phonetic Feedback: Say letters phonetically (“A as in Alpha”).

3. Braille

• Connect braille displays.
• Adjust settings for braille input/output.

4. Commands

• Customize what gestures or keyboard shortcuts do.
• Change or add new gestures.

5. Activities

• Save different VoiceOver settings for specific apps.

6. Quick Settings

• Double-tap with 2 fingers 4 times to open a menu to adjust speech rate, volume, etc.

How to Change VoiceOver Voice

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Speech.
2. Tap Voice.
3. Choose your language.
4. Tap a voice name to hear a sample.
5. Tap Download if needed, then select it as your default.

You can also change:

• Speech Rate: Make it faster or slower.
• Pitch: Make it higher or lower.

VoiceOver Gestures

Basic VoiceOver Gestures (1 finger)

Gesture	Action
Swipe right	Move to next item
Swipe left	Move to previous item
Double-tap	Activate the selected item
Tap with 1 finger	Hear item under your finger
Drag finger	Explore items on screen
Two-finger double-tap	Start/stop media or answer calls

Advanced VoiceOver Gestures

Gesture	Action
Three-finger swipe up/down	Scroll up/down
Three-finger swipe left/right	Move between pages or screens
Four-finger tap top/bottom	Go to first/last item on screen
Two-finger scrub (Z shape)	Go back or cancel action
Three-finger triple-tap	Copy last spoken phrase to clipboard

Most Useful Shortcuts for VoiceOver Users

1. Quickly Turn VoiceOver ON/OFF

• Triple-press the Side or Home button (if set up under Accessibility Shortcut).

2. Answer or End Calls

• Two-finger double-tap to answer or end a call.

3. Hang Up Using the Side Button

• Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing > Auto-Answer Calls – turn OFF.
• Then, go to Settings > Accessibility > Side Button – turn ON “Press to End Call”.

4. Pause VoiceOver Speech

• Two-finger tap once to pause or resume talking.

5. Repeat Last Spoken Phrase

• Use Rotor to choose “Speech” and double-tap “Repeat last phrase.”
• Or assign this to a custom gesture (see below).

6. Open VoiceOver Quick Settings

• Four-finger double-tap to open VoiceOver Quick Settings.

Customize Shortcuts or Gestures

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Commands.
2. Choose Touch Gestures, Keyboard, or Braille.
3. Tap any action to assign a custom gesture (e.g., change what a swipe or tap does).
4. You can assign actions like:
   • “Repeat Last Phrase”
   • “Read All”
   • “Jump to Top”
   • “Mute Speech”

Bonus Tips for Easier Navigation

Action	Shortcut
Go to Home Screen	Press the Home button or swipe up (Face ID)
Open Control Center	Swipe down with 3 fingers from top right
Open Notification Center	Swipe down with 2 fingers from top
Explore items on screen	Drag 1 finger slowly across screen
Adjust volume	Use physical Volume buttons or ask Siri
Ask Siri for help	Say “Hey Siri, open VoiceOver Settings”

 

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1. Envision AI

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1. Cash Reader: Bill Identifier

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1. NaviLens

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1. Supersense

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1. Lazarillo GPS for the Blind

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1. Aira Explorer

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1. Voice Dream Reader

A text-to-speech app that lets you listen to PDFs, web pages, emails, and books using advanced AI.

9. Be My Eyes

Connects blind users with sighted volunteers or company representatives through live video for assistance with tasks like identifying objects, reading labels, and more.