Change VoiceOver Recognition settings in VoiceOver Utility on Mac

Use the VoiceOver Recognition category in VoiceOver Utility to have VoiceOver describe images in apps and on websites using on-device intelligence to improve accessibility. You can download languages to hear image descriptions in other languages.

To open VoiceOver Utility, press Command-F5 to turn VoiceOver on, then press VO-Fn-F8.

Open VoiceOver Utility for me

Note: VO represents the VoiceOver modifier that you press with additional keys to enter VoiceOver commands. By default, you can press Control and Option together or just press Caps Lock.

Option	Description
On-Device Mode	VoiceOver can describe images in apps and on websites. Press VO-Shift-L when the VO cursor is on an image to hear a description. By default, image descriptions use Apple Intelligence,* which provides the most detailed results. If you prefer to keep image processing entirely on your device, select the On-Device Mode checkbox. The first time you turn on On-Device Mode, you’ll need an internet connection to download the supporting files. Note: Turning on On-Device Mode may cause image descriptions to be less detailed. Apple Intelligence on macOS 27 is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply. Important: VoiceOver Recognition should not be relied upon in circumstances where you could be harmed or injured, in high-risk situations, for navigation, or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.
Download Additional Languages	Download other languages for VoiceOver to use as needed when it describes images using on-device intelligence. Select a language in the list, then click Download. To remove a language you downloaded, click Remove. To process translations on your Mac, select On-Device Mode. On-device translations may be faster but may be less accurate than when processed using Apple servers. Note: Any languages you download for translations using Language & Region settings are available for image descriptions. See Change Language & Region settings.

Option

Description

On-Device Mode

VoiceOver can describe images in apps and on websites. Press VO-Shift-L when the VO cursor is on an image to hear a description.

By default, image descriptions use Apple Intelligence,* which provides the most detailed results. If you prefer to keep image processing entirely on your device, select the On-Device Mode checkbox. The first time you turn on On-Device Mode, you’ll need an internet connection to download the supporting files.

Note: Turning on On-Device Mode may cause image descriptions to be less detailed. Apple Intelligence on macOS 27 is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.

Important: VoiceOver Recognition should not be relied upon in circumstances where you could be harmed or injured, in high-risk situations, for navigation, or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.

Download Additional Languages

Download other languages for VoiceOver to use as needed when it describes images using on-device intelligence.

Select a language in the list, then click Download. To remove a language you downloaded, click Remove.

To process translations on your Mac, select On-Device Mode. On-device translations may be faster but may be less accurate than when processed using Apple servers.

Note: Any languages you download for translations using Language & Region settings are available for image descriptions. See Change Language & Region settings.

Download this guide in Braille Ready Format: BRF (English)

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VoiceOver User Guide

Change VoiceOver Recognition settings in VoiceOver Utility on Mac