macOS High Sierra

Navigate using the Rotor

When you work in an app or browse a webpage, you can use the Rotor to navigate directly to an item in an app window or a webpage. For example, you can go to an email message in Mail or a webpage heading or link.

Note: VO represents the VoiceOver modifier.

  1. Open the Rotor by pressing VO-U.

  2. Navigate the lists using the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key until you hear the list you want, such as Window Spots or Headings.

    Depending on the app you’re in, you may hear Content Chooser. The Content Chooser provides quick access to content lists in an app. For example, in Mail the Content Chooser lists the messages shown in the messages list. In Week view in Calendar, it shows the number of events for each day.


    • In most lists, you can type some letters of an item to narrow the list to only items that contain those letters. In the Headings list, you can type the heading level (such as 3) to narrow the list to only headings of that level.

      To show all items in a list again, press the Delete key.

    • To hear an item’s help tag, if available, press VO-Shift-H.

    • To hear an item’s Internet address, if applicable, press VO-Shift-U.

    • If you don’t find the item you want, press the Escape key or Fn-Tab to exit the Rotor without making a selection.

  4. Press Return or the Space bar to select the item and jump to it.

    The Rotor closes.

You can set options in VoiceOver Utility to customize the items shown in the Rotor when viewing webpages. For more information, see Web Rotor pane of the Web category.

If you’re using VoiceOver gestures, you can use the rotor settings with gestures.