While we’re getting closer to Apple’s giant event, WWDC, the rumors and some details about the expected products keep revealing. Today, Apple previewed a lot of new accessibility features of iOS 17, such as Live Speech, Personal Voice, and Point and Speak in Magnifier. The company says the new software features are coming later this year. Here are the details about the iOS 17 accessibility features.
Apple announces accessibility features for iOS 17 preview
Although the official announcement doesn’t include any details about whether the features will be part of the upcoming software updates, the rumors claim that they will be available in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14. Additionally, the new operating systems will probably be previewed at WWDC in early June, and be launched in the fall.
Assistive Access
Apple explains, “Assistive Access includes a customized experience for Phone and FaceTime, which have been combined into a single Calls app, as well as Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music.” We can understand that the new feature will offer an improved interface with basic buttons, texts, and tools. Users will have an easier interface while using their devices.
Detection Mode in Magnifier and Point and Speak
Another feature in iOS 17 preview is the Detection Mode in Magnifier and Point and Speak for users who are blind or have low vision. With iOS 17, Apple aims to offer a more useful ecosystem for users with low vision. The tech giant explains, “Point and Speak combines input from the Camera app, the LiDAR Scanner, and on-device machine learning to announce the text on each button as users move their finger across the keypad.”
Other preview features in iOS 17
- Deaf or hard-of-hearing users can pair Made for iPhone hearing devices directly to Mac and customize them for their hearing comfort.
- Voice Control adds phonetic suggestions for text editing so users who type with their voice can choose the right word out of several that might sound alike, like “do,” “due,” and “dew.”
- Users with physical and motor disabilities who use Switch Control can turn any switch into a virtual game controller to play their favorite games on iPhone and iPad.
- For users with low vision, Text Size is now easier to adjust across Mac apps such as Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Notes.
- Users who are sensitive to rapid animations can automatically pause images with moving elements, such as GIFs, in Messages and Safari.
- For VoiceOver users, Siri voices sound natural and expressive even at high rates of speech feedback; users can also customize the rate at which Siri speaks to them, with options ranging from 0.8x to 2x.
