Full keyboard access UI elements

Question

Created Feb ’24

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Hello, Since the full keyboard access Help menu is a little vague on the nuances between Tab, arrow keys, and Ctrl+tab in terms of navigation, could you point me to where I can find the intended mapping of FKA keys to UI elements?

For example, I have been in several Apple iOS apps where the UITabBar at the bottom is navigable with any of the three options mentioned above. In other contexts, the tab key only moves the user to the tab bar section, then the icons are focusable with arrow or Ctrl + tab.

When a modal pops up stating I will be leaving an app, should the choices be navigable with Tab? Ctrl+tab? or arrows too?

In other places, like news articles in Apple News, it seems that I cannot scroll with the arrow keys to read the various paragraphs, nor interact with links at all that are in the article. If there is a separate keyboard shortcut for links or scrollbar, please update the Help menu.

It seems pretty straightforward that arrow keys navigate between HStacks and VStacks. Is that an accurate guess of arrow key behavior? I feel like I'm guessing in several places within the content groups.

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Answer 1

Engineer OP

Apple

Feb ’24

There's not really a mapping or rule of exactly which keys to use while on different UI elements for navigation, but this might be helpful:

Tab moves between "Tab Groups". These are defined by -[UIView focusGroupIdentifier]. FKA will try to land in the first focusable element inside a tab group
Ctrl+Tab tries to move linearly through ALL focusable elements
Arrow keys move first try to move within tab groups, and then they move directionally to whatever element can be found in the arrow's direction

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Answer 2

jsponger OP

Mar ’24

Thanks, that helps for the main movements.

… spinners? Modals? content groupings? what’s the expectation there?

The surprise scenario that throws me is a wall of text… what about UITextView/ UIScrollView or whatever Apple News and similar layout? Enabling keyboard gestures with FKA is a decent backup to simulate touch scrolling; is a gesture the only intended way for FKA users to navigate a UIScrollView? I can’t seem to focus on inline links with tab, Ctrl+ tab or arrow keys in this type of View. Which is an accessibility issue. But maybe I’m missing some FKA Help Menu function.

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Answer 3

jsponger OP

Mar ’24

Also I can confirm there is no custom actions or custom shortcut in the Apple News app for scrolling.

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Answer 4

jsponger OP

Mar ’24

Please point users to the Apple Developer pages that are needed to configure custom code to be focusable for keyboard users, but also how to address screen reader (VoiceOver) focus that is differently from keyboard focus.

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