VoiceOver shortcut: turn the screen reader on or off
Turn the Mac screen reader on or off with ⌘F5 (Command-F5). On Windows, the equivalent screen reader is Narrator — press Win+Ctrl+Enter to toggle it.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggle screen reader | ⌘F5 (VoiceOver) | Win+Ctrl+Enter (Narrator) | |
| Open Accessibility Shortcuts panel | ⌥⌘F5 | — | |
| Stop reading / silence | Ctrl | Ctrl | |
| VoiceOver modifier (VO) keys | Ctrl+⌥ | — |
Turn VoiceOver on or off (Mac)
Press ⌘F5 (Command-F5) to toggle Apple's built-in screen reader, VoiceOver. On Macs with Touch ID you may need ⌘ + the Touch ID button, or fn+⌘F5 if the function keys act as media keys. Press ⌥⌘F5 to open the Accessibility Shortcuts panel where you can toggle VoiceOver, Zoom and more. Press Ctrl at any time to pause speech.
Narrator is the Windows equivalent
Windows ships its own screen reader, Narrator. Press Win+Ctrl+Enter to start or stop it. The same combination opens Narrator settings the first time you run it. Hold Ctrl to silence speech, just like on Mac.
Using the screen reader
On Mac, VoiceOver commands use the VO keys — Ctrl+⌥ held together — plus arrow keys to move through the screen. On Windows, Narrator uses the Caps Lock (or Insert) key as its modifier. Both read whatever is under the cursor aloud.
FAQ
What is the VoiceOver shortcut on Mac?
Press ⌘F5 (Command-F5) to turn VoiceOver on or off. On some Macs use fn+⌘F5, or press ⌥⌘F5 to open the Accessibility Shortcuts panel.
What is the screen-reader shortcut on Windows?
Windows uses Narrator — press Win+Ctrl+Enter to start or stop it. It is the Windows equivalent of Mac VoiceOver.
How do I stop the screen reader from talking?
Press the Ctrl key to silence speech on both Mac VoiceOver and Windows Narrator, then toggle the reader off with its on/off shortcut.