Using a Braille Display on iOS: an Introduction

Last edited by Scott Davert on October 10, 2025

Can I use a braille display with my iOS Device? If so, which models are compatible?

Any iOS Device that runs VoiceOver can support a large variety of Bluetooth braille displays. Common models include Humanware's Brailliant line, the Focus displays from Vispero, displays from Orbit Research, Alva, VissioBraille , HIMS, and other companies. Please see Apple's official list of supported braille displays. Over thirty models are supported, according to Apple, so chances are that if your display includes Bluetooth connectivity, it will be supported. At last check, in February 2025, Supported devices excluded on this page were the Actilino and Activator from Helptech, Braille eMotion and QBraille From HIMS, BrailleNote Touch and Touch + from Humanware, the NLS eReaders, along with all devices from Orbit Research. There may be others, but those are the models that spring to mind.

What About Braille Display Commands?

In addition to braille support, iOS also supports a robust set of keyboard commands for both those braille displays which have a Perkins-style keyboard as well as a QWERTY one. this page lists common braille commands for iOS devices with a Perkins-style keyboard For those devices which have a Perkins-style keyboard. If you are on a braille display which sports a QWERTY keyboard, you should find this list of Bluetooth keyboard commands will help.

How do I connect my display with my iOS Device?

This process differs for each display, so I will not answer in detail. For example, the Mantis and Braillliant BIX series has you pair through Bluetooth settings with no authentication code required while others may require you to do other things like match an authentication code between the iOS Device and the braille device. However, most will still allow you to pair through the conventional method. Here are generic instructions:

• Put your display in "terminal" or "discoverable" mode.
• On the iOS Device, go to Settings, accessibility, VoiceOver, Braille. If the iOS Device's Bluetooth is not on, you will be prompted to turn it on; do so before continuing.
• After a few seconds, you will see a list of available displays (assuming your display is in the correct mode). Simply choose your display from the list by double tapping it.
• In some cases, you will then be prompted to enter a passcode on the iOS Device. This code will differ depending on which display you are using, so check with the documentation or display manufacturer to find the correct code. The most common code is 0000, though 1234 also is correct in some cases. The manufacturer should also let you know if no pin is required, which is more common with newer devices. When entering a passcode, you will only have a few seconds to enter it. so be ready with it and be sure you are comfortable typing with the iOS Device's onscreen number pad. Once you have entered the code, double tap the "pair" button, found in the upper right area of the screen, just below the status bar. It is also possible to enter the passcode on a Bluetooth keyboard.
• If all went well, there will be a delay of a few seconds and then you will see braille appearing on your display. You can now use the display to read much of what VoiceOver says and, assuming you have a keyboard on the display, enter text and commands into the iOS Device.

Troubleshooting

If you take too long to enter the passcode, if your braille display fails to pair a few times in a row, or if iOS is just in a bad mood, you may run into issues. Below are some common challenges and how you can try to overcome them. * If the instructions above do not work and error messages still appear when you try to pair your display, try turning the iOS Device off and back on (this is not the same as locking and unlocking it). Also try resetting your braille display and/or clearing out its saved Bluetooth devices(refer to the device's documentation for help). * If you are prompted for a passcode, have entered the passcode three times and are unsuccessful, you will find odd things happening; the iOS Device may not find the display, it may refuse to prompt for the passcode, and so on. To get around this, go back to the main Settings screen and choose Bluetooth (this item is under General in older versions of iOS). Find your display in the list of devices and double tap it. Now find and double tap the "forget device" button. You are now free to try three more times to pair the display. * If both of these do not solve the problem, try resetting network settings. This reset is located under settings>General>Transfer or Reset>Reset> You will have to reenter any Wi-fi network information you have stored, but it can also sometimes make things work again. This is because both the Bluetooth and Wi-fi radios on your iOS Device are on the same chip.

