Official documentation
Turn VoiceOver on or off on Mac (VoiceOver User Guide)
Apple Support, 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Apple's VoiceOver User Guide for Mac, page on turning VoiceOver on or off. It lists Command-F5, Touch ID, Siri, System Settings and the Accessibility Shortcuts panel as the ways to switch VoiceOver on or off, and describes pausing its speech with the Control key.
- How much weight it carries
- Official Apple documentation. The page offers a version selector that includes macOS 27 and macOS Tahoe 26; the steps were read on 16 October 2026. Apple changes menu names between releases, so check the wording on your own version.
Facts taken from this source
- Apple says you can turn VoiceOver on or off from the Accessibility Shortcuts panel by pressing Option-Command-F5, then pressing Tab until you hear the VoiceOver option and pressing Space.
“Use the Accessibility Shortcuts panel. Press Option-Command-F5, or if your Mac or Magic Keyboard has Touch ID, quickly press Touch ID three times. In the shortcuts panel, press the Tab key until you hear the VoiceOver option, then press the Space bar.” (Turn VoiceOver on or off on Mac, Use the Accessibility Shortcuts panel)
- Apple's VoiceOver guide for Mac says you turn VoiceOver on or off by pressing Command-F5, and on a Mac with Touch ID you can instead hold Command and quickly press Touch ID three times.
“Turn VoiceOver on or off Press Command-F5. Use Touch ID. If your Mac or Magic Keyboard has Touch ID, press and hold the Command key, then quickly press Touch ID three times.” (Turn VoiceOver on or off on Mac, Turn VoiceOver on or off)
- Apple says that while VoiceOver is on, pressing the Control key pauses VoiceOver speech without affecting the audio of other apps, and pressing it again resumes speech.
“When VoiceOver is on, press the Control key to pause VoiceOver speech without affecting the audio of other apps. Press the Control key again to resume speech.” (Turn VoiceOver on or off on Mac, Temporarily mute the VoiceOver voice)
- Apple's steps for turning VoiceOver on or off in System Settings start from the Apple menu, then Accessibility in the sidebar, then VoiceOver, where you switch it on or off.
“Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Accessibility in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down). Click VoiceOver, then turn VoiceOver on or off.” (Turn VoiceOver on or off on Mac, Choose Apple menu > System Settings)