[NFB-Seniors] Fw: learn to use voiceover on your iphone a beginner's guide

[jane degenshein]

Hello All
After our wonderful retreat, I went through my files and found a beautifully 
written way of learning voiceover and wanted to share not only with our 
retreaters but all of you
Enjoy and happy reading friends

From: jane degenshein
Learn to Use VoiceOver on Your iPhone: a Beginner’s Guide
Intro
If you’re new to or thinking about getting an iOS device, you may be 
wondering, as I did when I got my first one, “How, exactly, can a person who 
can’t see a screen use a device whose primary input surface is one?”

When I started teaching myself how to use VoiceOver on iPhone, I often got 
very frustrated at how much of a challenge it seemed to be. There were 
moments where I fantasized about throwing my  iPhone out the window because 
I couldn’t figure it out, and I consider myself to be very tech-savvy. It 
wasn’t until I sat down and talked to some of my blind friends that I 
realized that it wasn’t nearly as crazy as it sounded, and that I could do 
things with it that I couldn’t have imagined that would increase my level of 
independence and improve my overall quality of life. Now I feel confident 
with using VoiceOver on iPhone whenever I am having a bad vision day or find 
certain material hard to read. However, if you’re just getting started, the 
level of information on the Internet can be overwhelming. That is why in 
this guide, I will provide a series of tips, organized by heading and 
subheading, along with links to more comprehensive guides and podcasts from 
across the AppleVis website on how to use VoiceOver on iPhone.

Keep in mind that this guide is not intended to describe specific features, 
but rather to explain the central concepts of using iOS with VoiceOver. One 
quality that I’ve observed in my over ten years of learning and using iOS is 
that once I had a few things mastered, I could apply those skills to 
accomplish a wide variety of tasks in both first and third-party apps.

Terminology
iOS is the operating system that powers the iPhone, iPod Touch, and until 
2019, the iPad. That year, Apple forked off the version of iOS for the iPad 
and now refers to it as iPadOS, which provides similar functionality to iOS 
with the addition of tablet specific features. As the features of iPadOS are 
in some cases identical to those of iOS, the iPad may feel very familiar to 
you if you’ve used an iPhone or iPod Touch. However, I don’t have an iPad, 
so cannot comment in this guide on what features and processes are the same 
or different between the two operating systems. Therefore, only iOS will be 
covered.

In addition to the iPhone, the iPod Touch, the last remaining device in the 
iPod line, runs iOS. This is a device with a similar design of the iPhone, 
with the ability to run the current version of iOS, but without cellular 
connectivity, an advanced camera, biometric authentication, or the same 
level of computational power as the iPhone and iPad. For reference, the 
processor in the current generation iPod Touch is the A10 Fusion, the same 
chip that powered the iPhone 7 which was released in2016. The iPhone and 
iPod Touch, and to a lesser extent the iPad, are known collectively as iOS 
devices or, “iDevices,” for short.

Applications or, “Apps,” are pieces of software that add specific 
functionality to an operating system. In Windows vernacular, these pieces of 
software are referred to as programs, particularly in the days of Windows 7 
and earlier. As you will see in this guide and in your own use of iOS, apps 
are an integral part of the user experience and can greatly expand the 
functional potential of your device.

VoiceOver is the screen reader built-in to Apple products, including iPhone, 
iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch. It is also available on Mac computers, but 
this article is geared towards learning VoiceOver on iPhone. VoiceOver was 
first introduced in 2009 on the iPod Shuffle and iPhone 3GS and has been 
included on every Apple product since, with the exceptions of the iPod 
classic and iPod nano. It is free of charge and requires no additional 
downloads to use.

iOS device physical layout
While specific device models have distinct hardware features, there are some 
key design characteristics that all iOS devices share.

The iPhone and iPod Touch are rectangular slabs with a flat glass touch 
screen on top, two volume buttons on the upper left side, a power button, 
and a charging port on the bottom. On the iPhone, the power button is 
located on the right side, and is commonly referred to as the Side button. 
On the iPod Touch, the power button is located immediately to the left of 
the top right corner of the device. The iPhone also has a mute switch above 
the volume buttons on the left side; push it down to silence the ringer and 
other alert sounds.

On devices that retain the older design style, there is another button 
located at the bottom center of the screen called the Home button. On these 
devices, this button is used to, among other things, return to the Home 
Screen, discussed later. Devices that have a more modern design style rely 
on touch screen gestures to replicate these functions.

The earpiece, used primarily for hearing call audio, is located at the top 
of the screen, and another speaker, typically used for speaker phone and 
consuming other types of audio, is located at the bottom of the device. Note 
that the iPod Touch does not include an earpiece.

Functional differences between iPhone models with and without a Home button
As alluded to earlier in this guide, the iOS user interface is based around 
a grid of apps called the Home Screen. On devices with a Home button, 
pressing this button will return you to that screen no matter what you’re 
doing at that time. This button also serves other purposes, such as 
accessing a list of recently used apps, called the app switcher, and 
engaging Siri, the intelligent personal assistant built into iOS and other 
Apple platforms.

