Using the B2G with VoiceOver

1.1   Check the iOS Release

Your iPhone needs to be running at least release 10.3 of iOS. To verify this:

1. Tap on Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap on Software Update.

This screen will tell you which release of iOS your iPhone is currently running. If a new release is available then it'll include a brief description of that new release. If you'd like to upgrade then tap on Download and Install.

If your iPhone is already running iOS 10.3 (or later) then you may wish to finish configuring it for use with your B2G before upgrading it to a newer iOS release.

1.2   Turn Remote Display On

The Remote Display feature of your B2G needs to be enabled. To do this:

1. Press Space+o (dots 135) to go to the Options screen.
2. Go to Remote Settings, and press Center to open it.
3. Ensure that Remote Display is on.
4. Ensure that Secure Connection is off.

1.3   Turn Bluetooth On

Your iPhone and B2G communicate via Bluetooth. You need to ensure, therefore, that Bluetooth is turned on on your B2G. To do this:

1. Press Space+s (dots 234), and then b (dots 12), to go to the Bluetooth Settings screen. If you don't press the b soon enough then navigate down to Bluetooth Settings and press Center.
2. At the top of the Bluetooth Settings screen is an on/off checkbox. If it's not checked then press Center.

Stay on this screen for the next step.

1.4   Make the B2G Visible

Your B2G will need to be visible (also known as discoverable) in order for your iPhone to find it. To do this:

1. Go to the Bluetooth Settings screen (as described above in Turn Bluetooth On).
2. Find the line that describes how visible your B2G currently is. It'll say something like one of the following:
   • Only visible to paired devices
   • Visible to all nearby Bluetooth devices

Since your B2G and iPhone haven't been paired yet, you'll need your B2G, at least for the time being, to be visible to all nearby devices. Press Center until this is what that line says. As always, you can always change this to a more secure setting later.

Now you'll need to make sure that your B2G actually is visible. To do this:

3. Navigate up to More Options and press Center.
4. Navigate to Visibility Timeout and press Center.

This screen contains a set of radio buttons. Each of them (except for the last one) specifies some number of minutes or hours. This is for how long you'd like your B2G to remain visible. The last radio button is Never Time Out, which means that your B2G will remain visible until you change this setting to something else.

When you go to this screen, the radio button for the current setting will be pressed. If you'd like to change the setting then navigate to its corresponding radio button and press Center.

Our recommendation is that you set the visibility timeout to one hour. This will give you plenty of time to configure VoiceOver before your B2G automatically becomes invisible again.

You might consider setting your B2G to remain visible, but we recommend against this for the following reasons:

• The battery drains faster while the B2G is visible.
• It's less secure when your B2G is visible because anyone else with a Bluetooth device will be able to detect whenever you're near by.

1.5   Pair from within VoiceOver

Your B2G must be paired with your iPhone from within VoiceOver. Initiating the pairing either from the B2G or from the iOS Bluetooth screen won't work.

To pair your B2G with your iPhone:

1. Tap on Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap on Accessibility.
4. Tap on VoiceOver.
5. Tap on Braille.
6. Find Choose a Braille Display.

Just below this line, you'll find a list of the braille displays that VoiceOver can see and/or knows about. For each of them, it'll tell you if it's been selected, as well as if it's currently not paired, not connected, or connected.

Find the line for your B2G, and tap it. VoiceOver will tell you that it's pairing with your B2G, and then, a few seconds later, it'll tell you that your B2G is selected and connected.

That's it! You're all done! You're now able to use your B2G as a remote braille display for your iPhone.

2.1   Special Messages

The remote braille display may show one of these special messages:

remote display off

This means that the remote braille display hasn't been turned on yet. See Turn Remote Display On.

Bluetooth off

This means that the remote braille display is on but that Bluetooth isn't. See Turn Bluetooth on.

Bluetooth waiting

This means that the remote braille display is waiting for a host to connect to it. This may mean that your iPhone has gone to sleep as VoiceOver drops its connection to the braille display when that happens.

2.2   Important Bindings

The two most important bindings to know are those that let you switch the B2G to its remote braille display and back to Android. They are:

Space + Dots78

Switch to the remote braille display.

VolumeDown + VolumeUp

Switch back to Android.

When switched to the remote braille display, all of the keys except for the volume keys and the power switch belong to, and are controlled by, the remote braille display. That's why the binding to switch back to Android is a little unusual.

The remote braille display keeps running in the background, and, therefore, is always fully up-to-date, while the B2G is switched to Android.

2.3   Device-specific Bindings

Since the B2G emulates a Baum Conny when used as a remote braille display, VoiceOver implements the same device-specific bindings for it as it does for Baum's Vario Ultra model. These bindings work in Navigation mode. The source for these lists is the Apple support page Use a Baum VarioUltra Display with VoiceOver.

2.4   Common Bindings

These bindings are common to all of the braille displays that VoiceOver supports. They work in both Navigation and Keyboard mode. The source for these lists is the Apple support page Common Braille Commands for VoiceOver.