VoiceOver Activities#

Activities let you create custom VoiceOver configurations for specific applications or contexts. Instead of constantly changing settings, you can switch between pre-configured “activities” with different verbosity levels, web navigation options, and hot spots.

What Is an Activity?#

An activity is a collection of VoiceOver settings including:

  • Verbosity levels
  • Web navigation preferences
  • Hot spots (10 per activity)
  • Associated applications or websites

When you switch activities, all these settings change together.

Default Activities#

VoiceOver includes a default activity that applies when no custom activity is active. Your normal settings are the default activity.

Creating an Activity#

  1. Open VoiceOver Utility (VO + F8)
  2. Go to Activities category
  3. Click + to add a new activity
  4. Name your activity (e.g., “Coding”, “Email”, “Research”)
  5. Configure settings for this activity

Activity Settings#

For each activity, you can customize:

  • Verbosity: How much detail VoiceOver speaks
  • Web settings: Navigation mode, rotor contents
  • Hot Spots: 10 unique hot spots for this activity
  • Associated apps: Which apps trigger this activity

Associating Apps and Websites#

You can have activities activate automatically:

For Applications#

  1. In the activity settings, find “Applications”
  2. Click +
  3. Choose an application
  4. When you open that app, the activity activates

For Websites#

  1. In the activity settings, find “Websites”
  2. Click +
  3. Enter a website URL or domain
  4. When you visit that site in Safari, the activity activates

Switching Activities#

Manual Switching#

ActionCommand
Open Activity ChooserVO + X
Switch to previous activityVO + X + X (press twice)

Using the Activity Chooser:

  1. Press VO + X
  2. Navigate activities with Up/Down Arrow
  3. Press Return to select

Automatic Switching#

If you’ve associated apps or websites, activities switch automatically when you:

  • Open an associated application
  • Navigate to an associated website

When you leave the app or site, VoiceOver returns to the default activity.

Practical Activity Examples#

Coding Activity#

Settings:

  • Low verbosity (less chatter while thinking)
  • Punctuation: All (need to hear code symbols)
  • Typing echo: Characters (confirm each keystroke)
  • Associated apps: Xcode, VS Code, Terminal

Email Activity#

Settings:

  • Medium verbosity
  • Punctuation: Some
  • Hot Spots: Inbox, Compose button, Search field
  • Associated apps: Mail

Web Research Activity#

Settings:

  • Web navigation: DOM mode for detailed exploration
  • Rotor: Headings, Links, Landmarks prominently
  • Punctuation: None (faster reading)
  • Hot Spots: Search field, main content areas

Presentation Activity#

Settings:

  • Low verbosity
  • Slow speech rate
  • High volume
  • Associated apps: Keynote, PowerPoint

Activity Hot Spots#

Each activity has its own set of 10 hot spots. This means:

  • You can have different hot spots for different workflows
  • Switching activities changes available hot spots
  • Hot Spot numbers (1-0) work the same way but jump to different locations

Tips for Using Activities#

Tip 1: Start with One Activity#

Create one custom activity for your most-used workflow. Get comfortable before adding more.

Tip 2: Name Activities Clearly#

Use descriptive names like “Coding - Python” or “Web - Research” rather than generic names.

Tip 3: Use App Associations#

Let VoiceOver switch activities automatically by associating apps. This reduces manual switching.

Tip 4: Leverage Activity Hot Spots#

Set up hot spots specific to each workflow. Your “Email” activity hot spots can be different from “Coding” hot spots.

Tip 5: Review Periodically#

As your workflows change, update your activities. Remove ones you don’t use; refine ones you do.

Managing Activities#

Editing Activities#

  1. Open VoiceOver Utility > Activities
  2. Select the activity
  3. Modify settings
  4. Changes save automatically

Deleting Activities#

  1. Select the activity in the list
  2. Click - to remove
  3. Confirm deletion

Duplicating Activities#

If you want a variation of an existing activity:

  1. Create a new activity
  2. Manually configure similar settings
  3. Make your adjustments

(There’s no built-in duplicate function, but exporting/importing can help.)

Activities and Portable Preferences#

When you export VoiceOver preferences, you can include your activities. This lets you:

  • Back up your activities
  • Transfer them to another Mac
  • Share them with others

Summary#

Activities provide context-specific VoiceOver configurations:

  • Create activities for different workflows (coding, email, research)
  • Each activity has its own verbosity, web, and hot spot settings
  • Associate apps and websites for automatic switching
  • VO + X opens the Activity Chooser
  • VO + X + X switches to previous activity
  • 10 hot spots per activity multiply your quick-access locations

Activities transform VoiceOver from a one-size-fits-all tool to a context-aware assistant that adapts to what you’re doing.

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