Starting with the iPhone X, Apple has been releasing iPhones that don’t 
include this button. On these devices, return to the Home Screen by placing 
your finger on the bottom edge of the screen until you hear a brief tone, 
and then sliding your finger straight up the screen until you hear a second 
tone. For more detailed information about the changed button functionality 
on devices without a Home button, check out this AppleVis podcast. For the 
purpose of simplicity in this guide, I will refer to returning to the Home 
Screen as, “Going home.”

Another difference between the two design styles is the implementation of 
biometric authentication, the act of proving your identity using inherent 
characteristics like your face or fingerprint. On devices with a Home 
button, biometric authentication is performed using a fingerprint 
recognition technology called Touch ID. Once set up, a user can simply rest 
their finger on the Home button and the device will unlock within seconds.

On devices without a Home button, a face recognition technology called Face 
ID is used. This involves holding the device in front of your face to unlock 
it.

While both technologies are fast, accurate and usable for people who are 
blind or visually impaired, I personally prefer Touch ID, as I find it 
easier to rest my finger on the Home button than to hold my iPhone in front 
of my face or try to approximate the location of the camera. However, 
everyone’s needs and circumstances are different, so I’d strongly encourage 
you to research the pros and cons of each technology before making a 
decision. The AppleVis forum features many conversations about this topic, 
where you’ll experience a range of opinions. For more general buying advice 
on iPhone models at any given time, check out the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide. 
Even more helpful, in my opinion, is to try one or more iPhone models in 
person if possible.

VoiceOver basics
When you turn on and unlock an iOS device, you will be placed on the Home 
Screen, a grid of apps that can span multiple pages. If VoiceOver is on, 
moving a finger around the screen should cause it to speak what that finger 
is touching.

To open an app, move a finger to it, lift your finger, and then tap the 
screen twice quickly. This gesture is known as a double-tap, and is used to 
activate the item under your finger; the equivalent of a single-tap for 
sighted users. In addition to exploring by touch, you can move VoiceOver 
focus directly to the next or previous item by swiping right or left with 
one finger.

At the bottom of the Home Screen, there is a row of apps that is present no 
matter what page you’re on, referred to as the dock. The composition and 
organization of this list can be edited, as can those of all apps on the 
Home Screen.

At the top of the screen, information such as the device’s cellular signal 
strength, Wi-Fi connection, and battery level is displayed. This area is 
referred to as the status bar, and is present whenever the device is in 
portrait orientation, where the charging port is pointing toward you. Unlike 
the Home Screen, the status bar cannot be customized.

While this section introduces you to some of the most essential VoiceOver 
gestures, there are many more that you can use to improve your experience 
and sense of comfort on iOS. From anywhere, you can access VoiceOver help, 
which allows you to perform any gesture without it having any effect on the 
system, similar to keyboard help on macOS or input help on NVDA for Windows. 
To do this, double-tap the screen with four fingers quickly, perform this 
gesture again to exit this mode. While this gesture may sound difficult, it 
should get easier with practice.

If the device mistakenly interprets the gesture as a three-finger 
double-tap, VoiceOver will announce, “Speech off.” Perform a three-finger 
double-tap to restore VoiceOver speech. To help get you started, here is a 
list of a few other helpful gestures.

  a.. Access additional options for the item under your finger, similar to a 
contextual menu on a computer: one-finger triple-tap (one-finger double-tap 
and hold also works)
  b.. Start or stop something, like answer or end a call or play or pause 
media: two-finger double-tap, commonly referred to as a magic tap
  c.. Read from top of screen: two-finger swipe up
  d.. Read from item under your finger: two-finger swipe down
  e.. scroll down: three-finger swipe up
  f.. scroll up: three-finger swipe down
  g.. Jump to top: four-finger single-tap near top of screen
  h.. Jump to bottom: four-finger single-tap near bottom of screen
The rotor
Besides exploring by touch and double-tapping, one of the most important 
concepts you’ll encounter in your use of iOS is the VoiceOver rotor, which 
is used to navigate by different levels of granularity.

Think of the rotor as a circular dial which you turn by placing two fingers 
on the screen and rotating them either clockwise or counterclockwise. 
Alternatively, you can place one finger on one hand on the screen, and make 
a circular motion with another finger on the other hand.

Lists on the rotor by default include Characters, Words, and lines, among 
other things. When on a webpage, the rotor includes headings, links, form 
controls, and other web element types. Once you get to the list you want, 
navigate the available items by swiping up or down with one finger. For 
example, if you’re on the Home Screen and place your finger on the Mail app 
and turn the rotor to characters, swiping down once with one finger will 
cause VoiceOver to speak the letter M; further swipes will cause it to speak 
the following characters in the word. Swipe up with one finger to reverse 
the direction.

