Apple unveils new accessibility features, and updates with Apple Intelligence
May 19, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Apple unveils new accessibility options, and updates powered by Apple Intelligence
With Apple Intelligence, detailed descriptions and pure language navigation are coming to options equivalent to VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader
Apple additionally introduced new options for controlling energy wheelchairs with Apple Vision Pro and producing subtitles throughout the Apple ecosystem, all coming later this yr
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple as we speak previewed a set of accessibility updates that use Apple Intelligence to carry new capabilities to options customers primarily based on each day, together with VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader.1 Apple additionally introduced on-device generated subtitles for uncaptioned video content material coming to the Apple ecosystem, in addition to a new characteristic for Apple Vision Pro customers to regulate appropriate wheelchairs with their eyes. These new options, in addition to updates utilizing Apple Intelligence, are coming later this yr. And beginning as we speak, the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone — an adaptive MagSafe accent designed with accessibility on the core — is obtainable in three vibrant new colours on the Apple Store on-line.
“Apple’s approach to accessibility is unlike any other,” mentioned Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Now, with Apple Intelligence, we are bringing powerful new capabilities into our accessibility features while maintaining our foundational commitment to privacy by design.”
“The accessibility features our users rely on every day become even more powerful with Apple Intelligence,” mentioned Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. “With these updates, we’re bringing new, intuitive options for input, exploration, and personalization — designed to protect users’ privacy at every step.”
VoiceOver and Magnifier Can Explore More
For customers who’re blind or have low imaginative and prescient, VoiceOver and Magnifier can describe onscreen info or a person’s environment.2 With Apple Intelligence, these important instruments develop into much more highly effective. The Image Explorer in VoiceOver makes use of Apple Intelligence to provide extra detailed descriptions of photographs systemwide, together with what’s in pictures, scanned payments, private data, and different visible content material. With updates to Live Recognition, VoiceOver customers can press the Action button on iPhone to rapidly ask a query about what’s within the digicam viewfinder and get an in depth response. Users may ask follow-up questions in their very own phrases to get extra visible info.
Magnifier makes use of Apple Intelligence to carry the identical assistive exploration and visible description to a high-contrast interface designed for customers who’ve low imaginative and prescient. Magnifier additionally works with the Action button so customers can rapidly ask questions and get solutions. And customers can management the app itself with spoken requests, equivalent to “zoom in” or “turn on flashlight.”
Voice Control Gets Natural Language
With Apple Intelligence, Voice Control turns into extra intuitive than ever, utilizing pure language to assist customers with a spread of bodily disabilities navigate iPhone and iPad completely by voice. With a new versatile enter, customers can describe onscreen buttons and controls with pure language as an alternative of memorizing precise labels or numbers. The choice to “say what you see” is nice for navigating any app, together with these with visible layouts equivalent to Apple Maps or Files, utilizing intuitive language like “tap the guide about best restaurants” or “tap the purple folder.” This may assist customers overcome obstacles when components aren’t correctly labeled for accessibility.3
Accessibility Reader Adapts Even More
Accessibility Reader is a personalized studying expertise for customers with a variety of disabilities, from dyslexia to low imaginative and prescient, and with Apple Intelligence, the studying expertise is extra accessible than ever. Accessibility Reader works on extra complicated supply materials like scientific articles, dealing with textual content with a number of columns, photographs, and tables. On-demand summaries present readers the choice to get an outline of the article earlier than diving into the small print. And with new built-in translation, customers can learn textual content of their native language whereas retaining customized formatting, font, and colours.
Generated Subtitles for Video
While captioning options are more and more widespread for customers who’re deaf or laborious of listening to, subtitles for spoken dialogue are not often out there for private movies, content material shared by mates and household, and different media. With new generated subtitles, movies can show transcriptions of spoken audio mechanically when captions or subtitles are usually not already supplied, together with in clips recorded on iPhone, obtained from mates and household, or streamed on-line. With on-device speech recognition, subtitles are generated privately and seem mechanically for uncaptioned movies on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. The look of subtitles may be personalized within the video playback menu or in Settings.4
A Powerful Wheelchair Control Feature for Apple Vision Pro
For some individuals who use energy wheelchairs, driving with a joystick just isn’t an choice, and various drive controls may be a necessary a part of unbiased motion. Leveraging the precision eye-tracking system on Apple Vision Pro, a new energy wheelchair management characteristic provides customers a responsive enter methodology for appropriate various drive techniques. With Vision Pro, eye monitoring does not require frequent recalibration and works in a wide range of lighting situations.5 The characteristic launches with Tolt and LUCI various drive techniques within the US, with accent help for each Bluetooth and wired connections,6 and Apple will proceed to work with builders to increase help for extra wheelchair drive techniques.
