How to enable VoiceOver

  1. Click the Apple menu button () in the top left corner of your screen.
  2. Click System Preferences.
  3. Click Accessibility. It's on the very bottom right of the System Preferences pane.

    Click System Preferences, click Accessibility

  4. Click VoiceOver.
  5. Click the checkbox next to Enable VoiceOver. If you have never enabled VoiceOver before, a narrator will welcome you to VoiceOver and tell you to press the V key on your keyboard if you've used VoiceOver before or press the Spacebar if you haven't.

    Click VoiceOver, click the checkbox

Alternatively, you can press Command-F5 to enable VoiceOver.

How to use VoiceOver Training

VoiceOver on Mac takes some getting used to. Yes, you use your keyboard, but keys don't always do what you'd expect them to do. For instance, the arrow keys don't move you around the screen like you'd think they would. Here's how to go through VoiceOver Training:

  1. Click the Apple menu button () in the top left corner of your screen.
  2. Click System Preferences.
  3. Click Accessibility. It's on the very bottom right of the System Preferences pane.

    Click System Preferences, click Accessibility

  4. Click VoiceOver.
  5. Click Open VoiceOver Training…
  6. Press the right arrow key through the tutorial and practise the various VoiceOver controls as instructed. Alternatively, you can click Continue.

    Click VoiceOver, click Open VoiceOver Training...

How to change the VoiceOver voice

If you find the VoiceOver voice a bit difficult to understand or you'd just prefer a different voice, you can change it up in System Preferences.

  1. Click the Apple menu button () in the top left corner of your screen.
  2. Click System Preferences.

    Click the Apple menu button, click System Preferences

  3. Click Accessibility.
  4. Click Speech.

    Click Accessibility, click Speech

  5. Click the dropdown menu next to System Voice.
  6. Click a voice.

    Click the dropdown menu, click a voice

  7. Click the Play button to preview the voice.
  8. Click and drag the slider next to Speaking Rate to speed up or slow down VoiceOver.

    Click the Play button to preview the voice, click and drag the slider next to Speaking Rate to change the speaking rate