CapCut Accessibility for the visually impared

Hi,

Below are some practical tips to improve the accessibility of the CapCut app on iOS when using a screen reader like VoiceOver. While CapCut may not be perfectly optimized for every screen-reader scenario, many of these workarounds and settings adjustments should help make editing smoother for users with visual impairments.

Pre-use setup & system-wide accessibility tweaks

Before opening CapCut, optimise your device for best results.

1. Ensure VoiceOver is configured well

• Go to Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver and check your gesture settings, verbosity, rotor options, etc.

• Consider enabling “VoiceOver Rotor” options like “Headings,” “Buttons,” “Text Fields” to more easily navigate within the app.

• You may want to set a triple-click of the side button to toggle VoiceOver to turn it on/off quickly.

2. Increase contrast / text size

• In Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size, enable things like “Bold Text”, “Increase Contrast”, and optionally “Reduce Transparency”.

• You might also increase the Text Size so UI labels in the app are easier to locate.

3. Enable zoom / magnifier if you occasionally want to see the UI

• Under Settings → Accessibility → Zoom you could enable the screen zoom feature to temporarily magnify parts of the UI for better orientation.

• Alternatively, Magnifier can help you inspect UI elements even for sighted assistance.

4. Update the app and iOS

• Make sure CapCut is updated to the latest version (because accessibility improvements may be added).

• Ensure iOS is up-to-date since VoiceOver and accessibility frameworks often improve across OS versions.

Navigating CapCut with VoiceOver

Here are some specific tips applicable to navigating CapCut’s interface:

1. Starting a new project

• Open CapCut and locate the “New Project” or “+” button. With VoiceOver turned on, swipe or flick right/left until it announces the button, then double-tap to start.

• When selecting media (videos/photos) you should be able to explore via flick gestures to hear filenames/thumbnails. If thumbnails don’t have labels, it may require further exploration by touch.

2. Timeline navigation

• The timeline is a critical part of CapCut. It might be challenging with VoiceOver because many timeline elements are visual (clips, handles, trims). Here are suggestions:

  • Use the rotor to switch to “Elements” or “Headings” and navigate to the clip region.

  • Once in the timeline, try exploring by dragging a finger across; VoiceOver may announce item boundaries (e.g., “Video clip, length 10 seconds”).

  • When you double-tap to select a clip, look for standard controls (split, delete, overlay) and ensure VoiceOver announces them.

  • If trimming handles are difficult to locate, you may benefit from zooming the timeline (if the app supports pinch-to-zoom) so that handles are larger and easier to access.

3. Performing edit operations

• Identify labelled buttons for operations such as: Split, Delete, Speed, Transition, Text, Audio. Use flick-right until you hear them, then double-tap.

• For any slider (volume, speed, opacity): once focus is on the slider, use standard VoiceOver gestures (flick up/flick down) to adjust the value incrementally.

• If an operation opens a modal or submenu, VoiceOver should announce “dialog” or “sheet” — treat it like navigating into a new screen, then use the Back button when done.

4. Adding voiceover or text-to-speech

• CapCut supports voiceover recording and text-to-speech editing.

• With VoiceOver:

  • Navigate to Audio → Voiceover.

  • Double-tap to start recording. VoiceOver should announce when recording begins (“Recording…”).

  • When done, double-tap the checkmark or done button.

  • For text-to-speech: Go to Text → Add Text → Text to Speech, type in your narration, then select voice and double-tap “Apply”.

• After recording, make sure you can locate the voiceover track in the timeline and adjust volume etc.

5. Exporting your video

• Navigate to the Export button (often an arrow or “Export” label) and double-tap. VoiceOver should announce export progress.

• Use Save or Share options; again identify the correct button with flick gestures.

Workarounds & best practices when accessibility is limited

Because some parts of CapCut may not be fully VoiceOver-optimized, here are additional workarounds:

• Use external hints: If you know approximate positions (e.g., “the Split button is just above the timeline”), you can hunt for them via touch exploration and then double-tap.

• Label your clips/manually name media: If your media items have meaningful filenames (instead of “IMG_1234”), VoiceOver will read those names and you’ll know which clip you’re selecting.

• Break editing steps into smaller chunks: Instead of doing a long edit session, try simpler edits which reduce complexity of timeline.

• Use spoken cues: While editing, you might add audio descriptions or voiceover early in the process so you don’t rely purely on visuals for timing.

• Use Magnifier / Zoom to assist orientation: Temporarily turn on Zoom to see where the elements are, then turn it off and use VoiceOver.

• Ask a sighted helper for placement of visual elements: For example, if you’re adding text overlays, you might need someone to verify where on screen they appear — then you can adjust with VoiceOver once you know the area.

Known limitations & what to expect

• Some users on our forums have reported that parts of CapCut don’t always work well with VoiceOver, especially timeline trimming handles.

• Because video editing is inherently visual (timelines, dragging handles, selecting keyframes), you may find some tasks slower or more challenging with a screen reader compared to a sighted UI.

• Accessibility improvements may vary by version; you might want to check CapCut’s release notes for any specific accessibility enhancements.

• If you encounter an unlabelled button or gesture that doesn’t work with VoiceOver, you can try enabling VoiceOver’s Accessibility Shortcut (Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut) to quickly toggle VoiceOver and possibly use standard touch as temporary fallback.

Summary checklist

• Enable VoiceOver and configure rotor items.

• Increase contrast, bold text, enlarge text size.

• Start a project via “New Project” → select video.

• Use flick gestures to locate timeline and controls (Split, Delete, Audio, Text).

• Use VoiceOver gestures when adjusting sliders or selecting options.

• For voiceover or text-to-speech, navigate to correct menu and follow steps.

• Export your video when done.

• Use Zoom/Magnifier as visual assist if needed.

• Break edits into smaller chunks and name media files meaningfully.

• Be aware some UI elements may not be fully accessible — use workarounds accordingly.