The below bug description filed with Apple should tell you all you need to know. Please tell me this is just a setting I forgot to change or something. When using VoiceOver on iOS 26, multiple headings of the same level are merged into a single element. This breaks standard navigation: if you rely on the “next heading” gesture or rotor navigation, only the first heading is announced. Subsequent headings at the same level are skipped entirely.
The only scenario where headings of the same level are read out individually is when there is a non-heading element between them. In all other cases, VoiceOver treats them as one combined heading element.
This behavior appears to be a regression introduced in iOS 26. While it’s unclear whether it’s intentional, the lack of discussion or documentation suggests it is not.
Steps Tried
Tested navigating headings with VoiceOver rotor on multiple websites and documents. - Verified behavior across different apps and browsers. - Checked for accessibility settings that might influence heading navigation (none found). - Searched for reports or documentation of this change (no results).
Expected Behavior
Each heading, even if multiple exist at the same level consecutively, should be treated as a distinct navigable element. VoiceOver’s rotor and “next heading” gesture should allow users to cycle through every heading individually, without requiring a non-heading element in between. Proposed solution is to make it so both headings, or more, are red out at the same time, similar to macOS, or revert to old behavior.