At various points, VoiceOver may instruct you to, “Swipe up or down to 
select a custom action, then double-tap to activate.” If you have hints 
disabled, the phrase, “Actions available,” will be spoken instead. This 
means that additional actions can be performed with the item under your 
finger. Typically, rotor actions serve as the equivalent of left and right 
swipe gestures for sighted users, and are used in a variety of contexts.

You can change what’s included in the rotor by going to Settings > 
Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor. For additional information and tips for 
making the best use of the rotor, check out this guide.

Try before you buy
Note: at the time of writing, the world is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, and 
as a result, open stores in your area may be taking special precautions to 
ensure distance between individuals. If you decide to travel to a store, 
check the business’s protocols beforehand and follow all health guidelines 
when in public.

Now that you hopefully have a basic idea of how to use iOS with VoiceOver, 
it may be a good idea to see how you do in practice. For me, that was a 
major factor in my decision to first get an iPod Touch in 2010, and an 
iPhone a year later, as my experience testing out a device in an Apple 
retail store and getting the hang of it fairly quickly simply blew me away. 
At that point, I had never used VoiceOver on anything but a computer, and 
that required the memorization of keyboard commands over a significantly 
longer period of time.

Once you get your hands on a test device, VoiceOver can be turned on without 
sighted assistance by pressing and holding the Home button, or Side button 
if the device doesn’t have a Home button, and saying, “Turn on VoiceOver,” 
once you feel a short vibration. When you’re done, engage Siri again and 
say, “Turn VoiceOver off.” As an alternative to using Siri, VoiceOver can be 
turned on with sighted assistance by instructing the person helping you to 
go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, and toggling it on for you. If 
you’re unable to go to a store, you can try this on any iOS device, like one 
belonging to a friend or family member.

Once VoiceOver has been turned on, it might be a good idea if you’re using 
someone’s device to ask them to unlock it so you can explore the Home 
Screen. Also if you’re using someone’s device, it is a good idea to ask the 
owner before opening any apps, as they may contain sensitive information 
that the owner might not want revealed and spoken aloud.

Setup
Once you get your iOS device, if it wasn’t set up in store, you will be 
walked through a brief setup process. If it is an iPhone, depending on your 
wireless carrier, you may need to insert a subscriber identity module (SIM) 
into the device to connect it to your carrier’s cellular network.

This involves poking the recessed hole on the right side of the iPhone with 
a paperclip and placing and aligning the SIM into the tray that pops out. 
However, you may have the option of having the SIM installed at the time of 
purchase, eliminating the need to perform this somewhat difficult task on 
your own. Therefore, if possible, this is what I recommend.

Next, for an iPhone, turn it on by pressing and holding the button on the 
right side, known as the Side button, for about five seconds. For an iPod 
Touch, turn it on by pressing and holding the button near the top right 
corner of the device for about five seconds. After about a minute, turn 
VoiceOver on either by pressing the Home button three times quickly, or if 
your device doesn’t have a Home button, by pressing the Side button three 
times quickly. VoiceOver should announce, “VoiceOver on.” Either press the 
Home button or slide your finger up from the bottom edge of the screen as 
described earlier to begin the setup process.

To start, you’ll be asked to select a language; move your finger around the 
screen until you hear your language, and double-tap to select it. Repeat 
this process to select your country, and if this is your first iOS device, 
select, “Setup manually,” when asked. From here, Setup Assistant guides you 
through connecting to a Wi-Fi network, activating the device with your 
wireless carrier, signing in with your Apple ID, setting up biometric 
authentication, and configuring various other basic settings. If this is 
your first Apple product, it might be useful to create a free Apple ID on a 
device you’re more comfortable with prior to setting up your new iOS device.

Your Apple ID is the account used to access Apple services and sync your 
devices. If you’ve used the iTunes Store, for example, you already have an 
Apple ID.

At various points throughout the setup, you’ll be asked to type using the 
onscreen keyboard. As an alternative to finding and double-tapping on each 
character, you can hold one finger on the character you want to insert, and 
with another finger, tap once anywhere on the screen. This gesture is known 
as a split-tap, and can be used anywhere a double-tap can be used.

Once setup is complete, you’ll be placed on the Home Screen.

Some immediate post setup tips
Updating your software
Periodically, Apple releases updates to iOS and bundled first-party apps. As 
updates may have been released since your device was packaged at the 
factory, it is a good idea to check for updates once initial setup is 
complete.

To do this, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is 
available, double-tap the “Download and install” button. Note: you’ll need 
to restart your device to complete installation of iOS updates.

Updates to bundled first-party apps, as well as future third-party apps you 
install, are available by locating the AppStore app on the Home Screen and 
performing a one-finger triple-tap. Double-tap the “Updates” button in the 
menu and then double-tap the “update all” button if updates are shown. 
Alternatively, app updates can be viewed and installed by opening the 
AppStore and double-tapping the “My account” button at the top right.

