Apple Intelligence to soon power accessibility features on iPhone, more

Apple has previewed new AI-powered accessibility features for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro, including smarter VoiceOver tools, AI subtitles, and wheelchair controls

Apple has announced a new set of accessibility updates powered by Apple Intelligence that are coming later this year across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. According to Apple, the new features aim to improve how users with visual, hearing, physical, and learning disabilities interact with Apple devices. The updates include more detailed image descriptions in VoiceOver, natural language navigation in Voice Control, AI-generated subtitles for videos without captions, and new eye-tracking wheelchair controls on Apple Vision Pro.

 

Apple said these updates are designed to make everyday accessibility tools more useful while continuing to process information privately on-device using Apple Intelligence. Here is what Apple offers for disabled users:

 

 

VoiceOver and Magnifier get more detailed AI descriptions

 

Apple said VoiceOver and Magnifier are receiving major upgrades for users who are blind or have low vision. VoiceOver’s new Image Explorer uses Apple Intelligence to generate more detailed descriptions of photos, scanned documents, bills, and other on-screen visual content. Users can also press the Action button on a compatible iPhone to ask questions about what the camera is seeing and receive spoken responses. Apple said follow-up questions can also be asked naturally for additional details.

 

Apple Magnifier is also getting AI-powered visual assistance features. According to Apple, users can speak to ask questions about objects around them or use voice commands such as “zoom in” or “turn on flashlight” to control the app hands-free.

 

Voice Control now supports natural language commands

 

Apple said Voice Control is becoming more flexible for users with physical disabilities. Instead of needing to remember exact button names or labels, users can now describe what they see on screen using natural language.

 

For example, users can say commands like “tap the purple folder” or “tap the guide about best restaurants” to navigate apps such as Maps or Files. Apple said the feature can also help when apps do not label buttons properly for accessibility.

 

Accessibility Reader gets summaries and translations

 

Accessibility Reader, Apple’s reading tool for users with dyslexia or low vision, is also receiving updates powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple said the feature can now better handle complex layouts such as scientific papers containing tables, images, and multi-column text. Users will also be able to generate article summaries before reading and translate content into their preferred language while preserving formatting, colours, and fonts.

 

Apple adds AI-generated subtitles across its ecosystem

 

Apple also announced a new generated subtitles feature for videos that do not already include captions. According to the company, devices can automatically create subtitles for spoken dialogue in personal videos, online streams, or clips shared by friends and family. Apple noted that subtitle generation happens privately on-device using speech recognition. The feature will work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Users will also be able to customise subtitle appearance in settings. 

 

Apple Vision Pro can help control power wheelchairs

 

One of the notable updates announced is a new wheelchair control feature for Apple Vision Pro. Apple said the headset’s eye-tracking system can now work with compatible alternative drive systems used in some power wheelchairs. This allows users to control wheelchair movement using eye movements instead of traditional joystick controls.

 

The feature will initially support Tolt and LUCI systems in the US, with both Bluetooth and wired connections. Apple said it plans to expand support to more wheelchair systems later. 

 

Additional accessibility updates are also coming to Apple devices:

 

• Vehicle Motion Cues come to Vision Pro: Apple is bringing Vehicle Motion Cues to visionOS to help reduce motion sickness for users wearing Apple Vision Pro inside moving vehicles.
• New face gesture controls for Vision Pro: Vision Pro will support face gestures for performing taps and system actions, along with a new eye-based selection method using Dwell Control.
• Touch Accommodations get more customisation: Apple is adding new Touch Accommodations settings in iOS and iPadOS to help users personalise touch controls.
• Improved support for hearing aids: Made for iPhone hearing aids will now pair and switch between Apple devices more reliably across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.
• Larger Text support coming to tvOS: Apple said users with low vision will be able to increase onscreen text size on Apple TV for easier readability.
• Name Recognition supports more languages: Apple said Name Recognition can now alert users who are deaf or hard of hearing when someone says their name in more than 50 languages.
• FaceTime gets sign language interpreter support: Apple is introducing a new API that allows developers to add human sign language interpreters directly into FaceTime video calls.
• Sony Access controller support arrives on Apple devices: Users who have difficulty using traditional game controllers can now connect Sony’s Access controller with iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple said users will be able to customise buttons, thumbsticks, and switches, and even combine two controllers for a more personalised gaming setup.