Hi all,
I've been searching on how to switch the address bar back to the top in safari, because the address bar at the top... is what i've been used to for years now. While I like the new safari, the address bar at beeing on the bottom is kinda... putting me off, to say the least. How can we as voiceover users change this? Or is this not possible? I've looked at other forums which say that this is possible and how; but I cannot figure it out with voiceover.

Hi.

As the subject says, I'd like some thoughts on this mode. By thoughts I don't mean, "it's awful, I disabled it" which admittedly *was* my first thought when I first enabled it. On the other hand I've been using iOS 15 for less than a day on a single device, my ancient iPad pro 9.7, so that's hardly much of a place to have an opinion.

I've already noticed, for example, that every widget is a group, which on an iPad is kind of handy since it lets you flick past them easily and use them easily. Other than that, though, I find it a bit odd, particularly as someone who does a lot of sliding, exploring by touch and going directly where I want to go.

Is this more useful on an iPhone where presumably people do a lot more flicking? Is it helpful with the keyboard? That's probably my next experiment to see if it makes using this iPad more efficient.

So really, I'm just interested. Where have people found this feature useful? Where is it confusing? Do people find they switch in and out of it, or stick to one setting? After all, it's probably one of the bigger changes to iOS navigation in a while.

In iOs fifteen I know there is a feature that says what I point the camera to to make VO tell me what it is.
On my friend Anastasia's phone it works but mine keeps saying screenshot.

Hi all,

David Earl here from the Music Apps team at Apple. I wanted to let you know that the newest version of GarageBand for iOS and iPadOS was released today, and there were many accessibility enhancements that we wanted you to know about. Please check out the release notes here:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212740

Among other enhancements, GarageBand includes the following:

• Navigation in the Track Settings using Voiceover has been improved.
• VoiceOver can now be used to create, edit, and delete automation points.
• Two finger scrub to reset to the beginning of the project during playback now works with VoiceOver.
• VoiceOver now provides feedback when editing region borders.
• VoiceOver now announces the currently visible area when scrolling the Tracks area.
• The Smart Keyboard is now fully accessible using VoiceOver.

...and many more.

We are happy to announce that there are over 60 enhancements in this version. We think that this will make GarageBand more accessible than ever, and look forward to further enhancing accessibility in the future for you all.

Take good care,

David

Hello everybody.

I'm having trouble getting West Minster Chimes and Voice Clock to work in IOS 15.

Is anybody else having the same problem?

If so, why is that?

And can it be fixed?

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks!
Anybody having issues with Kajabi and voiceover?
I have iPhone SE2020, IOS 14.8 and after the latest Kajabi app updates I haven't been able to use the app with VO at all. The only thing I can do is to see the titles of different parts of the courses but I can't open them. Instead VO just tells that the title I click is selected. Nothing else happens.
The strangest thing is that Kajabi support reports that they can use VO without any problems.
What can mess this up so badly? Any suggestions?

Since upgrading to Safari v15 on Mac, I encounter VoiceOver announcing "busy" much more frequently. My specific version is 15.0 (16612.1.29.41.4, 16612).

This doesn't seem to be a network issue. I have enough remaining low vision to see that a page has loaded and its content is displayed visually. Still, if I try to navigate the page with VoiceOver, I hear "busy" for every key press. If I try to refresh the page with Command+R I hear "busy". If I try to close the page with Command+W I hear "busy". If I try to turn VoiceOver off with Command+F5, I hear "busy".

If I Alt+tab away to another app, I can turn VoiceOver off, then return to Safari and try using the web page as a sighted person. This is much less feasible than it once was due to my nearly non-existent eyesight. However, it's an indication that the issue is specific to VoiceOver and not something broke within Safari per se.

Anyone else seeing this?

Hi all, I've recently started experiencing a very strange Outlook issue on my SE2020 running the latest Outlook and also IOS14.8. In a nutshell, my email notifications disappeared! I got notifications of calendar events when they were about to start but no notifications for new emails. There was nothing wrong with my work's exchange server because new emails still came through on my laptop, but Outlook only updated when I opened the app and was focused on it. I uninstalled and reinstalled Outlook and all worked fine until I had to restart my phone and then we were back to no email notifications. I've fixed it again by uninstalling and reinstalling but I don't want to have to do that every time I turn off my phone. Anyone any idea what's going on here? I haven't changed any settings and there's clearly nothing wrong with the server as the whole things works again immediatley after a clean reinstall of the app. I'd really like to get it fixed as Outlook is the only email client I am allowed to use with work emails.

I am in the process of enrolling my son who is sighted to a different school. I need to take photos of his transcripts and other documents so I can easily upload them to my parent account to more easily complete the enrollment process. Is there an app that will tell me whether or not the entire document is in the camera frame using voiceover, along with letting me save either as pdf or jpeg images? If I can photograph these documents and upload them it makes the enrollment process faster and easier.

Is anyone else experiencing the following voiceover bugs in the latest instacart update?
I am one who likes to make backup choices for all my items after placing my order so After placing your order voiceover does not announce your items so it's kind of hard to tell what item you need a prefference for.
The next one that I noticed is voiceover no longer has the picker to rate the shopper. It just says *** as you swipe to the right, it is easy however to tell which * you select just count as you swipe.

I'm thinking there's another one but I can't currently think of it.

Apple has today released software version 15 for both HomePod and HomePod mini.

In addition to some unspecified bug fixes and stability improvements, according to the release notes via 9to5Mac, this update brings some notable new features and enhancements:

• Select a single or pair of HomePod mini as the default speakers for your Apple TV 4k for rich room-filling sound and clear dialogue
• Media playback controls automatically appear on your iPhone’s Lock Screen when a HomePod mini playing music is nearby
• Set a lower bass level to enjoy music without disturbing the neighbors
• Ask Siri to turn on your Apple TV, start playing a favorite movie, and control playback while you watch
• Siri automatically adjusts its speaking level based on the room environment and volume of the user
• Ask Siri to control smart home devices at a specific time like turning off the lights in 10 minutes
• Extend access to HomePod throughout your home by enabling Siri voice control on compatible HomeKit accessories
• Support for package detection with HomeKit Secure Video

Notably missing is the expected lossless and Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio support, with Apple promising in the release notes that this will come later this year

By default, HomePod and HomePod mini automatically install new software updates, but you can manually check for updates in the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. See this Apple support article for full instructions.

What are your thoughts about this update? Let us know in the comment section below.

Apple has today released watchOS 8, mostly bringing iterative enhancements to existing features Rather than big changes.

According to Apple, “watchOS 8 helps you stay connected, active, and healthy like never before. Share your favorite memories with the enhanced Photos app. Put more fun into your texts. Find new ways to center yourself and be present. And that’s just the start.”

