Using Voice Over on IOS
Published
This should have been a Friday/Saturday update, but life got in the way as it does.
On Friday and Saturday, I decided to revisit VoiceOver (VO) on iOS. I'm already fairly comfortable using VO on MacBooks, but using it on iPhones used to feel frustrating and overwhelming. I figured it was time to give it another go and it was less confusing this time (progress, yay!).
I ended up getting so into it that I used VO longer than I originally planned. I tried navigating through a few apps, and I realized how often mobile accessibility is overlooked. Some apps were basically unusable with VO. For example, I couldn't even log in to a bank application, despite there being a visible login button. Something seemed to be visually and programmatically blocking the login page It was weird, and definitely frustrating.
That said, some apps were usaable with VO. The Settings app, Messaging, and WhatsApp were quite accessible, with logical navigation and well-labeled elements.
Getting Started with VoiceOver on iOS
If you're new to VoiceOver on iOS, the best way to get started is to follow the built-in VoiceOver tutorial in Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver. It walks you through gestures and navigation in a beginner-friendly way.
I also watched a helpful video on YouTube: How to Navigate your iPhone or iPad with VoiceOver. It helped me understand how to navigate to the Home screen, open the Control Center, and generally move around the UI more confidently.
Some VoiceOver Features I Found Interesting
- Gestures: VoiceOver uses a unique set of gestures. For example, you can swipe left or right to move between items, double-tap to activate, and use a three-finger swipe to scroll. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, it's pretty intuitive.
- Screen Curtain: You can triple-tap with three fingers to enable it. This turns off the display while still allowing you to use the phone with VoiceOver—useful for privacy or reducing screen distractions.
- Rotor: By rotating two fingers on the screen (like turning a dial), you can change how VoiceOver navigates—by headings, links, form controls, etc. It's super helpful once you get the hang of it.
- App-specific navigation: Some apps behave better than others, but VO generally lets you swipe through elements, activate buttons with a double-tap, and navigate back using the scrub gesture (a two-finger "Z" motion).
- Practice mode: You can go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Practice Gestures to safely try out gestures without doing anything unintended.
Overall Thoughts
Some VO users probably rely on headphones a lot, especially in public, since everything gets read aloud. That made me think more about the privacy and comfort aspects of using screen readers in everyday life.
Even though I found VoiceOver confusing at first, the iOS tutorial helped a lot, and with a little patience, I started getting the hang of it. I still need more practice, but it's no longer as intimidating.
Testing with VO across different apps gave me a deeper appreciation of how important mobile accessibility is. It's one thing to test with a screen reader on desktop, but mobile has a whole different set of challenges; touch targets, gestures, visual hierarchy, and more.
Advocating for accessibility is a huge part of my work, and I want to make sure I'm doing it right. I believe it's important to understand how people with disabilities interact with technology. I want to be able to empathize with their experiences and advocate for better accessibility in the products I work on and use.
I'll definitely keep practicing with VO on iOS. It's too important to skip.