VoiceOver general commands on Mac
Use these commands to perform actions such as turning VoiceOver on and off, getting help, or changing basic settings. VO represents the VoiceOver modifier (see Use the VoiceOver modifier).
Note: When VoiceOver is on, you can enter VoiceOver commands by using the Fn and number keys with the VoiceOver modifier, as an alternative to using the function keys (F1 through F12). For example, to open VoiceOver Utility you can press Control-Option-Fn-8 (instead of Control-Option-F8).
If you use the function keys (F1 through F12), you may need to also press and hold the Fn key, depending on how you set the behavior of function keys in Keyboard settings.
Action | Command |
|---|---|
Turn VoiceOver on or off | Command-F5 If your Mac or Magic Keyboard has Touch ID, press and hold the Command key while you quickly press Touch ID three times. |
Lock and unlock the VoiceOver modifier | VO-; |
Open VoiceOver Utility | VO-F8 |
Start keyboard help | VO-K |
Open the VoiceOver Help menu | VO-H |
Open the VoiceOver Quick Start | VO-Command-F8 |
Open the VoiceOver User Guide | VO-? |
Read the help tag for the current item | VO-Shift-H |
Read the VoiceOver hint for the current item | VO-Shift-N |
Open the Commands menu | VO-H-H |
Open the Find Commands menu | VO-Shift-F |
Open the Notifications menu | VO-N |
Read the current date and time | VO-F7 |
Read the battery status of your Mac | VO-F7-F7 |
Read the network status of your Mac | VO-F7-F7-F7 |
Close a menu or rotor, stop an action, or exit a mode | Escape or Fn-Tab |
Tell VoiceOver to ignore the next key or key combination you press | VO-Tab |
Open the Verbosity rotor | VO-V Then press the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key to choose the setting. Use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to change the level for the setting. |
Increase magnification of the item in the VoiceOver cursor | VO-} |
Decrease magnification of the item in the VoiceOver cursor | VO-{ |
Temporarily hide or show the VoiceOver cursor and the caption or braille panels | VO-Command-F11 |
Hide or show the caption panel only | VO-Command-F10 |
Resize or move the caption panel | VO-Shift-F10 Press again to cycle through these actions. Then use the arrow keys to resize the panel or move it. |
Hide or show the braille panel only | VO-Command-F9 |
Resize or move the braille panel | VO-Shift-F9 Press again to cycle through these actions. Then use the arrow keys to resize the panel or move it. |
Tile visuals (dim the screen, highlight the caption or braille panel, and show the item in the VoiceOver cursor in the center of the screen) | VO-F10 Press again to return to the normal view. |
Turn the NumPad Commander on or off | VO-Clear This option is only available if your keyboard has a designated key for Clear. |
Turn the Keyboard Commander on or off | VO-Shift-K |
Turn the Trackpad Commander on or off | Press and hold the VoiceOver modifier key or keys (Control and Option or Caps Lock) and rotate two fingers clockwise (on) or counterclockwise (off). |
Turn the screen curtain on or off | VO-Shift-F11 |
Cycle through settings (such as voice, rate, pitch, volume, language, and braille table) in the rotor | VO-Command-Shift-Right Arrow or Left Arrow |
Change the current setting for voice, rate, pitch, volume, language, and braille table in the rotor | VO-Command-Shift-Up Arrow or Down Arrow |