Use VoiceOver with an Apple Wireless Keyboard

You can control VoiceOver using an Apple Wireless Keyboard paired with iPhone. See Use an Apple Wireless Keyboard.

Use VoiceOver keyboard commands to navigate the screen, select items, read screen contents, adjust the rotor, and perform other VoiceOver actions. Most commands use the Control-Option key combination, abbreviated in the table that follow as “VO.”

You can use VoiceOver Help to learn the keyboard layout and the actions associated with various key combinations. VoiceOver Help speaks keys and keyboard commands as you type them, without performing the associated action.

VoiceOver keyboard commands

VO = Control-Option

  • Turn on VoiceOver help:  VO–K

  • Turn off VoiceOver help:  Escape

  • Select the next or previous item:  VO–Right Arrow or VO–Left Arrow

  • Double-tap to activate the selected item:  VO–Space bar

  • Press the Home button:  VO–H

  • Touch and hold the selected item:  VO–Shift–M

  • Move to the status bar:  VO–M

  • Read from the current position:  VO–A

  • Read from the top:  VO–B

  • Pause or resume reading:  Control

  • Copy the last spoken text to the clipboard:  VO–Shift–C

  • Search for text:  VO–F

  • Mute or unmute VoiceOver:  VO–S

  • Open Notification Center:  Fn–VO–Up Arrow

  • Open Control Center:  Fn–VO–Down Arrow

  • Open the Item Chooser:  VO–I

  • Change the label of the selected item:  VO–/

  • Double-tap with two fingers:  VO–”-”

  • Adjust the rotor:  Use Quick Nav (see below)

  • Swipe up or down:  VO–Up Arrow or VO–Down Arrow

  • Adjust the speech rotor:  VO–Command–Left Arrow or VO–Command–Right Arrow

  • Adjust the setting specified by the speech rotor:  VO–Command–Up Arrow or VO–Command–Down Arrow

  • Turn the screen curtain on or off:  VO–Shift–S

  • Return to the previous screen:  Escape

Quick Nav

Turn on Quick Nav to control VoiceOver using the arrow keys.

  • Turn Quick Nav on or off:  Left Arrow–Right Arrow

  • Select the next or previous item:  Right Arrow or Left 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

  • Double-tap to activate the selected item:  Up Arrow–Down Arrow

  • Scroll up, down, left, or right:  Option–Up Arrow, Option–Down Arrow, Option–Left Arrow, or Option–Right Arrow

  • Adjust the rotor:  Up Arrow–Left Arrow or Up Arrow–Right Arrow

You can also use the number keys on an Apple Wireless Keyboard to dial a phone number in Phone or enter numbers in Calculator.

Single-key Quick Nav for web browsing

When you view a webpage with Quick Nav on, you can use the following keys on the keyboard to navigate the page quickly. Typing the key moves to the next item of the indicated type. To move to the previous item, hold the Shift key as you type the letter.

  • Heading:  H

  • Link:  L

  • Text field:  R

  • Button:  B

  • Form control:  C

  • Image:  I

  • Table:  T

  • Static text:  S

  • ARIA 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

Text editing

Use these commands (with Quick Nav turned off) to work with text. VoiceOver reads the text as you move the insertion point.

  • Go forward or back one character:  Right Arrow or Left Arrow

  • Go forward or back one word:  Option–Right Arrow or Option–Left Arrow

  • Go up or down one line:  Up Arrow or Down Arrow

  • Go to the beginning or end of the line:  Command–Left Arrow or Command–Down Arrow

  • Go to the beginning or end of the paragraph:  Option–Up Arrow or Option–Down Arrow

  • Go to the previous or next paragraph:  Option–Up Arrow or Option–Down Arrow

  • Go to the top or bottom of the text field:  Command–Up Arrow or Command–Down Arrow

  • Select text as you move:  Shift + any of the insertion point movement commands above

  • Select all text:  Command–A

  • Copy, cut, or paste the selected text:  Command–C, Command–X, or Command–V

  • Undo or redo last change:  Command–Z or Shift–Command–Z