when returning to previous page have VO cursor go back to where it was

Seriously, no there's really not a way to go back like that. It's annoying the focus jumps to where it decides to land. The one thing you can do is use voice over command V or shift V. Shift V brings you back a visited link, V just moves forward down the list. I actually had to pause this to figure out how to since i've ben doing it so long Lol. Hope that helps a little.

Disclaimer: This will require a few additional steps. Try to get in the habit of doing them, and web navigation will be just a tiny bit more bearable.

So there are 2 options you can do to ensure you get back to the last place you were on a previous page. The first one is kind of permanent, and I do not know if closing the browser resets it or if clearing history is required.

You have been warned. . .

The Temporary Way

Whenever you are on a page, like Google search results, do the following:

1. Before clicking on any link, press Shift + Control + Option and a number between 1 - 0 (Number row only).
2. This hotkey will save a hotspot on the page you are on.
3. Click the link and do whatever's clever.
4. Go back to your previous page, and now press Control + Option + the number you chose above.
5. You will be where you left off before clicking the link.

Pseudo Permanent Way

1. Before clicking the link, press Shift + Control + Option + Command + Right Brace, Right Brace. Note you must press the last key two times while holding the other keys. The Right Bracket is located under and slightly left of the Backspace/Delete key, holding Shift turns it into Right Brace.
2. This will set a "Sweet spot" on the page you are currently on.
3. Click the link. Do whatever's clever.
4. Go back to the previous page. You should automatically be exactly where you were when you set the sweet spot.

The downside to this method is that, that particular page will, as I understand it, (always) load you onto that sweet spot. Always.

Anyways, good luck~

Those solutions might work well when using VO on a Mac or with a keyboard, but if one is simply using their iPhone, there is still a problem.

In general it seems like Voiceover is "dumb" about remembering where it last had focus. I particularly notice this when reading articles in the News app. If one activates/opens an article to read it and then closes it by hitting the "back" button, I would expect focus to be on the article title which was just closed. Instead, focus can be in some random place like on the news article several places up from where you were.

In almost all other apps on my iPhone or PC, closing a dialog, article, or web page, brings focus back to the last item one activated before closing the dialog or article or hitting the "back" button.

This behavior in iOS is very frustrating and seems to happen system wide with the Apple apps. Hope this can be rectified some day by Apple.

--Pete

Sometimes, a simple Command+Left Bracket works and returns me to the link I followed, sometimes it doesn't. Does this have something to do with dynamic content on the page? If the page changes, such as the main AppleVis page updating whenever someone comments on a topic, I can see how that might make it impossible for VO to find the link you originally followed.

Topic shift: Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that Command+Left Bracket works everywhere except the Apple community support forum website, where it is ignored. The workaround is to find the back button and select it, or select the Back option from the History menu.

It is not just you. . .

Apple support Never wants you to leave.

Ever.