WebInclusiveby Giuseppe Stumbo

VoiceOver and TalkBack gestures

The screen reader gestures for iPhone and Android, grouped by task. The final comparison shows where the same gesture does different things.

On this page

Choose VoiceOver for iPhone or TalkBack for Android and open its section. These gestures apply when the screen reader is on. For standard gestures, use the Touch gestures section.

The illustrations are still. Start the animations to observe movement and pause them to read.

How to read the animations
  • The filled circle is the finger; the number next to it shows how many taps.
  • The dashed line with the arrow is the finger’s path.
  • The coloured box is the screen reader cursor.
  • On keyboard cards the keys go down; on voice cards the system’s response appears.

VoiceOver on iPhone

The iOS screen reader. You work on one item at a time: first select it, then act on it. The box in the animation is the VoiceOver cursor.

Explore and read

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Touch

    Selects the item under your finger and reads it aloud.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Swipe right

    Selects the next item.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Swipe left

    Selects the previous item.

  • 4 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Four fingers at the top

    Four-finger tap near the top of the screen: selects the first item.

  • 4 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Four fingers at the bottom

    Four-finger tap near the bottom: selects the last item.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger swipe up

    Reads the whole screen from the top.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger swipe down

    Reads from the selected item to the end.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger tap

    Pauses or resumes reading.

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger tap

    Gives extra information, such as the position in a list or the selected text.

Scrolling

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger swipe down

    Scrolls back one page towards the top.

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger swipe up

    Scrolls forward one page towards the bottom.

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger swipe right

    Scrolls one page to the left.

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger swipe left

    Scrolls one page to the right.

Act on an item

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Double tap

    Activates the selected item.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Triple tap

    Double-taps the selected item.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Slider

    Select the slider with a tap, then swipe up or down with one finger to change the value.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger double tap

    Starts or stops the current action, such as playing a track. Also called Magic Tap.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger scrub

    Dismisses an alert or goes back: move two fingers back and forth three times, like a Z.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger double tap and hold

    Edits the label of the selected item.

Control VoiceOver

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger double tap

    Mutes or unmutes VoiceOver. With Zoom on, use a triple tap.

  • 3 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Three-finger triple tap

    Turns Screen Curtain on or off. With Zoom on, use four taps.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Double tap and hold

    Hold until you hear three rising tones, then perform a standard iOS gesture.

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger triple tap

    Opens the Item Chooser. Close it with a two-finger scrub.

Rotor

  • 2 fingersVoiceOver · iOS

    Two-finger rotate

    Chooses a rotor setting, like turning a dial.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Swipe up with the rotor

    With the rotor set: previous item, or increases the value.

  • 1 fingerVoiceOver · iOS

    Swipe down with the rotor

    With the rotor set: next item, or decreases the value.

TalkBack on Android

The Android screen reader. One-finger gestures work on every device; multi-finger gestures need recent versions of Android and TalkBack, or a manufacturer that supports them. A three-finger tap with TalkBack on shows whether your phone recognises them.

Navigate

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Swipe right

    Moves focus to the next item.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Swipe left

    Moves focus to the previous item.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Explore by touch

    Drag one finger across the screen: TalkBack reads what you touch.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Touch

    Selects the item under your finger.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Up, then down

    Moves to the next reading control. Alternatively: three-finger swipe down.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Down, then up

    Moves to the previous reading control. Alternatively: three-finger swipe up.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Up or down

    Changes the value of the selected control, or jumps to an item according to the reading control.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Left, then down

    Opens on-screen search.

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Two-finger triple tap

    Reads from the next item.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Triple tap

    Opens magnification settings.

Scroll and act

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Two-finger swipe up or down

    Scrolls content vertically.

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Two-finger swipe left or right

    Scrolls content horizontally.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Double tap

    Activates the focused item.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Double tap and hold

    Long-presses the focused item.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Slider

    Raises a value, such as the volume, by swiping up, or right then left. To lower it: down, or left then right.

Android system

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Home

    Up, then left. With gesture navigation: two fingers up from the bottom edge.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Back

    Down, then left. With gesture navigation: two fingers from the left or right edge.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Recents

    Left, then up. With gesture navigation: two fingers up from the bottom edge, then hold.

  • 1 fingerTalkBack · Android

    Notifications

    Right, then down. Alternatively: two fingers down from the top edge.

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Quick Settings

    With notifications open: two-finger swipe down.

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    App list

    On the Home screen: two-finger swipe up.