Locking device orientation
While using your device, you may notice that VoiceOver announces changes 
from portrait to landscape orientation, which can relocate interface 
elements and thus be incredibly frustrating.

Portrait orientation is when the charging port is pointing toward you; 
landscape orientation is when the device is turned to the side, and is most 
useful when extra screen real-estate is needed. However, if like me, you 
always use your device in portrait orientation, you can prevent it from 
being changed, regardless of the physical position of the device.

To do this, place one finger on the status bar and swipe up with three 
fingers to reveal the Control Center. Alternatively, on devices without a 
Home button, the Control Center can be revealed by placing your finger on 
the top edge of the screen until you hear a brief tone, and then sliding 
straight down until you hear the second tone. Double-tap the, “Lock 
rotation,” switch to turn it on, and go home to dismiss the view.

Disabling Raise to Wake
Note: if you prefer an audio demonstration, there is an AppleVis podcast 
that demonstrates this process.

For added convenience, iOS can display the lock screen when the device is 
raised, like when it is removed from a bag or pocket. However, some 
VoiceOver users, myself included, find this annoying, as it seems that even 
small movements can wake the device and cause VoiceOver to start speaking. 
To turn this off, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and double-tap the, 
“Raise to Wake,” switch.

Devices without a Home button also include a feature called tap to wake, 
where a tap of the touch screen will cause the lock screen to be displayed. 
This can be turned on and off by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch 
and double-tapping the, “Tap to Wake,” switch.

The lock screen
To lock your device, where the touch screen is unresponsive to finger input 
and authentication is required to unlock it, press the power button. By 
default, you should hear what sounds like a lock closing. You should do this 
before placing your device in a bag or pocket to prevent erroneous inputs 
from registering.

Press the power button again when you want to unlock the device. When you do 
this, the time and number of notifications should be spoken and the lock 
screen will be displayed. Navigate either by exploring or swiping left and 
right to move directly to the next or previous element. Elements on the lock 
screen generally include the time, date, and any notifications received 
since the device was last used, among other things.

To unlock the device, either rest your finger on the Home button or position 
your face in front of the camera, depending on your device model. If you did 
not set up any biometric authentication, or if your device lacks this 
capability, like the iPod Touch, attempt to go home and enter your passcode 
when prompted. You will then be placed where you left off when you last used 
the device. If you double-tap on a notification from the lock screen, you’ll 
be prompted to authenticate after which you’ll be placed in the app that 
sent the notification.

>From the lock screen, you can access the camera either by double-tapping the 
camera button or swiping left with three fingers, depending on your device 
model.

Notifications
Notifications are alerts delivered by apps and the operating system to 
signify when something requires your attention, regardless of whether your 
using the app that sent the notification at that time or not. Notifications 
include missed calls, texts, emails, social media activity, news alerts, and 
pending iOS update notices, among other things.

If you place your finger on the status bar and swipe down with three 
fingers, all notifications which you’ve yet to act on will be displayed. 
Alternatively, on devices without a Home button, notifications can be 
accessed by placing your finger on the top edge of the screen until you hear 
a brief tone, and then sliding straight down until you hear the third 
ascending tone. Double-tap on a notification to open it in the app that sent 
it, or use the Actions rotor to view additional options specific to the 
alert. For example, if you select the, “View,” action on an incoming text, a 
textfield will be displayed, allowing you to reply to the message without 
needing to open the Messages app.

If you’d rather certain apps not send notifications, you can turn this 
capability off on an app-by-app basis in Settings > Notifications.

Control Center
In addition to customizing iOS via the Settings app, some basic parameters 
can be changed by placing your finger on the status bar and swiping up with 
three fingers to reveal the Control Center. Alternatively, on devices 
without a Home button, the Control Center can be revealed by placing your 
finger on the top edge of the screen until you hear a brief tone, and then 
sliding straight down until you hear the second tone.

By default, you can toggle airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound volume, 
and other settings. For some items, you can select the, “Open controls,” 
rotor action to reveal additional options related to that feature. 
Additional settings for Control Center, such as what parameters to include 
and exclude, can be configured in Settings > Control Center.

Today View
Today View is intended to give you an overview of your day, displaying 
information such as calendar events, due reminders, top news stories, and 
suggestions to open apps based on your regular use patterns. Quick snippets 
of information are contained in extensions of apps called widgets. Both 
first and third-party apps can have widgets, and for added convenience, 
these can be added to the Home Screen. Further customization of what’s 
included in this view and how much information iOS can collect can be 
configured in Settings > Siri & Search.

This view can be accessed from the Home or lock screen by swiping right with 
three fingers; you may need to do this several times if you’re coming from 
the Home Screen, depending on what page you’re on.

The Home Screen
When you turn on and unlock your device, you will be placed on the Home 
Screen, which is a grid of apps. Out of the box, the iOS Home Screen 
consists of two pages of apps, but this number will expand based on how many 
apps you install from the AppStore.

