How to Use VoiceOver on a Mac: A Beginner's Guide

VoiceOver is the screen reader built into every Mac. It speaks what's on the screen and lets you control the Mac entirely from the keyboard. It's designed for people who are blind or have low vision.

This guide covers the basics. It's also the guide to read if VoiceOver has come on by accident and you want it to stop.

Press Command + F5.

Press it again to turn VoiceOver off. On a MacBook you may need fn + Command + F5. On a Mac with Touch ID, hold Command and quickly press Touch ID three times.

You can also use System Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, or ask Siri to "Turn off VoiceOver".

The first time you turn it on, a welcome window offers a tutorial. Press V to use VoiceOver straight away, or Space to start the tutorial.

Most commands start with the VoiceOver modifier, written as VO. By default that means holding Control + Option together. You can also use Caps Lock.

So "VO + Right Arrow" means Control + Option + Right Arrow.

VoiceOver moves a dark outline around the screen, called the VoiceOver cursor. Whatever is inside the outline is what VoiceOver reads and what your commands act on.

To do this | Press
Move to the next item | VO + Right Arrow
Move to the previous item | VO + Left Arrow
Click or activate the item | VO + Space
Read everything from the top | VO + A
Pause or resume speech | Control
Go into a group (toolbar, list, web area) | VO + Shift + Down Arrow
Come out of a group | VO + Shift + Up Arrow
Open the menu bar | VO + M
Go to the Dock | VO + D

Press VO + U to open the Rotor. It lists the headings, links, form controls and other landmarks on the current page or window.

Use the Left and Right Arrows to switch lists and the Up and Down Arrows to move through them. Press Return to jump to your choice, or Escape to close the Rotor.

On a web page, the headings list is the quickest way to find the section you want.

• VO + H opens the VoiceOver Help menu.
• VO + K starts keyboard help. Press any key to hear what it does. Press Escape to finish.
• VO + Command + F8 opens the VoiceOver tutorial, a hands-on walkthrough of the essentials. It's the best way to learn.

Press VO + F8 to open VoiceOver Utility. You can also click Open VoiceOver Utility… in System Settings.

• Speech: choose a voice and set the speaking rate.
• Verbosity: choose how much detail VoiceOver gives.
• Braille: set up a connected braille display.

For a quick change while working, hold VO + Command and press the arrow keys. Left and Right choose a setting such as rate or volume, and Up and Down adjust it.

Turn on Trackpad Commander by holding VO and rotating two fingers clockwise on the trackpad. You can then use gestures: touch the trackpad to hear the item under your finger, and double-tap to activate it.

Press Command + F5 (or fn + Command + F5) to switch it off. To stop it happening, go to System Settings > Accessibility > Shortcut and untick VoiceOver.

Turn VoiceOver on with Command + F5, move with VO + arrow keys, activate with VO + Space, and run the tutorial with VO + Command + F8.