VoiceOver Getting Started Guide
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- Automatically use VoiceOver in the login window
- Change the default behavior of function keys
- Find commands using the Commands menu
- Use the VoiceOver modifier
- Make VoiceOver ignore the next key press
- Learn or mute VoiceOver sound effects
- Hear hints and information about an item
- Use positional audio
- Interact with content areas and groups
- Hear changes in progress or status
- Select and deselect items
- Drag and drop items
- Set up or turn off cursor tracking
- Use VoiceOver Utility
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- Desktop
- Finder
- Dock
- Launchpad
- Notification Center
- Notifications
- Perform an item’s alternate action
- Click or double-click the mouse
- Buttons, checkboxes, and more
- Mission Control
- Use an app full screen
- Hear open apps and windows
- Switch between apps and windows
- Navigate app windows using window spots
- Move and resize windows and objects
- Log in to an encrypted account without VoiceOver
- Use VoiceOver with the Touch Bar
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- Change voice settings
- Customize the verbosity level for speech or braille
- Customize web items shown in the Rotor
- Customize how text and symbols are pronounced
- Create custom labels
- Assign commands to keyboard or keypad keys
- Export, import, and reset preferences
- Use portable preferences
- Use VoiceOver activities
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- General category
- Speech pane of the Verbosity category
- Braille pane of the Verbosity category
- Text pane of the Verbosity category
- Announcements pane of the Verbosity category
- Hints pane of the Verbosity category
- Voices pane of the Speech category
- Pronunciation pane of the Speech category
- Navigation category
- Navigation pane of the Web category
- Page Loading pane of the Web category
- Web Rotor pane of the Web category
- Sound category
- Cursor pane of the Visuals category
- Panels and Menus pane of the Visuals category
- Touch pane of the Visuals category
- Trackpad pane of the Commanders category
- Trackpad Commander assignments pane
- NumPad pane of the Commanders category
- Keyboard pane of the Commanders category
- Quick Nav pane of the Commanders category
- Quick Nav Commander assignments pane
- Layout pane of the Braille category
- Displays pane of the Braille category
- Activities category
Voices pane of the Speech category
Use the Voices pane of the Speech category in VoiceOver Utility to mute speech and customize voice settings for your default language and additional languages.
To open VoiceOver Utility, press Command-F5 to turn VoiceOver on, then press VO-F8.
Note: VO represents the VoiceOver modifier.
Mute Speech | Turn off VoiceOver speech. This option doesn’t affect VoiceOver sound effects or the audio of other apps. |
Voice | Click the pop-up menu, then choose a default voice for VoiceOver, such as Alex Compact. To make other voices available, choose Customize, then select the voices. Some voices must be downloaded; make sure you’re connected to the Internet. |
Rate | Set the speed at which the voice speaks. |
Edit | Click to set additional options for the default voice: Pitch: How high or low the voice speaks. Volume: How loudly or softly the voice speaks. Intonation: How the voice rises and falls as it speaks. To set voices and options for specific items, such as status or attributes, click the Additional options button |
Add button | Add a language, then choose and customize the voice you want VoiceOver to use when reading in that language. If VoiceOver detects that a language has been associated with text that it’s reading, it automatically switches to another voice and reads the text in that language. |
Remove button | Remove a language you added. |
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