Orientation to an Apple iOS device and A Beginner's Guide to Using iOS with
VoiceOver from Apple Vis: Rita's iDevice Advice for October 19, 2020
Below is a description of a typical iPhone Home Screen that I composed.
Below this description is an article published on the WWW.AppleVis.com
Website.
If you want to read the entire article from AppleVis, then tap on the link
to the article.
The main Home Screen of an iPhone is in 4 distinct elements: Describing the
Visual environment on the screen is useful for a Blind person who is running
VoiceOver to understand the layout of the screen.
The Status Bar is at the top of the screen and the Doc is the bar with icons
across the bottom of the screen. The Page Selector is just above the Doc bar
and the Grid of Apps is, all the icons between the Status Bar and the Page
Selector.
The Status Bar, the Grid of Apps, the Page Selector, and the Doc.
The Status Bar... Bear in mind that there are many different icons that can
show up on the Status Bar depending on what services you have, etc, For
example a airplane icon will replace the WiFi icon if you have it in
airplane mode. LTE or 3G, 4G, 5Ge or others may show up depending on the
type of cell service you have or the area you are. There are indicators for
personal hotspot, a call indicator when you get a call, location services
icon, etc.
Normally on the left side of the Status Bar, the time is in numbers, like a
LED readout.
Further to the right, the Cellular signal strength bars look like straight
up and down bars and there is a possible 4 bars that can show up.
To the right of that is the Wi-Fi indicator which is two curved lines
pointing down and a dot under the two curved lines, possible, (some people
call this graphic for WI-FI as a Rainbow).
At the far right is the Battery indicator which is like a double A battery
lying on its side and the center is filled with the level of charge which
changes as the charge is used up or replenished
The grid of apps is laid out with usually 4 apps across and 6 lines down.
The Page Selector is a series of gray dots, just above the Doc. If you have
6 pages of apps: then there will be six dots in a row (side by side) to show
how many pages there are. VoiceOver will say "Page 2 of 6". So if you are
on Page 2, that page is represented by a white dot.
The Doc apps... Remember the apps that are normally on the Doc mention are
the default. They can be changed either accidently or on purpose if someone
says theirs are different. You can move the apps on the Doc around just
like other apps.
The Phone app is the handset of an old telephone, the Mail icon is an
envelope graphic, the Safari app is a compass graphic, and the Music App is
a musical note graphic.
---
A Beginner's Guide to Using iOS with VoiceOver
Submitted by Tyler on Monday, October 12, 2020.
Last modified:
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team
WWW.AppleVis.com
A Beginner's Guide to Using iOS with VoiceOver
This is a good clear and up-to-date introduction from AppleVis:
https://www.applevis.com/guides/beginners-guide-using-ios-voiceover
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Intro
If you're new to or thinking about getting an iOS device, you may be
wondering, as I did when I got my first one, "How, exactly, can a person who
can't
see a screen use a device whose primary input surface is one?"
I would soon realize that it wasn't nearly as crazy as it sounded, and that
I could do things with it that I couldn't have imagined that would increase
my level of independence and improve my overall quality of life. However, if
you're just getting started, the level of information on the Internet can
be overwhelming. That is why in this guide, I will provide a series of tips,
organized by heading and subheading, along with links to more comprehensive
guides and podcasts from across the AppleVis website.
Keep in mind that this guide is not intended to describe specific features,
but rather to explain the central concepts of using iOS with VoiceOver. One
quality that I've observed in my over ten years of learning and using iOS is
that once I had a few things mastered, I could apply those skills to
accomplish
a wide variety of tasks in both first and third-party apps.
Terminology
iOS is the operating system that powers the iPhone, iPod Touch, and until
2019, the iPad. That year, Apple forked off the version of iOS for the iPad
and
now refers to it as iPadOS, which provides similar functionality to iOS with
the addition of tablet specific features. As the features of iPadOS are in
some cases identical to those of iOS, the iPad may feel very familiar to you
if you've used an iPhone or iPod Touch. However, I don't have an iPad, so
cannot comment in this guide on what features and processes are the same or
different between the two operating systems. Therefore, only iOS will be
covered.
