How To Control VoiceOver Using Apple Wireless Keyboard On iPad Mini

You can control VoiceOver using an Apple Wireless Keyboard paired with iPad.

You can use VoiceOver keyboard commands to navigate the screen, select items, read screen contents, adjust the rotor, and perform other VoiceOver actions. All the keyboard commands (except one) include Control-Option, abbreviated in the table below as VO.

VoiceOver Help speaks keys or keyboard commands as you type them. You can use VoiceOver Help to learn the keyboard layout and the actions associated with key combinations.

VoiceOver keyboard commands

VO = Control-Option

• Read all, starting from the current position: VOA
• Read from the top: VOB
• Move to the status bar: VOM
• Press the Home button: VOH
• Select the next or previous item: VORight Arrow or VOLeft Arrow
• Tap an item: VOSpace bar
• Double-tap with two fingers: VO-
• Choose the next or previous rotor item: VOUp Arrow or VODown Arrow
• Choose the next or previous speech rotor item: VOCommandLeft Arrow or VOCommandRight Arrow
• Adjust the speech rotor item: VOCommandUp Arrow or VOCommandDown Arrow
• Mute or unmute VoiceOver: VOS
• Turn the screen curtain on or off: VOShift-S
• Turn on VoiceOver help: VOK
• Return to the previous screen, or turn off VoiceOver help: Escape

Quick Nav

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

• Turn Quick Nav on or off: Left ArrowRight Arrow
• Select the next or previous item: Right Arrow or Left Arrow
• Select the next or previous item specified by the rotor setting: Up Arrow or Down Arrow
• Select the first or last item: ControlUp Arrow or ControlDown Arrow
• “Tap an item: Up ArrowDown Arrow
• Scroll up, down, left, or right: OptionUp Arrow, OptionDown Arrow, OptionLeft Arrow, or OptionRight Arrow
• Change the rotor: Up ArrowLeft Arrow or Up ArrowRight Arrow

Single-letter Quick Nav for the web

When you view a webpage with Quick Nav enabled, 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

Note: This article will work on all iPads using iOS 6; including iPad Mini, iPad 2, The New iPad (iPad 3), iPad 4 (iPad with Retina display).