Here are the highlights according to Apple's release notes:.

watchOS 8 brings you new ways to stay healthy, active, and connected. A redesigned Photos app helps you stay connected to your most precious memories, and the new Mindfulness app and new Tai Chi and Pilates workout types will help you lead a healthy and fit life. And updates to Wallet and Home make it simple and convenient to access your house, car, and even the places you love to visit.

Watch Faces

• Portraits face uses segmentation data from portrait photos taken on iPhone to create an immersive, multi-layered face (Apple Watch Series 4 and later)
• World Time face lets you track the time in 24 different time zones at once (Apple Watch Series 4 and later)

Home

• Status and controls for accessories in your home now appear at the top of the Home app
• Quick views to see if accessories are on, have a low battery, require a software update, and more
• Accessories and scenes dynamically appear based on the time of day and frequency of use
• Dedicated camera room for viewing all available HomeKit camera feeds in one place, with support for multiple aspect ratios
• Favorites area gives you access to the scenes and accessories that you use most

Wallet

• Home keys let you tap to unlock a supported home or apartment door lock
• Hotel keys allow you to tap to unlock your room at participating hotels
• Office keys allows you to tap to unlock your office doors for participating corporate offices
• Car keys with Ultra Wideband on Apple Watch Series 6 let you unlock, lock, and start your supported vehicle as you approach
• Remote keyless entry functions on your car keys allow you to lock, unlock, honk your horn, preheat your car, or open your trunk

Workout

• New custom algorithms in the Workout app for Tai Chi and Pilates provide accurate tracking of calorie metrics
• Automatic Outdoor Cycling workout detection sends a reminder to start the Workout app, giving you retroactive credit for exercise already started
• Automatic pause and resume for Outdoor Cycling workouts
• Improved accuracy of calorie metrics for Outdoor Cycling workouts while riding an e-bike
• Users 13 and under can now track hiking workouts with more accurate metrics
• Voice feedback announces workout milestones using the built-in speaker or connected Bluetooth device

Fitness+

• Guided Meditations can help you practice meditation, featuring audio sessions on Apple Watch and video sessions on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV that guide you through specific themes
• Pilates workouts are now available, with new workouts every week that are designed to improve strength and flexibility
• Support for Picture-in-Picture viewing on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, so you can watch your workout while you also view other content in compatible apps
• Expanded workout filters for Yoga, Strength, Core, and HIIT workouts, including whether equipment is required

Mindfulness

• Mindfulness app includes an enhanced Breathe experience along with a new Reflect session
• Breathe sessions have tips that help add a physical connection to deep-breathing practices and a new animation to guide your session
• Reflect sessions give you a simple idea to focus your thoughts, along with a visualization that shows the passing of a minute

Sleep

• Respiratory rate is measured by Apple Watch during sleep
• Ability to review respiratory rate during sleep in the Health app, and be notified if a trend has been detected

Messages

• Ability to compose or reply to messages by using Scribble, dictation, and emoji all from the same screen
• Ability to adjust dictated text by using the Digital Crown to scroll to where you want to edit
• Support for #images in Messages allows you to search for a GIF or select one you’ve used recently

Photos

• Redesigned Photos app allows you to view and manage your photo library from your wrist
• Highlights from Memories and featured photos, in addition to your favorites, sync to Apple Watch with new content generated daily
• Photos from synced Memories will be displayed in a mosaic-style grid, highlighting some of your best shots with a larger photo
• Ability to share photos through Messages and Mail

Find My

• Find Items app allows you to locate items with an attached AirTag and compatible third-party products with the Find My network
• Find Devices app helps you locate your misplaced Apple devices, as well as devices owned by someone in your Family Sharing group
• Find My separation alerts notify you if you leave your Apple device, AirTag, or compatible third-party item behind

Weather

• Next-hour precipitation notifications alert you when rain or snow is about to start or stop
• Severe weather notifications alert you about certain events including tornados, winter storms, flash floods, and more
• Precipitation chart that visually depicts the intensity of the rain

Other features and improvements:

• Focus lets you automatically filter notifications based on your current activity, such as fitness, sleep, gaming, reading, driving, work, or personal time
• Apple Watch automatically aligns with any Focus that you set in iOS, iPadOS or macOS, so you can manage notifications and stay focused
• Contacts app gives you the ability to access, share, and edit your contacts
• Tips app provides collections of helpful hints and suggestions for how to best use your Apple Watch and its built-in apps
• Redesigned Music app allows you to find and listen to music and radio all in one place
• Ability to share songs, albums, and playlists in the Music app through Messages and Mail
• Support for multiple timers, including Siri support for adding labels to timers
• Cycle Tracking can now use heart rate data from Apple Watch to improve predictions
• New Memoji stickers to send a shaka, a handwave, a lightbulb moment, and more
• Over 40 outfit choices and up to three different colors to customize your Memoji stickers’s clothing and headwear
• Real-time measurement of your headphone audio level in Control Center when listening to media
• Ability to add transit cards in Wallet for Family Setup users in Hong Kong, Japan, and select cities in China mainland and US
• Google account support for Calendar and Mail for Family Setup users
• AssistiveTouch allows users with upper limb differences to answer calls, control an onscreen pointer, launch a menu of actions, and more, using hand gestures like a pinch or a clench
• Additional larger text size option available in Settings
• Support for the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in Lithuania
• Support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in Lithuania

Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas, for more information visit: https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

And What About Accessibility?

We have only been able to carry out some extremely limited testing of watchOS 8 ahead of today’s public release, so have not yet been able to explore in full the new features and changes mentioned above. Our early impression is that they appear to work well with VoiceOver, and at this time we are unaware of any new issues for blind or low vision Apple Watch users.

It is possible that there are changes in watchOS 8 which will affect blind or low vision users. We will update this post with anything else that we learn. To help with this, please add a comment below to let us know of any changes, improvements or regressions that you find during your own use of watchOS 8.

How to Update to watchOS 8

watchOS 8 is available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update) or by going to the Watch app on your iPhone and navigating to General> Software Update. To install the update, your Watch must be connected to its charger and have at least 50% battery power.

watchOS 8 requires iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 or later and one of the following Apple Watch models:

• Apple Watch Series 3
• Apple Watch Series 4
• Apple Watch Series 5
• Apple Watch SE
• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7

Note that not all features are available on all devices.

More information on how to update the software on your Apple Watch is available on this Apple Support page.

As always, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this update. What do you like? What do you not like? Let us know by adding a comment below.

Apple has today released tvOS 15, bringing what at best can be described as small, incremental changes for the Apple TV.

