How to Enable Screen Reader on iOS Devices

Screen readers turn on-screen content into audio so users with visual impairments can use apps without seeing the screen. It uses gestures and voice to describe what’s on the screen and guide navigation. A screen reader in iOS is essential for accessibility because it makes apps usable for everyone and helps meet legal requirements.

This article explains how to enable VoiceOver on iOS devices and how to use it to test screen reader compatibility.

What is iOS Screen Reader?

An iOS screen reader is a built-in accessibility tool that helps users interact with their devices using audio and touch. Called VoiceOver, it lets users hear descriptions of everything on the screen and navigate using gestures. It is designed for users who are blind or have low vision and works across system menus, native apps, and many third-party apps.

Getting Started with VoiceOver

Once turned on, VoiceOver changes how you interact with your iPhone or iPad. Basic gestures like tapping and swiping work differently to support non-visual navigation through sound and touch.

Below is a quick overview of common VoiceOver gestures and what they do:

Steps to Enable VoiceOver in iOS

Follow these simple steps to enable it and start navigating your device with spoken feedback:

1. Open the Settings app on your device
2. Tap on Accessibility
3. Select VoiceOver under the “Vision” section
4. Toggle the VoiceOver switch to turn it on
5. A confirmation message will appear. Tap “Enable” to confirm

Once enabled, VoiceOver will immediately start reading out items on the screen, and gesture-based navigation will be activated. You will also be prompted to go through a short tutorial that teaches you the basic VoiceOver gestures and controls.

How to Use VoiceOver Gestures to Navigate Your Device

Once VoiceOver is turned on, you will use specific gestures to move around and interact with your iPhone or iPad. Here’s how to navigate using VoiceOver:

• Touch or tap once anywhere on the screen to hear what item is under your finger.
• Swipe right with one finger to move to the next item on the screen.
• Swipe left with one finger to move to the previous item.
• Double-tap anywhere on the screen to activate the selected item.
• Swipe up or down with one finger to change an item’s settings or move through content.
• Use two fingers to tap to pause or resume VoiceOver speech.
• Swipe up with three fingers to scroll down a page, and swipe down with three fingers to scroll up.
• Swipe left or right with three fingers to move between pages, such as on the Home screen.
• Double-tap and hold, then drag to move an item if dragging is supported.
• Four-finger tap at the top of the screen to jump to the first item, or at the bottom to jump to the last item.

You can also go through a built-in tutorial to practice these gestures. This tutorial will guide you through how to use the gestures and navigate your device.

How to Use VoiceOver to Describe Images, Text, and Unlabelled Items

VoiceOver can read aloud text, describe images, and identify unlabelled items on your iPhone or iPad, to help you better understand what’s on the screen. Here’s how you can use VoiceOver for this:

• Images: When VoiceOver encounters an image, it will describe it if it has an accessibility label. If the image doesn’t have a label, VoiceOver will simply say “Image” or “Unlabelled image.”
• Text: VoiceOver automatically reads aloud any visible text on the screen, such as web pages, messages, and app content.
• Unlabelled items: If VoiceOver encounters an unlabelled button or control, it will announce it as “Button” or “Unlabelled.”

To ensure VoiceOver can recognize and describe images and text, you need to enable the feature that supports recognition. Follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app on your device
• Tap on Accessibility
• Under the Vision section, select VoiceOver
• Scroll down to the Speech section and select VoiceOver Recognition

• Enable “Image Descriptions”; this will enable VoiceOver to describe images when possible

How to Adjust the VoiceOver Speaking Rate

You can adjust the speed at which VoiceOver reads aloud to match your preference. Here’s how to change the speaking rate:

1. Open the Settings app on your device
2. Tap on Accessibility
3. Under the Vision section, select VoiceOver
4. Use the Speaking Rate slider to adjust the speed. Move it left to slow down the speech or right to speed it up

Steps to Change How VoiceOver Sounds

You can customize the sound of VoiceOver to suit your preferences, which includes changing the voice, accent, and volume. Here’s how to adjust the VoiceOver sound settings:

• Open the Settings app on your device
• Tap on Accessibility
• Under the Vision section, select VoiceOver
• Scroll down and select Speech
• Now you will see the primary voice. In the screenshot, the primary voice is Rishi

• Click on the voice. On the next screen, you can change the voice, rate, pitch, and pitch volume

How to Use an iPhone Using VoiceOver Gestures

With VoiceOver gestures, you can easily do almost anything on your iPhone, such as opening apps, typing messages, or browsing the web. Here’s how you can do it:

• To open apps: Click or swipe to highlight the app, then double-tap to open it

• To type: Use the on-screen keyboard with “touch typing” or “standard typing” modes

How to Use VoiceOver in Specific iPhone Apps

VoiceOver works smoothly across built-in iPhone apps, allowing you to browse, read, and interact with content. Here’s how it works in Safari, Mail, and Messages:

Using VoiceOver in Safari

1. Open the Safari app
2. Swipe right with one finger to move through elements like links, headings, and text
3. Double-tap a link to open it
4. Use two fingers to scroll the page up or down
5. Explore by touch by dragging your finger across the screen to hear the content under your finger

Using VoiceOver in Mail

• Open the Mail app
• Swipe right to move through your inbox messages
• Double-tap on an email to open it

• Once inside an email, swipe right to read through the email body, sender, subject line, and attachments
• Use two fingers to scroll through long emails

Using VoiceOver in Messages

1. Open the Messages app
2. Swipe right through your list of conversations
3. Double-tap to open a conversation
4. Swipe right inside a conversation to read the sender’s name, message text, and any media like photos or links
5. Double-tap on the text field to start typing a new message (you can use the on-screen keyboard or dictation)
6. Use a two-finger swipe down to read the entire conversation from the current position

Test If Your App Is Compatible With iOS Screen Readers

Testing your app with iOS screen readers ensures that users can access and complete core actions like navigation, form entry, and checkout using audio-based interaction. Without testing, issues like missing labels, broken focus order, or unannounced dynamic updates can go unnoticed and block critical tasks.

This affects usability, breaks trust, and can lead to non-compliance with legal standards like Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Real-device testing also helps catch gesture issues and custom UI failures that simulators miss.

BrowserStack App Accessibility makes testing screen reader compatibility easier by enabling you to test your app’s accessibility across a wide range of real iOS devices. With BrowserStack, you can:

• Test on real iOS devices to verify VoiceOver behavior in actual usage conditions
• Access 3,500+ device combinations to cover different iOS versions and screen sizes
• Check gesture support and focus order using native VoiceOver gestures on real hardware
• Validate dynamic content announcements for live updates, popups, and status changes
• Identify accessibility gaps like missing labels, confusing navigation, or blocked actions

Talk to an Expert

Conclusion

VoiceOver on iOS devices provides essential support for users who rely on audio to navigate apps. It reads out content, announces actions, and allows full control through gestures, making iPhones and iPads accessible without sight.

To ensure your app works seamlessly with VoiceOver, test it on real devices using BrowserStack App Accessibility. You can verify gesture handling, screen reader focus, and dynamic content updates across different iOS versions without needing physical hardware. This helps catch real-world issues early and ensures your app meets accessibility standards.

Try BrowserStack for Free