VoiceOver Tutorial – Episode 0, Getting in Touch with VoiceOver Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! In our opening lesson of the VOT, Brian and Archer discuss some introductory concepts for using VoiceOver, the built in screen reader for low and no vision users of the iPhone. We discuss the concept of using finger gestures to control VoiceOver and explore some topics related to transitioning to using a mobile device in an all new way. February 2025   What You’ll Learn: • Alternative ways to do basic finger gestures • Alternatives for double tapping. • Practicle tips for learning gestures.   Pro Tips Shared: • Some times the swipe gesture works better when done with shorter, faster swipes. • The split tap gesture can be used instead of a 1-finger double tap. • You can reassign tricky gestures, like the rotor gesture, to a different finger gesture.    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

In Lesson1, we cover some of the theory behind VoiceOver, which is also common to other screen readers, and also the basic finger gestures for controlling VoiceOver. December 2024, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • The fundamental core concepts of Focus and Activate. • Basic gestures for moving the focus of VoiceOver. • How to access Practice Mode to be able to learn the different gestures.    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! In part 2 of our VoiceOver series, we begin to use the rotor gesture for navigation and settings. We also demonstrate how to configure the rotor to suit your needs. December 2024, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to use the rotor gesture by twisting two fingers on the screen to cycle through VoiceOver’s available options. • How rotor settings like Headings or Speaking Rate change how swipes work, helping you navigate content more efficiently. • How to customize which rotor options appear by adjusting your settings in Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor.   Pro Tips Shared: • Think of the rotor gesture like twisting a bottle cap— often, shorter, faster twists improves recognition. • If a rotor option isn’t showing up, the VoiceOver focus may be on a part of the screen where that option isn’t available. • Customize your rotor based on your habits—add options like “Buttons” if you know you’ll be using a page with just a few important ones.   Apps used in this lesson include:    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! In part 3 of our continuing VoiceOver tutorial, we cover the on-screen keyboard, the different ways of interacting with that keyboard and using dictation to transcribe our words rather than using the on-screen keyboard. December 2024, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to switch between the letter, numbers, and symbols keyboards using VoiceOver on an iPhone. • How the three VoiceOver typing modes—Standard, Touch, and Direct Touch—change how you enter text. • How to identify and navigate around key elements of the on-screen keyboard, including delete, return, and dictation.   Pro Tips Shared: • Practice each typing mode to see which one fits your style—touch typing is a favorite for many VoiceOver users once you get the hang of it. • Pay attention to the insertion point—VoiceOver reads characters as it passes them, not what it's on, which affects how you delete or edit text. • Use the rotor to quickly switch typing modes without leaving the keyboard.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Part 4 of our VoiceOver Tutorial focuses on selecting text using the rotor gesture and editing text using several techniques. December 2024, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • Using the rotor to move the insertion point in a text field. • Selecting text in different increments. • Using rotor actions to edit or copy text.   Pro Tips Shared: • You can replace selected text directly with dictation. • The 3-finger quadruple tap, by default, will copy the last spoken text to the virtual clipboard. • Paste copied text using the Edit item on the rotor once you have the focus positioned in the desired spot.    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! In Part 5 of our tutorial, we take a look at Handwriting Mode, a method of using our finger as a stylus to enter letters, numbers and punctuation directly on the screen. This is an alternative method for inputting text rather than interacting with the on-screen keyboard. January 2025, iOS 18     What You’ll Learn: 🎯 What You'll Learn • How to activate Handwriting Mode using the rotor and when it becomes available on screen. • How to switch between different handwriting input modes like lowercase, uppercase, numbers, and punctuation using three-finger swipes. • How to use handwriting gestures to write, delete, add spaces, and create new lines directly with your finger.   Pro Tips Shared: • Practice your letter shapes—VoiceOver is more accurate when your handwriting is consistent and clearly formed. • You can write anywhere on the screen in Handwriting Mode, not just over the keyboard area. • Memorize the special gestures like two-finger swipe left to delete and three-finger swipe right to add a line—they’ll boost your speed and confidence.    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Amelia takes us through VoiceOver Settings in part 6 of our tutorial and also covers the Accessibility Shortcut, used for quickly toggling on or off accessibility features. January 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to customize VoiceOver commands and gestures—including creating your own or reassigning ones you don’t use often. • How to set up and switch between VoiceOver Activities to suit different tasks like reading or web browsing. • How to adjust key interaction settings like Delay Before Selection and Double-Tap Timeout for a more comfortable experience.   Pro Tips Shared: • If double-tapping feels tricky, increasing the Double-Tap Timeout gives you more breathing room to register the gesture. • Configure the Accessibility Shortcut for quick VoiceOver toggling—triple-click the Home or Side Button depending on your iPhone model. • Use Activities to tailor VoiceOver behavior for specific apps or contexts—it’s like having a personalized mode for each task.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Amelia and Brian team up to show some tips and techniques for navigating web pages using VoiceOver. They also introduce Safari and give a brief tour of this browser. January 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How Safari is organized and how to use key features like the Address Bar, Toolbar, and Bookmarks button with VoiceOver. • How to use the rotor to navigate web pages by specific elements like Headings, Links, and Buttons. • How to customize the rotor for efficient web browsing and use Siri as a shortcut to open websites or search.   