Apple shared little about tvOS 15 when it was first announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June and nothing in its recent California Streaming event, whilst MacRumors has reported only a small number of new features or changes being shared by Apple or discovered during the beta cycle:

A Shared With You section (...) displays movies and shows that were shared with you through the Messages app so you remember to check them out. When paired with AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, the ‌Apple TV‌ supports Spatial audio for a theater-like surround sound experience, and there's a new feature for automatically connecting your AirPods through Smart ‌AirPods‌ routing.

Hey Siri commands can be used to launch Apple TV+ shows, and two HomePod mini speakers can be paired with the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K for stereo sound. If you have HomeKit cameras, you can also now view multiple cameras at the same time on the ‌Apple TV‌.

We have not been able to test tvOS 15 ahead of its public release, so have not yet been able to explore its new features or check for any changes which will affect blind or low vision users.

We will update this post if anything of note is discovered or shared. To this end, please add a comment below to let us know of any additional changes, improvements or regressions that you find during your own use of tvOS 15.

To install tvOS 15, on Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to the Settings channel, then navigate to the System section near the bottom. From here, navigate to Software Updates under Maintenance, then select Update Software and Download and Install. Wait for your Apple TV to download the update, and do not disconnect or unplug your Apple TV until the update completes.

More information on how to update the software on your Apple TV is available on this Apple Support page.

As always, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this update. What do you like? What do you not like? Or are you simply disappointed that tvOS 15 brings nothing to like or dislike? Let us know by adding a comment below.

Apple has today released iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

iOS 15 brings a redesign of Notifications and a new Notifications Summary, a new Live Text feature that recognizes text in photos and across the operating system, a highly-customizable Focus Mode that helps reduce distractions by filtering notifications based on what you are currently doing, spacial audio and other improvements in FaceTime, privacy enhancements, and more.

iPadOS 15 brings enhancements intended to make multitasking easier to discover, easier to use, and more powerful. Widgets can now be placed among apps on your Home Screen, and App Library makes it possible to get to all of your apps from the dock. Quick Note gives you a fast and easy way to take notes over any app or screen. There are new translation features and a Translate app for iPad. Focus also comes to the iPad, as do the FaceTime enhancements.

AppleVis has the following iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 resources available:

• Now in its tenth year, Scott Davert has put together a blog post detailing the new accessibility features for blind and DeafBlind users in iOS 15.
• The AppleVis Editorial Team has compiled a list of the accessibility bugs introduced and resolved in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 for blind and low vision users.
• In addition, Thomas Domville has recorded the following iOS 15 podcasts:
  • Exploring 50 Notable New Features and Changes in iOS 15
  • How to Use Live Text on iOS to Extract Text From the Camera and Photos App
  • How to Explore People, Objects, Text, and Tables Within Images in More Detail With VoiceOver on iOS
  • How to Use Background Sounds on iOS to Minimize Distractions and Help Focus, Stay Calm, or Rest
  • How to Configure and Use VoiceOver Quick Settings on iOS
  • HOW to Configure Accessibility Settings on a Per-App Basis on iOS
  • HOW to Setup and Use Focus Modes on iOS
  • How to Use iCloud Private Relay to Secure your Safari Browsing on iOS
  • How to Use Hide My Email on iOS
  • How to Receive Rain, Snow, and Hail Alerts From the iOS Weather App

Below are Apple's release notes for iOS 15 and iPadOS 15:

iOS 15 Release Notes

iOS 15 brings audio and video enhancements to FaceTime, including spatial audio and Portrait mode. Shared with You resurfaces the articles, photos, and other shared content from your Messages conversations in the corresponding app. Focus helps you reduce distractions by filtering out notifications based on what you are currently doing. Notifications have been redesigned and a new notification summary delivers a collection of notifications so you can catch up on your own time. Maps delivers a beautiful redesign with a new three-dimensional city experience and augmented reality walking directions. Live Text uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in photos across the entire system and on the web. New privacy controls in Siri, Mail, and more provide transparency and give you more control over your data.

FaceTime

• Spatial audio makes people’s voices sound like they’re coming from the direction in which they’re positioned on the screen on Group FaceTime calls (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Voice Isolation blocks background noises so your voice is crystal clear (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Wide Spectrum brings all background noises into your call (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Portrait mode blurs your background and puts the focus on you (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Grid view displays up to six people at a time in Group FaceTime calls in the same-size tiles and highlights the current speaker
• • FaceTime links allow you to invite your friends into a FaceTime call, even friends on Android or Windows devices can join from their browser

Messages and Memoji

• Shared with You shows content sent to you by friends in Messages conversations in a new section in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or the Apple TV app
• Pinned content elevates the shared content you choose and makes it more prominent in Shared with You, Messages search, and the Details view of the conversation
• Multiple photos sent in Messages are displayed as a glanceable collage or a swipeable stack
• Over 40 Memoji outfit choices and up to three different colors to customize your Memoji stickers’s clothing and headwear

Focus

• Focus lets you automatically filter notifications based on what you’re currently doing, such as fitness, sleep, gaming, reading, driving, work, or personal time
• Focus uses on-device intelligence during set up to suggest apps and people you want to allow notifications from in a Focus
• Home Screen pages can be customized to match your apps and widgets to a specific Focus
• Contextual suggestions intelligently suggest a Focus based on your context, using signals like location or time of day
• Status appears to your contacts in Messages conversations, indicating your notifications are silenced with Focus

Notifications

• A new look displays contact photos for people and larger icons for apps
• Notification summary delivers a helpful collection of your notifications daily, based on a schedule you set
• Notifications can be muted from any app or messaging thread for the next hour or for the day

Maps

• Detailed city maps display elevation, trees, buildings, landmarks, crosswalks and turn lanes, and 3D views to navigate complex interchanges, and more in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and London, with more cities coming in the future (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• New driving features include a new map that highlights details like traffic and incidents, and a route planner that lets you view your upcoming journey by choosing a future departure or arrival time
• Immersive walking directions show step-by-step directions in augmented reality (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Updated transit experience provides one-tap access to departures near you, makes it easy to see and interact with your route using one hand, and notifies you when approaching your stop
• Interactive 3D globe shows enhanced details for mountain ranges, deserts, forests, oceans, and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Redesigned place cards make it easy to learn about and interact with places, and a new home for Guides editorially curates the best recommendations for places you’ll love

Safari

• Bottom tab bar is easier to reach and helps you move between tabs by swiping left or right
• Tab Groups help you save and organize your tabs and easily access them across devices
• Tab overview grid view displays your open tabs
• Start page can be customized with a background image and new sections like Privacy Report, Siri Suggestions, and Shared With You
• Web extensions on iOS help you personalize your browsing and can be downloaded through the App Store
• Voice search lets you search the web using your voice

