This is the place to learn how to use your device with a keyboard.
Materials Needed
A bluetooth or wired keyboard. The keyboard does not have to have a number pad.
Let's Get Started
Everything you can do with a mouse on the computer, can be done with the keyboard.
There are special commands used only by VoiceOver which are used to make the computer accessible to you.
These commands always start with the VoiceOver, or VO, modifier.
The VO modifier tells VoiceOver when you are giving it a command. The next key or keys pressed, tells VoiceOver exactly what to do. For example, VO + M takes the VO cursor to the menu bar.
In order for you to find and use the VO modifier, we need to talk about the keyboard.
The standard keyboard in use today is a QWERTY style keyboard, with or without a number pad. The term QWERTY is used because the top left letter row of the keyboard begins with that pattern, q, w, e, r, t, y.
Depending on what type of keyboard you have, it may or may not have a number pad. It is just fine if you don't have a number pad, but if you do, the NumPad Controller becomes available to you. Please see the NumPad Controller lesson in the iOS Lesson List.
The VO Modifier
The VO modifier is a key or set of keys you press with other keys to enter VoiceOver commands.
You can set the modifier to be the Caps Lock, or the Control and Option keys pressed at the same time.
VoiceOver on Mac with the Keyboard
In order to use VoiceOver with the keyboard you need to press the VoiceOver modifier key.
The modifier is a key or set of keys you press to enter VoiceOver commands. You can set the modifier to be the Caps Lock key or the Control and Option keys pressed at the same time.
Go to Settings/Accessibility/VoiceOver/Typing/Modifier Keys.
Choose the modifier for VoiceOver commands: the Caps Lock key or the Control and Option keys.
This modifier is abbreviated as VO in the tables below.
Mac Keyboard Commands
| VoiceOver Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Turn on VoiceOver Help | VO + K |
| Turn off VoiceOver Help | Escape |
| Select the next or previous item | VO + Left or Right Arrows |
| Activate the Selected Item | VO + Space bar |
| Open Contextual Menu | VO + Shift + M |
| Read from Current Position | VO + A |
| Read from the Top | VO + B |
| Pause or Resume Reading | Control key |
| Copy the last spoken text to the clipboard | VO + Shift + C |
| Scroll up, down, left, or right | Option-Up Arrow, Option-Down Arrow, Option-Left Arrow, or Option-Right Arrow |
| Search for Text | VO + F |
| Mute or Unmute VoiceOver | VO + S |
| Go To Home Screen | VO + H |
| Go to Status Bar | VO + M |
| Open the notifications screen | VO + M, then Option + Up Arrow |
| Open the Control Center | VO + M, then Option + Down Arrow |
| Open Search | Option + Up Arrow |
| Open the App Switcher | VO + H + H |
| Open Item Chooser | VO + I |
| Change the label of the selected item | VO + / |
| Start, stop, or pause an action | VO + Hyphen |
| Swipe Up or Down | VO + Up or VO + Down |
| Adjust Rotor | VO + Command + Left Arrow or Right Arrow |
| Adjust the setting specified by the rotor | VO-Command-Up Arrow or VO-Command-Down Arrow |
| Turn on or off Screen Curtain | VO + Shift + F11 (you may need to press the Fn Key) |
| Dismiss a popup | Escape Key |
| Adjust the rotor | VO + Shift + CMD + Left or Right Arrow |
| Move by Rotor Selection | Up or Down Arrow |
Using Quick Nav with the Arrow Keys
Turn on Quick Nav to control VoiceOver using the arrow keys.
| VoiceOver Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Turn Quick Nav on or off | Left Arrow + Right Arrow |
| Select the next or previous item | Right Arrow or Left Arrow |
| Tap an item | Up Arrow-Down Arrow |
| Select the next or previous item specified by the rotor | Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
| Select the first or last item | Control-Up Arrow or Control-Down Arrow |
| Scroll up, down, left, or right | Option-Up Arrow, Option-Down Arrow, Option-Left Arrow, or Option-Right Arrow |
Single-key Quick Nav Web Browsing
To navigate a webpage quickly, turn on Quick Nav web browsing (VO-Q), then press keys on the keyboard to navigate to specific item types, such as headings or links. To move to the previous item, hold the Shift key as you press a key for the item type.
| VoiceOver Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Item Type | Shortcut |
| Heading | H |
| Link | L |
| Text Field | R |
| Button | B |
| Form Control | C |
| Image | I |
| Table | T |
| Static Text | S |
| AIRA Landmark | W |
| List | X |
| Item of the Same Type | M |
| Level 1 heading | 1 |
| Level 2 heading | 2 |
| Level 3 heading | 3 |
| Level 4 heading | 4 |
| Level 5 heading | 5 |
| Level 6 heading | 6 |