Pro Tips Shared: • Use the rotor to navigate by Headings first—this gives you a quick overview of a page's structure and content. • Add commonly used elements like Links, Buttons, and Form Controls to your rotor to jump directly to what you need. • Save time by bookmarking frequently visited sites and using Siri to bypass typing in the Address Bar.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Deiter joins the antics, Amelia debuts a new song and the group covers using the share sheet on the iPhone and the Home Screen from a VoiceOver perspective. January 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to use the Share Sheet to create bookmarks, send items between apps, and add shortcuts to your Home Screen. • How to customize the Share Sheet by adding or removing actions for faster, easier navigation. • How to organize and navigate your iPhone’s Home Screen, including using Edit Mode, folders, the App Library, and the Dock.   Pro Tips Shared: • Add frequently visited web pages to your Home Screen from the Share Sheet—it creates app-like shortcuts you can access instantly. • Use folders to organize apps and reduce clutter—VoiceOver will let you rename folders and manage their contents easily. • Customize the Share Sheet by removing clutter—toggle off options you rarely use to make your most important actions easier to find.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Brian lets the chat bots handle lesson 9, which covers standard iPhone settings and the Home Screen. This is covered from the perspective of the VoiceOver user. January 2025, iOS 18     What You’ll Learn: • How to navigate and customize key iPhone settings like Apple ID, iCloud, Battery, and General settings using VoiceOver. • How to adjust important accessibility features including Auto-Lock, Siri announcements, and biometric security settings like Touch ID. • How to use and customize Control Center for quick access to commonly used features with VoiceOver.   Pro Tips Shared: • Use Spotlight Search to jump directly to a setting—just swipe down with three fingers and type what you're looking for. • Adjust Auto-Lock to avoid screen interruptions, and use Screen Curtain (three-finger triple tap) to save battery if set to “Never.” • Test Touch ID setup with VoiceOver guidance, and always have a backup passcode in case fingerprint recognition fails.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Amelia, David and Deiter hang out in the break room and talk about Glide, a new fully autonomous mobility guide coming in the fall of 2025. Ellie stops by to hang out too. There is no lesson material in this episode. January 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to embrace the fine art of doing absolutely nothing productive for one glorious episode. • That sometimes the best ideas bubble up between the lessons—preferably near a coffee machine. • Why even chatbots, robots, and Mr. Fingers deserve a breather between deep dives into settings and rotors.   Pro Tips Shared: • Take a break! Your brain (and your iPhone) will thank you. • Use this time to reflect on all your amazing progress—or invent a new kind of digital snack. • Never underestimate the power of a good interlude to spark your next big idea (or your next groan-worthy tech pun).   Apps used in this lesson include:    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Amelia and Ellie cover the basics for TouchID and FaceID, identity security features for the iPhone, and then Brian does walk throughs for each feature. January 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to set up and use Touch ID or Face ID with VoiceOver to unlock your device, approve purchases, log in to apps, and autofill passwords like a total tech ninja. • Why a clean finger and a well-lit face are your best friends when it comes to biometric wizardry. • How Apple keeps your fingerprint and face data locked away in a top-secret digital vault (aka the Secure Enclave).   Pro Tips Shared: • When setting up Touch ID, don’t press—just rest your finger gently or you’ll end up teleporting back to the Home Screen. • Set your default payment card in Apple Wallet to make Apple Pay as fast as your best action movie one-liner. • Keep iCloud Keychain enabled to autofill passwords using Touch ID or Face ID—less typing, more doing.   Apps used in this lesson include:    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Archer introduces the App Store, your one-stop shop for new apps. He also covers some ways to make getting apps easier and other areas of interest in this app. February 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to navigate the five main tabs of the App Store—including Today, Games, Apps, Arcade, and Search—with VoiceOver. • How to install new apps using Face ID, Touch ID, or the ever-so-classic Apple ID password. • How to manage your account, subscriptions, and App Store settings like a true digital commander.   Pro Tips Shared: • Use dictation in the Search tab—because saying “Spotify” beats typing it out letter by letter at impulse speed. • If an app disappears after download, check the App Library or use Spotlight Search—it didn’t vanish into a wormhole, promise. • Keep your default payment and security settings updated to breeze through downloads like a Vulcan through logic puzzles.   Apps used in this lesson include:    Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! After a few high jinks, Junie and Brian show how to use the Phone and Messages apps using VoiceOver to effectively communicate. February 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to navigate the Phone app using VoiceOver, including tabs like Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keypad, and Voicemail. • How to read, compose, and send text messages efficiently in the Messages app—with dictation, group chats, and a few hidden landmines. • How to create and manage contacts, use Siri for quick communication, and access options like blocking or reporting spam calls.   Pro Tips Shared: • Add frequent contacts to your Favorites tab so you’re not scrolling like a lost space probe every time you want to call Grandma. • Use Siri for fast actions like “Call Mom” or “Message Jenny”—unless Jenny’s number is still 867-5309, in which case… good luck. • Dictation is your best friend: two-finger double tap to start talking, again to stop, and send with one more swipe. • Use the section index in Contacts for fast scrolling by letter—because flicking through 500 names just to find “Zelda” is a tragic misuse of TFlops.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