In addition to the iPhone, the iPod Touch, the last remaining device in the
iPod line, runs iOS. This is a device with a similar design of the iPhone,
with
the ability to run the current version of iOS, but without cellular
connectivity, an advanced camera, biometric authentication, or the same
level of computational
power as the iPhone and iPad. For reference, the processor in the current
generation iPod Touch is the A10 Fusion, the same chip that powered the
iPhone
7 which was released in2016. The iPhone and iPod Touch, and to a lesser
extent the iPad, are known collectively as iOS devices or, "iDevices," for
short.
Applications or, "Apps," are pieces of software that add specific
functionality to an operating system. In Windows vernacular, these pieces of
software
are referred to as programs, particularly in the days of Windows 7 and
earlier. As you will see in this guide and in your own use of iOS, apps are
an integral
part of the user experience and can greatly expand the functional potential
of your device.
iOS device physical layout
While specific device models have distinct hardware features, there are some
key design characteristics that all iOS devices share.
The iPhone and iPod Touch are rectangular slabs with a flat glass touch
screen on top, two volume buttons on the upper left side, a power button,
and a
charging port on the bottom. On the iPhone, the power button is located on
the right side, and is commonly referred to as the Side button. On the iPod
Touch, the power button is located immediately to the left of the top right
corner of the device. The iPhone also has a mute switch above the volume
buttons
on the left side; push it down to silence the ringer and other alert sounds.
On devices that retain the older design style, there is another button
located at the bottom center of the screen called the Home button. On these
devices,
this button is used to, among other things, return to the Home Screen,
discussed later. Devices that have a more modern design style rely on touch
screen
gestures to replicate these functions.
The earpiece, used primarily for hearing call audio, is located at the top
of the screen, and another speaker, typically used for speaker phone and
consuming
other types of audio, is located at the bottom of the device. Note that the
iPod Touch does not include an earpiece.
Functional differences between iPhone models with and without a Home button
As alluded to earlier in this guide, the iOS user interface is based around
a grid of apps called the Home Screen. On devices with a Home button,
pressing
this button will return you to that screen no matter what you're doing at
that time. This button also serves other purposes, such as accessing a list
of
recently used apps, called the app switcher, and engaging Siri, the
intelligent personal assistant built into iOS and other Apple platforms.
Starting with the iPhone X, Apple has been releasing iPhones that don't
include this button. On these devices, return to the Home Screen by placing
your
finger on the bottom edge of the screen until you hear a brief tone, and
then sliding your finger straight up the screen until you hear a second
tone.
For more detailed information about the changed button functionality on
devices without a Home button, check out this
AppleVis podcast.
For the purpose of simplicity in this guide, I will refer to returning to
the Home Screen as, "Going home."
Another difference between the two design styles is the implementation of
biometric authentication, the act of proving your identity using inherent
characteristics
like your face or fingerprint. On devices with a Home button, biometric
authentication is performed using a fingerprint recognition technology
called Touch
ID. Once set up, a user can simply rest their finger on the Home button and
the device will unlock within seconds.
On devices without a Home button, a face recognition technology called Face
ID is used. This involves holding the device in front of your face to unlock
it.
While both technologies are fast, accurate and usable for people who are
blind or visually impaired, I personally prefer Touch ID, as I find it
easier to
rest my finger on the Home button than to hold my iPhone in front of my face
or try to approximate the location of the camera. However, everyone's needs
and circumstances are different, so I'd strongly encourage you to research
the pros and cons of each technology before making a decision. The AppleVis
forum features many conversations about this topic, where you'll experience
a range of opinions. For more general buying advice on iPhone models at any
given time, check out
the MacRumors Buyer's Guide.
Even more helpful, in my opinion, is to try one or more iPhone models in
person if possible.
VoiceOver basics
When you turn on and unlock an iOS device, you will be placed on the Home
Screen, a grid of apps that can span multiple pages. If VoiceOver is on,
moving
a finger around the screen should cause it to speak what that finger is
touching.
To open an app, move a finger to it, lift your finger, and then tap the
screen twice quickly. This gesture is known as a double-tap, and is used to
activate
the item under your finger; the equivalent of a single-tap for sighted
users. In addition to exploring by touch, you can move VoiceOver focus
directly
to the next or previous item by swiping right or left with one finger.
At the bottom of the Home Screen, there is a row of apps that is present no
matter what page you're on, referred to as the dock. The composition and
organization
of this list can be edited, as can those of all apps on the Home Screen.
