Typing braille directly on a keyboard

By inforover, 19 January, 2025

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

When looking in the Braille settings on my iPad the other day, I discovered a toggle that offers the ability to type Braille chords directly on a QWERTY keyboard, using the F, D, S, and J, K, L keys as dots 1–6 respectively.

Does anyone know more about how this works? I couldn’t seem to get it to work using my Magic Keyboard or an old Bluetooth keyboard connected to my iPhone.

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Comments

By jim pickens on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

I've tried this, nothing works either, nothing is mentioned about it in the user guide, possibly a feature yet to be implemented?

By Oliver on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

You have to hold down spacebar at the same time. It's chords, so for navigation. I don't think it works for writing.

By inforover on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

I've also tried that. Also, in the what's new in VoiceOver section, it specifically mentions being able to type letters as well as words.

By Oliver on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

Hmm, working my end. It does only talk about chords when pressed with the spacebar.

Settings > Voiceover > Brail Enter brail chords on keyboard

By inforover on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

“Braille Keyboard Input, Activate the Toggle Braille Input command and use your keyboard to enter braille dots and commands.”

By Katie P on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

I think I am going to try to play with this once my iPad is charged.

I went looking through the list of VO commands, and I think that this command has to be manually assigned.

By inforover on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

You were 100% correct. I just set up a touch gesture, and I can now type braille on my keyboard. It's strange though, I don't seem to be getting any typing feedback. I'd be interested to see if you do / can get that to work.

By Katie P on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

I’m getting feedback when typing in all modes.

By Katie P on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

While troubleshooting some other things not related to this feature, I reset all VoiceOver commands to their defaults.
In so doing, I noticed that by default VO COMMAND Semicolon appears to be the default command to toggle Braille input with the QWERTY keyboards .
I figured I'd point this out. :)

By Oliver on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

Wow, didn't know it could do this. Good catch.

I've set vo full stop to turn it on and off though, as mentioned above, there isn't any feedback, not sure why.

The vo command ; doesn't seem to work either, just get the error chime.

By inforover on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - 14:34

They said they had had other feedback in regards this bug but please please please call or email them. Getting this fixed soon would be great, and the more we send, the more they'll listen.