You can use VoiceOver on Apple Watch — here’s how!

VoiceOver allows you to find out what’s on your screen without having to see it with your eyes. It’s one of Apple’s greatest accessibility features and it’s also supported on Apple Watch.

With VoiceOver, those who have vision difficulties can still use Apple Watch. In doing so, simple gestures are used to move around the Apple Watch screen while a VoiceOver narrator speaks each time an item is selected.

• How to set up VoiceOver for Apple Watch
• How to use Taptic Time
• How to use VoiceOver
• How to use Screen Curtain with VoiceOver
• Other VoiceOver settings

How to set up VoiceOver for Apple Watch

VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that uses the built-in Apple Watch speaker. In doing so, it can tell you what’s happening on the wearable device without the need to see it. To date, VoiceOver is compatible across built-in apps and is available in more than 35 languages.

To turn on VoiceOver on Apple Watch:

1. Tap on the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. On the My Watch tab, select General.

3. Tap Accessibility.

   

4. To the right of VoiceOver, tap Off.
5. Toggle VoiceOver to the On position.

When activated, VoiceOver “speaks” items on the display.

• Tap once to select an item on Apple Watch
• Double-tap to activate the selected item

• Swipe with two fingers to scroll

  

How to use Taptic Time

When using Taptic Time with VoiceOver, you’ll receive a series of distinct taps from the Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine to tell you the time. Just double-tap the wearable device display to feel hours and minutes, or triple-tap with one finger to feel the minutes. To use Taptic Time:

1. Make sure VoiceOver has been turned on for Apple Watch.
2. On the VoiceOver page (see above), tap Off to the right of Taptic Time to turn it on.

3. On the next page, toggle Enable Taptic Time.

   

4. Select the taptic style you’d like to use: digits, terse, and Morse code. Tap Preview to test each method.

• With Digits, when you double-tap the screen, Apple Watch will long tap for every ten hours, and short tap for each following hour. Then, it will long tap for every ten minutes, and short tap for each following minute.
• Using Terse, a double-tap on the screen will cause Apple Watch to long tap for every five hours, then short-tap for the remaining hours. You’ll then receive a long tap for each quarter hour.
• Finally, when you double-tap the screen and Morse Code is set, the Apple Watch will tap each digital of the time using that code.

How to use VoiceOver

When you tap on Apple Watch, you’ll now hear more about what’s happening on the screen. Double-tab to perform an action.

For example, if you tap on the Exercise app, Siri will say “Workout.” By double-tapping the same icon, you’ll be given a choice of the options within that app.

How to use Screen Curtain with VoiceOver

Across Apple devices, you can use the Screen Curtain, which allows you to turn off the display for added privacy. To use Screen Curtain on Apple Watch (or any device), you must first enable VoiceOver.

1. With VoiceOver activated, tap the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Accessibility.
4. Tap VoiceOver.

5. Toggle Screen Curtain.

   

From now on, your Apple Watch display is off. You can only use the wearable device by listening to VoiceOver. Untoggle Screen Curtain to turn the feature off.

Other VoiceOver settings

You can make other adjustments on how VoiceOver operates on Apple Watch. On the VoiceOver page shown above, you can perform the following additional tasks:

• Adjust the speaking rate: Drag the Speaking Rate slider to change how quickly or slowly the voice speaks.
• Hear the time when you raise your wrist: Turn on Speak on Wrist Raise.

As you can see, Apple offers a number of visual accessibility features on Apple Watch through VoiceOver. Many of these are customizable to suit your tastes.

Great Apple Watchbands

Are you looking for something new for your Apple Watch? Take a look at some of our favorite beautiful bands:

Questions?

Did you have any trouble using any of these visual accessibility settings? Give us a shout in the comments with your questions and thoughts!