Choose a readable layout
Mac: resize panel dividers to give the timeline or inspector more space. The timeline divider has keyboard adjustment support. View → Reset Workspace Layout returns an awkward arrangement to its default. Enable macOS Keyboard Navigation when you want Tab to reach controls.
iPhone/iPad: the layout adapts to screen width and accessibility text sizes. In the focused accessibility layout, Editor Region selects Viewer, Workspace, Timeline, or Actions. Expand Viewer gives picture more room; Return to Editor restores the editor. Use the system’s text-size setting, then choose a region that suits the task.
Use alternatives to precise dragging
On iOS, Show Clip List presents clips by track with named actions. Precision Edit… accepts an absolute sequence frame for start, end, or move. Tools → Precision Trim applies a relative amount to a trim operation. A displayed value in a mobile slider opens numeric entry, and Reset restores that control’s neutral value.
On Mac, precision trim controls and the Trim menu provide numeric amounts and small steps. Use frame stepping around a boundary before applying an edit. Read units and the active context; source-frame steps and sequence frames can differ.
Find controls by name
Mac: open Find Command… (⇧⌘P) and search for the action. Use arrow keys, Return, and Escape to navigate, run, and close the search. iPhone/iPad: use Tools → Commands.
Named commands explain why an action is unavailable. A disabled operation may need a selected clip, an unlocked track, a supported parameter, a saved draft, or available media. Check those conditions before changing the whole layout.
Screen-reader navigation
Mobile clips expose name, media kind, track, start, duration, and lock/link state. Timeline playhead, overview, value controls, and frame actions have labels and adjustment or named-action paths. Use the clip list and numeric forms when small visual handles are difficult to target.
Screen-reader behavior can vary by control. If a control cannot be reached or its announcement is unclear, record its name, workspace, device, text size, and the steps that led there for support.
Keep text and document history distinct
Typing fields own normal letters, arrows, and their Undo/Redo history. Finish typing and focus an editing surface before undoing a timeline edit. The Mac reference and mobile reference list the supported shortcuts.
If a sheet will not close, check for an unapplied caption draft or save warning. Apply, Revert, Retry Save, or save a new copy as appropriate; repeated dismissal gestures cannot resolve an unsaved state.