At the top of the screen, information such as the device's cellular signal
strength, Wi-Fi connection, and battery level is displayed. This area is
referred
to as the status bar, and is present whenever the device is in portrait
orientation, where the charging port is pointing toward you. Unlike the Home
Screen,
the status bar cannot be customized.
While this section introduces you to some of the most essential VoiceOver
gestures, there are many more that you can use to improve your experience
and
sense of comfort on iOS. From anywhere, you can access VoiceOver help, which
allows you to perform any gesture without it having any effect on the
system,
similar to keyboard help on macOS or input help on NVDA for Windows. To do
this, double-tap the screen with four fingers quickly, perform this gesture
again to exit this mode. While this gesture may sound difficult, it should
get easier with practice.
If the device mistakenly interprets the gesture as a three-finger
double-tap, VoiceOver will announce, "Speech off." Perform a three-finger
double-tap to
restore VoiceOver speech. To help get you started, here is a list of a few
other helpful gestures.
list of 8 items
.
Access additional options for the item under your finger, similar to a
contextual menu on a computer: one-finger triple-tap (one-finger double-tap
and hold
also works)
.
Start or stop something, like answer or end a call or play or pause media:
two-finger double-tap, commonly referred to as a magic tap
.
Read from top of screen: two-finger swipe up
.
Read from item under your finger: two-finger swipe down
.
scroll down: three-finger swipe up
.
scroll up: three-finger swipe down
.
Jump to top: four-finger single-tap near top of screen
.
Jump to bottom: four-finger single-tap near bottom of screen
list end
The rotor
Besides exploring by touch and double-tapping, one of the most important
concepts you'll encounter in your use of iOS is the VoiceOver rotor, which
is used
to navigate by different levels of granularity.
Think of the rotor as a circular dial which you turn by placing two fingers
on the screen and rotating them either clockwise or counterclockwise.
Alternatively,
you can place one finger on one hand on the screen, and make a circular
motion with another finger on the other hand.
Lists on the rotor by default include Characters, Words, and lines, among
other things. When on a webpage, the rotor includes headings, links, form
controls,
and other web element types. Once you get to the list you want, navigate the
available items by swiping up or down with one finger. For example, if
you're
on the Home Screen and place your finger on the Mail app and turn the rotor
to characters, swiping down once with one finger will cause VoiceOver to
speak
the letter M; further swipes will cause it to speak the following characters
in the word. Swipe up with one finger to reverse the direction.
At various points, VoiceOver may instruct you to, "Swipe up or down to
select a custom action, then double-tap to activate." If you have hints
disabled,
the phrase, "Actions available," will be spoken instead. This means that
additional actions can be performed with the item under your finger.
Typically,
rotor actions serve as the equivalent of left and right swipe gestures for
sighted users, and are used in a variety of contexts.
You can change what's included in the rotor by going to Settings >
Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor. For additional information and tips for
making the
best use of the rotor, check out
this guide.
Try before you buy
Note: at the time of writing, the world is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, and
as a result, open stores in your area may be taking special precautions to
ensure distance between individuals. If you decide to travel to a store,
check the business's protocols beforehand and follow all health guidelines
when
in public.
Now that you hopefully have a basic idea of how to use iOS with VoiceOver,
it may be a good idea to see how you do in practice. For me, that was a
major
factor in my decision to first get an iPod Touch in 2010, and an iPhone a
year later, as my experience testing out a device in an Apple retail store
and
getting the hang of it fairly quickly simply blew me away. At that point, I
had never used VoiceOver on anything but a computer, and that required the
memorization of keyboard commands over a significantly longer period of
time.
Once you get your hands on a test device, VoiceOver can be turned on without
sighted assistance by pressing and holding the Home button, or Side button
if the device doesn't have a Home button, and saying, "Turn on VoiceOver,"
once you feel a short vibration. When you're done, engage Siri again and
say,
"Turn VoiceOver off." As an alternative to using Siri, VoiceOver can be
turned on with sighted assistance by instructing the person helping you to
go to
Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, and toggling it on for you. If you're
unable to go to a store, you can try this on any iOS device, like one
belonging
to a friend or family member.
Once VoiceOver has been turned on, it might be a good idea if you're using
someone's device to ask them to unlock it so you can explore the Home
Screen.
Also if you're using someone's device, it is a good idea to ask the owner
before opening any apps, as they may contain sensitive information that the
owner
might not want revealed and spoken aloud.
