How to shop on AliExpress with a screen reader

AliExpress is one of the largest catalogues in the world, but for anyone using a screen reader it is almost closed. Listing titles are piles of keywords ("2026 New Women Summer Casual…"), and the information that really matters, what the product looks like, sits in the photos. This guide explains how to search, understand and choose a product with VoiceOver on iPhone or TalkBack on Android, using OneFindMe, a free AliExpress search engine built to work with screen readers.

What you need

• iPhone: VoiceOver on, and Safari if you want voice search.
• Android: TalkBack on, and Chrome.
• Computer: a screen reader such as NVDA, with Chrome, Edge or Firefox.

The basic gestures are almost the same on both phones: swipe right to move to the next item, left to go back, and double-tap to activate.

Step 1: search by typing or by voice

Open onefindme.com/en. The first item on the page is a "Skip to search" link that takes you straight to the search box. Type what you want in plain words, for example baby cup with handles or comfortable walking shoes for women. The engine turns it into an AliExpress search for you.

You can also search by voice: activate the "Voice search" button and say what you are looking for. The first time, the browser asks for microphone permission. On iPhone, speech recognition on websites works only in Safari. If it is not available you will hear a message suggesting the keyboard's dictation microphone, which always works.

Step 2: understand the results

When the search finishes, the screen reader announces how many products were found and moves to the results heading. Each product is read as one sentence, in a fixed order:

"Baby drinking cup with handles, $4.20 (was $8.40), rated 4.8 out of 5, 2,340 orders, free shipping".

The two most useful numbers are the rating and the number of orders. A product rated 4.6 or higher with hundreds or thousands of orders is usually a safe choice, because many people have already bought and rated it.

After each product there are "Save" and "Share" buttons, and they name the product they belong to, so you can save a few and compare them later.

Step 3: "Describe this product"

This is the part no other shopping site offers. Under every product there is a "Describe this product" button. Activate it and after a few seconds you hear a description of the product photo in your language: what the object is, its colours, its shape, what it looks made of and what is included. For example:

"A plastic toddler drinking cup with two white grip handles and a round rim you can drink from on any side. The photo shows four colours: orange, pink, light blue and green."

Worth knowing: the description is based only on what is visible in the photo. It never invents sizes, brands or specifications, so those still need checking on the product page.

For low vision: the accessibility menu

If you have some sight, open the "Accessibility menu", a blue button with the accessibility symbol on the left edge of the screen, and choose large or extra-large text, high contrast, stop animations, highlighted links or a readable font. You can also pick the voice search language there, useful if you speak a different language from the one your phone is set to. Your settings are remembered for your next visit.

Step 4: before you buy

• Sizes: clothing and shoe sizes on AliExpress are usually Asian sizes and run small. Compare with the size chart before you choose.
• Final price: the price OneFindMe reads comes from AliExpress, but the price that counts is the one on the product page when you buy. Import taxes depend on your country.
• The first time: activating a product takes you to AliExpress, which is harder to use with a screen reader. For the first purchase it helps to have a sighted person go through payment and address with you once. After your details are saved, later purchases are much shorter.

Step 5: track your parcel

After you order, AliExpress sends a tracking number. Paste it into the tracking page to hear where your parcel is.

What is not perfect yet

We say this openly: buying, payment and returns happen on AliExpress, which we do not control, and some product names come from sellers in English. If something does not work with your screen reader, the accessibility statement explains how to reach us, and we fix it.

Frequently asked questions

Can you shop on AliExpress with a screen reader?

Yes, but AliExpress itself is hard to use with one: listing titles are keyword piles and the useful information is in the photos. OneFindMe lets you search in plain words or by voice, announces how many results were found, reads each product as one sentence (name, price, rating, orders) and describes the product photo in words. The purchase itself then happens on AliExpress.

How can I know what a product looks like without seeing the photo?

OneFindMe has a 'Describe this product' button under every product. An AI looks at the product photo and says in your language what is in it: colour, shape, material and what is included. It only describes what is visible, so sizes and technical details still need checking on the product page.

Voice search does not work on my iPhone. What can I do?

On iPhone, speech recognition on websites works only in Safari, with Dictation enabled in the keyboard settings. Otherwise tap the search field and use the keyboard's own microphone, which works in every browser.

How do I pick a reliable seller without seeing the page?

The two numbers OneFindMe reads for every product help most: a high rating (4.6 or more) and a large number of orders (hundreds or more). A product that thousands of people bought and rated highly is usually a safe choice.