VoiceOver’s Double-Tap-and-Hold Gesture with Hardware Keyboards in iOS 6
— ♣In addition to the more significant changes detailed in our First Look at VoiceOver in iOS 6, there are other minor tweaks to accessibility in Apple’s sixth version of its mobile operating system. We plan to make note of these in a series of shorter posts, as well as tips and tricks for taking advantage of them effectively.
VoiceOver users who make use of a hardware keyboard with their iOS device, (usually via BlueTooth), have long wished for a way to activate the functions available with VoiceOver’s double-tap-and-hold gesture. In iOS 6, this is possible with the VO-Shift-M key combination. (Ctrl-Option-Shift-M).
Pressing this command, users will hear the familiar triple tone associated with the double-tap-and-hold gesture, and can access it’s functions, including arranging apps and creating folders, on the device’s home screen.
For example, to create a new folder on your home screen, select the first app using VoiceOver. Press VO-Shift-M, and wait as the tone plays. VoiceOver focus will jump to the first item on the home screen. Now, use VoiceOver to navigate to the second app you wish to be in the folder. Once focus is on it, press VO-Shift-M again. The new folder will be created.