Setup
Once you get your iOS device, if it wasn't set up in store, you will be
walked through a brief setup process. If it is an iPhone, depending on your
wireless
carrier, you may need to insert a subscriber identity module (SIM) into the
device to connect it to your carrier's cellular network.
This involves poking the recessed hole on the right side of the iPhone with
a paperclip and placing and aligning the SIM into the tray that pops out.
However,
you may have the option of having the SIM installed at the time of purchase,
eliminating the need to perform this somewhat difficult task on your own.
Therefore, if possible, this is what I recommend.
Next, for an iPhone, turn it on by pressing and holding the button on the
right side, known as the Side button, for about five seconds. For an iPod
Touch,
turn it on by pressing and holding the button near the top right corner of
the device for about five seconds. After about a minute, turn VoiceOver on
either
by pressing the Home button three times quickly, or if your device doesn't
have a Home button, by pressing the Side button three times quickly.
VoiceOver
should announce, "VoiceOver on." Either press the Home button or slide your
finger up from the bottom edge of the screen as described earlier to begin
the setup process.
To start, you'll be asked to select a language; move your finger around the
screen until you hear your language, and double-tap to select it. Repeat
this
process to select your country, and if this is your first iOS device,
select, "Setup manually," when asked. From here, Setup Assistant guides you
through
connecting to a Wi-Fi network, activating the device with your wireless
carrier, signing in with your Apple ID, setting up biometric authentication,
and
configuring various other basic settings. If this is your first Apple
product, it might be useful to
create a free Apple ID
on a device you're more comfortable with prior to setting up your new iOS
device.
Your Apple ID is the account used to access Apple services and sync your
devices. If you've used the iTunes Store, for example, you already have an
Apple
ID.
At various points throughout the setup, you'll be asked to type using the
onscreen keyboard. As an alternative to finding and double-tapping on each
character,
you can hold one finger on the character you want to insert, and with
another finger, tap once anywhere on the screen. This gesture is known as a
split-tap,
and can be used anywhere a double-tap can be used.
Once setup is complete, you'll be placed on the Home Screen.
Some immediate post setup tips
Updating your software
Periodically, Apple releases updates to iOS and bundled first-party apps. As
updates may have been released since your device was packaged at the
factory,
it is a good idea to check for updates once initial setup is complete.
To do this, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is
available, double-tap the "Download and install" button. Note: you'll need
to restart
your device to complete installation of iOS updates.
Updates to bundled first-party apps, as well as future third-party apps you
install, are available by locating the AppStore app on the Home Screen and
performing
a one-finger triple-tap. Double-tap the "Updates" button in the menu and
then double-tap the "update all" button if updates are shown. Alternatively,
app
updates can be viewed and installed by opening the AppStore and
double-tapping the "My account" button at the top right.
Locking device orientation
While using your device, you may notice that VoiceOver announces changes
from portrait to landscape orientation, which can relocate interface
elements and
thus be incredibly frustrating.
Portrait orientation is when the charging port is pointing toward you;
landscape orientation is when the device is turned to the side, and is most
useful
when extra screen real-estate is needed. However, if like me, you always use
your device in portrait orientation, you can prevent it from being changed,
regardless of the physical position of the device.
To do this, place one finger on the status bar and swipe up with three
fingers to reveal the Control Center. Alternatively, on devices without a
Home button,
the Control Center can be revealed by placing your finger on the top edge of
the screen until you hear a brief tone, and then sliding straight down until
you hear the second tone. Double-tap the, "Lock rotation," switch to turn it
on, and go home to dismiss the view.
Disabling Raise to Wake
Note: if you prefer an audio demonstration, there is an
AppleVis podcast
that demonstrates this process.
For added convenience, iOS can display the lock screen when the device is
raised, like when it is removed from a bag or pocket. However, some
VoiceOver
users, myself included, find this annoying, as it seems that even small
movements can wake the device and cause VoiceOver to start speaking. To turn
this
off, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and double-tap the, "Raise to
Wake," switch.
Devices without a Home button also include a feature called tap to wake,
where a tap of the touch screen will cause the lock screen to be displayed.
This
can be turned on and off by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and
double-tapping the, "Tap to Wake," switch.
