Quick Nav#
Quick Nav streamlines navigation by reducing the keys you need to press. Instead of always holding the VoiceOver modifier, Quick Nav lets you navigate with just arrow keys or single key presses.
Two Types of Quick Nav#
VoiceOver offers two Quick Nav modes:
- Arrow-Key Quick Nav: Navigate using just arrow keys
- Single-Key Quick Nav: Navigate web pages with single letters
Both can be used independently or together.
Arrow-Key Quick Nav#
Toggling Arrow-Key Quick Nav#
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Toggle Arrow-Key Quick Nav | Left Arrow + Right Arrow (press together) |
When you press both arrow keys simultaneously, you’ll hear “Quick Nav on” or “Quick Nav off.”
How Arrow-Key Quick Nav Works#
When Quick Nav is on:
- Right Arrow = Move to next item (like VO + Right Arrow)
- Left Arrow = Move to previous item (like VO + Left Arrow)
- Up Arrow = Move up or context-dependent action
- Down Arrow = Move down or start interacting
When Quick Nav is off:
- Arrow keys work normally (move within text, etc.)
Quick Nav Rotor#
With Arrow-Key Quick Nav on, you access a special rotor:
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Open Quick Nav Rotor | Up Arrow + Right Arrow or Up Arrow + Left Arrow |
| Navigate categories | Up Arrow + Left/Right Arrow |
| Navigate items | Up/Down Arrow |
| Activate item | Up Arrow + Down Arrow |
The Quick Nav Rotor changes how the arrow keys navigate. For example:
- Set to “Headings”: arrows move between headings
- Set to “Words”: arrows move word by word
- Set to “Characters”: arrows move character by character
Single-Key Quick Nav#
Single-Key Quick Nav (also called “Quick Nav web browsing”) enables single-letter navigation on web pages—similar to how JAWS and NVDA work on Windows.
Enabling Single-Key Quick Nav#
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Toggle Single-Key Quick Nav | VO + Q |
VoiceOver announces “Single-key Quick Nav on” or “Single-key Quick Nav off.”
Single-Key Commands#
When Single-Key Quick Nav is on, press single letters to navigate:
| Key | Next Element |
|---|---|
| H | Heading (any level) |
| 1 | Heading level 1 |
| 2 | Heading level 2 |
| 3 | Heading level 3 |
| 4 | Heading level 4 |
| 5 | Heading level 5 |
| 6 | Heading level 6 |
| L | Link |
| V | Visited link |
| J | Form control |
| B | Button |
| X | List |
| I | List item |
| G | Graphic/image |
| T | Table |
| F | Frame |
| W | Web spot |
| M | Landmark |
| Q | Block quote |
Going Backwards#
Add Shift to go to the previous occurrence:
| Key Combination | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift + H | Previous heading |
| Shift + 1 | Previous H1 |
| Shift + L | Previous link |
| Shift + J | Previous form control |
| etc. | etc. |
Reading While Using Single-Key Quick Nav#
Since letter keys now navigate, how do you type? Two approaches:
- Turn off Single-Key Quick Nav (VO + Q) when you need to type
- Navigate to a text field and it automatically pauses Quick Nav for typing
VoiceOver is smart enough to let you type in form fields even with Quick Nav on.
Combining Both Quick Nav Modes#
You can use Arrow-Key Quick Nav and Single-Key Quick Nav together:
- Arrow keys move through elements based on Quick Nav Rotor setting
- Letter keys jump to specific element types
This gives you maximum flexibility with minimum key presses.
When to Use Quick Nav#
Use Arrow-Key Quick Nav When:#
- Reading through a document linearly
- You want simple, quick navigation
- You’re in an application (not web)
- You don’t need to type
Use Single-Key Quick Nav When:#
- Browsing web pages
- You want JAWS/NVDA-style navigation
- You know what type of element you’re looking for
- You’ll do more navigating than typing
Disable Quick Nav When:#
- Editing text documents
- Using applications that need arrow keys for their functions
- You’re confused about why keys aren’t working as expected
Customizing Quick Nav Keys#
You can change which keys do what in Single-Key Quick Nav:
- Open VoiceOver Utility (VO + F8)
- Go to Commanders category
- Click Quick Nav
- Modify key assignments
This lets you:
- Change the default key for an element type
- Add new keys for navigation
- Remove keys you don’t use
Quick Nav Indicators#
VoiceOver helps you know Quick Nav’s status:
Audio Indicators#
When toggling, VoiceOver announces the state change.
Checking Current Status#
If you’re unsure whether Quick Nav is on:
- Press Left Arrow + Right Arrow to toggle
- Listen to the announcement
- Toggle again if needed
Practical Examples#
Example 1: Reading an Article#
- Navigate to a news website
- Press VO + Q to enable Single-Key Quick Nav
- Press H to jump to the first heading (usually the article title)
- Press Right Arrow to read through the article
- Press H again to skip to the next section
Example 2: Filling Out a Form#
- Press J to jump to the first form control
- If it’s a text field, type your information (Quick Nav pauses)
- Press Tab or J to move to the next field
- Press B to find the submit button
- Press Return or VO + Space to submit
Example 3: Finding Information in a Table#
- Press T to jump to a table
- Turn on Arrow-Key Quick Nav (Left + Right Arrow)
- Open Quick Nav Rotor (Up + Right Arrow)
- Select “Rows” or “Columns”
- Use arrow keys to navigate the table
Troubleshooting Quick Nav#
Letters Aren’t Navigating#
- Check if Single-Key Quick Nav is on (VO + Q)
- Make sure you’re on a web page, not in a text field
- Some applications don’t support Quick Nav
Arrow Keys Aren’t Moving Between Items#
- Check if Arrow-Key Quick Nav is on (Left + Right Arrow)
- You might be in a text editing context
- Try pressing Escape to exit any editing mode
Navigation Seems Inconsistent#
- Quick Nav behavior depends on the Quick Nav Rotor setting
- Check/change the setting with Up + Right Arrow
Summary#
Quick Nav dramatically speeds up navigation:
- Arrow-Key Quick Nav: Toggle with Left + Right Arrow together
- Single-Key Quick Nav: Toggle with VO + Q
- Single keys jump to element types (H for heading, L for link, etc.)
- Add Shift to go backwards
- Quick Nav Rotor (Up + Right Arrow) changes arrow key behavior
- Customize keys in VoiceOver Utility
Once you’re comfortable with Quick Nav, you’ll find yourself navigating web pages almost as fast as sighted users scanning with their eyes.