Control TalkBack

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Two-finger tap

    Pauses or resumes speech.

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Two-finger double tap

    Plays or pauses media. Answers or ends a call.

  • 3 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Three-finger tap

    Opens the TalkBack menu. Alternatively: down, then right.

  • 4 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Four-finger tap

    Opens the gesture tutorial.

  • 4 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Four-finger double tap

    Opens TalkBack help.

  • 4 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Four-finger double tap and hold

    Passes the next gesture straight to the system (pass-through).

Edit text

  • 2 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Text selection

    Two-finger double tap and hold: starts or ends selection mode.

  • 3 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Copy

    Three-finger double tap: copies the selected text.

  • 3 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Cut

    Three-finger double tap and hold, in selection mode.

  • 3 fingersTalkBack · Android

    Paste

    Three-finger triple tap.

Samsung Galaxy: gestures added by Voice Assistant

  • 2 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Two-finger swipe left or right

    Changes page or scrolls content.

  • 3 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Three-finger swipe left or right

    Chooses a setting. Then swipe up or down to adjust it.

  • 3 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Three-finger swipe up or down

    Changes the reading granularity.

  • 3 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Three-finger tap (Samsung)

    Reads the whole screen. This is Samsung’s description; in Google’s TalkBack it opens the menu.

  • 4 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Four-finger tap (Samsung)

    Back. This is Samsung’s description; in Google’s TalkBack it opens the tutorial.

  • 4 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Four-finger double tap (Samsung)

    Go to Home.

  • 4 fingersVoice Assistant · Samsung

    Four-finger triple tap

    Opens recent apps.

VoiceOver and TalkBack compared

The two screen readers share the same logic (cursor, swipe, double tap) but use the same multi-finger gestures for different functions.

Gestures by number of fingers

How many of the gestures on this page use 1, 2, 3 or 4 fingers.

  • 1 finger

    VoiceOver
    9
    TalkBack
    16

  • 2 fingers

    VoiceOver
    8
    TalkBack
    9

  • 3 fingers

    VoiceOver
    7
    TalkBack
    7

  • 4 fingers

    VoiceOver
    2
    TalkBack
    6

Same gesture, different function

  • Three-finger tapVoiceOver: extra information about the item.TalkBack: TalkBack menu.
  • Four-finger tapVoiceOver: first or last item.TalkBack: gesture tutorial.
  • Two-finger triple tapVoiceOver: Item Chooser.TalkBack: reads from the next item.
  • Three-finger double tapVoiceOver: mutes speech.TalkBack: copies text.
  • Double tap and holdVoiceOver: enables a standard gesture.TalkBack: long press.
  • Two-finger double tap and holdVoiceOver: edits the label.TalkBack: text selection.
  • Triple tapVoiceOver: double tap on the item.TalkBack: magnification settings.

Equivalent actions in VoiceOver and TalkBack

  • Next item

    VoiceOver
    Swipe right
    TalkBack
    Swipe right

  • Previous item

    VoiceOver
    Swipe left
    TalkBack
    Swipe left

  • Select

    VoiceOver
    Touch
    TalkBack
    Touch

  • Activate

    VoiceOver
    Double tap
    TalkBack
    Double tap

  • Scroll the page

    VoiceOver
    Three fingers up, down, right, left
    TalkBack
    Two fingers up, down, right, left

  • Pause or resume speech

    VoiceOver
    Two-finger tap
    TalkBack
    Two-finger tap

  • Start or stop an action

    VoiceOver
    Two-finger double tap
    TalkBack
    Two-finger double tap (media and calls)

  • Go back

    VoiceOver
    Two-finger scrub
    TalkBack
    Down then left, or two fingers from the edge with gesture navigation

  • Change how you navigate

    VoiceOver
    Rotor: two-finger rotate
    TalkBack
    Reading controls: up then down, down then up

  • Read the screen

    VoiceOver
    Two fingers up (from the top), two fingers down (from here)
    TalkBack
    Two-finger triple tap (from the next item)

  • Mute speech

    VoiceOver
    Three-finger double tap
    TalkBack
    No gesture listed in the guide

  • Black screen

    VoiceOver
    Screen Curtain: three-finger triple tap
    TalkBack
    No gesture listed in the guide

Sources and limits

The descriptions are rewritten from the official guides; the animations are original.

Commands can change with the system version, the screen reader version and the manufacturer. Before a test or an audit, try them on the device: on iPhone with VoiceOver Practice, on Android with the TalkBack tutorial (four-finger tap).