To change the page, either swipe left or right with three fingers or 
navigate to the picker and swipe up or down with one finger; swiping below 
page 1 reveals the Today View, and swiping above the last page of apps 
reveals the App Library, discussed later.

App Library
If you want to get a different view of all the apps installed on your 
device, you can access the App Library by swiping passed the last page of 
apps on the Home Screen.

>From here, you’ll be presented a list of all your apps, organized by 
category. Move between categories by navigating by containers in the rotor. 
Double-tapping the search field near the top of the screen will present an 
alphabetical list of all your apps. You can view this list and double-tap to 
open an app, or search using the keyboard at the bottom of the screen.

If you’d rather newly downloaded apps not show up on the Home Screen by 
default, you can configure them to only show up in the App Library by going 
to Settings > Home Screen and double-tapping, “App Library only” under the 
“newly downloaded apps,” heading.

Editing apps and widgets
As mentioned earlier, the organization of apps and widgets on the Home 
Screen, App Library, and Today View can be edited in various ways. To start 
editing, focus on an app or widget, swipe down with one finger to the, “Edit 
mode,” rotor action and double-tap. You can then use the actions rotor to 
drag apps and widgets by focusing on them, selecting to start a drag 
session, moving to where you want to move the items to, and then selecting 
to drop them at that location.

To add a widget to the Home Screen, double-tap the, “Add widget,” button and 
select the one you want to add. Note that an app can spawn multiple widgets 
to display different amounts of information and take different amounts of 
space on the screen.

If you opt to place one app directly on top of another, a folder is created, 
which iOS will attempt to name based on the categorization of the apps 
inside it; dragging all but one app out of a folder will disband the folder.

To delete or hide an app, move to it while in edit mode, double-tap it, and 
confirm whether you want to delete it from your device, move it to the App 
Library, or cancel the operation. When you first get your device, Apple 
includes several additional apps not part of the operating system that you 
may or may not find useful. To save space on your device, you should delete 
them if you don’t use them; they can usually be redownloaded from the 
AppStore later.

Multitasking
In your use of iOS, you’ll undoubtedly come upon situations where you’re 
working in one app and need to quickly switch to another one. There are two 
main ways to do this, the most direct being to swipe left and right with 
four fingers. Swiping right will take you through your last used apps, 
swiping left will move to the previous app.

Additionally, if you, for example, double-tap a link in an email message to 
load a webpage in Safari, iOS provides a handy, “Return to…” button at the 
top left of the screen which you can use to return to your last-used app, 
eliminating the need to swipe back with four fingers.

You can also view your open apps with the app switcher, accessed either by 
pressing the Home button twice quickly or touching the bottom edge of the 
screen and sliding up until you hear the third ascending tone, depending on 
your device model. From here, swipe left and right with one finger through 
your apps and double-tap the one you want to use. Swipe up with three 
fingers on an app to close it, which is generally only necessary if an app 
becomes unresponsive or repeatedly crashes. While iOS is pretty good about 
shutting down apps that are problematic or resource-intensive, not all apps 
are created equal, and thus anomalies can happen.

The iOS keyboard
While typing on a flat slab of glass may take some getting used to, you have 
a number of options that can make it quite easy and straightforward for you. 
In this guide, I will give an overview of several, but keep in mind that I 
am only scratching the surface; you can find more information on the 
AppleVis forum, other Apple centric user lists, and of course, your own 
exploration.

General
When double-tapping on a textfield, VoiceOver will generally announce that 
the field is, “Editing,” which means the keyboard is displayed near the 
bottom of the screen. If it is a secure text field, like the kind used to 
input passwords and other sensitive data, VoiceOver will indicate a key 
pressed with a click sound, as opposed to echoing what is being typed.

The default iOS keyboard is laid out like a tactile Qwerty keyboard. For me, 
it was helpful to glide my finger around the keyboard so I could gradually 
get a picture in my head of where different keys would be situated. I found 
I could then touch one key, and efficiently move my finger to the general 
location of my next intended key. As said earlier, rather than navigating to 
an double-tapping each key, it may be quicker to place one finger on the key 
and tap the screen with another finger.

If you need to type numbers or symbols, double-tap the, “Numbers,” keyboard 
on the bottom left. Use the, “Symbols,” keyboard if you need to type a 
symbol that is not on that keyboard.

As you type, a small strip just above the top of the keyboard will be 
populated with words that iOS thinks you might be typing; double-tap a 
suggestion to insert it. As you get more comfortable with the iOS keyboard, 
you can explore the different typing modes VoiceOver offers, and decide what 
works best for you.

Typing modes
To increase the ease of use of the iOS keyboard, VoiceOver offers three 
distinct typing modes, Standard Typing, Touch Typing, and Direct Touch 
Typing. This can be changed by turning the rotor to typing mode and swiping 
up and down with one finger until you hear the mode you want. Standard 
Typing is the default, where you must navigate to and double-tap or 
split-tap on keys.