USB connectivity

Unless your iOS device uses USB-C, Along with your braille display, you will also need the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter available from Apple for approximately $40. It's important to note that this process is not always successful in later versions of iOS, so purchasing the adapter may not be worth it. If you want to try this, though, To connect your braille display in this manor, you will need to plug in a Lightning cable to provide power. You will then connect the USB-A port to the braille display, and plug the other side of the adapter, which has a short cable, into your iOS device. Of the displays I’ve tested, the Brailliant BI 20X, Brailliant BI 40X, Mantis Q40, Activator and Chameleon 20 were the only devices that I was able to connect successfully. The number of displays which support the new HID standard established in 2018 is very low since it is new.

What codes and grades of Braille are supported by iOS?

iOS supports contracted braille (U.S., UK, and UEB) for input and output, and Nemeth when displaying equations (see the braille settings to configure these and other options). It also supports eight-dot braille, and the table used for that is based on your language selection. In other words, the language your device is speaking is the same language in which eight dot braille will be handled.

I’m having trouble entering passwords in some places with iOS, is there a workaround for this?

Many websites and apps do not accept entry from a braille display regardless of code of braille or your table settings. However, you have a few options for overcoming this. One is to press space with 1-4-6 to make the onscreen keyboard visible. At that point, you can enter the password on the touchscreen and proceed with logging in. You can also write the password in a note or other text field, press space with 2-3-5-6 to select all, navigate back to the text field requiring the password, and then press space with 1-2-3-6 to paste the contents of that note into the field.

When I am trying to enter numbers with the braille display, such as on money transfer screens, my braille keyboard entry is not accepted: what can I do?

You can do the same method described above for entering passwords by unhiding the onscreen keyboard and entering the numbers that way. As a reminder, pressing space with 1-4-6 will hide and un-hide this keyboard. You can also select the onscreen numbers from your braille display to enter the amount.

I Want To Use a Keyboard Shortcut That is not Currently Available on my Braille Display with an 8 dot keyboard, Can this be Done?

You can decide not only what function you would like to be able to carry out from your Braille display, but also what keyboard combination you would like that command to have. If the command you desire is already in use by another function, that’s okay, you can change it to something else. The commands are specific to each Braille display, so if you work with more than one, you will need to set these commands up for each device. It has been my experience that similar models of displays do carry commands over, such as if you are using the Focus 14 and switch to the 40. The same is true for the Brailliant BIX and NLS e-Reader which have the same hardware. Though most Braille displays have a Perkins style keyboard, they also have buttons that make them unique, which is the reason Apple has done it this way. For example, the Focus displays, which have many controls on the front of the device that can be either assigned, or re-assigned, allow for many more customized commands beyond the Perkins style keyboard. The amount of options available for new commands will vary based on the Braille display’s specific capabilities and programmable buttons.

To assign a new command for your Braille display with a Perkins-style keyboard, go to Settings>Accessibility>VoiceOver>Braille>the name of your Device>More Info>Braille Commands”. Within this screen, you will find seven categories for configuring new or existing commands. You will also find the option to “Reset All Commands” at the bottom of this screen. There are too many options to list, but I will describe how to add or change a command by example below.

Let's set up a new braille keyboard shortcut to lock the screen of the connected iOS device. Since I am a user of the Chameleon, this allows me to take full control of my iOS Device without having to ever interact with it, since I can already wake it up by pressing a Cursor Routing Button. Note that this will not apply to displays from other manufacturers. This command to lock the screen is only an option from iOS 15.1 onward, but will work with any braille display connected to your iOS or iPadOS device. Step by step instructions follow:

1. After navigating to Settings>Accessibility>VoiceOver>Braille>More Info>Braille Commands, activate the “Device” button.
2. Scroll down to the “Lock Screen” button.
3. Navigate to "Assign New Braille Keys", and activate it.
4. Press a key, or combination of keys, that you wish to be assigned this command. Be sure to either pick something you do not ever use, or a brand new command altogether.
5. If the command you have chosen doesn't already have something assigned to it, you will be done with this process. If the Braille keyboard assignment does have a command already associated with that keyboard combination, you will get an alert telling you what the already assigned action is, and asking you if you wish to change it.
6. Choose "OK" or "Cancel", and the appropriate option will be chosen.

