When VoiceOver is turned on, the standard touchscreen gestures have different effects. These and some additional gestures allow you to move around the screen and to control the individual elements when they’re selected. VoiceOver gestures include using two and three fingers to tap or flick. For best results when using two- and three-finger gestures, relax and let your fingers touch the screen with some space between your fingers.
You can use standard gestures when VoiceOver is turned on, by double-tapping and holding your finger on the screen. A series of tones indicates that normal gestures are in force. They remain in effect until you lift your finger. Then VoiceOver gestures resume.
You can use many different techniques to enter VoiceOver gestures. For example, you can enter a two-finger tap using two fingers from one hand, or one finger from each hand. You can also use your thumbs. Try different techniques to discover which works best for you.
If your gestures don’t work, try quicker movements, especially for double-tap and flicking gestures. To flick, try quickly brushing the screen with your finger or fingers. You can practice VoiceOver gestures in Settings: choose General > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Practice Gestures and tap the Practice VoiceOver Gestures button.
Here’s a summary of key VoiceOver gestures:
Tap: Speak item.
Flick right or left: Select the next or previous item.
Flick up or down: Depends on the Rotor Control setting. See Rotor Control.
Two-finger tap: Stop speaking the current item.
Two-finger flick up: Read all from top of screen.
Two-finger flick down: Read all from current position.
Three-finger flick up or down: Scroll one page at a time.
Three-finger flick right or left: Go to the next or previous page (such as the Home screen, Stocks, or Safari).
Three-finger tap: Speak the scroll status (which page or rows are visible).
Double-tap: Activate selected item.
Touch an item with one finger, tap the screen with another finger (“split-tapping”): Activate item.
Double-tap and hold (1 second) + standard gesture: Use a standard gesture.
The double-tap and hold gesture tells iPhone to interpret the subsequent gesture as standard. For example, you can double-tap and hold, then without lifting your finger, drag your finger to slide a switch.
Two-finger double tap: Answer or end a call. Play or pause in iPod, YouTube, Voice Memos, or Photos. Take a picture (Camera). Start or pause recording in Camera or Voice Memos. Start or stop the stopwatch.
Three-finger double tap: Mute or unmute VoiceOver.
Three-finger triple tap: Turn the display on or off.
Do single-finger flicking gestures quickly, to distinguish them from dragging gestures.