Change Switch Control settings for accessibility on Mac

Show current text in keyboard panel

Display a bar across the top of the Keyboard panel to show text as you’re typing it in a document or text field, for example.

Insert and remove spaces automatically

Let Switch Control manage spaces when you’re writing text. For example, it automatically corrects spacing after a period or between sentences, based on context.

Capitalize sentences automatically

Let Switch Control manage capitalization when you’re writing text. For example, it automatically capitalizes letters after a period (end of sentence), based on context.

Keyboard Settings

Enable additional typing features, such as automatic correction and text substitutions. See Change Keyboard settings.

Required

Required switches.

Switch Control requires the Select Item switch. When auto scanning is on, Switch Control automatically moves to the next item as it steps through a panel, group, or the user interface.

Before you can turn off auto scanning, you must create a Move To Next Item switch; Switch Control moves it into the Required list when you turn off auto scanning.

Optional

Optional switches to use, regardless of whether auto scanning is on or off.

Add , Remove

Add or remove an optional switch.

Edit pop-up menu

Change the name or action for a switch, and choose what happens when you press and hold the switch. To use a different switch for the action, click Reassign.

Auto scanning

Have Switch Control automatically step through, or scan, items in a panel, group, or the user interface. This option is on by default.

If you want to turn off auto scanning, you must add a switch for moving to the next item.

Switch Timing

Set timing options for auto scanning:

Hold before perform duration: The number of seconds that a switch must be pressed to be recognized.

Ignore switch repeats: The number of seconds during which repeated pressing of a switch is ignored.

This option is useful if you’re prone to accidentally pressing a switch multiple times.

Hold before repeat duration: The number of seconds that a switch must be pressed to be recognized a second time.

While navigating

Choose what happens when an item is highlighted during a scan: Do nothing, Speak selection, Play sounds, or Speak & Play sounds.

To change the voice used, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Spoken Content on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)

Open Spoken Content settings for me

Restart position

Choose the position from which to start when you rescan an item (such as a panel, group, or window).

Resume auto scanning after selection

By default, auto scanning is paused when you select an item; you must press the Select Item switch to resume auto scanning.

Turn on this option to have auto scanning automatically continue after you select an item.

Reverse cursor direction after hitting edge

Turn on this option to have the pointer bounce back when it reaches a boundary while scanning the user interface.

Switch Control cursor size

Choose the thickness of the border of the Switch Control cursor when scanning the user interface.

Pointer precision

Choose the precision with which you control the pointer when selecting an item on the screen.

Low: When you press the Select Item switch, the blue line (for Move, Move & click, and Glide) or the pointer (for Rotate) stops.

High: When you press the Select Item switch, the blue line or the pointer substantially slows down so you can select more accurately where to stop it; when you press the switch again, it stops.

Loops

The number of times, up to 10, that a panel, group, or window is scanned.

Navigation Timing

Set timing options for navigation:

Gliding & rotating cursor speed: The speed, from 0 (slowest) to 100 (fastest), at which the blocks, sector, and blue lines move across the screen.

Auto scanning interval in panels: The number of seconds, up to 25, it takes to step from one item to another in a panel.

Auto scanning interval in interface: The number of seconds, up to 25, it takes to step from one item to another in the user interface.

Pause on first item: The number of seconds, up to 10, that auto scanning stays on the first item in a panel, group, or the user interface.