Quick guide
Voice Control and Voice Access
Navigate and click with your voice on Mac and Windows 11.
Voice Control is Mac's built in voice dictation software. Voice Access is Windows 11's built in voice dictation software.
Testing with them shows whether people who use speech recognition can reach and use everything on your site.
Get started
| Task | Mac: Voice Control | Windows 11: Voice Access |
|---|---|---|
| Turn it on | System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control | Settings → Accessibility → Speech → Voice Access |
| Stop listening | “Go to sleep” | “Voice access sleep” |
| Start listening | “Wake up” | “Voice access wake up” |
| See available commands | “Show commands” | “What can I say” |
Navigate and click
These commands work in both Voice Control and Voice Access, unless noted.
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| “Show names” | Labels clickable items with their names (Voice Control on Mac only). |
| “Show numbers” | Puts a number on each clickable item. Then say “Click [number]” to select one. |
| “Show grid” | Overlays a numbered grid for areas without labels. Say a number to zoom in, then “Click.” |
| “Hide numbers” or “Hide grid” | Removes the overlay. |
| “Click [name]” | Clicks an item by its label, for example “Click Register.” Voice Control needs an exact match. |
| “Scroll up” or “Scroll down” | Scrolls the page. |
| “Press [key]” | Presses a key, for example “Press Tab” or “Press Escape.” |
Dictate text
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| “Select [word or phrase]” | Selects that text. |
| “Delete that” | Deletes the last dictated text or selection. |
| “Undo that” | Undoes the last action. |
Speech recognition in practice
A closer look at how speech recognition users work with complex tables that contain form fields.
What to look for
- Can you click each button by saying the words you see on it?
- Do form fields have visible labels you can say?
- Can you reach everything, even with “Show numbers” or “Show grid”?
Next step: full manual testing
This guide shows the process: what to check, in what order.
Keep learning, one topic a month
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