Wallet

• Home keys let you tap to unlock a supported home or apartment door lock (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Hotel keys allow you to tap to unlock your room at participating hotels
• Office keys allow you to tap to unlock your office doors for participating corporate offices
• Car keys with Ultra Wideband help you unlock, lock, and start your supported car without having to take your iPhone out of your bag or pocket (iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models)
• Remote keyless entry functions on your car keys allow you to lock, unlock, honk your horn, preheat your car, or open your trunk on your supported vehicle

Live Text

• Live Text makes text interactive in your photos so you can copy and paste, look up, and translate in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and live previews with Camera (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Data detectors for Live Text recognize phone numbers, emails, dates, street addresses, and more in photos so you can take action on them
• Live Text is available from the keyboard letting you insert text directly from the camera viewfinder into any text field

Spotlight

• Rich results brings together all the information you’re looking for on contacts, actors, musicians, movies, and TV shows
• Photos can be searched from your photo library by locations, people, scenes, text in the photos or other things in the photos, like a dog or a car
• Web image search allows you to search for images of people, animals, monuments, and more

Photos

• New look for Memories with a new interactive interface, animated cards with smart, adaptive titles, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
• Apple Music can be added to your Memories for Apple Music subscribers, and personalized song suggestions combine expert recommendations with your music tastes and what’s in your photos and videos
• Memory mixes let you set the mood by selecting from different songs and a Memory look to match
• New memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories
• Info pane now displays rich information about the photo like which camera and lens, shutter speed, file size, and more
• Visual Look Up recognizes art, landmarks around the world, plants and flowers, books, and dog and cat breeds in your photos so you can learn more about them

Health

• Sharing lets you choose health data, alerts, and trends to share with people important to you or those who are caring for you, including your healthcare provider
• Trends lets you see how a given health metric is progressing over time and can notify you when a new trend has been detected
• Walking Steadiness is a new metric that can assess your risk of falling and notify you if your walking steadiness is low (iPhone 8 and later)
• Verifiable health records enable you to download and store verifiable versions of COVID-19 vaccines and lab results
• Lab results can now be pinned for quick access and include highlights that show how your labs have changed over time

Weather

• A new design shows the most important weather information for that location and includes new maps modules
• Weather maps can be viewed in full-screen and show precipitation, temperature and air quality in supported countries
• Next-hour precipitation notifications alert you when rain or snow is about to start or stop in Ireland, U.K., and US
• New animated backgrounds more accurately represent the sun position, clouds, and precipitation (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

Siri

• On-device processing means audio of your requests does not leave your device by default, and means Siri is able to process many requests while offline (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
• Share items with Siri lets you send on screen items like photos, web pages and Maps locations to any of your contacts
• Onscreen context can be used by Siri to refer to contacts on screen to send them a message or place a call
• On-device personalization allows Siri speech recognition and understanding to improve privately (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

Privacy

• Mail Privacy Protection protects your privacy by preventing email senders from learning about your Mail activity, your IP address or whether you've opened their email
• Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention now also prevents known trackers from profiling you using your IP address

iCloud+

• iCloud+ is a cloud subscription service that gives you premium features and additional iCloud storage
• iCloud Private Relay (beta) sends your requests through two separate internet relays and encrypts the internet traffic leaving your device so you can browse Safari in a more secure and private way
• Hide My Email lets you create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox so you can send and receive email without having to share your real email address
• HomeKit Secure Video supports connecting more security cameras without using your iCloud storage quota
• Custom email domain personalizes your iCloud Mail address and allows you to invite family members to use the same domain

Accessibility

• Image exploration with VoiceOver allows you to get even more details about people and objects, and learn about text and table data in photos
• VoiceOver image descriptions in Markup let you add your own image descriptions that can be read by VoiceOver
• Per-app settings allow you to customize display and text size settings only for the apps you want
• Background sounds play balanced, bright, or dark noise, ocean, rain, and stream sounds continuously in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise
• Sound actions for Switch Control enable you to control your iPhone with simple mouth sounds
• Audiograms can be imported in Settings so you can customize Headphone Accommodations based on your hearing test results
• New Voice Control languages include Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), French (France), and German (Germany)
• Memoji options including a cochlear implant, oxygen tubes, or a soft helmet

This release also includes other features and improvements:

• Tags in Notes and Reminders help you quickly categorize your items to make them easy to find, and you can use custom Smart Folders and Smart Lists to automatically collect your notes and reminders based on rules you can define
• Mentions in Notes enable you to notify others of important updates in shared notes, and an all-new Activity view displays all the recent changes in a note in a single list
• Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking in Apple Music brings an even more immersive experience to Dolby Atmos music with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
• System-wide translation lets you select text throughout the system and translate it with a tap, even in photos
• New widgets include Find My, Contacts, App Store, Sleep, Game Center, and Mail
• Cross-app drag and drop function lets you pick up images, documents, and files from one app to another
• Keyboard magnification loupe magnifies the text when moving the cursor
• Apple ID Account Recovery Contacts lets you to choose one or more people you trust to help you reset your password and regain access to your account
• Temporary iCloud storage grants you as much iCloud storage as you need to create a temporary backup of your data, free of charge, for up to three weeks when you buy a new device
• Find My separation alerts notify you if you leave a supported device or item behind and Find My will give you directions to your item
• Game highlights of up to the last 15 seconds of gameplay can be saved using game controllers like the Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller
• App Store in-app events help you discover timely events within apps and games such as a game competition, a new movie premiere, or a livestreamed experience

This release includes even more features and improvements. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-15/features/

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iPadOS 15 Release Notes

Multitasking

• The multitasking menu at the top of apps lets you enter Split View, Slide Over, or go full screen
• A multiwindow shelf appears within apps giving you quick access to all the open windows
• App Switcher now includes Slide Over apps and allows you to create Split View spaces by dragging one app over another
• A new option to open a window centered on screen without leaving your current view in Mail, Messages, Notes, Files and supported third-party apps
• Keyboard shortcuts enable you to create a Split View or Slide Over using an external keyboard

Widgets

• Widgets can be placed among apps on your Home Screen
• Extra large widget size designed just for iPad
• New widgets include Find My, Contacts, App Store, Game Center, and Mail
• Suggested layouts include widgets for the apps you use most arranged on your Home Screen
• Intelligent widget suggestions automatically appear in your Smart Stack at the right time based on your activity

App Library

• App Library automatically organizes the apps on your iPad into an easy-to-navigate view
• App Library is available from an icon in the dock
• Home Screen pages can be reordered or hidden to fit your needs

