How to Use VoiceOver for Accessibility Testing on macOS

If you’ve ever opened the WCAG guidelines and felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. The documentation is dense, the rules are technical, and the stakes feel high. But the truth is, you don’t need to be an accessibility expert or memorize all the criteria to start making your product more inclusive.

In fact, some of the most common accessibility issues—missing labels, broken keyboard navigation, unreadable elements—can be identified with just a few tools and a basic understanding of how screen readers work. And if you’re using a Mac, you already have one of the best tools built in: VoiceOver.

With a little practice, VoiceOver can help you spot major issues quickly and easily, without writing a line of code. Think of it as a sanity check for your UI: if a screen reader can’t understand or interact with your page, chances are real users will struggle too.

This article breaks down the basics of VoiceOver, how to use its features like Rotor, and how to perform a simple but effective accessibility review—even if you’ve never done it before.

Reading Content with Assistive Technologies

Reading web content with assistive technologies like VoiceOver is a core part of digital accessibility. For people who are blind or have low vision, VoiceOver makes it possible to use iOS devices by reading everything on the screen out loud—no visual input needed.

To turn on VoiceOver accessibility on an iPhone or iPad, you can triple-click the Home button (or Side button on newer models), or go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver. This shortcut makes it easy to switch VoiceOver on or off as needed.

Once enabled, VoiceOver begins reading everything on the screen—from app icons to website content in Safari. Navigation is simple: tap once to select an item, double-tap to activate it (just like clicking), or use a split-tap gesture to confirm an action.

For faster browsing, the Rotor is an essential VoiceOver tool. By rotating two fingers on the screen—like turning a dial—you can quickly scan through specific elements like headings, links, and form fields. On a keyboard, you can open the Rotor with Caps Lock + U and use arrow keys to move through options.

VoiceOver also includes features to customize the experience. You can change the speaking speed, hear descriptions of screen elements like battery level or page context, and even enable Screen Curtain, which turns off the display for privacy while keeping full VoiceOver functionality.

Heads Up: Safari’s Keyboard Navigation Needs Fixing

Before diving into VoiceOver, there’s an important (and slightly frustrating) quirk you should know about Safari. By default, Safari doesn't let you navigate to all interactive elements using the keyboard—which can seriously throw off accessibility testing.

For example, pressing Tab might skip over buttons, checkboxes, and links entirely. That’s obviously a problem if you're trying to experience your site the way a screen reader user would.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Open Safari.
2. Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced.
3. Check the box labeled: “Press Tab to highlight each item on a webpage.”

This small setting change makes a huge difference. Without it, you won’t be able to properly test how accessible your site is via keyboard or screen reader.

If you're curious about the details, Apple explains more in their Safari accessibility support article.

What Is VoiceOver and Why Should You Use It?

VoiceOver is Apple’s built-in screen reader, available on every Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Unlike third-party tools that require installation and setup, VoiceOver is ready to go out of the box—and it's surprisingly powerful.

It reads aloud everything happening on the screen: headings, buttons, links, form fields, image descriptions, and more. It also allows users to navigate and interact with content using only the keyboard or gestures, depending on the device.

For QA engineers, developers, and product teams working on a Mac, VoiceOver is one of the fastest ways to start testing real-world accessibility issues. You don’t need extra software or special hardware. Just turn it on and start exploring.

While it doesn’t replace full accessibility audits (especially across different platforms), it helps you catch common problems early—like incorrect heading structures, unlabeled buttons, missing alt text, and broken focus order.

And because many users in the Apple ecosystem rely on VoiceOver, testing with it adds real value to your product’s overall accessibility and user experience.

Voiceover Accessibility: How to Enable VoiceOver on macOS

VoiceOver is built into every Mac, and enabling it only takes a few seconds. Here are three simple ways to turn it on:

Option 1: Use Spotlight search
Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type "VoiceOver," and press Return.

Option 2: Use the keyboard shortcut
Press Command + F5.
On newer Macs with Touch ID, you can also press Command and tap the Touch ID button three times.

Option 3: Enable it through system settings
Go to System Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then toggle the switch to turn it on.

Once enabled, VoiceOver begins reading on-screen content aloud. You’ll also see a floating VoiceOver panel that highlights the element currently in focus.

If you're using VoiceOver for the first time, it's a good idea to go through Apple’s built-in VoiceOver Training. You can find it in System Settings under VoiceOver. The training covers key features like navigation commands, element interaction, and how to use the Rotor—an essential tool for efficient testing.

