Change Switch Control settings for accessibility on Mac
On your Mac, use Switch Control settings to enable Switch Control and open the Panel Editor; set options to help you type when you use Switch Control; add and delete switches, assign actions to switches, and set options for auto scanning; and set options for navigating with Switch Control. Learn how to use Switch Control.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu 
in the sidebar, then click Switch Control on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
Open Switch Control settings for me
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Switch Control | Turn on Switch Control to display the Switch Control panel. You can turn Switch Control off in Switch Control settings, or by closing the Switch Control panel. If the Close button |
Appearance | Choose a light or dark appearance for Switch Control panels. This setting is independent of whether you use a light or dark appearance on your Mac. |
Fade panel after inactivity | Hide the Switch Control panel after the specified period of time. To show the panel again, press any switch. This option is useful when you don’t need the panel for awhile, as when watching a movie. |
Duration of inactivity | The period of inactivity, up to 60 seconds, after which to hide the Switch Control panel. |
Allow platform switching to control your computer | Use another Apple device—such as an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV that’s already set up to work with your switches—to control your Mac (without having to pair the switches with it). Your Mac and other devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and you must be signed in with the same Apple ID on every device. |
Panel Editor | Create custom panels to add to the list in the Switch Control Custom panel, or to share with others. See Use the Panel Editor for Switch Control. |
isn’t shown in the upper-left corner of the Home Panel, move the pointer to the corner so the button appears.Typing
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Show current text in keyboard panel | Display a bar across the top of the Keyboard panel to show text as you’re typing. |
Insert and remove spaces automatically | Let Switch Control manage spaces when you’re writing text. For example, it automatically corrects spacing after a period or between sentences, based on context. |
Capitalize sentences automatically | Let Switch Control manage capitalization when you’re writing text. For example, it automatically capitalizes the first letter in a sentence, based on context. |
Keyboard Settings | Enable additional typing features, such as automatic correction and text substitutions. See Keyboard settings. |
Switches
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Required | Required switches. Switch Control requires the Select Item switch. When auto scanning is on, Switch Control automatically moves to the next item as it steps through a panel, group, or the user interface. Before you can turn off auto scanning, you must create a Move To Next Item switch; Switch Control moves it into the Required list when you turn off auto scanning. |
Optional | Optional switches to use, regardless of whether auto scanning is on or off. |
Add | Add or remove an optional switch. |
Edit pop-up menu | Change the name or action for a switch, and choose what happens when you press and hold the switch. To use a different switch for the action, click Reassign. |
Auto scanning | Have Switch Control automatically step through, or scan, items in a panel, group, or the user interface. This option is on by default. If you want to turn off auto scanning, you must add a switch for moving to the next item. |
Switch Timing | Set timing options for auto scanning: Hold before perform duration: The number of seconds that a switch must be pressed to be recognized. Ignore switch repeats: The number of seconds during which repeated pressing of a switch is ignored. This option is useful if you’re prone to accidentally pressing a switch multiple times. Hold before repeat duration: The number of seconds that a switch must be pressed to be recognized a second time. |
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Navigation
Option | Description |
|---|---|
While navigating | Choose what happens when an item is highlighted during a scan: Do nothing, Speak selection, Play sounds, or Speak & Play sounds. To change the voice used, see Change the voice your Mac uses to speak text. |
Restart position | Choose the position from which to start when you rescan an item (such as a panel, group, or window). |
Resume auto scanning after selection | By default, auto scanning is paused when you select an item; you must press the Select Item switch to resume auto scanning. Turn on this option to have auto scanning automatically continue after you select an item. |
Reverse cursor direction after hitting edge | Turn on this option to have the pointer bounce back when it reaches a boundary while scanning the user interface. |
Switch Control cursor size | Choose the thickness of the border of the Switch Control cursor when scanning the user interface. |
Pointer precision | Choose the precision with which you control the pointer when selecting an item on the screen. Low: When you press the Select Item switch, the blue line (for Move, Move & click, and Glide) or the pointer (for Rotate) stops. High: When you press the Select Item switch, the blue line or the pointer substantially slows down so you can select more accurately where to stop it; when you press the switch again, it stops. |
Loops | The number of times, up to 10, that a panel, group, or window is scanned. |
Navigation Timing | Set timing options for navigation: Gliding & rotating cursor speed: The speed, from 0 (slowest) to 100 (fastest), at which the blocks, sector, and blue lines move across the screen. Auto scanning interval in panels: The number of seconds, up to 25, it takes to step from one item to another in a panel. Auto scanning interval in interface: The number of seconds, up to 25, it takes to step from one item to another in the user interface. Pause on first item: The number of seconds, up to 10, that auto scanning stays on the first item in a panel, group, or the user interface. |