Apple has announced new accessibility features coming in 2025. The new features announced include Accessibility Labels coming to the App Store, Magnifier for Mac, a new Braille experience, a system-wide accessible reading mode, Live Caption support for Apple Watch, and updates to visionOS. The company said these features will advance accessibility across the entire ecosystem with Apple Silicon, on-device AI, and machine learning.
With the Accessibility Information Labels added to the App Store, app pages will clearly list whether features such as VoiceOver, Enlarged Text, Contrast, Reduced Motion, and Closed Captions are supported. Developers will be able to share the accessibility features in their apps with users through these labels.
Shiftdelete.netThe new Magnifier app for Mac works with the iPhone’s Continuity Camera and USB cameras, allowing you to zoom in on objects like screens and whiteboards. Users can open multiple live session windows and read books simultaneously while watching presentations. Functions such as image filtering, perspective adjustment, image saving, and text conversion to readable formats are also available.
Braille Access transforms iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro into a full-featured Braille note-taking device. Users can launch applications with Braille input, perform calculations with Nemeth Braille and open Braille files directly. Real-time speech transcription is also supported on Braille displays.
The newly introduced Accessibility Reader provides system-wide ease of reading for users with dyslexia or low vision. Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro, this feature offers personalization with font, color, spacing and audio support. Real-world text can also be read with this mode.
Live Caption, which is coming to Apple Watch, transcribes audio from your iPhone in real time. Compatible with AirPods and hearing aids, this feature can be managed remotely from Apple Watch during meetings or lessons. It also works with the hearing health features offered by AirPods Pro 2.
The visionOS operating system used in Apple Vision Pro supports operations such as magnification, object recognition, and document reading with voice descriptions using its advanced camera system. Thanks to the new API offered to developers, live visual commentary support is provided with applications such as Be My Eyes.
It also offers customizable EQ settings for background audio, an auto-pause option, and Shortcuts app integration. The Personal Voice feature lets you create a personalized voice profile in minutes with just 10 phrases. The feature now supports Mexican Spanish.
Developed to reduce motion sickness in vehicles, Vehicle Motion Cues is also coming to Mac. Customization is available via animated dots on iPhone, iPad and Mac. With Eye Tracking and Head Tracking features, users can control their devices more precisely with head movements.
For users with severe mobility impairments, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS are adding a new protocol that supports Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). Assistive Access provides a simplified media player for Apple TV and brings developers support for personalized interfaces for people with intellectual disabilities.
Music Haptics on iPhone now supports vibration throughout a song or just during vocals. Users can also adjust the vibration intensity and feel, and Voice Recognition now has the ability to recognize a user’s name and send notifications.
Voice Control, a new mode that offers voice programming for developers working on Xcode, provides dictionary synchronization between devices. Support for Turkish, Korean, Russian and many more languages is being added. The Live Captions feature is also expanding to regions such as India, China, Latin America, France and Japan.
On the CarPlay side, Large Text support is offered. In-car voice recognition can notify the user of sounds such as a baby crying and a siren. Users can use the new Share Accessibility Settings feature to share their accessibility settings to other devices for a short time.
Apple is setting up special accessibility-themed desks in its retail stores throughout May. Today at Apple sessions also offer accessibility-related training. Apple Music features music touch and stories from deaf artists. Apple TV+ is premiering a new documentary called “Deaf President Now!” on May 16.
Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, and Apple News highlight stories from people with disabilities. The App Store showcases accessible apps and features developer Klemens Strasser’s accessible gaming philosophy. New Shortcuts features and support videos have also been added to the Apple Support accessibility playlist.
All of these innovations are expected to be available on Apple devices in 2025. Apple announced that it continues to lead in this area by addressing accessibility as a whole at the hardware, software and service levels.
