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0300 180 0028You can read about using VoiceOver in our guide How to use VoiceOver, the screen reader in watchOS 11 on your Apple Watch.
This guide covers the settings you can change to make VoiceOver easier to use.
This section gives you step by step instructions on how to set up VoiceOver, the screen reader in watchOS 11, with pictures of the screens to help.
Access the AssistiveTouch settings
Find the Settings app
1. To access the Settings app, press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch. If your apps are displayed as icons, tap the Settings icon 
. If your apps are displayed in a list, scroll down and tap Settings.
Open the Accessibility settings
2. On the Settings screen, tap Accessibility.
Open the VoiceOver settings
3. On the Accessibility screen, tap VoiceOver.
Changing the settings for VoiceOver
How to change how fast VoiceOver speaks.
4. If VoiceOver is active, select the slider for Speaking Rate. VoiceOver will announce the current speaking rate. Double-tap the display to activate the slider, then turn the Digital Crown to adjust the speed.
If VoiceOver is not active, use the 'Hare' and 'Tortoise' buttons on either side of the slider for Speaking Rate to adjust the speed.
How to change VoiceOver speech settings
5. To access the VoiceOver speech settings, select Speech to access the following options.
Change the voice used for spoken feedback
6. To change the voice used for spoken feedback, select the name listed under Primary Voice. On the next page, select Voice.
7. Scroll through the options and select the voice you want to use. On the next page, select Use Voice. Select Speech Sample to hear how the voice sounds.
Typically there are two versions of each voice available, Standard and Enhanced. Some voices also have a Premium version. The Enhanced and Premium voices sound realistic but use more storage space. Note: You may need to download the voice before you can use it or hear a sample.
How to add voices that can be selected from the Rotor
8. You can add additional voices which you can then select when using the Rotor feature of VoiceOver. To do so, select Add Rotor Voice. On the next page, select the language you want the voice to use.
9. Next, Select the voice you would like to use. On the next page, select Use Voice to add it to the Rotor. Select Speech Sample to hear how the voice sounds.
Note: You may need to download the voice before you can add it or play a sample. Go back to the main Speech page and follow the same steps to add more voices to the Rotor.
Change the voice's pitch settings
10. You can adjust the pitch of your chosen voice. To do so, go back to the page headed Voice. If VoiceOver is active, select the slider for Pitch. VoiceOver will announce the current Pitch percentage. Double-tap the display to activate the slider, then turn the Digital Crown to adjust the pitch. If VoiceOver is not active, use the + (plus) and – (minus) buttons on either side of the Pitch slider to adjust the pitch.
Enable VoiceOver to change the pitch when announcing the first item in a group
11. VoiceOver can use a higher pitch when announcing the first item in a group. To enable this, go back to the page headed Speech and set the toggle switch for Pitch Change to On.
Improve speech clarity
12. VoiceOver can use the microphone to determine how noisy your surroundings are and adjusts the speech volume automatically. To enable this, go to the main Speech page and select Improve Speech Clarity to turn it on. Note: Your watch does not record or save any sounds when using this feature.
How to change Voiceover audio settings
13. To access the VoiceOver audio settings, select Audio to access the following options.
Change the volume of spoken feedback
14. If VoiceOver is active, select the slider for Volume. VoiceOver will announce the current volume. Double-tap the display to activate the slider, then turn the Digital Crown to adjust the volume level.
If voiceOver is not active, use the buttons on either side of the Volume slider to turn the volume up or down.
Settings for VoiceOver sound effects
15. You can set the volume of VoiceOver sound effects or turn them off completely. Tap Sounds & Haptics.
16. If you don't want to hear VoiceOver sound effects, turn off the toggle switch for Sounds.
17. By default, sound effects will play at the same volume as VoiceOver spoken feedback. To change the volume of sound effects, first turn off the Match Speech Volume toggle switch. Then, adjust the volume slider.
Vibrations
18. When you activate an item, your Apple Watch will vibrate slightly as confirmation. To turn vibrations off, tap Sounds & Haptics.
19. On the next page, set the toggle switch for Haptics to Off.
Audio Ducking
20. By default, the volume of media, such as podcasts and music, is reduced when VoiceOver speaks. You can set the media volume to always be lower when VoiceOver is running, or you can turn off Audio Ducking so that the media volume remains unchanged. Select Audio Ducking, then choose from Off, When Speaking, and Always.
