A Demonstration and Walkthrough of VoiceOver Command Customization on macOS

By AppleVis, 16 September, 2024

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates some of VoiceOver's command customization capabilities on macOS.

If you find a particular VoiceOver command difficult to perform, or discover a function in the Commands menu that doesn’t have a default command, you can assign your own custom command to it. In addition, you can configure commands to open apps and run scripts, so you don’t have to locate them manually.

Commands can be configured by going to VoiceOver Utility > Commands, selecting the “Command set: user” radio button, and clicking “Custom commands edit.” For ease of navigation, you can choose the type of commands you want to view or change, such as numpad, trackpad, keyboard, etc from the "Filter commands" popup menu, or use the search field to locate a particular command.

In this dialog, commands can be presented in either column view, which organizes commands into categories like general, information, and navigation, or table view, which displays a list of all VoiceOver commands, including user-configured ones, which you can navigate with the up and down arrow keys. To add a command, in column view, locate the command, interact with the table of assignments, and specify your new one using the "Add input" popup menu. To add a command when in table view, click the Add button, interact with the table, and specify the input assignment from the popup menu labeled "None: edited." Then, press VO-Right-Arrow passed an empty cell to another popup menu, and choose the command you want your new input assignment to perform.

transcript:

Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.: Hey, Apple Vissers.

Tyler here.

With a demonstration and walkthrough of VoiceOver command customization on macOS.

Prior to macOS Sequoia, VoiceOver included several user configurable sets of commands, known as commanders, for the numpad, trackpad, keyboard, and quick nav.

With macOS Sequoia, these commanders have been consolidated into VoiceOver's broader command set, meaning in addition to the existing modifiers that you could use, like the option key for keyboard commander, you can also create your own command assignments using the VoiceOver modifier, which may be useful if you find a particular VoiceOver command difficult to perform, if you find a command in the commands menu, for example, that lacks a default assignment, or if you want to create a custom command to open an application.

So to demonstrate this, I'm going to open VoiceOver utility on my mac with VoF8.

Opening VoiceOver utility.

VoiceOver utility.

Window.

Utility categories.

C for commanders.

Commands.

VRA.

VoiceOver modifier.

Control option or caps lock.

VoiceOver modifier.

This is the setting that was located in the general category in prior versions of macOS, but options are the same.

Control option, caps lock, or control option, or caps lock, which is the default.

VRA.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Numpad.

Uncheck.

Checkbox.

Numpad, which was formerly known as Numpad Commander.

If you want to use, if you have a Numpad and you want to use it to extend your VoiceOver command set, just turn this on.

Check this box.

VRA.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Option key.

Check.

Checkbox.

Option key.

This is what keyboard commander was formerly known as keyboard commander.

If you want to turn this on, just check this box.

VRA.

Right option key.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Which option key?

Pop-up button.

Option key.

You can either choose the left or the right option key to use as the modifier.

VRA.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Trackpad.

Uncheck.

Checkbox.

If you want to use the trackpad, you can check this box or you can turn trackpad commands on and off from anywhere in macOS by holding down the VoiceOver modifier and rotating two fingers clockwise on the trackpad to turn it on and counterclockwise to turn it off.

VRA.

Also control VoiceOver with.

Trackpad options.

Button.

Trackpad options for specific settings related to the trackpad.

VRA.

QuickNav.

ArrowKeyQuickNav.

Uncheck.

Checkbox.

ArrowKeyQuickNav is a mode that allows you to use the arrow keys without needing to hold down the VoiceOver modifier.

So for example, if you press left arrow, it's treated as VO left arrow without needing to hold down the VO keys.

If you want to use it, check this box or press VO shift Q from anywhere in macOS to toggle it on and off.

VRA.

QuickNav.

SingleKeyQuickNav.

Uncheck.

Checkbox.

SingleKeyQuickNav.

It's useful, I find, if you're browsing a web page and you want to jump to particular web element types like H for heading, J for form control, L for link, etc.

If you want to use it, check this box or press VO Q to toggle it on and off from anywhere in macOS.

VRA.

QuickNav.

Always allow typing in text fields.

Check.

Checkbox.

