# lost voice-over -- Help!

Category: Cell Phone Talk

## Post 1 by GreenTurtle (Music is life. Love. Vitality.) on Saturday, 24-Sep-2011 21:10:03

Hi all,
So I took the plunge and finally bought an IPhone. I was starting to get the hang of it as I was leaving the sstore. Now i came home, plugged it into my computer, and Voiceover shut off. The girl at the store told me that I can double tap anywhere on the screen to restore it, but I'm having no luck. How do I get it back on without sighted assistance? My parents know absolutely nothing about touch screens so I can't ask them. I hope someone replies soon so I can go back to playing with my new phone as soon as possible. Also, should I not plug my phone into my computer again to avoid this problem? Thanks for your help.

## Post 2 by Shadow_Cat (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 24-Sep-2011 21:31:41

Hmm, I've never lost Voice-Over when I've plugged my phone into my computer, so I'm not sure what happened with yours. But I don't think you have to avoid plugging it into your computer in the future, once you get this corrected. I know there's supposed to be a way to turn Voice-over back on through iTunes, though I can't remember that one. Maybe someone else here can. I do know that whoever told you that you could turn it back on by double tapping anywhere on the screen was sadly mistaken. Anyway, I've got a couple suggestions, though since your phone is so new, i'm not sure if you'll be able to use these.
1. There's a thing called, "Tripple click home." That's where you push the home button three times in rapid succession. This toggles voice-over on and off. However, this option may be something you'd have to set in the settings menu, so it may not work. It's the first that came to mind.
2. Another option is a three-finger tripple tap. This could be what that person was thinking of. Take three fingers, and tap the screen three times, again in very rapid succession. I think Voice-Over does this by default, so that one may have a better shot than tripple click home.
3. You could try resetting your phone. First maybe try powering it off, by holding the lock button, 'top righthand corner of the phone itself, not the screen), down for about ten seconds. Give your phone about a minute, then power it back up by pressing and holding that same button for about ten. Keep in mind that your phone is going to take at least 30 seconds or so to turn back on.
4. A hard reset. This is where you hold down both the power button, and the home button at the same time. Again, do this for about ten seconds. The time I had to do this, my phone turned itself back on automatically. However, I have known people who have had to power it back up themselves.
These are the only things I can think of. Sorry if none of them work out, though I hope one does. Maybe someone may have better answers for you.

## Post 3 by Shadow_Cat (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 24-Sep-2011 21:39:38

F&R, i'm sorry for not thinking of this in my last post. But if the above suggestions don't work, particularly the first two, here's something else. Your family may not know anything about the iPhone, but they can at least read it. If they're willing to follow your instructions, here are the steps to turn it back on through the settings menu.
1. Go to settings from the main screen.
2. Click on "general settings."
3. Click on, "accessibility.
4. Click on, "Voice over." In there is a toggle button for voice-over on or off. I believe it's the first option you have. If it's off, have them hit that, and it should turn back on.

## Post 4 by GreenTurtle (Music is life. Love. Vitality.) on Saturday, 24-Sep-2011 22:40:51

Thanks for the suggestions. I managed to get it by triple tapping the screen. Now the screen is off, I know because I have light perception, so I'd be pretty screwed if I lost it again and was unable to get it back on because I couldn't even ask anyone else.
I guess some first-time frustration is normal, but it is extremely frustrating, to say the least, to have to figure out how to end a call. I've been double tapping everywhere on the screen and I can't get it to do it. I even tried hitting the home button, but all that did was send the person to speaker phone. It's the same with making a call. I can type the numbers just fine but I can't find the call button. I did once, but that was pure luck. Argh! At least I can return the damn thing in 30 days if I can't figure it out.

## Post 5 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Saturday, 24-Sep-2011 23:18:40

Simply tripple tap with 3 fingers again to turn the screen curtain back on. A double tap with 3 fingers toggles speech on and off, a tripple tap turns the screen curtain on and off. The screen curtain well, puts a curtain over your screen. I hope this helps!

## Post 6 by Shadow_Cat (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Sunday, 25-Sep-2011 5:58:15

Oh yeah, I wanted to return mine for the first couple weeks I had it for sure. The call button is just under the zero, by the way. You can double tap with two fingers on the screen to end a call, or the end button is usually down in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Also, I believe that when voice-over shuts off, the screen automatically comes back, regardless of how you had screen curtain set.

## Post 7 by Jesse (Hmm!) on Sunday, 25-Sep-2011 6:06:51

That is correct. Screen curtain is only Voiceover specific, so if you turn VO off, Screen Curtain leaves as well. For future reference, you may want to go into accessibility settings, and set tripple-click home to toggle Voiceover. Also, if you ever lose it completely, the very best thing to do is plug into your computer, and in your iPhone settings pannel of iTunes, go to "Universal Access", and turn Voiceover on from there. I've had to do that in a pinch, and it does work. It is probably why you lost access in the first place.

## Post 8 by rusty81 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Sunday, 25-Sep-2011 23:40:03

go to Vision Australia's web site for podcast about iPhone and other apple products
http://www.visionaustralia.org/info.aspx?page=2287

## Post 9 by shea (number one pulse checking chicky) on Monday, 26-Sep-2011 0:38:32

to end the call i always hit the home button then do the two finger double tap. works for me! good luck. try not to get to flustered. if you do, set it down and come back to it. it does take a lot of getting used to. i hated mine at first. but i got use to it and love it! do listen to podcasts on i phone or i pod touch. they do help tons. you can hear some good ones at blind cool teck. good luck

## Post 10 by Jesse (Hmm!) on Tuesday, 27-Sep-2011 10:48:56

I never hit the home button first before the 2-finger double tap. You do have to wait a second for the light sensor to detect that your face is away from the handset, and that's what throws people off.

## Post 11 by shea (number one pulse checking chicky) on Tuesday, 27-Sep-2011 17:04:15

I always hit the home button first. yes i do wait. but, if i don't hit the home button first, it don't work for me! so sticks tongue out at jessy, was just telling her that, thanks! hehehehe

## Post 12 by Jesse (Hmm!) on Tuesday, 27-Sep-2011 23:41:51

Well, my iPhone's better than your iPhone, Shanna! :p

## Post 13 by shea (number one pulse checking chicky) on Wednesday, 28-Sep-2011 23:02:18

oy, how dare you! hehehe :p sticks tongue out again! hehehe