The VoiceOver Rotor#
The Rotor is one of VoiceOver’s most powerful features—a virtual dial that provides quick access to lists of page elements, navigation options, and settings. Mastering the Rotor will dramatically speed up your navigation.
What Is the Rotor?#
Think of the Rotor as a multi-purpose menu system that:
- Lists all elements of a specific type (headings, links, etc.)
- Lets you jump directly to any element
- Provides filtering to find specific items
- Changes navigation behavior
Opening the Rotor#
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Open Rotor | VO + U |
When you press VO + U, the Rotor appears with a list of items. The first list you see depends on context—on a webpage, it’s typically Links or Headings.
Navigating the Rotor#
Once the Rotor is open:
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Switch categories (next) | Right Arrow |
| Switch categories (previous) | Left Arrow |
| Move through items | Up/Down Arrow |
| Select item and jump | Return or Space |
| Close without selecting | Escape |
Example Workflow#
- Press VO + U to open Rotor
- Press Right Arrow until you hear “Headings”
- Press Down Arrow to hear each heading
- Press Return on the heading you want
- VoiceOver jumps to that heading and closes the Rotor
Rotor Categories for Web Pages#
On webpages, the Rotor can show:
| Category | Contains |
|---|---|
| Links | All links on the page |
| Visited Links | Links you’ve previously clicked |
| Non-Visited Links | Links you haven’t clicked |
| Headings | All headings (H1-H6) |
| Form Controls | Text fields, buttons, checkboxes, etc. |
| Tables | All tables |
| Landmarks | ARIA landmarks and regions |
| Frames | Page frames |
| Images | Images and graphics |
| Auto Web Spots | Significant elements detected automatically |
| Web Spots | Custom locations you’ve marked |
Filtering Rotor Items#
You can type while in the Rotor to filter items:
- Open Rotor (VO + U)
- Navigate to desired category
- Start typing to filter
Examples#
- In Headings, type “2” to show only H2 headings
- In Links, type “contact” to show links containing “contact”
- In Form Controls, type “search” to find search fields
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Clear filter | Delete |
Getting More Information#
While in the Rotor, you can get additional details about items:
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Hear item’s help tag | VO + Shift + H |
| Hear link URL | VO + Shift + U |
This helps you evaluate items before selecting them.
Customizing the Web Rotor#
You control which categories appear and their order:
- Open VoiceOver Utility (VO + F8)
- Click Web category
- Click Web Rotor tab
- Check/uncheck items to include
- Use Command + Up/Down Arrow to reorder
Tip: Put your most-used categories first so you can access them quickly.
The Rotor in Applications#
The Rotor isn’t just for web pages—it also works in applications:
Application Rotor Categories#
| Category | Contains |
|---|---|
| Window Spots | Custom locations in the window |
| Characters | For character-by-character navigation |
| Words | For word-by-word navigation |
| Lines | For line-by-line navigation |
| Content Chooser | Context-specific options |
Using Content Chooser#
Content Chooser adapts to your current context. For example, in Mail:
- Preview messages while staying in the message list
- Move between message parts (headers, body)
The Quick Nav Rotor#
When Quick Nav is enabled (covered later), there’s a separate Quick Nav rotor:
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Open Quick Nav Rotor | Up + Left Arrow or Up + Right Arrow |
This rotor changes how arrow keys navigate—by headings, links, or other elements.
Rotor Tips and Tricks#
Tip 1: Learn the Category Order#
Categories appear in a consistent order. Memorize which direction to press to reach your frequent categories.
Tip 2: Type to Filter Immediately#
As soon as you navigate to a category, start typing your filter—no need to press anything special first.
Tip 3: Use Rotor for Exploration#
On an unfamiliar page, use the Rotor to:
- Count how many headings/links exist (shown in category name)
- Survey all form controls before filling out a form
- Find all images and their descriptions
Tip 4: Escape Is Your Friend#
Press Escape anytime to close the Rotor without navigating away from your current position.
Tip 5: Combine with Quick Search#
If you know exactly what you want:
- Open Rotor
- Go to appropriate category
- Type the first few characters
- Press Return on the first match
This is often faster than pressing VO + Command + [letter] repeatedly.
Table Rotor#
When navigating tables, the Rotor provides table-specific options:
- Navigate by rows
- Navigate by columns
- Jump to headers
Access this by opening the Rotor while focused on a table.
Summary#
The Rotor is essential for efficient navigation:
- VO + U opens the Rotor
- Left/Right Arrow switches categories
- Up/Down Arrow navigates items
- Return or Space selects and jumps
- Type to filter items
- Escape closes without action
- Customize categories in VoiceOver Utility
Practice using the Rotor on various websites. Once it becomes second nature, you’ll find yourself navigating pages much faster than with element-by-element commands alone.