Screen reader shortcuts by task
The keys and gestures you need to check a site with JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver or TalkBack, listed by what you want to do. Where it matters, what one press actually reads, which differs between screen readers and browsers.
The keys are the same wherever you use them. Under the tasks where what you hear decides whether your test is valid, such as how much one press of Down Arrow reads, there is also what we heard in each screen reader and browser.
Keys from each vendor’s own documentation, checked October 2026. Combinations from WebAIM's screen reader survey (2026) (opens in a new tab). What screen readers do with ARIA is on ARIA screen reader support.
Read
Read the next item
Moves to the next item and reads it. On a phone, swipe right.
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Down Arrow |
| NVDA | Down Arrow |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + Right Arrow |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Swipe right |
| TalkBack | Swipe right |
What it does, tested by hand
| Screen reader | Down Arrow |
|---|---|
| JAWS | A chunk of the screen reader’s own length |
| NVDA | A whole paragraph |
| JAWS | A chunk of the screen reader’s own length |
| NVDA | One line, as it wraps on screen |
| NVDA | A whole paragraph |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| TalkBack | Not tested |
Read on from here without stopping (Say all)
Reads on from where you are until you stop it.
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Insert + Down Arrow |
| NVDA | NVDA + Down Arrow |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + A |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Two-finger swipe down |
| TalkBack | Two-finger triple tap (TalkBack 9.1 and later) |
What it does, tested by hand
| Screen reader | Say all |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| TalkBack | Not tested |
Read from the top of the page
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Not verified yet |
| NVDA | Not verified yet |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Not verified yet |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Two-finger swipe up |
| TalkBack | Not verified yet |
Stop speech
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Control |
| NVDA | Control |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Control |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Two-finger tap |
| TalkBack | Two-finger tap |
Read the current line again
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Insert + Up Arrow |
| NVDA | NVDA + Up Arrow |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + L |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | Not verified yet |
Jump
Next heading
Jumps to the next heading and reads it.
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | H |
| NVDA | H |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + Command + H |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Rotor to Headings, then swipe down |
| TalkBack | Reading control Headings, then swipe down |
What it does, tested by hand
| Screen reader | Next heading |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| TalkBack | Not tested |
Next heading of a level, 1 to 6
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | 1 to 6 |
| NVDA | 1 to 6 |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Quick Nav on (VO + Q), then 1 to 6 |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | Not verified yet |
Next link
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Tab |
| NVDA | K |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + Command + L |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Rotor to Links, then swipe down |
| TalkBack | Reading control Links, then swipe down |
Next form field
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | F |
| NVDA | F |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + Command + J |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Rotor to Form controls, then swipe down |
| TalkBack | Reading control Controls, then swipe down |
Next landmark
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | R |
| NVDA | D |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Rotor (VO + U), then Landmarks |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | No default reading control |
Next table
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | T |
| NVDA | T |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + Command + T |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | Not verified yet |
Next list
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | L |
| NVDA | L |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + Command + X |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | Not verified yet |
Find in a list
List the headings
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Insert + F6 |
| NVDA | NVDA + F7, then Headings |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + U, then Headings |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Rotor to Headings |
| TalkBack | No list |
List the links
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Insert + F7 |
| NVDA | NVDA + F7, then Links |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + U, then Links |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Rotor to Links |
| TalkBack | No list |
List the landmarks
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Control + Insert + R |
| NVDA | NVDA + F7, then Landmarks |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | VO + U, then Landmarks |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | No list |
Forms and modes
Move to the next control with Tab
Moves focus to a text field. Whether typing then goes into the field or is taken as a shortcut depends on the mode.
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Tab |
| NVDA | Tab |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Tab, with keyboard navigation on |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not on a touch screen |
| TalkBack | Not on a touch screen |
What it does, tested by hand
| Screen reader | Tab into a field |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| NVDA | Not tested |
| JAWS | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| VoiceOver | Not tested |
| TalkBack | Not tested |
Switch between reading and typing
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Enter starts Forms Mode; Numpad Plus leaves it |
| NVDA | NVDA + Space switches browse and focus mode |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | No modes: VO + Shift + Down Arrow to interact with an item |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not on a touch screen |
| TalkBack | Not on a touch screen |
Tables
Next cell in the row
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Alt + Control + Right Arrow |
| NVDA | Control + Alt + Right Arrow |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Not verified yet |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | Reading control Columns, then swipe right |
Next cell in the column
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Alt + Control + Down Arrow |
| NVDA | Control + Alt + Down Arrow |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Not verified yet |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Not verified yet |
| TalkBack | Reading control Rows, then swipe down |
Start and stop
Turn the screen reader on
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | No default key: start it from its icon on the desktop or in the Start menu |
| NVDA | Control + Alt + N, if set up when installing |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Command + F5 |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | Triple-click the side or Home button, if the Accessibility Shortcut is set to VoiceOver |
| TalkBack | Hold both volume keys for a few seconds, if the shortcut is on |
Turn it off
| Screen reader | Key or gesture |
|---|---|
| JAWS | Insert + F4 |
| NVDA | NVDA + Q |
| VoiceOver (Mac) | Command + F5 |
| VoiceOver (iPhone) | The same shortcut again |
| TalkBack | The same shortcut again |
Modifier keys and sources
- JAWS
- Insert is the JAWS key; in the laptop layout it is Caps Lock. Documentation (opens in a new tab)
- NVDA
- NVDA stands for the NVDA key, Insert by default. Caps Lock can be turned on as well. Documentation (opens in a new tab)
- VoiceOver (Mac)
- VO stands for Control + Option, or Caps Lock. Documentation (opens in a new tab)
- VoiceOver (iPhone)
- Gestures, and the rotor: turn two fingers on the screen as if turning a dial. Documentation (opens in a new tab)
- TalkBack
- Gestures, and reading controls, which set what a swipe down moves by. Documentation (opens in a new tab)