Latest news with #BrailleAccess
Phone Arena
9 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Apple puts the A in Accessibility: Check out these great features
Applealready revealed a new wave of accessibility features arriving across its devices, highlighting some of them during its WWDC 2025 event. The App Store gets Accessibility Nutrition Labels, making it easier for users to see which accessibility features an app or game supports before downloading it. | Image credit — Apple Apple introduced Accessibility Nutrition Labels on App Store product pages. These labels will give users clear information about what assistive features an app supports. These labels will also help developers better showcase the inclusive elements of their apps, creating a more transparent and user-friendly App Store experience. Apple is also launching Braille Access, which is a unified and powerful tool set for braille users on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. Braille Access functions as a note-taker, supports typing using Braille Screen Input or hardware displays, and enables users to read and annotate BRF the most standout feature is the integration of Live Captions directly into Braille displays, allowing real-time conversation transcription in braille. Accessibility Reader is a new systemwide reading mode across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro that lets users customize text appearance. | Image credit — Apple Designed for users who have dyslexia, low vision, or cognitive disabilities, Accessibility Reader transforms the way text is displayed on Apple devices. It is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro , and it lets you customize font style, color, spacing, and also supports Spoken Content, and can be launched from anywhere — including from the Magnifier app, enabling interaction with physical text like books or introduced Share Accessibility Settings, a new feature that lets users temporarily apply their personalized accessibility settings — like VoiceOver, Zoom, or larger text — on another Apple device. This feature can be utilized when borrowing someone's iPhone or using a shared iPad in a classroom. It enables a consistent experience without the hassle of reconfiguring every option manually. Once you're done, the settings go away, keeping the host's device unchanged. Live Listen on Apple Watch now includes real-time Live Captions. | Image credit — Apple Apple is making it easier to follow conversations in real time with Live Listen controls, which are now available on Apple Watch. When your iPhone is acting as a remote microphone, your watch will display Live Captions, allowing you to both hear and read what's being said from across the Live listen, you can pause, resume, or scroll through recent transcripts with an Apple Watch. Zoom on Apple Vision Pro now lets users magnify real-world content through the main camera. | Image credit — Apple visionOS is getting major upgrades to help users navigate the world more independently. With Zoom enhancements, users can magnify their entire view through the Vision Pro 's main camera. Meanwhile, Live Recognition can describe surroundings, read text, and identify people or objects. Apple is also opening up the camera to approved apps like Be My Eyes, allowing real-time assistance directly within the headset. Magnifier is a key accessibility tool on iPhones and iPads, and it is now coming to macOS too. The new Magnifier app for Mac uses a connected camera — including the iPhone's via Continuity Camera — to zoom in on documents, whiteboards, and objects in the real customizable too, allowing users to adjust brightness, contrast, color filters, and to capture views for later reference. When paired with the new Accessibility Reader, Magnifier can help users with low vision interact with both physical and digital text. Here are some of the other standout additions: Background Sounds now include EQ settings and new automation options in Shortcuts. now include EQ settings and new automation options in Shortcuts. Personal Voice can now be created in under a minute using just 10 phrases — and it supports Spanish (Mexico). can now be created in under a minute using just 10 phrases — and it supports Spanish (Mexico). Vehicle Motion Cues are coming to Mac, helping reduce motion sickness while in transit. are coming to Mac, helping reduce motion sickness while in transit. Eye Tracking and Head Tracking get more powerful, letting users control iPhones and iPads with simple movements or dwell gestures. get more powerful, letting users control iPhones and iPads with simple movements or dwell gestures. A new protocol is coming for Brain-Computer Interfaces , expanding support for users with severe mobility impairments. , expanding support for users with severe mobility impairments. Assistive Access now supports simplified media playback on Apple TV. now supports simplified media playback on Apple TV. Music Haptics become more customizable, allowing users to feel vocals or full songs through iPhone vibrations. become more customizable, allowing users to feel vocals or full songs through iPhone vibrations. Name Recognition debuts in Sound Recognition , letting users who are hard of hearing know when someone is calling their name. debuts in , letting users who are hard of hearing know when someone is calling their name. Voice Control adds a new programming mode in Xcode and expands to more languages, including Korean , Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Turkish , and more. adds a new programming mode in Xcode and expands to more languages, including , (Saudi Arabia), , and more. CarPlay gains support for Large Text and additional sound notifications like crying babies and sirens.
