iOS 17 will be released this fall, that much is clear. Now there is also an overview of the first new features that Apple will introduce for cognitive accessibility.
The group has now per press release announced: “At Apple, we’ve always believed that the best technology is technology that’s made for everyone,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Today we are very excited to announce new features that build on our long history of making technology accessible so everyone has the power to create, communicate and do what they love.”
Simplified overview
Among the new features is a new option called Assistive Access. Apple has revised the display to reduce apps and experiences to their essential functions and thus reduce the cognitive load. An example: The app icons are getting bigger so that they can be tapped better and the range of functions has been adjusted.
For example, the photos app has large thumbnails, the camera app has a large release button, and the phone app has a simplified display for calls.
The second major launch is called Live Speech and Personal Voice: “With Live Speech on iPhone, iPad and Mac, users can type in what they want to say and have it spoken out loud during phone calls, FaceTime calls and personal conversations.” , explains Apple. “You can also save commonly used phrases to quickly engage in lively conversations with family, friends and co-workers. Live Speech is designed to empower millions of people around the world who can’t speak or have lost their ability to speak over time.”
The third major innovation starts in the area of improvements for blind users or users with impaired vision.
Point and Speak in the Magnifier app improves recognition of objects that have attached operation labels. Point and Speak combines input from the camera app, LiDAR scanner, and on-device machine learning to speak the text on each key as you move your finger across the keyboard.
- Deaf or hard of hearing users can pair and fit Made for iPhone hearing aids directly to their Mac.
- Voice Control adds phonetic suggestions for text editing, so users typing with their voice can choose the right word from among multiple similar-sounding words.
- 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.
- Now it’s easier for visually impaired users to resize text in Mac apps like Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Notes.
- Users sensitive to fast animation can automatically pause images with moving elements, such as GIFs, in Messages and Safari.
- For VoiceOver users, Siri voices sound natural and expressive, even with high levels of voice feedback. You can also customize the speed at which Siri speaks, with options ranging from 0.8x to 2x.
More functions
We will have to wait until the beginning of June for the announcement of further functions. Apple invites you to the WWDC from June 5th to 9th and will present iOS 17 in detail there and start the first beta version.
- Apple announces new features for iOS 17: Assistive Access, Live Speech, Point and Speak & improvements for the visually impaired.
- Icons & functions are simplified, the photos app gets larger thumbnails, the camera app gets a large shutter button.
- Live Speech supported on phone calls & FaceTime calls, allows saving frequently used phrases.
- Point and Speak in Magnifier app improves object recognition, Made for iPhone hearing aids can be paired directly to Mac.
- Voice control adds phonetic suggestions for editing text, switch controls can be turned into game controllers.
- Easier to adjust text size in Mac apps, pause animated elements in Messages & Safari, adjust Siri voice & speed.
- Further functions will be presented at the WWDC in June & the first beta version will be released.
See also:
Operating system, Apple, iOS, Apple iPhone, Apple iOS, iOS 17, ios17, Apple iOS 17