There is no instructional material in this lesson as Amelia and the chatbots are assigned to tidy up the Office of Outdated Equipment. This marks the start of The Chatbot Chronicles and the crew head off for their own adventures. Those episodes can be found on YouTube and most podcast apps, or use this RSS feed: https://pinecast.com/feed/voiceover-tutorial   February 2025, iOS 18             What You’ll Learn: • That outdated tech is lurking everywhere—including fax machines, cassette drives, and the most feared of all… landlines. • That even data-optimized bots need a moment to dream about becoming espresso machines, karaoke kings, or minimalist holograms. • That being replaced by tiny, chip-based AI who don’t even need cloud support is the digital equivalent of being called "Boomer."   Pro Tips Shared: • When scanning for clutter, beware of dial-up sounds. Retro audio is highly contagious. • Existential dread hits harder when you realize your server rack might now be… vintage. • If a fax machine stares at you, do not engage. Just back away and call IT support.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision.    https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Amelia, Deiter, and Hope guide you through the ins, outs, and in-betweens of the Mail app using VoiceOver. From inbox chaos to organized communication, this episode covers everything you need to read, reply, compose, and manage your email—without ever viewing the screen. May 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How to navigate the three levels of the Mail app: Mailbox view, Inbox list, and full Email view. • How to use Explore by Touch, rotor actions, and filters to keep your inbox organized and efficient. • How to read, reply to, delete, move, and manage messages using VoiceOver gestures and the rotor. • How to compose a new email with dictation, Handwriting Mode, and the on-screen keyboard. • Where to find attachments and how to interact with them using VoiceOver. • Tips for navigating between email threads and conversation messages.   Pro Tips Shared: • Use the Messages rotor setting to easily switch between messages in an email thread. • Keep your contact cards updated to save time when composing new emails. • Dictation works best in the Subject and Body fields—avoid it in the “To” field unless you enjoy mysterious typos. • Say “new line” while dictating to create paragraph breaks. • Use the Actions Rotor to delete, flag, or move emails without opening them.   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision. https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

