Write with your finger using VoiceOver on iPad

With Handwriting mode, you can enter text by writing characters on the screen with your finger. In addition to normal text entry, use handwriting mode to enter your iPad passcode silently or to open apps from the Home Screen.

Use handwriting mode

Set the rotor to Handwriting.

If Handwriting isn’t in the rotor, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor, then add it.
To choose a character type (lowercase, numbers, uppercase, or punctuation), swipe up or down with three fingers.
To hear the selected character type, tap with three fingers.
Trace a character on the screen with your finger.
You can also do any of the following:
- Enter an alternate character (a character with an accent, for example): Write the character, then swipe up or down with two fingers until you hear the type of character you want.
- Enter a space: Swipe right with two fingers.
- Go to a new line: Swipe right with three fingers.
- Delete the previous character: Swipe left with two fingers.
To exit handwriting mode, do a two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”), or set the rotor to a different setting.

Enter your passcode silently with handwriting mode

On the passcode screen, set the rotor to Handwriting.
Write the characters of your passcode with your finger.

Select an item on the Home Screen

On the Home Screen, set the rotor to Handwriting.
Start writing the name of the item with your finger.
If there are multiple matches, continue to spell the name until it’s unique, or swipe up or down with two fingers to choose from the current matches.

Quickly navigate a long list

Select the index to the right of the list (for example, next to your Contacts list or in the VoiceOver Item Chooser).
Set the rotor to Handwriting, then use your finger to write the letter you want to navigate to.

Helpful?

iPad User Guide

Write with your finger using VoiceOver on iPad

Use handwriting mode

Enter your passcode silently with handwriting mode

Select an item on the Home Screen

Quickly navigate a long list