India Today
14-05-2025
- India Today
iOS 19 set to arrive soon, check these top features it is bringing
Just weeks before its highly anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple has announced a big slate of accessibility features set to arrive on iPhones and iPads with the upcoming iOS 19 (iPadOS 19) update. These include Accessibility Nutrition Labels for the App Store and an all-new Braille Access experience to name a few. Along with the accessibility features, Apple is also expected to introduce major design changes in the UI (user interface) and a smarter Siri powered by large language says that the new accessibility features will be powered by Apple silicon and on-device intelligence. 'At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA we're proud of the innovations we're sharing this year. That includes tools to help people access crucial information, explore the world around them, and do what they love,' Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a prepared statement announcing the Nutrition Labels on the App StoreApple will introduce "Accessibility Nutrition Labels" on the App Store later this year. This new feature will add a dedicated section to app product pages detailing the accessibility features supported by the application. These details will include support for features such as VoiceOver, Voice Control, Larger Text, Sufficient Contrast, Reduced Motion, and captions. Apple says that with these labels, the company wants to inform users about an app's compatibility with their specific needs before they download and use it. These labels will be available globally on the App Braille integration with Braille accessadvertisementApple has also announced Braille Access, another feature scheduled for release later this year with iOS 19. This new feature will integrate into iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. It will allow users to use their Apple devices as full-featured braille note-takers, complete with an app launcher accessible through braille says the feature will support quick note-taking in standard braille and technical content creation using Nemeth Braille. Users will also be able to directly open Braille Ready Format (BRF) files within Braille Access. Furthermore, the tool will include an integrated form of Live Captions that will allow users to transcribe conversations in real time directly onto connected braille ReaderApple has also confirmed a new Accessibility Reader feature. The company says this system-level feature is designed to improve text readability across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro for individuals with various reading-related disabilities or low explains that this upcoming mode will offer users extensive customisation options for text presentation, including adjustments to font type, text colour, background colour, character spacing, line spacing, and line length, allowing users to tailor the visual appearance of text to their specific Accessibility Reader will also include support for Spoken Content, enabling users to have the adjusted text read aloud. Once available, the Accessibility Reader can be activated within any application and integrate into the Magnifier app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS as Accessibility featuresadvertisementApple's accessibility feature rollout for iOS 19 will also include: – Background Sounds will get new EQ settings, automatic stop options, and new Shortcuts actions. – Apple says it will also make Personal Voice faster and more efficient, requiring fewer recordings to create a user's voice, and will include support for Spanish (Mexico). – Eye Tracking users on iPhone and iPad will get the option to use a switch or dwell for selections. Keyboard typing with Eye Tracking and Switch Control will be improved across devices. – Head Tracking will allow iPhone and iPad control through head movements. – Apple will also release support for Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) via Switch Control on iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. – Apple also confirmed that in future updates, Music Haptics on iPhone will offer more customisation, with options for whole song or vocal-only haptics and adjustable intensity. – Sound Recognition will also gain Name Recognition, alerting users when their name is spoken. – Voice Control will introduce a new programming mode in Xcode, expand language support, and offer vocabulary syncing. – Live Captions will add support for several new English and other language variations, including Indian English, Australian English, British English, Singaporean English, Mandarin Chinese (Mainland China), Cantonese (Mainland China, Hong Kong), Spanish (Latin America, Spain), French (France, Canada), Japanese, German (Germany), and Korean. – Apple will also release a new Share Accessibility Settings feature that will allow users to quickly and temporarily share their accessibility preferences with another iPhone or 19 rumoured featuresWhile Apple has confirmed the accessibility features it plans to release later this year, that's not all. According to rumours, we could see a UI design overhaul, a smarter Siri backed by large language models, and to bring potential design overhauliOS 19 is speculated to introduce a new design language influenced by visionOS. This revamp could include updated icons, revised menus, and more fluid user interface elements. Visual leaks suggest subtle redesigns for core apps like Camera and Messages, potentially offering increased screen real estate and streamlined menus. Additionally, Apple is also anticipated to include interactive visual elements such as responsive buttons and corners that adapt based on device SiriThe next iteration of iOS 19 is also said to give Siri a better understanding of personal context, leading to more intelligent suggestions. Siri could gain features like finding specific files within messages, locating emails, and completing in-app tasks. Rumours suggest that Siri might also gain the ability to recognise on-screen content, such as adding addresses from messages to contacts. Reports also suggest that Apple is working on a more advanced Siri powered by a large language model. However, it may not be ready for the initial iOS 19 release and could arrive in early on Health appApple is also rumoured to include upgrades to the Health app with AI-driven coaching features and food tracking, possibly arriving in later Manager to iPhoneStage Manager, currently available on iPads and Macs, could also come to iPhones, enabling simultaneous use of multiple apps on an external 19 iPhone CompatibilityiOS 19 will be available for all modern-day iPhones except iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max and older. This means, it will come to the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 series, and models dating back to the iPhone 12 mini.
