How do you use VoiceOver on a Mac?

To use VoiceOver on a Mac, turn it on with Command-F5, then learn three commands: move the VoiceOver cursor with VO and an arrow key, click the item under the cursor with VO-Space bar, and pause the speech with Control. VO is the VoiceOver modifier, which is Control and Option together, or Caps Lock, by default ¹.

These steps follow Apple's VoiceOver User Guide for Mac, which is written for macOS 27. Keys and menu names can change between macOS releases, so check each step against your own screen before you rely on it.

Turn VoiceOver on with Command-F5

1. Press Command-F5.
2. If your Mac or Magic Keyboard has Touch ID, you can instead hold Command and quickly press Touch ID three times ².
3. If neither works, open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, click VoiceOver, and switch it on ³.

Once it is on, VoiceOver speaks the item under its cursor. You do not need to learn every command before you start. Learn the three below first, then add more as you need them.

Know the VO key before you press anything else

Apple writes each VoiceOver command as VO plus another key, where VO stands for the modifier. By default you press Control and Option together, or you press Caps Lock on its own ¹. So VO-Space bar means holding the modifier while you press the Space bar. The VoiceOver modifier key question covers how to lock it and change it.

Move the VoiceOver cursor with VO and the arrow keys

The VoiceOver cursor marks the item you are on. To move it, press VO and the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key ⁴. Each move makes VoiceOver describe the new item. Apple's VoiceOver navigation commands page, support.apple.com, lists the other movement commands.

Click an item with VO-Space bar

When the cursor is on a button, a checkbox or another control, press VO-Space bar to perform its default action ⁵. That is the keyboard route to a click. Apple's navigation commands page lists the other click commands.

Pause the speech with Control

If you need the Mac quiet for a moment, press Control while VoiceOver is on to pause its speech. Press it again to resume. The audio of other apps is not affected ⁶. Pausing keeps VoiceOver running, so use the steps in how to turn off VoiceOver on a Mac when you want it off.

Open VoiceOver Utility to change how VoiceOver works

VoiceOver Utility holds the settings for the modifier, speech and other controls. With VoiceOver on, press VO-Fn-F8 to open it. Apple's VoiceOver guide gives that exact sequence ⁷. The change that matters most at first is the modifier, which the modifier key question covers.

Typing with VoiceOver averaged 7.5 words per minute in one study

In one longitudinal study with 12 blind participants, the average entry speed on a QWERTY keyboard with VoiceOver was 7.5 words per minute ⁸. That is one small study, not a benchmark for every user, but it shows why a screen reader user may prefer other ways to enter text.

If you want to write by speaking rather than typing, that is a different feature. Dictation types the words you say into a text field, and it does not read the screen. The comparison of Dictation, Voice Control and Siri on a Mac explains which feature does which job.

What to do

1. Press Command-F5 to turn VoiceOver on, or hold Command and press Touch ID three times.
2. Move with VO and the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key. Click with VO-Space bar.
3. Press Control to pause the speech, and press it again to resume.
4. Press VO-Fn-F8 to open VoiceOver Utility when you want to change a setting.
5. Read the VoiceOver glossary entry for the wider meaning of the term, and what VoiceOver is if you are new to it.

For the other voice features on a Mac, see our overview of dictation on Mac. The Fn key matters here because VoiceOver needs it for function-key commands ⁹, which the modifier question explains.