Touch Typing allows you to move to a key and lift your finger to insert it. 
This can help to improve typing speed as long as you don’t lift your finger 
too haphazardly on keys you don’t want to type.

Optionally, if you rest your finger on a key and then slide your finger to 
another key, iOS will try to predict what you’re typing. For example, if you’re 
using Touch Typing and rest your finger on the letter H for about one 
second, and then slide it to the general location of the letter E, and then 
move it to the letter L, and then the letter O, iOS will predict the word, 
“Hello.” If the wrong word is predicted, simply press the delete key and it 
will be deleted. More information and an audio demonstration of this feature 
can be found in this AppleVis podcast. To turn this feature off, go to 
Settings > General > Keyboard and double-tap the, “Slide to Type,” switch.

Direct Touch Typing allows you to simply touch a key and have it inserted, 
as if VoiceOver wasn’t running at all. This may be useful for those who have 
enough usable vision to see which keys they are typing and don’t want to 
perform any extra VoiceOver gestures.

Dictation
If you’d rather speak than type, you can use the iOS dictation feature. To 
dictate text, perform a magic tap when you’re in a textfield (a magic tap is 
a two-finger double-tap) and start speaking when you hear a ding sound. 
Perform a second magic tap when you’re done speaking, and the text will then 
be inserted and spoken by VoiceOver. In addition to words, you can also 
dictate punctuation and line breaks.

Braille Screen Input
If you prefer to type on a Braille keyboard, like the kind found on a 
Perkins braille writer or Braille notetaker, you can use Braille Screen 
Input (BSI) on iOS to mimic the typing experience.

Braille Screen Input allows you to place your fingers on the screen the way 
you’d position them on a Braille keyboard and have VoiceOver predict what 
dots of a braille cell you’re typing. For example, if you tapped the right 
side of your iOS device with one finger, VoiceOver would interpret a dot six 
being entered. If you place one finger toward the left or center of the 
device, it would interpret a dot one. To insert a space, swipe right with 
one finger; swipe right with two fingers to insert a line break.

To set up this feature, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor, 
and select Braille Screen Input. Any time you want to type in Braille, turn 
the rotor to Braille Screen Input and if it is not already, turn your device 
to landscape orientation to maximize the space you have. This will work even 
if your device’s orientation is locked.

You can switch between contracted and uncontracted braille by swiping right 
with three fingers when in BSI, or change the braille table by going to 
Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Braille. Additionally, you can change 
the typing echo for braille by going to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver 
 > Typing > Typing Feedback, and selecting an option under the, “Braille 
Screen Input,” heading.

For more detailed information on how to use this feature, check out this 
guide.

Emoji
Emojis are special characters that can give a sense of personality to what 
you’re typing. These can be used to convey facial expressions, expressions 
of individual identity, objects, and more.

The emoji keyboard is located near the bottom left of the iOS keyboard, and 
can be accessed from most textfields. A list of categories is given across 
the bottom, and you can search for specific emojis and symbols using the 
search field at the top of the keyboard.

Hardware keyboards
No matter how easy it can be to type on a touch screen once you get the hang 
of it, there may be situations where the use of a tactile Qwerty keyboard is 
preferred. For me, if I’m writing a large block of text quickly, I much 
prefer typing on tactile buttons to any of the software keyboard methods.

Keyboards can be paired with your device via Bluetooth, and VoiceOver 
supports basic navigation with keyboard shortcuts. If you’ve used macOS, 
these commands will feel very familiar to you. To move left and right, hold 
down the Control and Option keys, known as the VoiceOver modifier, and press 
the left or right arrow key; activate items by pressing Control Option 
Space.

Note: the VoiceOver modifier is commonly referred to as, “VO,” for short. 
Thus, if you are instructed, for example, to press VO Space, hold down the 
Control and Option keys and press the Space bar.

For added convenience, you can turn on Quick Nav by pressing the left and 
right arrow keys together, allowing you to press the arrow keys without 
needing to use the VoiceOver modifier. In addition, with Quick Nav on, you 
can adjust the rotor by pressing the up arrow with either the left or right 
arrow, and then use the up and down arrow keys to navigate the available 
items. Press the up and down arrow keys together to activate items.

Other VoiceOver keyboard commands can be practiced by pressing VO K to 
access VoiceOver help, and many third-party apps include their own keyboard 
shortcuts, many of which are similar to those on macOS.

Refreshable braille
In addition to spoken feedback, VoiceOver on iOS supports a wide variety of 
refreshable braille displays. Braille displays can be paired with your 
device via BlueTooth by putting your display into its pairing mode (it is 
known by a variety of names) and going to Settings > Accessibility > 
VoiceOver > Braille on your iOS device.

However, while I am aware of iOS’s support for refreshable braille, I do not 
own a braille display, so cannot comment on the quality or usability of 
these features. If you have any questions or problems with braille on iOS, 
your best bet is to post to the AppleVis forum or a similar user list, or to 
contact Apple or the display’s manufacturer for assistance.