Quick Note & Notes

• Quick Note lets you take a note from anywhere in iPadOS by swiping your finger or Apple Pencil
• Links from an app or web page can be added to your Quick Note to create context
• Tags let you easily categorize and organize your notes
• The Tag Browser in the sidebar lets you tap any tag or combination of tags to quickly view tagged notes
• Activity view gives a summary of updates since the last time you viewed the note, along with a day-to-day list of activity from each collaborator
• Mentions let you notify a person in a shared note

FaceTime

• Spatial audio makes people’s voices sound like they’re coming from the direction in which they’re positioned on the screen on Group FaceTime calls (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Voice Isolation blocks background noises so your voice is crystal clear (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Wide Spectrum brings all background noises into your call (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Portrait mode blurs your background and puts the focus on you (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Grid view displays up to six people at a time in Group FaceTime calls in the same-size tiles and highlights the current speaker
• FaceTime links allow you to invite your friends into a FaceTime call, even friends on Android or Windows devices can join from their browser

Messages and Memoji

• Shared with You shows content sent to you by friends in Messages conversations in a new section in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or the Apple TV app
• Pinned content elevates the shared content you choose and makes it more prominent in Shared with You, Messages search, and the Details view of the conversation
• Multiple photos sent in Messages are displayed as a glanceable collage or a swipeable stack
• Over 40 Memoji outfit choices and up to three different colors to customize your Memoji stickers’s clothing and headwear

Focus

• Focus lets you automatically filter notifications based on what you’re currently doing, such as fitness, sleep, gaming, reading, driving, work, or personal time
• Focus uses on-device intelligence during set up to suggest apps and people you want to allow notifications from in a Focus
• Home Screen pages can be customized to match your apps and widgets to a specific Focus
• Contextual suggestions intelligently suggest a Focus based on your context, using signals like location or time of day
• Status appears to your contacts in Messages conversations that your notifications are silenced with Focus

Notifications

• A new look displays contact photos for people and larger icons for apps
• Notification summary delivers a helpful collection of your notifications daily, based on a schedule you set
• Notifications can be muted from any app or messaging thread for the next hour, or for the day

Maps

• Detailed city maps display elevation, trees, landmarks, crosswalks and turn lanes, 3D views to navigate complex interchanges, and more in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and London, with more cities coming in the future (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• New driving features include a new map for drivers that highlights details like traffic and incidents, and a route planner that lets you view your upcoming journey by choosing a future departure or arrival time
• Updated transit experience provides one-tap access to departures near you
• Interactive 3D globe shows enhanced details for mountain ranges, deserts, forests, oceans, and more (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Redesigned place cards make it easy to learn about and interact with places, and a new home for Guides editorially curates the best recommendations for places you’ll love

Safari

• Tab Groups help you save and organize your tabs and easily access them across devices
• Start page can be customized with a background image and new sections like Privacy Report, Siri Suggestions, and Shared With You
• Web extensions on iPadOS help you personalize your browsing and can be downloaded through the App Store
• Voice search lets you search the web using your voice

Translate

• The Translate app for iPad is designed for conversations and can work completely offline so your conversations stay private
• System-wide translation lets you select text and handwriting throughout iPadOS and translate it with a tap
• Auto Translate detects when you start speaking and when you stop in a conversation, automatically translating your speech without tapping the microphone button
• Face to face view allows each person to view the conversation from their own side

Live Text

• Live Text makes text interactive in all your photos so you can copy and paste, look up, and translate in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and live previews with Camera (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Data detectors for Live Text recognize phone numbers, emails, dates, street addresses, and more in photos so you can take action on them

Spotlight

• Rich results brings together all the information you’re looking for on contacts, actors, musicians, movies, and TV shows
• Photos can be searched from your photo library by locations, people, scenes, text in the photos or other things in the photos, like a dog or a car
• Web image search allows you to search for images of people, animals, monuments, and more

Photos

• New look for Memories with a new interactive interface, animated cards with smart, adaptive titles, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
• Apple Music can be added to your Memories for Apple Music subscribers, and personalized song suggestions combine expert recommendations with your music tastes and what’s in your photos and videos
• Memory mixes let you set the mood by selecting from different songs and a Memory look to match
• New memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories
• Info pane now displays rich information about the photo like which camera and lens, shutter speed, file size, and more
• Visual Look Up recognizes art, landmarks around the works, plants and flowers, books, and dog and cat breeds in your photos so you can learn more about them

Siri

• On-device processing means audio of your requests does not leave your device by default, and means Siri is able to process many requests offline (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
• Share items with Siri to send on screen items like photos, web pages and Maps locations to any of your contacts
• Onscreen context can be used by Siri to refer to contacts on screen to send them a message or place a call
• On-device personalization allows Siri speech recognition and understanding to improve privately (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)

Privacy

• Mail Privacy Protection protects your privacy by preventing email senders from learning about your Mail activity, your IP address or whether you've opened their email
• Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention now also prevents trackers from profiling you using your IP address

iCloud+

• iCloud+ is a cloud subscription service that gives you premium features and additional iCloud storage
• iCloud Private Relay (beta) sends your requests through two separate internet relays and encrypts the internet traffic leaving your device so you can browse Safari in a more secure and private way
• Hide My Email lets you create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox so you can send and receive email without having to share your real email address
• HomeKit Secure Video supports connecting more security cameras without using your iCloud storage quota
• Custom email domain personalizes your iCloud Mail address and allows you to invite family members to use the same domain

Accessibility

• Image exploration with VoiceOver allows you to get even more details about people and objects, and learn about text and table data in photos
• VoiceOver image descriptions in Markup let you add your own image descriptions that can be read by VoiceOver
• Per-app settings allow you to customize display and text size settings only for the apps you want
• Background sounds play balanced, bright, or dark noise, ocean, rain, and stream sounds continuously in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise
• Sound actions for Switch Control enable you to control your iPad with simple mouth sounds
• Audiograms can be imported in Settings so you can customize Headphone Accommodations based on your hearing test results
• New Voice Control languages include Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), French (France), and German (Germany)
• Memoji options including a cochlear implant, oxygen tubes, or a soft helmet

This release also includes other features and improvements:

• Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking in Apple Music brings an even more immersive experience to Dolby Atmos music with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
• Keyboard shortcut enhancements include more keyboard shortcuts, a redesigned compact look, and better organization by categories
• Apple ID Account Recovery Contacts lets you to choose one or more people you trust to help you reset your password and regain access to your account
• Temporary iCloud storage grants you as much iCloud storage as you need to create a temporary backup of your data, free of charge, for up to three weeks when you buy a new device
• Find My separation alerts notify you if you leave a supported device or item behind and Find My will give you directions to your item
• Game highlights of up to the last 15 seconds of gameplay can be saved using game controllers like the Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller
• App Store in-app events help you discover timely events within apps and games such as a game competition, a new movie premiere, or a livestreamed experience

This release includes even more features and improvements. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/ipados/ipados-15/features/

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

How to Update

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update) via Finder on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, or via iTunes on a PC or Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier.

