Mastering Right-Clicking on Mac with VoiceOver (Part 5 of Switching From Windows Or iOS To macOS)
How to open context menus, fix mouse tracking with VoiceOver, and bridge the gap between Windows and Mac screen reader workflows.
Transitioning to macOS from Windows or iOS presents unique conceptual shifts, particularly when navigating with the VoiceOver screen reader. In part 5 of this tutorial series, we’ll discuss Right-Clicking and Context Menus, helping you build muscle memory and navigate your Mac efficiently entirely by keyboard.
Below, you will find our video tutorial followed by a comprehensive quick-reference cheat sheet.
Video Tutorial: Switching From iOS And Windows (Part 5)
How to Right Click & Open Context Menus with VoiceOver on Mac
Invoking context menus on macOS is highly accessible using both keyboard/VoiceOver controls and hardware gestures.
PlatformCounterpart NameWindows CounterpartPressing Shift + F10 or the physical Applications key to open a context menuVoiceOver Key CommandHighlight any item with the VoiceOver cursor and press VO + Shift + M
Alternative Hardware Methods
Control + Click: Hold down the Control key while clicking the mouse or trackpad.
Two-Finger Tap: Perform a two-finger tap or press on the trackpad.
Configuring VoiceOver Mouse Tracking
On Windows, screen readers like JAWS or NVDA automatically route physical context clicks to the current keyboard focus. On macOS, a physical right-click (such as a two-finger trackpad tap or a Control + click) occurs wherever the hardware mouse pointer is physically resting—not necessarily where the VoiceOver cursor is reading.
To bridge this gap, you can configure VoiceOver so that the hardware mouse pointer automatically snaps to and follows the VoiceOver cursor. This ensures that whenever you perform a hardware right-click, it acts upon the exact item you are currently reading.
If you don’t want to change this VoiceOver setting to have the mouse pointer follow the VoiceOver cursor, then you can press VO + Command + F5 to manually move the mouse pointer to the VoiceOver cursor prior to right clicking or bringing up the context menu.
Key Terminology Note
VO: Refers to your VoiceOver modifier keys. By default, this is either Control + Option or the Caps Lock key. You can use either.
Interact (VO + Shift + Down Arrow): On macOS, elements are grouped hierarchically (like tables, sidebars, or toolbars). To explore items inside a group, you must “interact” with it.
Stop Interacting (VO + Shift + Up Arrow): To leave a grouped area and navigate the broader screen, you must stop interacting.
Step-by-Step Configuration Guide
Follow these exact VoiceOver keystrokes to automatically keep your hardware mouse pointer in sync with your screen reader cursor:
Open VoiceOver Utility: From anywhere on your Mac, press VO + F8. VoiceOver will announce: “Opening VoiceOver Utility.”
Navigate to the Categories Sidebar:
When the utility opens, your focus is typically placed on the Categories table on the left.
If VoiceOver does not automatically announce that you are in the table, press VO + Left or Right Arrow repeatedly until you hear “Categories, table.”
Interact with this table by pressing VO + Shift + Down Arrow.
Use the standard Down Arrow or VO + Down Arrow key to move down the list until you hear “Navigation”.
Stop interacting with the table by pressing VO + Shift + Up Arrow.
Move to Navigation Settings: Press VO + Right Arrow to move out of the sidebar and into the settings pane on the right side of the window.
Locate the Mouse Pointer Options:
Continue pressing VO + Right Arrow through the settings (past “Initial position of VoiceOver cursor” and “Grouping behavior”).
Stop when you reach the pop-up button labeled “Mouse pointer:”. VoiceOver will likely announce: “Mouse pointer, pop-up button, ignores VoiceOver cursor” (the default factory setting).
Set Tracking to “Follows VoiceOver Cursor”:
Press VO + Space to activate the pop-up menu.
Use the Down Arrow key to navigate through the menu options until you hear “Follows VoiceOver cursor”.
Press Space or Return to select it.
Close VoiceOver Utility: Your changes are saved instantly. Press Command + W to close the utility window and return to your application.
Verifying Your New Setup
Now that tracking is enabled, test your setup using these two reliable methods:
Hardware Right-Click: Move your VoiceOver cursor to an item (e.g., a file in Finder) using VO + Arrow keys. Perform a physical two-finger tap on your trackpad or hold Control and click the physical mouse. The context menu for that specific file will now reliably appear directly under your focus.
VoiceOver Right-Click: Alternatively, you can bypass physical hardware actions entirely by highlighting an item with VoiceOver and pressing VO + Shift + M to open the context menu immediately.
Looking Ahead
Hopefully, this overview helps you master right-clicking and opening context menus on macOS! If you missed the previous installments, be sure to check out Part 1: Finder and Desktop Basics, Part 2: Introducing the Dock, Part 3: Mastering the Status Menu, and Part 4: Main Menu Navigation.
Next up in this series, we will dive into accessing and navigating macOS System Settings with VoiceOver. Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter or YouTube channel so you don’t miss Part 6!
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