So with that checkbox checked, that basically means that if you're in a text field, even if SingleKeyQuickNav is on, any letters or numbers you type will not be intercepted and interpreted by VoiceOver as navigation commands and will said be passed to the application as type text.

So VRA.

Left and right arrow keys.

Do nothing.

This is what I have because I find if I press the left and right arrow keys too fast, I tend to inadvertently toggle settings, but you can choose to either toggle SingleKeyQuickNav, ArrowKeyQuickNav, both or nothing.

VRA.

When toggling QuickNav.

Speak.

You just choose how VoiceOver communicates that something's been turned on or off.

VRA.

Command set.

Built-in.

So you can choose between built-in or user and these radio buttons are a useful way to quickly change between command sets.

So for example, if you've been configuring your own commands, but find you did something, made a change that you don't like or would like to just revert to VoiceOver's built-in default commands, you can just select this radio button and VoiceOver will respond to its default command set.

And if you find you want to revert back to your user command set, you just select the user radio button and all of those commands will be retained.

So you won't need to reconfigure them.

They'll just start working once you select the radio button.

So VRA.

Command set.

User three custom.

Selected.

So I'll VRA.

Command set.

Edit button.

Edit.

I'm going to hit this.

In dialog.

Search text.

Edit user command.

So edit user commands.

Edit user command set.

VRA.

Search text field blank.

And you have a search where you can narrow down if you're searching for a particular command.

This is where you do it.

You type in your search term or you can VRA.

Filter commands.

Pop up button.

You can filter commands because in this list, in this dialog, VoiceOver presents a list of all of its commands, which can be quite cumbersome.

So you can use the filter to.

Check mark everything.

VoiceOver keys.

Option keys.

Quick nav keys.

Numpad keys.

Trackpad gestures.

Commands with an assigned input.

Commands with a defined input.

Commands with no assigned input.

No assigned input.

User modified input assignments.

User modified.

Locked input assignments.

It can't be changed.

Input assignments can't be changed.

Inputs with multiple assigned commands.

Multiple assigned commands.

Inputs with multiple assigned commands in the same category.

Same category.

Inputs with multiple assigned commands in the same category.

Multiple assigned in multiple same category.

Inputs with multiple assigned commands in the same.

And that's the same option at the bottom of the menu.

So I'm just hit escape.

Filter commands.

Pop up button.

And so you can experiment with that if you're looking for particular commands.

That filter can be useful to narrow down the list.

I'll view it right.

Column view.

Selected radio button.

One of two.

And here you have column view and table view.

And if you're anything like me, your first instinct may be to use table view.

However, as you can see as I demonstrate.

Table view radio button.

If I go table view with no filters applied.

Selected.

And via right to the table.

Command assignments.

Table.

Control option.

And I'm now going to press via left and via right to and have voiceover announce how many rows are in the table.

Command assignments.

Table row one of four hundred ninety nine.

That's four hundred and ninety nine commands in a vertical list, including my own custom commands.

So that can be difficult to navigate.

So that's why it's more practical to use the column browser, in my opinion, if you're just looking through voiceover commands.

So I'll view left column view.

Table view.

Select column view.

Radio button.

One of two.

Selected.

And via right.

Table view.

Command assignments.

Browser.

Interact with the browser.

Via shift down arrow.

Command assignments.

Browser.

All categories.

Down arrow.

Audio.

Custom commands.

Custom.

Find.

General.

Hotspots.

Information.

So I'm going to press right arrow to expand or to go into the next.

Column two of three.

Command.

Table.

Row one of fourteen.

So here are all the information commands.

I'll press down arrow until I find the command I'm looking for.

Describe item.

Describe.

Subdescribe.

Speak battery status.

Right.

Column three of three.

Inputs.

Table.

Row one of three.

Control option FN77.

Ed. Okay.

So these are all the commands that are assigned by default.

Control option F7F7.

Add input.

And add input.

So this is a command where I would like to be able to press VO shift B rather than press VOF7 or VOFN77 because it would be similar to what I use on Windows with NVDA.

Press NVDA shift B and to get the same information.

So to have virtually the same command on both platforms.

So to do this I'm going to go back to the table view.

There is an option, an add input button as you heard in the browser, but I want to have to interact and stop interacting.

So I'm just going to go back to table view where the add button will be visible.

Out of table view radio.

Selected.

