The screen reader for Mac is VoiceOver, it comes free with macOS, and you turn it on or off with Cmd+F5. The same program runs on iPhone and iPad, where you start it from Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver or with a triple click of the side button once the shortcut is set.
Apple devices are popular with blind people, partly because VoiceOver works from the first screen of setup. This guide covers turning it on and off on each device, the VO keys on a Mac, the rotor, the touch gestures on a phone, and how to test a website with it.
Quick facts
Name
VoiceOver, built into macOS, iOS and iPadOSMac on or off
Cmd+F5, or hold Cmd and press Touch ID three timesiPhone on or off
Triple click the side button (Accessibility Shortcut)VO modifier
Ctrl+Option, or Caps LockRotor
VO+U on Mac, a two finger twist on iPhoneTest with
Safari, the browser VoiceOver users mostly choose
How to enable the screen reader on a Mac
Three ways work on current macOS versions:
- Press Cmd+F5. On laptops where F5 is a media key, add Fn.
- On a Mac with Touch ID, hold Cmd and press the Touch ID button three times.
- Open System Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver and use the switch.
The first time, a welcome dialog offers a tutorial. Take it; it is short and teaches the keys by having you press them. Turning VoiceOver off uses the same shortcut. Help from the maker lives in the VoiceOver user guide.
VO keys and Mac screen reader shortcuts
VoiceOver commands start with the VO modifier, written VO. It means holding Ctrl+Option. You can also set Caps Lock as the VO key in VoiceOver Utility, which is easier on a laptop.
| Do this | Keys |
|---|---|
| Next or previous item | VO+Right or Left |
| Click the item in the VoiceOver cursor | VO+Space |
| Read everything from here | VO+A |
| Hush speech | Ctrl |
| Open the rotor | VO+U |
| Next heading | VO+Cmd+H |
| Open the help menu | VO+H |
| Open VoiceOver Utility (settings) | VO+F8 |
Quick Nav lets you move with the arrow keys alone. Press Left and Right together to turn it on or off.
The rotor, VoiceOver's map of the page
The rotor is a menu of lists: headings, links, landmarks, form controls, tables and more. On a Mac, VO+U opens it; left and right arrows change the list, up and down pick an entry, and typing a few letters filters it. Testers love it because a messy heading list or a pile of identical "Learn more" links shows up in seconds.
On iPhone and iPad the rotor is a gesture. Place two fingers on the screen and twist them like turning a dial. VoiceOver names each setting (Headings, Links, Form controls, Characters, Speaking rate). Then swipe up or down with one finger to jump by the chosen item.
iOS screen reader: turning VoiceOver on and off
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver. Once it is on, touch works differently: a single tap selects and speaks, and you need a double tap to press a button. That catches many people out when turning it off, so tap the switch once, then double tap it.
Set up the shortcut before you start testing: Settings, Accessibility, Accessibility Shortcut, then choose VoiceOver. Now a triple click of the side button (or the Home button on older models) toggles it. You can also ask the built in voice assistant to turn VoiceOver on or off.
If a phone seems stuck with VoiceOver on and you cannot unlock it, triple click the side button. If no shortcut was set, connect it to a Mac or ask someone who knows the gestures.
Touch gestures to learn first
| Gesture | What it does |
|---|---|
| Touch or drag one finger | Speaks what is under your finger |
| Swipe right or left | Moves to the next or previous item |
| Double tap | Activates the selected item |
| Two finger tap | Pauses or resumes speech |
| Two finger swipe up | Reads the whole screen from the top |
| Three finger swipe | Scrolls one page |
| Two finger double tap | Magic tap: answer a call, play or pause |
| Three finger triple tap | Screen curtain: blacks out the display for privacy |
Screen curtain is a good habit for testers: with the display dark you cannot cheat by looking.
Testing a website with the screen reader for Mac and iPhone
Use Safari on both devices. Chrome on a Mac works with VoiceOver, but most users stay with Safari, and bugs often differ between the two.
- Open the page and press VO+U. Check headings, landmarks and links in the rotor.
- Tab through the main task and listen for each control's name, role and state.
- On iPhone, swipe item by item down the whole page and note anything skipped or read twice.
- Open menus, dialogs and accordions and confirm VoiceOver says expanded or collapsed.
- Submit a form with mistakes and check the errors are spoken.
Many pages read fine with NVDA on Windows but break in VoiceOver, especially custom selects and live updates, so test both. The testing guide has a fuller plan.
Other Apple accessibility options people confuse with VoiceOver
Spoken Content reads selected text aloud or speaks the screen on demand, without changing how touch or keys work. It suits readers with dyslexia or eye strain. Zoom and Hover Text help low vision users. Only VoiceOver gives full non visual control. For other platforms see free screen readers and the screen reader overview.
Questions people ask
Does a Mac have a built in screen reader?
Yes. VoiceOver is part of macOS and costs nothing. Press Cmd+F5 to start or stop it.
What is the Mac screen reader shortcut?
Cmd+F5 toggles VoiceOver. On Macs with Touch ID you can also hold Cmd and press Touch ID three times.
How do I turn off VoiceOver on iPhone?
If the Accessibility Shortcut is set, a triple click on the side button does it. Otherwise go to Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver, select the switch with one tap and double tap to turn it off.
Can I use NVDA or JAWS on a Mac?
No, both are Windows only. VoiceOver is the screen reader to use on a Mac, and it is good enough for daily work and testing.
What is the VoiceOver rotor?
It is a menu that lets you choose what to move by, such as headings, links or form controls. Open it with VO+U on Mac or by twisting two fingers on an iPhone screen.
Which browser should I use with VoiceOver?
Safari on both Mac and iPhone. It has the closest integration with VoiceOver and is what most users run.