Before updating, we strongly recommend making a full and complete backup of your device (either locally or in iCloud, depending on personal preference). This will ensure that, in the unlikely event that something goes wrong during the update process, you will have a current backup on hand in case a device restore becomes necessary. Also, if using OTA update, we recommend plugging your device into a power source for the duration of the download/installation process, so as to prevent the unlikely event of your battery going dead during the update.

More information on how to update the software on your device is available on this Apple Support page.

We would love to hear your thoughts about these releases. What do you like? What do you dislike? Let us know by posting a comment below.

I am writing a AppleVis because I have encountered a problem that I’ve spoken to multiple Apple accessibility advisers on, and they’ve had other one have reported it but I have not seen any discussion about this, my focus with voiceover seems to be broken when I’m using the native message app, and now Facebook.
Messengers started not working about three weeks ago, each time I open the app and I swipe either left or right, it is stuck on the status bar.
That point I believe I was running iOS 14.7.1, I get the notifications when people have texted me but as I said when I open the notification then it will not read any of my message says, the only workaround I seem to have found is to use my iPad to reply to those messages. And now upgrading to version iOS 14. Eight, Facebook is doing the same thing, the last advisor I spoke to yesterday, said that there is a ticket with the engineers, and there was no recommended solution, but previous in the morning of yesterday another Apple advisor told me reformatting the phone and restoring from latest iPhone back up with Fish software issue so I am wondering for advice and suggestions. Should I just wait to hear back from the engineers considering this has been a reported multiple time issue about the focus.
Also looking back through the past history of apple wyss I do not see any reported post about focus me may be locked on the status bar with any apps, also there was nothing in the post regarding newest bugs in iOS 15 hopefully others are in countering this.

When using the emoji search facility to find and insert an emoji in to a text field, when you double-tap on the desired emoji it will be inserted but rather than announcing the title of the emoji, VoiceOver will speak the last character that you typed in to the search field.

Lurk through the dungeon, raise your level, find treasures, recruit monsters, forge your equipment, build your house, hire other players, and defeat the boss...
Simple and nostalgic dungeon RPG for iOS.
- Features -
- Super indie, 99.9% made by one guy since the first iPhone was launched ;)
- No in-app purchase
- Good old simple choose-your-adventure style dungeon RPG
- Create your own unique character by customizing your strength, stamina, intelligence, and agility
- Multiplayer feature: Hire other players asynchronously to form a party to enter the dungeon
- Collect monsters to fight with you
- Build your own house
- Forge your weapons and armors to make it stronger
- Supports Game Center leaderboards and achievements
- Auto-save on each floor you go down, making it easy to play on the go
- Save on free iCloud for backup data so you never lose your progress
- Optimized user experience for one-handed use touch interface
- Awesome reviews on replay-value
- 100% support from the actual creator
- Supports VoiceOver

hello.
i got this app as one of the first results when i looked 2fa up on mac appstore.
the app is available for the entire apple ecosystem including the watches.
it's a 2 factor authenticator that syncronizes with icloud if you get the premium subscription, meaning that you'll never lose your accounts as long as you keep your apple id.
the app is mostly accessible with voice over, though the first buttons from the corners which are the settings and notifications aren't labeled.
you can try it right here.
https://apps.apple.com/app/authenticator-app/id1538761576
sorry for posting this in this forum, but the thing is that there's no forum for the apple ecosystem apps.

Lately, the need to lighten the load on my bag has become painfully evident... literally, my back and neck hurt from all the stuff I take to school, and somebody proposed to me the prospect of switching out my big, heavy epic gamer laptop for my iPhone 11. Currently, I use Notepad++ on Windows 10 with NVDA and a Focus 40 with computer Braille to take notes for my math course along with a Victor Reader to record the lectures and an Orion TI-84 for crunching numbers. I access Canvas via Firefox to see upcoming assignments, and that's pretty much it. I figure if this could be viable, all I would need is my phone, my braille display, and a bluetooth keyboard. That's what I'm trying to figure out. Is this viable?

How reliable is US English 8-dot computer Braille on iOS? I'm familiar with its quirks about pressing space with dots 7 and 8 to delete and return, respectively (for some reason), but what would the best text editor for this sort of thing be? I want to stick to .txt files to avoid any formatting weirdness, especially when it comes to typing out equations and other math content, so something like MS Word would be overkill for this. I also want to find out if there are enough keystroke commands to minimize the amount of screen touches needed. I'd rather not be taking my hands off and swiping every time I want to do something besides typing. Currently, I have 2 txt files open and I switch between them with ctrl+tab, and I very rarely switch to a different app unless I need to look something up. Can this be replicated on an iphone with a keyboard and/or braille display? More importantly, is there an easy way of transferring these txt files over to a Windows machine once I get home? Will Canvas work through Safari on iOS? If not, the worst case is I wait until I get home to look at all that stuff which isn't that big a deal. The health of my spine is more important to me at the moment. I figure the worst case for getting those files onto my main machine is emailing them to myself.

I suspect an iphone won't be enough for more complex workloads, but this semester I've found myself in the unique position of only having one in-person course and not requiring any specialized or complex software in order to complete it beyond a text editor and internet browser. Also, I'd rather not buy a tablet or smaller laptop right now because money's a bit tight.

Lastly, is there some hardware I can use to output my phone's screen to HDMI? I frequently hook up my laptop to the projector to present and show my work to my sighted peers, and that's important for my grade.

Introduction

Another Autumn means another release of iOS. Just like releases of iOS dating back to 2009, this release brings a lot of new features and functions for blind and DeafBlind users. Major changes in iOS 15 include a new Focus Mode, several enhancements with FaceTime, the ability to use Siri for certain tasks while offline, and much more. Many blogs will be highlighting these enhancements to iOS, so I will not discuss them in great detail here. This article covers accessibility features impacting individuals who are blind or DeafBlind.

