Turn on and practice VoiceOver on iPhone

With VoiceOver—a gesture-based screen reader—you can use iPhone even if you don’t see the screen. VoiceOver gives audible descriptions of what’s on your screen—from battery level, to who’s calling, to which app your finger is on. You can also adjust the speaking rate and pitch to suit your needs.

When you touch the screen or drag your finger over it, VoiceOver speaks the name of the item your finger is on, including icons and text. To interact with the item, such as a button or link, or to navigate to another item, use VoiceOver gestures.

When you go to a new screen, VoiceOver plays a sound, then selects and speaks the name of the first item on the screen (typically in the top-left corner). VoiceOver tells you when the display changes to landscape or portrait orientation, when the screen becomes dimmed or locked, and what’s active on the Lock screen when you wake iPhone.

Turn VoiceOver on or off

Important: VoiceOver changes the gestures you use to control iPhone. When VoiceOver is on, you must use VoiceOver gestures to operate iPhone.

To turn VoiceOver on or off, use any of the following methods:

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then turn the setting on or off.
Summon Siri and say “Turn on VoiceOver” or “Turn off VoiceOver.”
Triple-click the side button (on an iPhone with Face ID).
Triple-click the Home button (on an iPhone with a Home button).
Use Control Center.

Learn and practice VoiceOver gestures

You can practice VoiceOver gestures in a special area without affecting iPhone or its settings. When you practice a gesture, VoiceOver describes the gesture and the resulting action.

Try different techniques to discover which works best for you. If a gesture doesn’t work, try a quicker movement, especially for a double-tap or swipe gesture. To swipe, try brushing the screen quickly with your finger or fingers. For best results using multifinger gestures, touch the screen with some space between your fingers.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver.
Turn on VoiceOver, tap VoiceOver Practice, then double-tap to start.
Practice the following gestures with one, two, three, and four fingers:
- Tap
- Double-tap
- Triple-tap
- Swipe left, right, up, or down
When you finish practicing, tap Done, then double-tap to exit.

Helpful?

iPhone User Guide

Turn on and practice VoiceOver on iPhone

Turn VoiceOver on or off

Learn and practice VoiceOver gestures