As I continue to explore visionOS, I have been diving deeper into its accessibility features, specifically VoiceOver. VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that lets you enjoy using your device without the need to see the screen. This is important for a vision-based device so that Apple Vision Pro is accessible to everyone, regardless of their visual abilities.
Apple has worked hard on supporting VoiceOver for visionOS. You use different finger pinches on different hands to perform different actions. It is like having a secret language that only you and your device understand!
Next Item Gesture
You move focus to the next item by pinching your right index finger. It's a simple gesture that's easy to remember and useful when navigating a long list of items. Just pinch your index finger, and the focus will move to the next item.
Previous Item Gesture
You pinch your right middle finger to move focus to the previous item. It is handy when you accidentally pass the item you were looking for and want to go back.
Activate Item Gesture
Now, if you want to activate an item, you pinch your right ring finger or your left index finger. Activating an item means clicking on a button or selecting a menu item.
I am yearning to try Apple Vision Pro, play around with it and see how VoiceOver performs on it with the magic gestures. This is one of the beginning posts about VoiceOver, and I will continue exploring the accessibility aspect of visionOS!
I am working on the "Exploring visionOS" book. You can pre-order it to support my work! 🕶️