There is less than a month left to discover iOS 18 which, like the rest of the systems, will be equipped with new features. So much so that Apple may have had to move forward so that WWDC 2024 on June 10 is not endless. The fact is that The company itself has already announced new features that we will see on iPhone and iPad before the end of the year.
This will be on both iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 and focus on accessibility features, aimed at people with some type of mobility problem. Among them, the possibility of controlling devices with the eyes, in true Vision Pro style, stands out, although that is not all.
The big accessibility improvements of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18
It was through a press release on its website that Apple announced the new features that will arrive in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. It did not mention these systems as such, and it did not either more made last year when it announced new accessibility features for iOS 17 before. that it was presented, but it is obvious that they will reach these versions.
eye tracking It’s the star of these new features and is aimed at people with some type of motor problem that prevents them from using their fingers. By mixing the tracking carried out by the front camera with artificial intelligence, the iPhone and iPad will be able to detect where we are trying to place the target. For example, it will know when you are looking at an icon and select it so we can open it.
Another relevant novelty is the power create custom voice shortcuts, something that is also aimed at people with a certain type of problem, although in this case it is about speech. A series of instructions can be assigned to a certain word or sound, so that the system (or Siri, rather) can understand and execute it.
It is also worth noting the curiosity “Haptic music” function that Apple presents and which is designed for people who are deaf or have some type of hearing problem. Also using artificial intelligence, the system is able to reproduce a series of vibrations to the rhythm of Apple Music songs so that this type of user can also enjoy it if they cannot hear the sound well.
More accessibility news for iOS, iPadOS and macOS
In addition to the above, which are a priori the most important, the Californian company has also published a list of other improvements that will reach the accessibility section of the iPhone, iPad and even the Mac.
For blind or visually impaired users, Voice off will include new voices, a flexible Voice Rotor, custom volume control, and the ability to customize VoiceOver keyboard shortcuts on Mac.
to land
will offer a new Reader mode and the ability to easily launch Detect mode with the Action button.
Braille users will have a new way to get started and stay Braille screen input for faster text control and editing; Availability of Japanese for braille screen input; support for multi-line braille with Block of points; and the ability to choose different input and output tables.
For visually impaired users, Hover typing displays larger text when typing in a text field and in a user’s preferred font.
For users at risk of losing the ability to speak, Personal voice will be available in Mandarin Chinese. Users who have difficulty speaking or reading full sentences can create a personal voice using shortened sentences.
For non-speaking users, Live speech will include categories and concurrent support for Live subtitles.
For users with physical disabilities, Touchpad Virtual for AssistiveTouch It allows users to control their device using a small region of the screen as a trackpad.
Switch control will include the ability to use cameras on iPhone and iPad to recognize finger gestures like switches.
Voice command will offer support for custom vocabularies and complex words.
visionOS 2 and CarPlay will also have accessibility news
Although it is still a minority device, Apple also wants its Vision Pro to be accessible to everyone. For your system they announced improvements to be able to follow live conversations via applications such as FaceTime and they will do this with a real-time subtitle system which can also move around the field of view to be less intrusive, but clearly visible.
Apple also announced three new features for CarPlay which will arrive before the end of the year and which are aimed more at the general public. Especially for those who might suffer from dizziness when manipulating the screen while driving (this would also work for co-drivers).
The first of these is a enhanced voice control, so that any element of the applications can be controlled with instructions given by voice. Little has been specified about this, but it is intuitive that once inside the applications they can be controlled solely by voice.
will also be added three color filters which reduce the negative impact of the screen. Finally, a series of notifications for certain road noises such as the horns of other vehicles or the sirens of ambulances and police. The latter is aimed more at people with hearing problems.
Of course, that’s not all that’s coming to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and visionOS 2. Plus, that might not even be everything in the accessibility department. However, we will have to wait for the presentation on June 10 to find out everything. Likewise, saying that these already confirmed news may not appear in the first versions of the system, since Apple specifies that they will be
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