You can now press that Braille keyboard combination you have assigned this function and your screen will lock. It's also possible to remove braille display keyboard assignments by finding the command you wish to delete, swiping up to delete, and then double tapping, or doing the equivalent on your connected braille display.

I Want To Use a Keyboard Shortcut That is not Currently Available on my Braille Display with a QWERTY keyboard, Can this be Done?

Though the process is different, it can be done for the most part. It is worth noting that some commands, such as Type to Siri, do not have this option. Mantis Q40 users also have the ability to wake their iOS devices using a cursor routing button. Since all of the other general information from above still applies, and for consistency, here are instructions on how to set up a QWERTY keyboard command to lock an iOS device. 1. Navigate to Settings>Accessibility>VoiceOver>commands>All Commands>System>Lock Screen. 2. Under the System heading option, you will find Add Keyboard Shortcut. 3. Choose a keyboard command. 4. After pressing this command, you will likely need to double tap the done button which is one swipe to the right from the area where you choose your command. 5. If the command you have chosen doesn't already have something assigned to it, you will be done with this process. If the Braille keyboard assignment does have a command already associated with that keyboard combination, you will get an alert telling you what the already assigned action is, and asking you if you wish to change it. 6. Choose "OK" or "Cancel", and the appropriate option will be chosen.

Pressing Dot 8 or Enter in a Text Message or Some Other Chat Programs Send my Messages Right Away, is There a Way to Insert a Line Break in These Instances?

There is. Simply add the Option key before pressing dot 8. The default braille keyboard combination for this is space with dots 2-7. Pressing the Option key with Enter on a QWRTY keyboard should achieve the same result.

Can I Use Siri With a Braille Display Only?

To set up Siri to work with braille, the process is different for the iPhones which use Apple Intelligence versus those devices which do not. Let's first look at those devices which do not have Apple Intelligence, since they are the larger majority. you must first enable "Type to Siri". Turn this on by going to Settings>Accessibility>Siri>Type to Siri. Once this is turned on, pressing and holding the side button, or Home button, you will find a keyboard ready to accept text input. With iOS 18.3, a text field will appear where you can type your request. For those running iOS versions prior to 18, the process is a bit more complex. Using braille only, you will have to navigate to the bottom of the screen where the text field is. When you invoke Siri, there will not be a noticeable change on a braille display, Though the text field will be at the bottom of the screen. You cannot seem to use space with 4-5-6 to get to the bottom of the screen when Siri is activated. Instead, you must press space with dot 4 until you get past whatever you are working on. If, for example, you are on your Home Screen, you will have to press space with dot 4 until you get past the last item on your dock. Now, you can type something you would like Siri to do, press dot 8, and Siri will carry out the requested phrase. With iOS 15 and later, you will find the results of your typed command by pressing space with dot 1. Press space with dot 4 again and a Cursor Routing button to type another request. To exit Siri, press space with H.

For those with devices which run Apple Intelligence, you will also need to enable Type to Siri. You will find it under Settings>Apple Intelligence & Siri>Talk & Type to Siri. Once enabled, the process of communicating with Siri is very similar, though when Siri summons ChatGPT for example, sometimes braille focus moves and you will need to hit the touchscreen to bring focus back, or another trick I've used is to press space with dots 1-4-7, which is the command to jump to the center item. It sometimes brings focus back.

