Can I use iPhone VoiceOver in xcode?

Question

For an accessibility task I need to test the iPhone voice over, but since I don't have an iPhone is it possible to turn it on in a simulated device in Xcode somehow?

Thank you so much in advance!

Answer 1

The only way to test VoiceOver with Xcode in a simulated device is using the Accessibility Inspector tool.

It will display a11y information about each accessible element in your app to examine the information they provide but this tool won't spell out anything.

The Accessibility Inspector is very helpful for testing the a11y during development but it can't replace a physical device for testing your app with VoiceOver reading out your element labels.

I strongly recommend to take a look at this detailed summary about the Xcode 11 new features dealing with the Accessibility Inspector if need be.

Finally, you can use Xcode to detect some VoiceOver information but you won't be able to hear any of the implemented labels: using a physical device is mandatory for that.

Answer 2

You can use the accessibility inspector built into Xcode like this, obviously it doesn't work exactly the same as on a physical device, but it's always a way to partially test your app on a simulator