Guides

for macOS Sequoia

Intro

This guide will attempt to document all of the options in VoiceOver Utility and what they do.

After the release of my guide for iOS VoiceOver settings, I figured I would create a similar guide for macOS.

The VoiceOver Modifier will be abbreviated as the VO key. The VO key/keys can be configured in the commands category, or in the general category if…

for macOS Sequoia

Intro

Have you ever thought, "I wish there was a keyboard shortcut for that"? This guide will teach you how to create a keyboard shortcut for any option in the menu bar, under any menu, including the Apple menu.

What can be turned into a keyboard shortcut?

You can create a keyboard shortcut for all options in the menu bar, as long as you have the exact title of the option. You can interact with a menu option to see how it is spelled.…

This guide will teach you the extreme basics of using the Mac including
turning it on.
Locating keys on the built in keyboard including a description of what's Touch ID.
turning on the screen reader (VoiceOver)
Understanding the function of the fn, control, option and command keys
Using voiceover to show the dock, open context menu, focusing voiceover to the menubar and the status bar.
The guide will also teach you basic macOS keyboard shortcuts such…

for iOS and iPadOS 18.5

Intro

VoiceOver is Apple's screen reader, which can be found across all Apple platforms, from iPhones, iPads, Macs, iPods, etc. This guide will document how each setting in VoiceOver's settings on iOS and iPadOS affects the way VoiceOver behaves, as well as what the options do.

At the time of writing, May 2025, the release of iOS 19 and associated operating systems is really closed to being released in beta. Once they release to the public,…

I'm happy to release the third edition of:
Personal Power: Getting The Most from iOS as a Totally Blind User
This book, freely available to all, was written to help totally blind people use iPhones competently and make the most of their capabilities in all possible aspects of life. From choosing and setting up your iPhone to using its capabilities and accessible apps, this book is my attempt to make it easier for blind newcomers to enjoy the benefits of this technology which…

For iOS 18, macOS Sequoia

Intro

As is widely known, a major selling point of Apple devices is the interconnected ecosystem they collectively foster, allowing users to work seamlessly between iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices. Some of these features, like iCloud, iMessage, and FaceTime, are facilitated by central servers, whereas others, like the Continuity features discussed in this guide, are largely facilitated by Apple’s proprietary peer-to-peer networking…

for iOS 18 and macOS 15

intro

This guide covers how you can create shortcuts on both macOS and iOS, from automation to creating shortcuts that can enhance your workflow, to turning your shortcuts into .app files on Mac.

What's a shortcut?

A shortcut is a set of steps (actions) that can be put together to create a workflow, which can do several things at once, such as sending a text to someone and playing a playlist, to sending the last image in your photos…

Intro

If, like me, you have wanted to turn this new extra button into something non-camera related, such as the option to open Be My AI, or a 3rd party voice recording app, there is an easy way to do this.

Requirements:

• In order for this to work, you will have to select an app for the camera control to open before running your custom shortcut.
• This also has the added downside of not allowing you to use said app (except if your device is locked)…

Introduction

With the recent release of the new iPhone 16e, this means the end of the Home Button for iPhone users. Those who have been using iPhone SE's for years will now have to face not having a phone on the market which has the Home Button. We can't bring Touch ID back, but we can do something about duplicating the function of the Home Button. While many users have adapted in various ways,…

Intro

For those who may not like the current implementation of iPhone mirroring, there is a free solution to do the same thing, which might be even easier compared to the iPhone mirroring app. As a bonus, this method also works on iPads as well.

How it works:

This approach uses a free app called Keypad, which is free for one device. The in app purchase unlocks the ability to…

For macOS Sequoia 15.3

Intro

This guide discusses the many ways you can change verbosity options in macOS VoiceOver, and how they work.

The Purpose of This Guide

This guide is here to explain in great detail how the plethora of verbosity options can affect the way VoiceOver behaves.
If VoiceOver is or isn't speaking something you want it to, this guide will hopefully allow you to configure VoiceOver the way you want it to behave.

Speech and…

For iOS 18

Intro

If you’re like most people, you likely have many online accounts with usernames and passwords. In this guide, I will describe how Apple Passwords, the password manager built into iOS, iPadOS, and other Apple platforms, can help you create, use, and manage strong credentials for your online accounts.

While Apple Passwords is also available on macOS, as well as Chromium-based browsers on other operating systems, this guide will focus primarily on how…

One of the marquee features of macOS Sonoma is widgets on the desktop. The widgets can come from Mac apps, just as they could before in previous versions of macOS, where they appeared in Notification Centre. New to Sonoma, they can now also come from select iPhone apps running on your nearby iPhone.

This is a pretty cool and useful feature, as it goes, for those…

For macOS Sequoia

Intro

If you own a computer or mobile device, you probably know that while it can do some amazing things, the fact that it is used to store and handle some of your most personal and sensitive data makes securing it essential. In this guide, I will give an overview of some of the security, privacy, and anti-malware features included in macOS, in order to give you a clearer understanding of what you should and shouldn’t use in your situation. Keep in mind…

For macOS Sequoia

Intro

If you’re like most people, you likely have many online accounts with usernames and passwords. In this guide, I will describe how Apple Passwords, the password manager built into macOS and other Apple platforms, can help you create, use, and manage strong credentials for your online accounts.

While Apple Passwords is also available on iOS and iPadOS, as well as Chromium-based browsers, this guide will focus primarily on how to use it with…

Greetings Applevis-ionaries. (visionaries) I wanted to share a method I devised this morning while working with a low vision client for turning your MacBook into a CCTV using your iPhone.

You will need to have a camera stand which can hold your iPhone at about 10 inches above the item you are wanting to magnify. I used a folding, portable old-style scan stand unit with an internal light strip I’ve had for over a decade by now, and it worked beautifully.

An external monitor is…

Did you know that you can read the entire iPhone user manual through your browser online? This is also true for Mac, iPad, Apple watch and even the older iPod.
This quick guide though focuses on iPhone.
When you pull up the manual, the default is the current iOS, iOS 16 as of this writing. But a drop-down box lets you select an older version of the user guide. It will change to a newer iOS as the default when that is released.
One big advantage of reading the user guide on…

Dear All,

I have attempted to cover all the mac voiceover keystrokes in combination with the alphabet keys, function keys and along with the modifier keys in the form of a table for ready reference.

Mac VoiceOver keystrokes with alphabet keys in macOS 13 Ventura