If you would like to set up a braille display command to invoke Siri, you can also do this on a Perkins-Style keyboard. However, there is no direct way of setting this up on a QWERTY keyboard at the time of writing. However, you can navigate to Settings>Accessibility>VoiceOver>Braille and turn on Enter Braille Chords on Keyboard, and follow the instructions provided below. It is important to note that when this setting is enabled, typing in a text field with any sort of speed will cause iOS to drop random letters. You can still perform a 4-finger swipe down from the touchscreen to get the same feature. Step by step instructions follow for those braille displays with a Perkins-style keyboard:

1. Head over to Settings>Accessibility>VoiceOver>Braille>More Info (under the device you have connected), and then commands.
2. Activate the Device button.
3. scroll down to the Siri button and activate it.
4. Scroll to "Assign New Braille Keys.
5. Have a command in mind so that you can immediately press this keyboard shortcut. For example, Backspace with S. If the command you have chosen doesn't already have something associated with it, you will be done with this process. If the Braille keyboard assignment does have a command already tied to it, you will get an alert telling you what the already assigned action is, and asking you if you wish to change it.
6. Choose "OK" or "Cancel", and the appropriate option will be chosen.

I like reading books on iOS, but can I set up auto-scroll?

With iOS 14 and later, yes. To set it up, you will first need to assign a braille keyboard command to start and stop auto-advance. You will find the option for assigning a new braille keyboard command under the braille category. There are also options to assign keyboard commands to control the speed of the auto-advancing. If you are unfamiliar with how to assign braille keyboard commands to certain actions, please see the above section on doing so in this guide. If you don’t wish to assign braille keyboard commands to control the speed of auto advance, you can also add this to your VoiceOver Rotor and control the speed that way.

Is There a Way to Quickly Switch Languages with Braille?

iOS 13 and later has many different braille tables to choose from. You will first need to add the braille table you wish to use. To add a table, do the following:

1. navigate to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Braille > Braille Tables.
2. After the “edit” button, you will be presented with a list of tables which have already been added to your iOS device. If you have not added any, you will have the one that corresponds to your region settings. If you have not downloaded any other braille tables, this will be followed by an “Add Braille Table” button.
3. After activating the "add braille table" button, you will be presented with a list of languages. Selecting any of these languages will download the selected braille table for use. You can also type a language in the search box if you would like. Either way, select the desired language.
4. Selecting the listing of the language under either heading will select that braille table. You are then presented with a System heading, followed by the language, then the Liblouis heading followed by the language again. At this time, it appears that the Liblouis tables still have translation issues, so if you have the language listed under the System heading, I would recommend selecting this. Note that some languages do not have System tables, but only Liblouis.
5. Now the braille table you just added is available from within iOS anywhere via the VoiceOver Rotor. If this is your first time adding a braille table, you will find a new rotor option called "braille table".

What is this Braille Access Thing Anyway?

Braille Access is Apple's attempt to address the experience of using a Braille notetaker on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and VisionOS by providing a custom interface for common functions of standalone braille notetakers. With Braille Access, you can take notes in a braille user friendly way, can perform calculations using Nemeth code or Unified English Braille, can open Braille Ready Format (BRF) files directly, can access Live Captions of one's environment, and can watch the time in seconds on demand. Each feature will be discussed below. Note that Launching apps and the Item Chooser are still options for Braille Screen Input users, but that BSI has not been developed for the other aspects of Braille Access.

The Basics

To activate Braille Access, press dots 7 and 8 together on a Perkins-Style keyboard. For users of QWERTY keyboards, pressing VoiceOver Modifier Shift Y should enable Braille Access. pressing VoiceOver Modifier with y will enable braille keyboard input, which will be required to interact with some of the features listed below such as Braille Notes. The user can then move through the menu with standard navigation options. To launch any form of context menu where available, users can press dot 7. Activating items is done with dot 8. Exiting Braille Access can be done by pressing dots 7 and 8 together, by pressing space with dots 1-2-5, space with dots 1-2, or VoiceOver Modifier Shift and Y. Note that space with 1-2 (b) also functions as a back button.