The lock screen
To lock your device, where the touch screen is unresponsive to finger input
and authentication is required to unlock it, press the power button. By
default,
you should hear what sounds like a lock closing. You should do this before
placing your device in a bag or pocket to prevent erroneous inputs from
registering.
Press the power button again when you want to unlock the device. When you do
this, the time and number of notifications should be spoken and the lock
screen
will be displayed. Navigate either by exploring or swiping left and right to
move directly to the next or previous element. Elements on the lock screen
generally include the time, date, and any notifications received since the
device was last used, among other things.
To unlock the device, either rest your finger on the Home button or position
your face in front of the camera, depending on your device model. If you did
not set up any biometric authentication, or if your device lacks this
capability, like the iPod Touch, attempt to go home and enter your passcode
when
prompted. You will then be placed where you left off when you last used the
device. If you double-tap on a notification from the lock screen, you'll be
prompted to authenticate after which you'll be placed in the app that sent
the notification.
From the lock screen, you can access the camera either by double-tapping the
camera button or swiping left with three fingers, depending on your device
model.
Notifications
Notifications are alerts delivered by apps and the operating system to
signify when something requires your attention, regardless of whether your
using
the app that sent the notification at that time or not. Notifications
include missed calls, texts, emails, social media activity, news alerts, and
pending
iOS update notices, among other things.
If you place your finger on the status bar and swipe down with three
fingers, all notifications which you've yet to act on will be displayed.
Alternatively,
on devices without a Home button, notifications can be accessed by placing
your finger on the top edge of the screen until you hear a brief tone, and
then
sliding straight down until you hear the third ascending tone. Double-tap on
a notification to open it in the app that sent it, or use the Actions rotor
to view additional options specific to the alert. For example, if you select
the, "View," action on an incoming text, a textfield will be displayed,
allowing
you to reply to the message without needing to open the Messages app.
If you'd rather certain apps not send notifications, you can turn this
capability off on an app-by-app basis in Settings > Notifications.
Control Center
In addition to customizing iOS via the Settings app, some basic parameters
can be changed by placing your finger on the status bar and swiping up with
three
fingers to reveal the Control Center. Alternatively, on devices without a
Home button, the Control Center can be revealed by placing your finger on
the
top edge of the screen until you hear a brief tone, and then sliding
straight down until you hear the second tone.
By default, you can toggle airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound volume,
and other settings. For some items, you can select the, "Open controls,"
rotor
action to reveal additional options related to that feature. Additional
settings for Control Center, such as what parameters to include and exclude,
can
be configured in Settings > Control Center.
Today View
Today View is intended to give you an overview of your day, displaying
information such as calendar events, due reminders, top news stories, and
suggestions
to open apps based on your regular use patterns. Quick snippets of
information are contained in extensions of apps called widgets. Both first
and third-party
apps can have widgets, and for added convenience, these can be added to the
Home Screen. Further customization of what's included in this view and how
much information iOS can collect can be configured in Settings > Siri &
Search.
This view can be accessed from the Home or lock screen by swiping right with
three fingers; you may need to do this several times if you're coming from
the Home Screen, depending on what page you're on.
The Home Screen
When you turn on and unlock your device, you will be placed on the Home
Screen, which is a grid of apps. Out of the box, the iOS Home Screen
consists of
two pages of apps, but this number will expand based on how many apps you
install from the AppStore.
To change the page, either swipe left or right with three fingers or
navigate to the picker and swipe up or down with one finger; swiping below
page 1 reveals
the Today View, and swiping above the last page of apps reveals the App
Library, discussed later.
App Library
If you want to get a different view of all the apps installed on your
device, you can access the App Library by swiping passed the last page of
apps on
the Home Screen.
From here, you'll be presented a list of all your apps, organized by
category. Move between categories by navigating by containers in the rotor.
Double-tapping
the search field near the top of the screen will present an alphabetical
list of all your apps. You can view this list and double-tap to open an app,
or
search using the keyboard at the bottom of the screen.
If you'd rather newly downloaded apps not show up on the Home Screen by
default, you can configure them to only show up in the App Library by going
to Settings
Home Screen and double-tapping, "App Library only" under the "newlydownloaded apps," heading.
Accessibility > VoiceOver > Braille. Additionally, you can change thetyping echo for braille by going to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver >
Typing Feedback, and selecting an option under the, "Braille ScreenInput," heading.