Siri
As mentioned earlier, Siri is the intelligent personal assistant built in to 
iOS and other apple platforms. It can be used to look up information such as 
weather forecasts, sports scores, stock prices, and calendar events and 
reminders, call or text people, turn some settings on and off, open apps, 
and more. It can be engaged by pressing and holding the Home button, or Side 
button if your device doesn’t have a Home button; let go of the button when 
you’re done talking. Siri should then respond with an answer, a followup 
question, or if it searches the web, an interface with the search results.

When you first set up your device, you were also probably asked to train 
Siri to recognize your voice, which allows you to activate it without 
pressing any buttons by saying, “Hey Siri,” followed by your command. For 
example, if I wanted to call a contact named John, I would say, “Hey Siri 
call john,” and it should respond by calling that contact. Likewise if I 
wanted to text them, I would say, “Hey Siri text John,” followed by the 
content of my message. The following is a list of some other things you can 
say to Siri, though it is in no means comprehensive. Also if you have 
third-party apps installed, Siri can perform additional functions related to 
those apps if the developer has programmed support.

  a.. What’s the weather today?
  b.. What’s the weather like this weekend?
  c.. What time is it in London?
  d.. What’s Apple’s stock price?
  e.. How’s the Dow doing today?
  f.. What’s the score of the Red Sox game?
  g.. How tall is LeBron James?
  h.. How many Super Bowls has Tom Brady won?
  i.. How many ounces are in a pound?
  j.. What’s 5 Dollars in Euros?
  k.. How do you say, “Hello,” in Spanish?
  l.. Set an alarm for 9 AM tomorrow.
  m.. Turn my 9 AM alarm off.
  n.. Remind me to get milk when I leave work.
  o.. Read me my texts.
  p.. Play Beyonce (supported streaming subscription or local song download 
required).
  q.. What’s the song that goes something like “To the left, to the left?”
  r.. Play Empire State of Mind (supported streaming subscription or local 
song download required).
  s.. Turn on do not disturb.
  t.. Open VoiceOver settings.
  u.. Find the nearest 7-11
  v.. Call BestBuy (it will automatically present listings around your 
current location)
Siri settings can be changed by going to Settings > Siri & Search.

Siri Shortcuts
As you use iOS, you may find that you do a lot of things repetitively. The 
Shortcuts app allows you to configure a phrase that when said to Siri, will 
cause it to perform a series of actions automatically.

For me, when I work out, I like to have a certain playlist up and don’t want 
to be interrupted by notifications. Instead of manually turning on do not 
disturb, and then opening the playlist, I can just say, “Hey Siri I’m 
working out” and the playlist will be opened and do not disturb will be 
turned on for me.

Siri shortcuts can also perform functions within third-party apps if the 
developer has programmed support for this feature in their app. For example, 
when I go to a specific fast-food restaurant, I always order the same thing. 
Rather than go into that restaurant’s app and place my order every time, I 
just say, “Hey Siri order my usual,” and a cart with my items is presented 
to me.

For a more in-depth description of how shortcuts can be created and used, 
check out this blog post.

Third-party apps
If there is one thing iOS is known for, it is the vibrant market of 
third-party apps and the industry that Apple invigorated in the later half 
of the 2000s. All iOS apps can be found in the AppStore, itself an app on 
the Home Screen. Some are free, while others are paid; still others are free 
to download but require a purchase or subscription to continue using the app 
or unlock additional functionality.

If you need to check up on the news, read a book, watch a movie or tv show, 
get in touch with friends, join or host a video conference or webinar, 
communicate with a healthcare provider, play a game, and more, there’s most 
likely an app for that. The assistive technology landscape has also been 
affected, as there are now apps that can perform the functions of 
specialized hardware devices.

Additionally, many games have been released over the years that can be 
played without vision, such as interactive stories and audio games. Some of 
these are intended to be played by predominantly blind and low-vision 
gamers, while others can be enjoyed by sighted and blind people alike.

Chances are if you’re new to iOS, you probably do a lot on your computer, 
such as listen to music and books, communicate with people, pay bills, 
perform banking tasks, catch up on current events, and create contents such 
as documents or audio recordings. All these things can be done with iOS 
apps. Social networks like FaceBook, Twitter and others have apps, as do 
music streaming services like Spotify, video streaming services like 
Netflix, most major news organizations, and many banks around the world.

Unfortunately, however, not all of these apps are accessible with VoiceOver, 
which is one of the reasons why I’m deliberately not recommending specific 
apps in this guide; the fast pace of app development means that a single 
update can have wide-ranging and unpredictable effects on accessibility. 
Also, the logistics and economics of app development mean that not all apps 
are sustainable longterm, so by the time you read this, certain titles may 
no-longer be available or actively maintained.

