How to use TurnOver
TurnOver is a screen reader for the Mac that works alongside VoiceOver. VoiceOver stays on; TurnOver reads every app with its own voice and the keys you already know, and VoiceOver handles passwords and macOS's own security prompts. This page is the short tour. Each section links to the guide that goes into detail.
Three things to remember
- Command Control Comma is the way in to everything TurnOver: press it, hear "TurnOver", then a letter. M is the TurnOver menu, S the Settings window, K the keyboard style, H these guides. Any other key reads the list.
- Command Control Period turns TurnOver off and on, from anywhere. Off, VoiceOver reads as usual.
- Command Control Shift T gives the app in front to VoiceOver, or back to TurnOver, and remembers it.
Everything else is the keys of the screen reader you already know. See The TurnOver layer.
Choose your keys
TurnOver speaks three screen readers' keys. Press Command Control Comma, then K, until you hear the one you want:
Lock); VO arrows move, VO Space presses, VO Shift Down goes into things, VO U is the rotor.
- VoiceOver keys (the Mac style). Every key. VO is Control and Option together (or Caps
the line, Caps Lock A reads to the end, Caps Lock F7 lists the links and headings, H and K jump by heading and link on a web page.
- NVDA keys (the Windows style). Every key. Caps Lock is the NVDA key; Caps Lock L reads
words, Caps Lock Z for the virtual cursor, Caps Lock F6 and F7 for the lists.
- JAWS keys. Every key. JAWS's laptop layout: Caps Lock U, I and O for lines, J, K and L for
The style changes which keys you press, never what TurnOver can do. Keyboard styles explains the differences and how the three fit on a Mac keyboard.
Reading
Arrow through text, documents, web pages and messages; say all reads to the end and stops where you were. In a web page or a message, single letters jump by heading, link, button or form field, and Return or Space presses. See Reading and say all.
The apps
TurnOver reads every app. For the ones people use most, it adds keys and reading of its own: Mail, Messages and WhatsApp, Word and Excel, Safari, Music, Podcasts, Calendar, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Terminal, Steam and more. Each app's own keys are listed at the end of the key pages, and described in The apps. An app that VoiceOver does better can stay VoiceOver's: Command Control Shift T.
When something isn't read well
Mac nothing about their windows.
- Screen recognition (Command Control Comma, then R) reads a window from the screen itself, for apps that tell the
programming needed, and share it. See Plugins.
- Plugins teach TurnOver an app: its names for things, its keys, what to read. Anyone can write one, as data, no
- Give the app to VoiceOver with Command Control Shift T.
Help and problems
where everyone can see and help with them.
- Keyboard help: the TurnOver menu, Keys, then keyboard help: every key says what it does without doing it.
- Every shortcut here: Command Control Comma, then Slash: the keys that work where you are, in a list.
- Something wrong: Troubleshooting and feedback. Reports go through GitHub,
- What TurnOver does with your data: Privacy and security.
TurnOver is free and open source, made in spare time. The code, the plugins and the ways to help are at github.com/TurnOver-For-Mac/turnover.