And I'm going to VO right to the add button.

Command add button.

Command assignments.

Table.

Row one of 500.

Edited.

Non pop up button.

Okay.

So you have nothing in this cell.

It's table row.

So I'm going to interact.

In command assignments.

Table.

Row one of 500.

Edited.

Empty cell.

So nothing's defined here yet.

So I'm going to go to the edit pop up button.

Edited.

Non pop up button.

VO space.

And the options are.

None.

Listen for key ellipsis.

Command K. Listen for key, which I find is the most convenient.

Or I can choose from a list of categories like.

Option key.

Submenu.

Option key.

Quick nav.

Submenu.

Numpad.

Submenu.

Numpad.

Trackpad.

Submenu.

Trackpad.

So I'm just going to go listen for key.

Option key.

Listen for key ellipsis.

Command K. And in this menu you hear command K. So that's a good command to remember in the future is once you hit the add and focus on that table row just press command K to have voiceover utility listen to and capture the keyboard command you want to use.

So I'm going to hit listen for key.

Capture keyboard shortcut window.

And then I'm going to press control option shift B. Dialogue.

Voice over.

Edit user command set.

And now in the table.

Edited.

Control option shift B pop up button.

If I wanted to change that I'd hit just hit that pop up button via right.

Empty cell.

And this would be the category but it's not been defined yet.

So via right.

Non pop up button.

And this is where I would define it.

So via space.

And here you have the command categories like.

General.

Submenu.

General.

Information.

Submenu.

Information.

So I want to use this.

So right arrow.

Information.

Submenu.

Describe.

Item.

Amount.

Describe.

Press down arrow until I find speak battery status.

Describe.

Speak battery status.

No action available pop up button.

No action.

So now if I via left.

Information.

Information is the category.

Speak battery status pop up button.

Speak battery status is what I have it assigned.

So I'm now going to press via shift B. Ninety nine percent not charging.

Okay.

And that with that command I was able to have the battery status spoken.

But in addition to using the voiceover modifier for custom commands I can also use the option key as I have since keyboard commanders been a thing for all these years.

So to view the commands that I've created with the option key I'm going to filter to option keys out of something out of the table table column view left filter commands pop up button.

I'm going to use option keys from this pop up menu checkmark voice over key option keys option keys currently filtering commands option keys pop up button.

Okay.

So because this is just a few commands it's more manageable.

I'm going to view it as a table table view selected radio button two of two if you're right command assignments table row one of eight edited option C pop up button custom commands open application calculator.

So these are just all the commands that I've configured you can you know vertical table but I want to add one so I'm just going to be all right to add button edited non pop up button non pop up so I'm going to interact in competitive non pop up button in non pop up button.

So I'm going to press command K to have it listen for a key capture keyboard shortcut window.

And I'm going to press option W and assign it to open the weather app.

So now that it's listening for the shortcut I'm going to do that in that option W.

Dialogue voice over edit user commands set.

So now empty cell non pop option W pop up button option W VRA empty cell VRA again non pop up button.

Now I'm in the menu and because custom commands is at the bottom of this menu I'm just going to press the up arrow custom commands submenu custom commands custom commands submenu open application ellipsis open application in dialogue open list view tape.

And when you choose open application it's automatically pointed to the applications folder by default so I'm just going to press it in W to jump down to weather weather application press return command assignments table row one of nine edited option W pop up button custom commands open application weather pop up button selected edit user.

Okay so I've just added that command so now I'm going to press option W weather window selected and weather opened.

So I'm just going to close that voice over utility.

Now I'm in the voice over utility edit command set dialogue I'm going to be all right add button remove button.

So remove if you added command you don't want anymore just hit remove done button and hit done command set edit button.

And you're now back on the voice over utility main window and in the commands category.

So that's a demo of voiceover command customization.

I didn't show everything you could do because the functionality is extensive but hopefully now that you've listened you now have an idea of what you can do and know the gist of how to do it.

I'd be curious to know how you use this feature to customize commands and if you find that it makes your use of macOS easier with fewer keystrokes or easier keystrokes.

So let me know your thoughts on this feature in the comments.

I hope you found this tip helpful.

Peace.

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A Demonstration and Walkthrough of VoiceOver Command Customization on macOS

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