One of the joys and curses of getting a new release from Apple is that they do not actively document the changes in accessibility with their products. This is good for me because it gives me the chance to share new features with my readers, but it is also a challenge. While I have worked extensively with iOS 15 since the first beta release in June, there will inevitably be things that I have missed. This is also part of the fun; whenever I discover a new feature, it's almost like solving a puzzle or getting an early birthday present. Prior to upgrading, I strongly encourage people to check out AppleVis' list of bugs present and resolved in iOS 15. If you are reading this article after subsequent versions of iOS 15 have been released, it is possible that some of the bugs present in the initial release of iOS 15 will have been resolved; you can always check The AppleVis Bug Tracker for the most up-to-date list of active iOS and iPadOS bugs. With that said, here are the changes Detective Davert found while investigating accessibility with iOS 15:

An Important Note About Older iPhone Models

There is good and bad news concerning older iPhone models. The good news is that if you were able to install iOS 14 on your device, iOS 15 will also work on your device. I installed iOS 15 on an iPod touch 7, and found that it worked quite smoothly. There was no noticeable difference in the amount of time apps took to load, no degradation in the speed at which I could type, and there were indeed some new functions. However, there are certain features which will not be supported on devices that are older than the iPhone XS; this is due to the fact that the older devices run slower processors which cannot use some of the new enhancements. For a list of features announced at WWDC which will not be available on older devices, check out this article from iPhone Hacks. Note that the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone XR do both support all of the upgraded functionality in iOS 15.

Some General Changes in iOS 15

This section is intended to give the reader a few mainstream enhancements which I felt were the most significant in terms of accessibility itself. It is not a comprehensive list; there are already many such lists available online.

Siri

As briefly noted above, it is now possible to have Siri perform certain tasks without utilizing the internet. This allows the user to, for example, have Siri enable accessibility features without having to be on a connection to the internet. It also means that certain tasks can be completed much more quickly. Opening apps, setting timers, toggling features, and several other options are available. Using Siri while offline does not require you to change any setting; it is part of the upgrade.

Follow-up is now more useable with Siri. For example, if you are browsing a contact and say "message them," it will open a text that you can dictate to the user onscreen. Siri has also gained new supported languages, including Danish, Finish, Swedish, and Norwegian.

Picture This Text

One of the new functions in iOS 15 is called Live Text. Available on the iPhone XS and later, Live Text allows you to read text from photos and with the Camera app. Similar to the Short Text option in Seeing AI, Live Text uses AI to identify text. Unlike Seeing AI, though, Live Text in iOS 15 does not require an internet connection to work. However, Seeing AI will run on devices older than the XS and of course has other capabilities besides text recognition. Both services are free.

After launching the Camera app, if text is detected in the view finder, VoiceOver will announce "text detected." If you find the "Detect Text" button and double-tap it, you will be presented with the text that was found. Like taking any sort of photo with a portable camera, it is important to do this with a steady hand. Like Seeing AI and any other app which performs OCR, it can be quite challenging for a braille-only user who needs to have both a steady hand and the ability to read braille one-handed. The information that text has been detected is conveyed with the alert messages function, so this could also present challenges for slower braille readers. For example, if the text goes out of focus before the "Detect Text" button is activated, the button will disappear and you will need to focus on the text and try again.

If text has been detected, activating the option to read the text will present it in a way which is easily readable by VoiceOver and braille. Selecting the "Detect Text" button also puts a stop to the camera attempting to recognize other things in your environment.

next to the detected text, there will be a series of buttons which enable the user to take action on the text. Select All, Copy, and Look Up are all options on basic text. If the text detected includes a phone number or email address, this text becomes a link, and the user can activate it to carry out the default iOS option for that type of content. I recently scanned a few business cards from a convention I went to in 2019, and was able to get the printed contact information on each card. The same set of options are available in the Photos app, so if you have a photo with text, you can also take advantage of Live Text.

Don't Leave Meeeeeee!!!

Within the Find My app, there are now options to notify you when you have been separated from your AirTag. If, for example, I had attached an AirTag to my wallet, and my wallet falls out of my pocket, I would be notified that I had left it behind. Once I am notified, I then have all of the options associated with Find My, which will allow me to hopefully get the lost item back.

VoiceOver Changes in iOS 15

Quickly Accessing Even More Settings

Over the years, Apple has come up with new ways of providing quicker access to VoiceOver's functions. With iOS 15, there is a new way to access even more settings. Whether you are suffering from a cluttered VoiceOver Rotor or running out of custom gestures, you now have another option with VoiceOver Quick Settings. You can access the Quick Settings menu by performing a 2-finger quadruple-tap, or pressing VO+v on a hardware keyboard. Note that as of iOS 15.0, there is no braille display equivalent for the VoiceOver Quick Settings command, and no option to add this to a keyboard assignment.

It is not only possible to utilize the settings in this menu, but one can also add, remove, and reorder the items. To do this, head over to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Quick Settings and view all of the possibilities. You will notice that these items are adjustable like the Rotor and that you can double-tap to go into a submenu to change the setting that way. Many of the options in Quick Settings mirror those available to access from the Rotor, so one can save the rotor for things like navigation if you wish, and use Quick Settings for other needs. Reordering the items in this menu is also easy to use and works the same way you would reorder items in the Rotor.

Grouped Navigation

Grouped Navigation is another new VoiceOver feature in iOS 15; the purpose of this new navigation style is to group certain types of similar screen items together so that your interaction can be more manageable with that group. For example, in the Mail app, the messages list when in an email account is its own group. However, it's important to note that Grouped Navigation is a work-in-progress, as indicated by struggles I have had with this feature. With Mail, for example, having Grouped Navigation enabled allows you to swipe past the "Dictate" button, but will not continue onto the group of messages. Instead, you must hit the touchscreen, and when you do, it will automatically start interacting. You can also move by container to get into the group, but that seems like more trouble than it's worth. The intent is to make this feature work like it does on the Mac, as evidenced by the 2-finger swipe right to begin interacting, and 2-finger swipe left to stop interacting with a group. On a keyboard, VO modifier with Shift Down Arrow will enter a grouping, while VO modifier with Shift Up Arrow will stop interaction. There appears to not be a braille display keyboard equivalent for these actions. At the moment, I am not finding Grouped Navigation to be a feature I will be using. If you find it of use, you can add it to the VoiceOver rotor to toggle off and on, as well as toggle it in Quick Settings or by going to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Navigation Style.

More Verbosity

Verbosity has again been expanded to include new capabilities. To check out what's new, you can read on, and/or follow along by navigating your way to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Verbosity.

One of the new items you can adjust is the way in which you are informed of the status of QuickNav. When it is changed from one setting to another, you now have the options to have this info conveyed with speech, a sound, changing the pitch of speech, through braille, or to have it do nothing at all.