How to connect a braille display
21. Select Braille. On the next page, choose your device in the Choose a Braille Display section.
(Note: If you are not already on the VoiceOver settings page, follow steps 1-3 at the beginning of this article.)
22. You can change the settings for Braille Output, Braille Input, Automatic Translations, Word Wrap, Alert Display Duration, and Braille Tables.
For a list of braille commands you can use with VoiceOver, see Apple's article Common braille commands for VoiceOver on your Apple Watch
How to connect a Bluetooth keyboard to your Apple Watch to use with VoiceOver
23. Select Keyboards. On the next page, scroll to the bottom of the screen to the Devices section. Put your keyboard in pairing mode and choose it when it appears in the list.
(Note: If you are not already on the VoiceOver settings page, follow steps 1-3 at the beginning of this article.)
24. You can change the settings for Phonetic Feedback, Typing Feedback, Modifier Keys, and Keyboard Interaction Time.
25. As well as using the keyboard for text input, you can use it to navigate your Apple Watch using the following keys.
| Action | Keys |
| Move to the next item | Right Arrow key |
| Move to the previous item | Left Arrow key |
| Tap the selected item | Modifier key + Space bar. The default modifier key is Control + Option (Alt) |
| Read out the characters or phonetics of the selected item from left to right | Modifier key + Down Arrow key. The default modifier key is Control + Option (Alt) |
| Read out the characters or phonetics of the selected item from right to left | Modifier key + Up Arrow key. The default modifier key is Control + Option (Alt) |
How to turn off spoken hints
26. By default, when you select an item, you’ll receive hints such as “double-tap to activate”. To turn this off, set the toggle switch for Speak Hints to off.
How to enable Digital Crown Navigation
27. Another way to navigate your Apple Apple when using VoiceOver is with the Digital Crown. You rotate the Digital Crown to select an item, then double-tap the display to activate the item. To enable this, set the toggle switch for Digital Crown Navigation to On.
How to set VoiceOver to speak when you raise your wrist
28. You can set VoiceOver to speak when you raise your wrist to wake your Apple Watch. If you are on the watch face, VoiceOver will announce the time, if not, VoiceOver will announce the page heading.
How to use VoiceOver with the display turned off
29. If you don't need the display turned on to operate your Apple Watch, turning on the Screen Curtain can give you added privacy by turning the display off. To enable the Screen Curtain, set the toggle switch Screen Curtain to On.
How to include the seconds when announcing the time
30. When announcing the time, VoiceOver only includes the seconds if the watch face is displaying seconds. However, you can set VoiceOver to always say the seconds regardless of whether they are visible or not. Or you can set VoiceOver to never say the seconds. Select Speak Seconds and choose from the options on the next page. Select Speak Seconds and choose from the options on the next page.
How to customise VoiceOver hand gestures
31. If you use hand gestures with VoiceOver, you can change the action that each gesture performs. Select Hand Gestures.
32. On the next page, under Customise Gestures, select a gesture, then choose a new action.
33. You can also change the gesture that activates hand gestures. By default, you activate hand gestures by double-clenching your fist quickly. You can change the activation gesure to Double Tap (tap index finger and thumb together twice) or you can set it to None so that hand gestures are active as soon as you wake your AppleWatch. Scroll down and select Activation Gesture. Finally, choose how you want to activate Hand Gestures.
How to practice VoiceOver hand gestures
34. Select Hand Gestures. On the next page, select the Try it out… link found below the Hand Gestures toggle switch.
35. On the page screen, select one of the gestures. Perform the gesture as shown on the screen. Your watch will react when the gesture is performed.
How to change the delay befor an item is selected
36. If you find yourself unintentionally selecting items, you can add a delay so that VoiceOver only selects items after a certain amount of time. Select Delay before Selection. On the next page, set the delay using the + (plus) and – (minus) buttons.
How to change the double-tap timeout
37. The double-tap time out is the amount of time that two taps have to be performed within to perform a double-tap gesture. To change the duration of the timeout, select Double-tap Timeout. On the next page, set the timeout using the + (plus) and – (minus) buttons.
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