Launching apps

Ever since iOS 17, braille display users have been able to quickly launch apps using dot 8, or space with dot 8 when in 8 dot mode. Then type the app they are looking for and launch it. While this ability still exists in iOS 26, accessing it has changed. To do so, press dots 7 and 8 to launch Braille Access. You can also press this command to exit Braille Access. The user will notice the first option "launch app" appears with a blinking cursor at the end. Begin typing the name of the app desired, and press enter to pull up a list of matches, or to automatically launch the app if only 1 match is found. What has improved with this option is that it was only possible to launch apps from the home screen in iOS 17 and 18, but this option can be utilized even from within other applications, so there is no longer a need to go back to the home screen before going to another app.

Item Chooser

The second item under Braille Access is Item Chooser. The Item Chooser allows a VoiceOver user another way to navigate. Instead of exploring by touch or swiping repeatedly, you can use the Item Chooser to jump directly to what you want. It’s also possible to filter by typing the name of the item you’re looking for and the list narrows down in real time, making it much faster to locate what you are looking for more quickly. Once you select an item from the list, VoiceOver takes you directly to it on the screen, ready for interaction. In terms of Braille Access specifically, like the Launch App feature, Item Chooser has a blinking cursor located at the end of the menu option. A user can type what they are looking for followed by dot 8 and VoiceOver will jump directly to that element on screen. I personally tend to use the VoiceOver Find function, but having another way to effectively navigate is always a good thing.

Braille Notes

Though many braille displays on the market have their internal notetaking features, this is a huge leap forward specifically for users of the NLS eReader. Though this device is distributed to patrons of NLS services freely, it does not have a notetaking application. Whatever code a person throws at it will see it sent back to them. iOS is recording dot combinations inside these files instead of attempting to interpret them. For example, I wrote out a note half in mixed contracted and uncontracted braille, and reading it back yielded the same result. Typing in Spanish braille, which has some different symbols also read exactly as I had written it. Translation only happens if the user wishes to send that composed note to something or somewhere else, such as a text field outside of Braille Access. Notes are saved on iCloud, though the syncing between other devices on my iCloud account seemed to take much longer than when composing a note within the standard Notes application. Sometimes, I have also found that notes do not become available on other devices at all. One of the neat things about this set of features is that the user can also utilize VoiceOver while, for example, taking notes. This requires that the user can hear, but it allows a user to do research on their iOS Device while also taking notes. Many of the standard commands apply when editing a note. If the user wishes to send their note to, say, a text field on iOS, this is also possible but will need to be translated. One way to get these notes from your device to a text field is by copying and pasting them. To do this, while in a braille note, press space with dots 2-3-5-6 to select all of the text. Now, press space with dots 1-4 to copy it. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation that the text has been copied. Then, press dots 7 and 8 to exit Braille Access and return to iOS. Find the text field you'd like to paste the text from the note in and then press space with dots 1-2-3-6 to paste the text. It will translate the note based on your iOS Device's braille input settings. One note, it has been my experience under iOS 26.0 and26.0.1 that to copy and paste, the setting called "open to last Position" must be turned off prior to starting the copy and pasting process.

BRF Files

One of the challenges with BRF files is that they are designed specifically for braille users to be consumed on braille-first devices. When a user gets a BRF file and would like to read it on a mainstream device such as an iPhone, it has required workarounds. Either the user must convert the file to a more usable format on iOS, or use an app which requires other settings to be changed. iOS 26 brings the readability and writability of BRF content to iOS. To create a BRF file, after launching the feature, press dot 8 or a cursor routing button on "new...". From here, a new file or folder can be created by selecting file name and then pressing dot 8. Then, the user can type their file. When done, simply press space with dots 1-2 to save the file. It will then be available after the "new...." option. Pressing dot 8 on a selected file will open the file in a read-only mode. To access the context menu for any given file, press dot 7 while it is selected. This gives the user options to edit, move, delete, or rename the file. At the moment, the move option does not work unless the user first creates a folder, based on my testing of 2 different devices, but files can still be moved with the Files app. When the user presses dots 7 and 8 together to launch Braille Access, a folder will be created on that user's iCloud account called "BRF files.". Any BRF files put in this folder can then be accessed with the BRF files feature inside of Braille Access. This includes files you have created in Braille Access, but also those which you move to the BRF Files iCloud folder. I moved On the air: the encyclopedia of old time radio into the BRF files folder from my Dropbox and was able to load it on my iPhone in approximately 3 seconds. This is quite impressive, as the book is 3.3 megabytes in size. When I left Braille Access and returned an hour later, it had retained my position in the content. Space with f for find works well and is able to search through large amounts of content quite quickly. While a file is open, dot 7 launches a menu. Options are available to find again and also to create a bookmark. Note that it is also possible to create multiple bookmarks in the same file.