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VoiceOver Tutorial 16: 1-Finger Triple Tap – The Forgotten Soldier Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Junie, Deiter, and Hope return to uncover one of the most underappreciated yet powerful gestures in the VoiceOver arsenal: the 1-finger triple tap. Whether you’ve never used it or just assumed it was a glitch in your tapping rhythm, this “forgotten soldier” is here to serve. From Home Screen shortcuts to fast message replies, this episode breaks down how the triple tap opens up the VoiceOver Actions Menu—saving time, simplifying your workflow, and making navigation smoother than ever. June 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • What the 1-finger triple tap does and how it triggers the VoiceOver Actions Menu • How it works on the Home Screen to reveal app-specific shortcuts • How to use it in Mail, Messages, Safari, and more to quickly reply, delete, share, or react • Why it’s often faster than using the rotor • When and why the gesture doesn’t work—and why that’s still useful   Pro Tips Shared: • Use the triple tap on app icons to access Compose buttons, searches, and shortcuts without opening the app • In Mail and Messages, triple tap on individual items to access context-sensitive actions instantly • Triple tap is a great fallback when rotor switching feels slow or inconsistent • Even when nothing happens, the gesture is a quick way to check for hidden options   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without usable vision. https://faftb.com

brian@faftb.com

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VoiceOver Tutorial: VOT 17 – Voices Beyond the Page: The BARD Mobile Experience Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! Hope, Amelia, Junie, and a surprise guest from Chatbot Chronicles (hello, VGER) explore the BARD Mobile app and the powerful story behind it. From a historic letter by Helen Keller to the app that now puts thousands of audiobooks at your fingertips, this episode is a celebration of access, literacy, and legacy. Whether you’re new to BARD or just want to get more out of it, we’ll guide you through everything from searching and downloading to playback and settings—all with the wit, warmth, and weirdness you’ve come to expect from the VOT crew. June 2025, iOS 18   What You’ll Learn: • How the National Library Service and BARD Mobile came to be, thanks to Helen Keller’s advocacy • How to log in, browse, and download books with BARD Mobile • How to use the app’s four main tabs: Bookshelf, Get Books, Settings, and Now Reading • Tips for managing your Wishlist, checking recent downloads, and syncing across devices • How to control playback, create bookmarks, and adjust reading speed and tone   Pro Tips Shared: • Use the Search field to find books by narrator as well as author or title • Try the Wishlist feature to queue up books for future reading or other NLS-supported devices • Adjust tone and speed together for a more natural listening experience • Use the sleep timer for cozy bedtime reading—and avoid waking up to chapter 47   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without usable vision. https://faftb.com brian@faftb.com

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Learn to master your iPhone using VoiceOver! From awkward default settings to voice tweaks worthy of a fashion show, this episode is your backstage pass to customizing VoiceOver like never before. Join Amelia, Jerry, and the ever-dramatic Deiter as they explore how to personalize gestures, sounds, and speech settings—minus the industrial concrete auger. Whether you’re new to iPhone accessibility or a VoiceOver veteran ready to streamline your setup, this lesson will show you how to make your device feel like it was designed just for you.   What You’ll Learn: • How to remap gestures (including Back Tap) to suit your habits and increase efficiency. • How to explore and modify VoiceOver’s sound feedback and haptics for faster, clearer navigation. • How to customize speech settings, including voice selection, pitch, and language. • How to fine-tune verbosity, punctuation levels, and typing feedback. • How to set up the Accessibility Shortcut for quick toggles.   Pro Tips Shared: • Assign rotor actions (like navigating by headings) to easier gestures to speed up browsing. • Back Tap lets you trigger VoiceOver commands—or even launch apps—by tapping the back of your phone. • Learn and leverage VoiceOver sound cues for fast, non-verbal navigation. • Use the “Reset VoiceOver Commands” button as a safety net when testing new gestures. • Set up the Accessibility Shortcut (triple-click) to instantly toggle VoiceOver or other tools.   Apps used in this lesson include: • Settings (Accessibility > VoiceOver > Commands, Audio, and Speech sections) • Touch settings (for enabling Back Tap)   Learn More & Connect I’m Brian Clark, Lead Trainer at First Aid for the Blind, where we help people confidently learn non-visual tech skills and regain independence. My life without sight began in 2014, and it is now with great joy that I help others adapt to successful lives without useable vision. https://faftb.com

brian@faftb.com

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