Michel Coornaert
Strasbourg, France

VoiceOver 12

Using Firefox with VoiceOver Mac OS 12 Monterey


Firefox is a free and open source web browser distributed by Mozilla. The compatibility of Firefox with VoiceOver, the screenreader included in Mac OS, has been greatly improved since 2019. However, it is not as good as that of Safari, the web browser included in Mac OS (see Using Safari with VoiceOver).
The Firefox software can be downloaded for free on the Firefox Web Site.
  • 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.

  • To search with Google:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "New Window" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Type your request, then
    Press the Return key to download the Google result page, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + u to open the Web rotor, then
    Move with the Right Arrow until hearing "Heading", then
    Select the result by moving with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar to go to the corresponding link in the Google result page, then
    Press again Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar to activate the link.
    Remark: Instead of Google, it is possible to select another search engine in the Firefox Preferences.

  • To open a web address:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "New window" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Type the web address, then
    Press the Return key.
    You hear a sound when the web page is loaded. VoiceOver should begin to read a web page as soon as it is loaded.

  • To move inside a web page:
    Use the Down and Up Arrows to move line by line.

  • To stop reading:
    Press Ctrl.
    Press Ctrl again to restart reading.

  • To return to a web page that has been previously visited:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "History" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to the title of the previously visited web page by moving with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.

  • To add a Bookmark to the Bookmarks Menu:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "Bookmarks" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Bookmark This Page" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar

  • To suppress a Bookmark:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "Bookmarks" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Show All Bookmarks" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Use the Arrows to move in the bookmarks list and select the Bookmark you want to suppress, then
    Press the Delete key.
  • To open the Web Rotor:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + u.
    The Web Rotor is a table which gives in columns the list of "Links", "Headings", "Form Controls", "Web Spots", "Tables". Use the Arrows to move in the Web Rotor. To select an item you can also type its first letters. You can spell out an item by pressing twice Ctrl + Opt + w and copy it in the clipboard by pressing Cmd + c.
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar to go to the selected item in the page.

  • To read all the contents of a web page:
    Press Cmd+ Up Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + a.

  • Warning: There are two navigation modes for the web pages with VoiceOver, the DOM mode (DOM=Document Object Model) and the "grouped" mode.
    To choose the navigation mode for the web pages:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + F8 (on Macbook Fn + Ctrl + Opt + F8) to open VoiceOver Utility, then
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "View" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Web" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Select the navigation mode with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.

  • VoiceOver divides the page into elements such as "Link", "Image", "Table", and "Text".
    If the "grouped" mode is activated there is an other type of element: the "Group" type.
    To go to the next element press Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow.
    To go to the previous element press Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow.
    VoiceOver gives the type of the element of type "Image", "Link", "Table", and "Group", but not of the type "Text".
    A "Group" can contain some subelements of type "Link", "Image", "Table", "Text", and "Group". To access to the elements of a Group press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Down Arrow (You hear the number of element of the Group).
    Use Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow to move through the elements of the Group.
    To leave the Group press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Up Arrow.

  • To enable (or disable) the Quick Navigation:
    Press simultaneously the left and right arrows.
    The Quick navigation allows to move through the web pages with the Arrows.

  • To click on a link:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
    If that does not work, try the following:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + F5 (on Macbook Fn + Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + F5) to center the mouse under the VoiceOver cursor, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Spacebar to perform a mouse click.

  • To read the web adress of a link:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + u.

  • To spell out a word contained in a web page:
    Go to the beginning of the word by moving with the arrows, then
    Move with the Right Arrow to read the word character by character.

  • To search a word in a web page:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + f, then
    Type the word, then
    Press the Return key.
    You are then in the group containing the word,
    Press Ctrl + Opt + a to read the contents of the group,
    Or press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + Up Arrow to leave the group.
    Press Ctrl + Opt + g to search the next occurrence of the word.
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + g to search the previous occurrence of the word.
    Remark: Instead of typing a word you can select a word used during a previous search by pressing the Up or Down Arrows.
    Press Cmd + Del. key to suppress a word used in a previous search.

  • To display the list of items on the screen:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + i to open the Item Chooser Menu, then
    Select the item with the Down Arrow or simply type some consecutive letters of the item, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar,
    To go to the selected item.
    Remark: this is a very useful method for going to any item contained in a web page.

  • To get information about a web page (number of Headings, number of links, number of landmarks, etc.):
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + i.

  • To copy in the clipboard the last phrase spoken by VoiceOver (very useful):
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + c.
    Remark: you can press the keys before VoiceOver has finished reading the phrase.

  • To copy in the clipboard all the contents of the web page:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "Edit" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Select All" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, 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, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.

  • To send a link to the current page by email :
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "Email Link …" with the Right Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Type thé récipient address, then
    Send the message in the usual way (see Using Mail).


  • To save a web page or a downloaded file (for example a PDF file) in the current folder:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Save Page As…" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Press the Return key to save the file with its original name, or type the name you want and then press the Return key.


  • To clear history:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "History" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Clear Recent History…" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Select Clear History options in the dialog box, then
    Go to the OK button by moving with Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
    When Clear History is activated, visited pages are no more listed in the History menu.

  • To Print:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "File" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Print…" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Press the Return key.

  • To choose your VoiceOver web navigation settings:
    Press Ctrl + Opt + F8 (on Macbook Fn + Ctrl + Opt + F8) to open VoiceOver Utility, then
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "View" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "Web" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar, then
    Use Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow to move and enable or disable the options by pressing Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.

  • Some Shortcuts

    To search with the default search engine : Cmd + Opt + f
    To open a new window: Cmd + n
    To open a new private window: Cmd + Shift + P
    To go to the next heading: Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + h
    To go to the previous heading: Shift + Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + h
    To go to the next heading at the same heading level: Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + m
    To go to the previous heading at the same heading level: Shift + Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + m
    To go to the next link: Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + l
    To go to the previous link: Shift + Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + l
    To go to the next list: Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + x
    To go to the previous list: Shift + Ctrl + Opt + Cmd + x
    To Enter or Close Reader View: Cmd + Opt + r
    To select all the page: Cmd + a
    To select from the beginning of the page to the current position of the cursor: Cmd + Shift + Up Arrow
    To select from the current position of the cursor to the end of the page: Cmd + Shift + Down Arrow
    To copy the selection in the clipboard: Cmd + c
    To cut: Cmd + x
    To paste the contents of the clipboard: Cmd + v
    To paste and match style: Cmd + Shift + Opt + v
    To undo: Cmd + z
    To add the current page to Bookmarks: Cmd + d
    To show all bookmarks: Cmd + Shift + o
    To close the window: Cmd + w
    To close all windows: Cmd + Opt + w
    To Save Page As…: Cmd + S
    To print: Cmd + p
    To open Firefox Preferences: Cmd + ,
    To quit Firefox: Cmd + q

  • VoiceOver Commands

  • To find out the version of Firefox on your computer:
    Go to the Menu bar by pressing Ctrl + Opt + m, then
    Go to "Firefox" with the Right Arrow, then
    Go to "About Firefox" with the Down Arrow, then
    Press Ctrl + Opt + Spacebar.
    This opens a dialog box.
    Use Ctrl + Opt + Right Arrow and Ctrl + Opt + Left Arrow to move in this dialog box and ear the version number of Firefox on your computer.
    It is also possible to update Firefox in this dialog box if a new version is avalaible.

    • Firefox Version: 127.0.1


  • Please send me your questions or suggestions by e-mail


    • Last Update: June 20, 2024