Information about the accessibility of many apps can be found in the 
AppleVis iOS app directory, a place where blind and low-vision users can 
submit descriptions and information about apps they’ve used. If you’re 
looking for the best of the best in app quality and accessibility, check out 
the AppleVis iOS app hall of fame, where community members vote annually on 
apps that demonstrate excellence in usability and accessibility.

If you download an app that does not appear to be accessible with VoiceOver, 
feel free to submit it to the directory so that other users know. Even more 
importantly, you should contact the developer with your concerns, as many 
developers simply don’t know about VoiceOver and may become motivated to 
address issues when they hear from users who rely on the technology.

Screen Recognition
If you must use an app that is inaccessible or poorly designed, iOS may be 
able to analyze the interface and recognize text, buttons, and other 
elements that can then be read by VoiceOver. To turn this on, go to Settings 
 > Accessibility > VoiceOver > VoiceOver Recognition > Screen Recognition, 
and toggle it on; a small download will be required.

As this feature is largely a work in progress and relies on machine 
learning, your results may vary. Due to this inconsistency, screen 
recognition is not intended as a substitute for good accessibility practices 
by developers, but rather a stopgap solution that could assist users in a 
pinch until the developer makes the changes necessary to make their app 
natively accessible.

More information and an audio demonstration of this feature can be found in 
this AppleVis podcast.

Assistive apps
Of all the different kinds of apps that exist today, one group has had a 
particular impact on increasing my independence, apps that describe the 
visual world around me. There are a variety of apps that serve a range of 
purposes, which I will give an overview of, while not endorsing any specific 
app. As mentioned earlier, apps and developers’ circumstances change too 
rapidly for me to ensure that information in this guide will remain sound 
going forward.

Currency identifiers
If you live life without being able to see, at least if the US dollar is 
your primary currency, you’ll know that all bills feel exactly the same, 
with no way to tell different denominations. Before the advent of currency 
identification apps, someone who is blind or low-vision would have to rely 
on sighted assistance or use a dedicated hardware device to identify the 
different denominations of bills.

There are currently several currency identification apps available in the 
AppStore, which support a wide range of currencies and all have their unique 
features. One of these is Microsoft Seeing AI, which is free to use, as it 
is a research project by Microsoft. Another is Cash Reader, an app that 
identifies money without needing an Internet connection, available with a 
number of subscription options. Whichever solutions you choose, the central 
concept of placing a bill under your iOS device’s camera and having the 
denomination spoken by VoiceOver applies near-universally.

Document scanners
No matter how hard you press people in your life to provide you with 
documents in either an accessible electronic or braille format, there 
inevitably are some things that slip through the cracks. However, document 
scanning apps that use the advanced camera technology on your iOS device can 
help turn that useless piece of paper into something actually worth your 
time and energy.

That said, in my opinion, document scanners are not a substitute for good 
document accessibility practices. Instead, it is better to think of them as 
an impact mitigation strategy, making something that is completely 
inaccessible somewhat accessible. Of course, there are a number of document 
scanning apps out there, including Microsoft Seeing AI, Voice Dream Scanner, 
and Voice.

All-in-one solutions
The previous two categories I discussed refer to apps that perform a small 
number of standalone functions. However, apps like Microsoft Seeing AI and 
Envision AI have added a new style of assistive app, a Swiss Army Knife, if 
you will, of functions.

In the case of Seeing AI, from one app, you can recognize short text, 
documents, product bar codes, currency, light, and more. Seeing AI, being a 
research project by Microsoft, is free to use, whereas Envision AI requires 
a subscription after the trial period has expired; their respective feature 
sets are generally comparable.

Remote sighted assistance
While artificial intelligence has become incredibly powerful for certain 
things, there are still situations where help from a human is preferred. 
Over the years, services where a person who is blind or visually impaired 
can make contact with a remote sighted person have been introduced, the two 
most notable being Aira and Be My Eyes.

Aira is a subscription service that connects you to a professionally trained 
agent to help you with visual tasks and experiences. Be My Eyes has a 
similar purpose, but rather than a paid subscription service, it is composed 
of a network of sighted volunteers and thus it is free to use.

Conclusion and additional resources
Although this guide touches on numerous topics, I am truly only scratching 
the surface of what you can do with an iOS device; iOS is an incredibly 
complex operating system that has given rise to a number of unique and 
intimate uses that would be impossible to cover in one guide. However, 
having now read through all or part of this guide, you hopefully have an 
idea of what you can do and how to do it. More information is available on 
the AppleVis forum, and below are a few links to some more potentially 
useful resources.

If you have any other suggestions or want something clarified, sound off in 
the comments.

https://geeksmodo.com/learn-to-use-voiceover-on-your-iphone-a-beginners-guide/




     David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist

Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info
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Keep Smiling,
Janie Degenshein
Happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you already have!
Facilitator of ECHO (Eyes Closed Hearts Open)
state affiliate board member
President of the senior division of the National Federation of the Blind of 
New Jersey
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President of the Technology division of the National federation of the Blind 
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jdegen16 at comcast.net