Apple today announced a suite of accessibility updates that use Apple Intelligence to expand the capabilities of VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader, with additional new features for generated captions and wheelchair control through Apple Vision Pro. Apple Intelligence powers several of the new features coming later this year: VoiceOver Image Browser uses Apple Intelligence to produce more detailed descriptions of images throughout the system, including photographs, scanned invoices and personnel records. Users can also press the iPhone Action button to ask questions about what the camera viewfinder sees, with follow-up questions supported in natural language. Magnifying glass brings Apple Intelligence-based visual descriptions to its high-contrast interface for visually impaired users, also accessible via the Action button, with support for voice commands such as “zoom” or “turn on flashlight.” Voice control gets natural language input so users can describe on-screen items conversationally, such as “tap the best restaurant guide” or “tap the purple folder,” rather than memorizing the exact label names or numbers. Apple says this feature can also be useful when on-screen elements don’t have proper accessibility labels. Accessibility Reader supports more complex document layouts, including scientific articles with multiple columns, images, and tables, as well as on-demand summaries and built-in translation that retains the user’s personalized font, color, and formatting preferences. Generated subtitles Use on-device voice recognition to automatically transcribe spoken audio into uncaptioned video content, including clips recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online, on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Initially available in English in the United States and Canada. Electric Wheelchair Control for Apple Vision Pro uses the headset’s precision eye-tracking system as an alternative input method for users who cannot use a joystick, launching with support for the Tolt and LUCI alternative driving systems in the United States via Bluetooth and wired connections. Apple also announced a number of smaller additions coming later this year: Vehicle movement cues are coming to visionOS to help reduce motion sickness when using Vision Pro as a passenger in a moving vehicle. Apple Vision Pro will support facial gestures for performing taps and system actions, as well as a new way to select items with the eyes while using Dwell Control. Designed for iPhone hearing aids will benefit from more reliable pairing and transfer between Apple devices, with an improved setup experience on iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS. Name recognitionwhich alerts deaf or hard of hearing users if someone says their name, expands to more than 50 languages worldwide. Larger text Support is coming to tvOS, allowing visually impaired viewers to increase the size of on-screen text. Sony access controller is gaining support as a game controller on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with full button and thumbstick customization and support for combining two controllers. FaceTime gets a new API allowing sign language interpreting app developers to add a human interpreter to an ongoing video call. Tap Hosting benefit from a new way to customize configuration in iOS and iPadOS. Starting today, the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone, an adaptive MagSafe accessory designed by Los Angeles-based designer Bailey Hikawa, is available worldwide in three new colors via the Apple Online Store. The accessory was developed in collaboration with people with disabilities affecting grip, strength and mobility, and is now available internationally through a partnership with PopSockets. All announced features are expected to arrive later this year. Voice Control’s natural language features will be available in English in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Today’s announcement continues Apple’s annual tradition of previewing upcoming accessibility features ahead of World Accessibility Awareness Day, which falls on the third Thursday in May each year. Although no firm release date is given for the features, they usually arrive with new operating system updates from Apple in the fall. This year, that means iOS 20, iPadOS 20, macOS 16, tvOS 20, and visionOS 3, all of which are expected to be revealed at WWDC in June before shipping in September. Post navigation iOS 27 to let users generate wallpapers and create shortcuts with AI
