Guides

Can My iOS Device Be a GPS?

Probably. If you have an iPhone or a cellular-capable iPad, then you can start using GPS apps right away. Owners of wifi-only iPads or all iPod Touch models do not have this luxury.

However, external GPS receivers do exist. Some connect via bluetooth, while others can plug into the Lightning port on your device. We have no direct experience with any of these systems, so the best we can do is tell you that our research shows they are out there.…

What is iTunes? Do I need it?

iTunes is a program made by Apple for Mac and Windows. It is a program for managing your iDevice's content, backups, and upgrades. As of iOS 5, iTunes is no longer required, except for putting music on your device and performing full, encrypted backups. You can activate, upgrade, and back up your iDevice using iCloud as of iOS5. If you are on Windows and still want iTunes, you can download it from Apple.com.

Answering or Ending Calls

For the most part, you can both answer and end a phone or FaceTime call with one gesture: the two-finger double tap, also known as the "magic tap". Tap two fingers on the screen, then tap them again quickly. When you are receiving a call, this gesture will answer; when you are in a call, this gesture will end it. When ending a call, though, please note that you must remove the phone from your ear if you're talking on it that way. When an iPhone is held to…

What Is This Rotor Thing?

The VoiceOver rotor is perhaps the most difficult aspect of VoiceOver to get used to because it is not a concept used in other screen readers. It is basically a way to use the same two gestures--an up and down swipe with one finger--to perform multiple tasks. That is, an up or down swipe will do the action set in the rotor, and the rotor can be set at any point. The rotor is used for reviewing text by word or character, changing the typing mode, adjusting…

What Is Covered?

This post aims to define basic terms that most users of Apple's accessibility products know, but that may confuse newcomers. The focus is on iPhone and iPad, but when something applies to the Mac, Apple Watch, or other product lines as well, it is mentioned.

Which Operating Systems Are Which?

An operating system is the software you use when you interact with a computer. Windows, macOS, Linux, iPadOS, and other examples are all operating systems.…

Thanks to Kevin Chao, I now have an easy way to convert Bookshare books to the EPub format that iBooks will accept. This assumes that you are on Windows (though I am sure the process is quite similar on a Mac), that you have a current Bookshare membership, and that the book you want to convert is in DAISY format, downloaded from Bookshare.

You will need:

• A Bookshare account, from http://www.bookshare.org
• The Stanza program, from…

The Mail App

There are plenty of alternative email apps for iOS and iPadOS these days, but most people will use the default app at some point. It's a solid choice, too, with plenty of useful features. While it's accessible and (mostly) easy to use, it's worth going over how it works and what to expect.

Basic Layout

Once you've added your email account(s) in Settings, and you open the Mail app, you'll find yourself in a list of your email folders. By default, you'…

In this guide, I will explain how to take a snapshot of any screen on your iPhone.

Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the screen on which you wish to take a picture. Examples may include: a Web page with a CAPTCHA for solona or an application that is inaccessible with VoiceOver.
2. Press and hold the Home button, then, while holding, press and release the sleep/wake button. This will take a .jpeg immage of the current screen and place it in your camera role. From…

Follow these steps to connect your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to a wireless network.

1. Press the Home button to make sure you are on the Home screen.
2. Double tap Settings.
3. Double tap Wi-Fi.
4. Flick right until you find the name of your wireless network. This is also known as the Secure Set Identifier (SSID). If your wireless network is unsecured, you'll be connected immediately. Although this might seem convenient, it is not recommended. Wireless networks…

Do you need a way to easily turn off VoiceOver so a sighted friend can use your iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone? Are you playing a gesture-based audio game that requires you to disable VoiceOver? If you need a way to easily turn VoiceOver off and on without sighted assistance or Siri, keep reading for instructions. This quick guide is for you.

Configuring the Accessibility Shortcut

The Accessibility Shortcut allows you to enable or disable accessibility features by pressing the…

Within in any edit field, it is possible to select text to delete, copy or cut and paste contents of clipboard.
1. Flick to edit field, double tap to move focus to start/end of edit box and another double tap will move focus to opposite end.
2. Place two fingers on screen and turn right or left to word/character, depending on how one wishes to select text.
3. Flick down to move forward by selected unit and up to move back by selected unit. Note: VoiceOver speaks the…