Hi, and welcome to this Apple (user-to-user) Community!
Re: "Expected behavior of VoiceOver links rotor?
Am no expert in this area, yet your post deserves some response.
Getting a discussion underway may allow others with more expertise more opportunity to comment.
Seems to me expected navigation behaviour may depend on how VoiceOver is set-up and customized by the user. I could be wrong.
Apple support's online articles (links below) may help you:
For Mac:
Use the VoiceOver rotor on Mac - Apple Support
Eg: says:
"When you work in an app or browse a webpage, you can use the VoiceOver rotor to navigate directly to an item in an app window or a webpage. For example, you can go to an email message in Mail or a webpage heading or link."
and
"You can set options in VoiceOver Utility to customise the items shown in the VoiceOver Rotor when viewing web pages. See Change VoiceOver Web settings (Web Rotor tab).
If you’re using VoiceOver gestures, you can use the gestures rotor."
Change what the VoiceOver rotor shows on Mac - Apple Support_
Eg: says:
"Change the VoiceOver rotor to list only the items that you use most often to browse webpages, such as links or tables".
Change VoiceOver Web settings (Web Rotor tab) in VoiceOver Utility on Mac - Apple Support
Eg: says:
"Use the Web Rotor pane of the Web category in VoiceOver Utility to specify which items to include, and in what order, in the VoiceOver rotor when viewing webpages."
______________
If needed: For iPhone / iPad:
About the VoiceOver rotor on iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
and
Control VoiceOver using the rotor on iPhone - Apple Support
Eg: says:
"You can use the onscreen VoiceOver rotor to change how VoiceOver works"
All the best :-)