“The option to control my power wheelchair on my own is gold to me,” mentioned Pat Dolan, founding father of GeoALS and a member of Team Gleason’s affected person advisory board, who has lived with ALS for 10 years. “With this new feature, Apple is developing life-enhancing technology for the people who need it most.”
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen eye-driven wheelchair systems evolve in incredible ways,” mentioned Blair Casey, Team Gleason’s CEO. “Leveraging Apple Vision Pro’s eye-tracking capabilities in this way is a huge step forward. Team Gleason is proud to support this initiative and excited to see the benefits it can bring to people who use power wheelchairs.”
Hikawa Adaptive MagSafe Accessory Now Widely Available
Launching as we speak worldwide on the Apple Store on-line, the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone is now out there in three vibrant new colours. Los Angeles-based designer Bailey Hikawa developed this MagSafe accent with accessibility in thoughts, collaborating with people with a variety of disabilities affecting grip, energy, and mobility. The result’s an adaptive grip and stand that helps customers maintain iPhone in the best way that works finest for them. Now, in a collaboration between Hikawa and PopSockets, this distinctive adaptive accent is obtainable globally for the primary time.7
“Apple’s accessibility work — which involves including disability communities from the very earliest stages of design to make the best possible product for everyone — has been the driving force of this project,” mentioned Hikawa. “Our studio is built around intuitive, delightful accessories for iPhone, and it’s been a great privilege to create a product that embraces iPhone as an assistive device and pays tribute to accessibility.”
On May 20, Apple The Grove in Los Angeles will host a Today at Apple session with Hikawa, writer Shane Burcaw, and actor Alex Barone to debate the function of iPhone as a pivotal assistive know-how, and how accessible design can create inclusive, pleasant experiences for everybody.
Additional Updates
- Vehicle Motion Cues come to visionOS, which can assist cut back movement illness for individuals who use Apple Vision Pro as a passenger in a transferring automobile. Vision Pro may also help face gestures for performing faucets and system actions, plus a new strategy to choose components with one’s eyes whereas utilizing Dwell Control.
- Touch Accommodations present a new strategy to customise setup in iOS and iPadOS.
- Made for iPhone listening to aids pair and hand off between Apple gadgets extra reliably, with an improved setup expertise in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.
- Larger Text help is coming to tvOS, so viewers who’ve low imaginative and prescient can improve onscreen textual content measurement to be simpler to learn.
- Name Recognitionwhich might notify customers who’re deaf or laborious of listening to if somebody says their title, works throughout greater than 50 languages globally.
- For signal language interpretation app builders, a new API helps customers in including a human interpreter to an ongoing FaceTime video name.
- Those with issue interacting with conventional controllers can now join the Sony Access controller as a sport controller with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Users can configure the thumbstick, 9 built-in buttons, and as much as 4 further exterior buttons or specialty switches to personalize structure. They may mix two controllers for a deeply customized gaming expertise.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private know-how with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software program platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — present seamless experiences throughout all Apple gadgets and empower folks with breakthrough companies together with the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s greater than 150,000 workers are devoted to creating the most effective merchandise on earth and to leaving the world higher than we discovered it.
- Apple Intelligence is obtainable in beta with help for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (conventional), Japanese, and Korean. Some options is probably not out there in all areas or languages. For characteristic and language availability and system necessities, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
- VoiceOver and Magnifier shouldn’t be relied upon in circumstances the place one might be harmed or injured, in high-risk conditions, for navigation, or for the prognosis or remedy of any medical situation.
- Voice Control powered by Apple Intelligence shall be out there in English within the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
- Generated subtitles shall be out there in English within the US and Canada.
- The characteristic and Apple Vision Pro are meant to be used in managed environments. For extra info, go to support.apple.com/en-us/118507.
- A wired connection requires the acquisition of the Apple Vision Pro Developer Strap.
- Customers should purchase the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone on apple.com in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US
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