Strasbourg, France
Using Finder with VoiceOver
Mac OS 12 Monterey
Finder is the default software which opens when the computer is
started. It is a file manager that is responsible for the overall
user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of
other applications.
Important: for the instructions below, it is assumed that VoiceOver is on and that Quick Nav is off.
To toggle VoiceOver on or off, press Cmd + F5.
When VoiceOver is on, press simultaneously the Right and Left arrows to toggle Quick Nav on or off.
It is recommended to use the Columns' View option for displaying the items in Finder.
To activate the Columns' View:
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "View" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "as Columns" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To select an item in Finder (file, folder, usb key, etc.):
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Go" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Computer" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
You are then at the root of the computer's tree.
Imagine that the tree is horizontal with its root on the left.
Use the Arrows to move in the computer's tree to the item you want
to select.
To delete a file or a folder:
Select the item, then
Press Cmd + Delete (The Delete key is just above the Return key).
To Copy and then Paste an item:
Select the item, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Copy" with the Down Arrow (one hears
"Copy" followed by the name of the item), then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Use the Arrows to move in the computer's tree to the folder where you
want to paste the item, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Paste" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
Warning: if there is already an item with the same name in the
folder, a dialog box with a warning message will open.
If so, move to "Replace" with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To Copy and then Paste several consecutive items:
Select the first item, then
Select the other items by keeping the Shift key pressed while
simultaneously moving with the Down Arrow, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Copy" with the Down Arrow (one hears
"Copy" followed by the number of items), then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Use the Arrows to move in the computer's tree to the folder where you
want to paste the items, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Paste" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
Warning: if there is already items with the same name in the
folder, a dialog box with a warning message will open.
If so move to "Replace" with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To Copy and then Paste several (possibly non-consecutive) items:
Select the first item, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + Return twice, then
Go to each of the other items by moving with Ctrl + Opt + Down Arrow or Ctrl + Opt + Up Arrow and press Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + Return to add each item to the selction, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Copy" with the Down Arrow (one hears
"Copy" followed by the number of items), then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Use the Arrows to move in the computer's tree to the folder where you
want to paste the items, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Paste" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
Warning: if there is already items with the same name in the
folder, a dialog box with a warning message will open.
If so move to "Replace" with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To compress an item:
Select the item, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Compress" with the Down Arrow (one hears
"Compress" followed by the name of the item), then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
A compressed version of the item is then created with the ".zip" extension.
To uncompress a ZIP file:
Select the file, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To open a file or an application:
Select the item, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Open" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To open a file with an application that is not the default
application:
Select the file, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to the submenu "Open with" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Select the application with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To open an audio file (mp3, wave, etc.) with Quick Look while staying in
Finder:
Select the audio file, then
Press Spacebar to start playing. Press Spacebar again to stop or
restart playing.
To pause playing:
Press Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow a few times until hearing "Pause button" and then press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
Press again Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar to resume playing.
To move backwards or forwards:
Go to "x percent time line" by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
Interact by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow to go backwards
or Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow to go forwards
(press simultaneously the Shift key if you want to move more quickly).
To read a PDF document with Quick Look while staying in Finder:
Select the PDF file, then
Press Spacebar.
VoiceOver starts reading the first page of the document.
In scientific documents, isolated Greek letters and many mathematical symbols are correctly read by VoiceOver.
Each page of the document is associated with a button.
To go to a specific page:
Press a few times Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow until reaching the button associated with the page, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Press a few times Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow until reaching the text of the page.
To move word by word in a page:
Interact with the text of the page by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Down Arrow, then
Move in the page with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow or Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow.
Press Ctrl + Opt + w twice to spell out a word.
Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Up Arrow to stop interacting with the text.
Press the Escape key to quit Quick Look.
Remark: the PDF document must be readable by VoiceOver (not a scanned image).
To change the name of an item (file, folder, usb key, etc.):
Select the item, then
Press the Return key, then
Type the new name, then
Press again the Return key.
The previous extension will stay unchanged.
If you also want to change the extention, you must use the Forward Delete
key to supress the previous extension (on Macbook, Fn + Delete), then
Type the new extension.
Warning: if you change the extension, a dialog box with a warning
message will open.
To duplicate an item:
Select the item, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + shift + m to open the item shortcut menu, then
Go to "Duplicate" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To create a new folder:
Select the location (folder, usb key, etc.) where you want to create the
new folder, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "New Folder" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Type the name of the new folder, then
Press the Return key.
To eject a usb key or a CD:
Select the item (it is located at the root of the computer's tree),
then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Eject" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To get informations about an item (size, creation date, last
modification date, etc.):
Select the item, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Get Info" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Move in the information window by using Ctrl + Opt + Right or Left Arrow.
To get information on a photo (for example: "Well lit. Crisp. 1 small face at right, 4 small faces in center, 1 small face at top."
or "Dark. Blurry. No faces."):
Select the file containing the photo, then
Press Spacebar, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + h to hear the information.
Press the Escape key to quit.
To change the default application that is launched when files with a given extension are opened:
Select a file with the given extension, then
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Get Info" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar to open the information window, then
Move in the information window by pressing a few times Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow until the disclosure triangle "Open with" and expand it by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow until the application pop-up button, then
Select the new default application by moving with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
To empty Trash:
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Finder" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "Empty Trash…" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, a dialog box with a warning message opens,
Go to "Empty Trash" with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
Another Way to empty trash:
Go to the Dock by pressing Ctrl + Opt + d, then
Select the Trash with the Left Arrow, then
Select "Empty Trash" with the Up Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, a dialog box with a warning message will open, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar again.
Some Shortcuts
To copy: Cmd + c
To paste: Cmd + v
To drag and drop: Cmd + Opt + v
To select all: Cmd + a
To get Info: Cmd + i
To open: Cmd + o
To open with Quick Look: Spacebar or Cmd + y
To undo: Cmd + z
To go to application folder: Cmd + Shift + a
To go to the root of the folder tree (computer): Cmd + Shift + c
To go to user's desktop folder: Cmd + Shift + d
To go to user's home folder: Cmd + Shift + h
To go to Documents folder: Cmd + Shift + d
To go to Utilities folder: Cmd + Shift + u
To go to Downloads folder: Cmd + Opt + l
To go to iCloud Drive folder: Cmd + Shift + i
To connect to server: Cmd + k
To close window: Cmd + w
To close all windows: Cmd + Opt + w
To eject: Cmd + e
To create a new folder: Cmd + Shift + n
To move to trash: Cmd + Delete
To empty trash: Cmd + Shift + Delete
VoiceOver Commands
To hear what is the current version of Finder on your computer:
Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
Go to "Finder" with the Right Arrow, then
Go to "About Finder" with the Down Arrow, then
Press Ctrl + Opt + Space bar, then
Move with Ctrl + Opt + Left arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Right arrow until hearing the Finderversion.
Finder Version:
12.5
Please send me your comments, questions or suggestions by e-mail
Last Update: February 2, 2024