A beginner’s guide to using iOS with VoiceOver

A common misconception about smartphones is that they are designed for people who can see the screen. Since the touchscreen is the primary interface on modern smartphones, the argument that they are not friendly for people who are blind or those with low vision makes sense. However, smartphone makers have introduced new accessibility features like VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android to make them user-friendly for people who can’t see the screen.

Even before smartphones took over from the likes of Nokia phones, there was Nuance which offered voice-guided interfaces to help the blind or those with low vision navigate their devices. With features like VoiceOver on iOS, you can get more things done than seems possible. So, let’s look at using iOS with VoiceOver.

VoiceOver for iPhone

VoiceOver, available on iPhone and other Apple devices running iOS or iPadOS, is a gesture-based screen reader. VoiceOver for iPhone allows you to use the iPhone even if you can’t see the screen via audible descriptions of what’s on the screen. You can use it for a wide range of things such as identifying who’s calling, checking the battery level, or the app your finger is on.

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Once enabled, you can touch the screen or drag your finger over it and VoiceOver for iPhone will read out the name of the item your finger is on, including icons and text. Since the iPhone screen is essentially a grid of apps and widgets, VoiceOver will play a sound when you go to a new screen and then select and speak the name of the first item on the screen.

It can also inform iPhone users when the screen orientation changes to landscape or portrait, when the screen is dimmed or locked or what’s active on the lock screen when you wake your device.

How to turn on VoiceOver for iPhone

Before using VoiceOver on your iPhone, you must first enable it on your device. If you use Siri then the easiest way to enable VoiceOver is through Apple’s voice assistant. All you need to do is say a command like “Turn on VoiceOver” or “Turn off VoiceOver” and Siri will enable or disable the feature. However, you can also enable it from Settings. Here’s how:

Step 1: Go to Settings

Step 2: Scroll down to Accessibility.

Step 3: Click on VoiceOver, the first option under accessibility.

Step 4: Now, tap the toggle next to VoiceOver until it turns green.

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As soon as you enable VoiceOver for iPhone, you will be greeted with the option to try the tutorial or use VoiceOver. You can also enable live recognition and change the speaking rate. You can access VoiceOver from the Control Centre or use the accessibility shortcut.

VoiceOver gestures on iPhone

Once VoiceOver is enabled, gestures used to control your iPhone will be changed. With VoiceOver gestures, you can use two, three and four-finger taps and swipes to navigate the devices. For example, a three-finger swipe up allows you to scroll down one page while a three-finger swipe down lets you scroll up a page. Similarly, you can use these gestures to further control your iPhone.

Some of the popular gestures include tapping or touching the item to select and speak about while you can select the next item or the previous item by swiping right and left respectively.