From time to time, my flashlight can be turned on by accident. This is frustrating; unless someone is around to let me know that it has been activated, the only ways I typically can find out is if my phone is really warm or my battery takes a quick nose dive in the amount of juice it has left. With iOS 15, under the Verbosity menu, there is now an option to be notified when the flashlight is enabled. When one locks the screen, there will be a speech announcement that says, "Flashlight on." If there was a braille flash message that comes along with the "Screen Locked" message, I did not notice it when testing this functionality. If the flashlight is left on for more than a minute after the screen is locked, a notification will also appear on the Lock Screen from VoiceOver.

In iOS 14, Verbosity allowed users to control whether they are informed about when the Actions rotor is available. A nice addition to this menu is the option to have it sent to the braille display. While it can be a hindrance in the Mail app, since you would need to read "actions available" with each new line of text, it is something which can be of value in different circumstances. This is especially true for apps which take advantage of this rotor option where it may not be obvious until the user checks for it. One other added control is the ability to specify whether numbers are spoken as words or as digits.

Explore the Expanded Descriptions

One of the things sometimes missing from images in iOS 14 and before with text recognition was the ability to explore what is positioned where within an image. This option is now available on any photo. Not only can one expand the description by choosing the rotor option that is now included, but the user can then flick left and right through the detected content, which can give a good overview of what is in the photo. If you encounter an image in another app, this feature is also available. I am finding image descriptions more useful now that the technology has matured. The amount of details available within these images is amazing, and I also like the new ability to explore by swiping or touching the screen. This puts it into a format which does not rely on the VoiceOver alert messages feature, which is more difficult to access, especially for a braille user who may be a slower reader.

Another enhancement that is somewhat related, is the ability for content creators to add image descriptions that can be read by VoiceOver in Markup. This allows creators to generate their own descriptions which can be more accurate than what you may find using the AI-driven options.

Rotor Settings Become Less Mysterious

Previous to iOS 15, a VoiceOver user trying to adjust certain settings would have to change them to figure out the status of that rotor option—for example, whether a certain feature is on or off. In iOS 15, VoiceOver gives you the information each time you move to specific rotor options such as the speech rate.

Right-to-Left Support

For those who read in languages where one reads from right to left, VoiceOver can now be set to reverse the left-to-right navigation. This setting can be controlled under Quick Settings if the app developer supports this. By default it is set to "Automatic."

Visual Accommodations

No One Size Fits All

In iOS 13, VoiceOver users were introduced to a feature called Activities, which allowed the user to control how specific apps behaved based on an Activity. Think of an Activity as a group of custom settings; for example, if you preferred that you had one voice reading your email messages and another that read your books for whatever reason, you could set these options accordingly. However, this was a VoiceOver function only. iOS 15 changes that in many ways.

If you head over to Settings > Accessibility > Per-App Settings, you will have the ability to customize many of the visual settings for each app on your device. If you want Invert Colors on for one app, for example, and not for another, this menu will allow you to specify your preference. It is also possible to apply something to all apps, or on the Home screen. Some of the settings you can change include: contrast settings, Smart Invert, Cross-Fade Transitions, and many more.

The other thing the Per-App functionality brings, is the ability to set the text size on a per-app basis via the Control Center. To do this, one must first put the option in the Control Center, which can be found under Settings > Control Center. Then, while in any app, open Control Center and select the Text Size control. You will then be presented with a screen that has a slider to change text size and a toggle that lets you choose between All Apps or only the app you're currently using.

An Independent Magnifier

The Magnifier has been located under the Accessibility settings menu for many releases of iOS, and it has expanded dramatically over the past couple of years while still being able to do things like spot read. in iOS 15, Magnifier has become its own standalone app.

Hearing

Accommodate These Headphones

Headphone Accommodations for supported Beatz and AirPods were introduced in iOS 14. When turned on, if you have a set of supported headphones, you are walked through a form of hearing test which will ask you questions about what you hear. Based on that information, iOS will optimize the sound for your hearing loss. iOS 15 makes this easier by allowing for the importing of a paper or PDF audiogram. You can still use the test discussed above, but this seems much faster and the resulting sound has been reported to be nearly as effective as using the manual method. To access these new Accommodation options, which are in a different menu from iOS 14, head to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations.

Hanging out in the Background

Also under Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual, you will find an option called Background Sounds. These sounds can come in handy to help someone focus, but can also help potentially support people with tinnitus. Not only can you play a background sound, but you can customize how it behaves. You can independently control the volume of the sound, whether the sound continues when media is playing, the volume for media itself, and have the noise stop automatically when your screen is locked. Background Sounds is a nice function, though it would be even nicer if there was a way to quickly start and stop the playback through a control in the Control Center.

The sounds you can choose from include: Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Ocean, Rain, and Stream. The recordings are in stereo and are of decent quality.

Other Changes

I Wasn't Done Reading that Braille Flash Message, Thanks for Holding!

As noted above, I appreciate some of the elimination of the use of what iOS refers to as VoiceOver Announcements. Not that the information previously provided through them wasn't useful, because it was, but that particular format caused issues for some braille users who were trying to read a VoiceOver announcement that would disappear too quickly. This was a particular challenge when accessing Rotor options. iOS 15 has done away with delivering Rotor and some other functions this way, which makes them more accessible to slower braille readers.

Switch Control Becomes Auditory

Sound Actions for Switch Control let you control iPhone with simple mouth sounds. This feature allows for much easier access for some users who can't or don't wish to utilize the other options like Switch Controls, a mouse, or other gadgets. However, you can combine this feature with other forms of Switch Control, so I would imagine this will be helpful for many.

New Sounds to Recognize

iOS 15 also adds two new sounds to its Sound Recognition options under the household category. Breaking glass can certainly be handy, not only to help alert you to something being dropped, but can also help you determine whether someone is breaking in. I found that playing sound clips of breaking glass through Youtube was mostly reliable, but just like with the other sounds, it must be far above the threshold of sounds around you. I did not have any false positives with this sound.

The other new sound is kettle. I couldn't get this one to work, but it would be handy to have since this sound is outside my hearing range.

Conclusion

Though the changes in iOS 15 are not quite the amount of enhancements we have seen in past releases, Apple continues to expand and enhance its accessibility features with each release. Overall, I have noticed some general stability improvements in this release. Whether you should upgrade to iOS 15 is an individual decision no one should make on your behalf. Remember, the ability to revert to iOS 14 is available for a short time after release, but this process is not for the faint of heart. Once Apple quits signing iOS 14, though, there will be no going back. I would again encourage users to take a look at the bugs listed on the AppleVis website and to check out iOS 15 on another device if possible prior to installation on your primary device. iOS 15 is a free upgrade for all iOS devices which run iOS 14, and can be downloaded and installed by visiting Settings> General> Software Update.