Selecting, Copying and Pasting with VoiceOver - iOS

Selecting, Copying and Pasting Text with VoiceOver on iOS

A task that doesn't always feel particularly intuitive at first for newcomers to VoiceOver on iOS is how to work with and manipulate text. Even basic tasks such as copying and pasting can, at first, be a minefield. What can make this even more frustrating is that these "tricky" situations crop up when you least want them to - suddenly, you are faced with figuring out how to include a URL in an email or how to copy that bit of text in a website. And while general navigation with VoiceOver is relatively straightforward (after a bit of "play time" anyway) text manipulation with VoiceOver requires a bit more structure and insight.

In this post I'm going to go through some of the steps that you can take to achieve these tasks. My ultimate aim here is to get you confidently copying and pasting text so we're going to explore every bit of the overall process individually. Let's get started...

Text Fields and Insertion Points

Before you begin copying and pasting text, you need to understand exactly how to approach working in a standard text field and the general approach to selecting specific characters and/or words. First thing, we need to talk about insertion points:

1. Navigate to the standard Notes app on your iOS device. DOUBLE TAP to launch the app.
2. In the Notes app, DOUBLE TAP the Compose button and SWIPE RIGHT to the "Note text field, is editing" area.
3. Type or dictate some basic text into this area.
4. When you have some text in place, use a SINGLE FINGER DOUBLE TAP - notice that VoiceOver indicates "insertion point at start". Use the same gesture again, to move the insertion point to the end.

Being able to control the insertion point in this way allows you to start your text operations from a more convenient situation. Always bear this positioning ability in mind prior to any text manipulation you need to do. Okay, on to the next step...

Using the Rotor: Characters and Words

The key to having fine control at the text level is all via the rotor. You are going to be accessing it a lot for your text actions so, if you find the rotor gesture difficult or unwieldy to use, keep practicing until it becomes easier.

1. In your text edit area, move the insertion point to the start of your text, if you are not already there.
2. Use the rotor gesture to select the Characters option.
3. With the Characters rotor option set, use a ONE FINGER FLICK DOWN gesture. You should hear VoiceOver move the cursor and echo the next character that takes focus.
4. After you are comfortable with the ONE FINGER FLICK DOWN gesture, use a ONE FINGER FLICK UP to move backwards through the characters.
5. Now use the rotor control again and set the Words option.
6. With the Words rotor option set, use the ONE FINGER FLICK DOWN gesture as before and this time you should hear VoiceOver move the cursor and echo the next word.
7. When you are happy with moving through the words, use a ONE FINGER FLICK UP gesture to move backwards through the previous words.

Now practice each different mode, switching the rotor control between "Words" and "Characters" as required and using the SINGLE FINGER FLICK UP and DOWN gestures to move focus.

When you have played with these gestures for a while, ensure the rotor control is set to "Characters" in preparation for our next step.

Select Text in a Note

Now that you can move the insertion point to the beginning and end of the current text area and change the rotor between "words" and "characters", it is time to explore selecting:

1. With your "Characters" rotor option set, use a SINGLE FINGER FLICK DOWN gesture to move through the individual characters in your text. Move to a word that you want to copy and focus the cursor on the first letter.

NOTE: A little technique I use when I SINGLE FINGER FLICK DOWN is to overshoot the first letter of the word I want to copy and then SINGLE FINGER FLICK UP to go one character back. This extra FLICK DOWN and FLICK UP results in the cursor being positioned to the left hand side of the character, a starting point that makes selecting the text feel more intuitive to me. I do this extra flicking to give me the confidence that I definitely have focus on the right letter when I start to highlight.

2. Now use the REVERSE PINCH gesture to perform the highlighting move from the cursor position. (This REVERSE PINCH gesture can be tricky, imagine stretching an elastic band between two fingers on the screen.) As you drag across the screen, the text will be highlighted and the individual characters will be spoken. (Remember: you are in Characters mode.)
3. If you over-shoot with your highlighting selection, then use the PINCH gesture to reduce the highlighting from right to left. Again, VoiceOver will comment as you go about this.
4. Practice both of these PINCH gestures until they become second nature and you can confidently select text. Also, switch to the Words rotor option and test out the PINCH gestures with words.

Copy and Paste into a New Note

Now that you can move the insertion point around, switch between word and character movement and select text, it is time to venture into the Editing options available via the rotor:

1. With any relevant text highlighted, use the rotor to select the Edit option. Now SINGLE FINGER SWIPE UP or DOWN to confirm the Copy setting. DOUBLE TAP to activate and perform this copy operation, VoiceOver will indicate "(your words here) copied" if you are successful.
2. With the selection now copied to the clipboard, SWIPE LEFT to reach the Compose button and DOUBLE TAP to create a new note.
3. SWIPE RIGHT to the text edit area of the new note and access the rotor control area once again. Choose the Edit rotor option as before and this time around SWIPE UP or DOWN to select the Paste option. As before, DOUBLE TAP to confirm and paste the text in at the insertion point.
4. If necessary, switch the rotor mode back to "Word" or "Characters" and carry on working.

And that's it - copying and pasting VoiceOver and touchscreen style! A bit on the fiddly side I'm sure you will agree but once you get the hang of switching between all the relevant rotor options and the PINCH and REVERSE PINCH gestures, it will start to feel more fluid.

Now that you are getting to grips with this, it's time for a challenge - just how do you go about copying that URL and pasting it into a file or email?

Until next time, keep those rotors spinning...