Nemeth Calculator

Braille Access also has a Calculator which can display Nemeth or UEB math codes. Not only can basic arithmetic be used, but it's also possible to type a math expression in Nemeth or UEB and see the computed result. For example, the user can use parentheses, fractions, radicals, exponents, constants like e and pi, and functions such as sin, log, etc. Like with Braille Notes and BRF Files, it's possible to copy the result. The visual interface will render the math expression you typed in Nemeth or UEB as a visual math formula.

Live Captions

Some may be wondering why there is a specific feature for Live Captions when one already exists in iOS. The reason is that the Live captions function that has been available previously was not one that suited braille users. IN part, this is due to the fact that each time new text arrives and the individual is still reading previous captioning, the new text would force the braille display to jump back to the beginning of what they were reading. For example, if the reader was accessing the 3rd sentence of what someone had said, and then a 4th sentence was added, the user would be sent back to the top of the text. They would then need to pan all the way back to the sentence they were reading. Meanwhile, if more captions arrive, they would again be sent back to the beginning of the text. The Live Captions feature within Braille Access, like the rest of this suite of tools, is a braille first environment. After Launching Live Captions from the Braille Access menu, the user will encounter captions already in progress or "listening". When captions begin arriving, pan forward or backwards as normal to read captioning. If more captions have arrived after what the user is reading, an 8 dot full cell will be located at each end of the braille display. Pressing a Cursor Routing button when the 8-dot cell indicators are present will move focus to the end of the captions. Pressing dot 7 here will also launch a menu giving the user several options. These include pausing/resume, the toggle of listening to the microphone or device's internal audio, and for those on iPhone 15 or later, the ability to summarize the captions received. Pressing dot 8 while captions are in progress will give the user the option to make use of the Live Speech function. It's good first step with captioning, but the internal audio captioning does not seem to be supported in many places. making phone calls, Face Time audio or video calls, participating in Zoom conferenced or Teams meeting and so on will not permit the Braille Access version of Live Captions to work. The assumption is that they will, since the main Live Captions feature already developed for non-braille users support these methods as best as I can tell. So there is hope that this version of Live Captions will soon support these mediums as well.

Time in Realtime

The final feature of Braille Access is displaying the time in seconds. Like I wrote above, it's also possible to leave your braille device in Braille Access while using VoiceOver's speech to carry out other tasks.

Do you have any other suggestions for users of braille devices on iOS?

There are many tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your braille display paired and wich your iOS Device. Here is a blog post entitled Ten Tips for Braille Users of iOS Devices in 2025. if the first set of tips aren't enough, there is a second one as well.

This is good info, but which display should I choose?

The choice of a specific braille device is going to depend on your preferences as a user. As such, what I find works well may not be suitable for you. I would recommend checking out the various braille devices in our accessory reviews, for more information.

Can I get this info in an audio form instead?

I have recorded a podcast which you can listen to by clicking the above link. This podcast covers much of what has been discussed here in written form, but if you do not prefer audio, or can’t access it, a transcript is also included. This was last updated in July of 2021, and will be updated as time permits.