Fact · Dictation on Mac
By default, Apple's VoiceOver modifier is Control and Option pressed together, or Caps Lock on its own.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“By default, you can press Control and Option together or just press Caps Lock.”
Control your Mac with keyboard commands (VoiceOver User Guide), Apple Support, 2026, Introduction to VoiceOver navigation commands.
Open the original- What it measures
- Apple's VoiceOver navigation commands page explains that VO stands for the VoiceOver modifier, the key you press with additional keys to enter a VoiceOver command.
- What it does not show
- This is the default. VoiceOver Utility can change it, and Apple's pages describe the default for the current macOS release only.