Why the Rotor Is a Game Changer for Accessibility Testing

Modern websites are filled with interactive elements—buttons, links, headings, forms, and more. Navigating all of that content using a screen reader’s default, linear reading mode can be painfully slow.

That’s where Rotor comes in.

The Rotor is a built-in VoiceOver feature that lets users browse by specific element types. Press Control + Option + U (or Cmd + U, depending on your VoiceOver settings) to open it. Once active, you can view a list of page elements grouped by category—like links, headings, form controls, and landmarks—and jump directly to the one you need.

This is especially useful when testing large or dynamic pages. For example, instead of tabbing through every element to find a “Buy now” button, Rotor lets you quickly scan all buttons or links and go straight to it.

For users who rely on screen readers every day, this feature is essential. It’s often used more than full-page reading because it provides faster, more efficient access to structured content.

Tip: If your site’s structure is poor—missing headings, generic link labels, unlabeled buttons—it will show up immediately when using the Rotor.

Accessibility Testing: A VoiceOver Checklist for Quick Wins

Once you're familiar with VoiceOver and the Rotor, you're ready to start testing. You don’t need to perform a full accessibility audit to find meaningful issues. A focused, practical walkthrough using the checklist below can surface many common problems — fast.

This checklist is designed to help you identify basic accessibility issues using only VoiceOver and your keyboard.

Navigation flow

• Can you navigate the page from top to bottom — and back up — using only the keyboard?
• Can you reach every interactive element, including expandable menus or modal triggers?
• Is the focus always visible and clearly indicating which element is active?
• Does the focus follow the same order as the visual layout, or does it jump around?

Content and semantics

• Does the page include an <h1> heading? (Every page should have one.)
• Are headings used in the correct order (no skipping from <h2> to <h5>, for example)?
• Do headings clearly describe the content that follows?
• Are links and buttons uniquely labeled and meaningful without context (no repeated "Click here" or "Read more")?
• Are ARIA landmarks (like main, nav, aside) used appropriately and labeled clearly?
• Are lists marked up using proper HTML tags (<ul>, <ol>, or <dl>)?

Images

• Do meaningful images (e.g., diagrams, icons, product shots) have alt text that describes their content or function?
• Are decorative images properly hidden from screen readers using alt="" or appropriate roles?

Additional considerations

• Is the content presented in a consistent language? (Some assistive tech reads code and content differently if mismatched.)
• Can you activate all buttons, dropdowns, and other controls using only the keyboard?
• Does VoiceOver announce state changes clearly — like "expanded" or "collapsed" for menus?

These tests don’t require deep technical knowledge. In many cases, simply comparing what you see on screen to what you hear from VoiceOver is enough to flag issues worth fixing.

Why You Should Also Test on Windows

While VoiceOver on macOS is a great starting point, it doesn’t cover the full spectrum of how users experience your website with assistive technologies. Different screen readers interpret and announce content in slightly different ways, depending on how they're built and what browser they’re paired with.

That’s why it’s important to test with at least one Windows-based screen reader in addition to VoiceOver.

Common Windows screen readers

• NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) — Free, open-source, and widely used in the developer and accessibility communities.
• JAWS (Job Access With Speech) — A commercial screen reader often used in enterprise or government environments.

Both tools have similar features to VoiceOver but may behave differently depending on how content is coded. For example, label associations, table navigation, and ARIA roles might render correctly in one screen reader and not in another.

Recommended testing combinations

• Mac: Chrome + VoiceOver
• Windows: Chrome + NVDA (or Firefox + NVDA for slightly different rendering)

If you’re aiming for broad accessibility coverage, testing across both platforms helps ensure a consistent and inclusive experience. It also gives your team greater confidence that accessibility fixes work as expected, regardless of the user’s device or assistive tech.

Final Thoughts: Start Small, Stay Consistent

You don’t need a full audit or a dedicated accessibility team to improve the usability of your site. VoiceOver gives you a low-barrier way to start catching real issues that could affect your users—especially those relying on screen readers.

Start with what you already have: a Mac, a browser, and a few minutes. Learn the basics of VoiceOver, use the Rotor to quickly scan for structure and labels, and compare what you hear to what you see. If something doesn't match, it's worth a second look.

Even quick, focused testing sessions—just a few minutes per feature—can uncover missing headings, unlabeled buttons, or poor keyboard navigation. And when you're ready to expand, running the same checks on Windows with NVDA or JAWS helps ensure your product works for a wider range of users.

With regulations like the European Accessibility Act setting new standards for digital products across the EU, there’s no better time to make accessibility a regular part of your QA process—not just for compliance, but for better user experience.