Apple is putting the ‘A’ in accessibility with its latest wave of features across its devices. These updates, revealed at the WWDC 2025 event, are set to enhance the user experience for people with diverse needs. Here’s a quick rundown of the most exciting accessibility tools Apple is rolling out across its ecosystem.
Accessibility Nutrition Labels on the App Store
Apple is introducing Accessibility Nutrition Labels on App Store pages, making it easier for users to identify apps that support assistive features. These labels will not only give users more transparency but also allow developers to highlight inclusive elements, improving the overall App Store experience.
A New Braille Access
Apple is launching Braille Access, an innovative tool designed to support braille users on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. This tool functions as a note-taker, supports Braille Screen Input, and allows users to read and annotate BRF files. The real standout feature is the integration of Live Captions into Braille displays, enabling real-time conversation transcription in Braille.
Accessibility Reader: A Systemwide Reading Mode
For users with dyslexia, low vision, or cognitive disabilities, the new Accessibility Reader is a game-changer. It transforms how text appears across all Apple devices, offering customizable options for font style, color, spacing, and more. It also supports Spoken Content and can be accessed from the Magnifier app, enabling interaction with physical text like books or menus.
Share Accessibility Settings: Borrow Someone’s Device Without Losing Your Preferences
With the new Share Accessibility Settings feature, users can temporarily apply their personalized settings, such as VoiceOver or larger text, on another Apple device. Whether it’s borrowing a friend’s iPhone or using a shared iPad in a classroom, you can now maintain your accessibility settings without the hassle of reconfiguring them.
Live Listen on Apple Watch
Apple is expanding Live Listen to the Apple Watch, allowing users to follow conversations in real-time with ease. When an iPhone acts as a remote microphone, the watch will display Live Captions, letting users hear and read what’s being said from across the room. With this feature, users can also pause, resume, or scroll through recent transcripts directly on their watch.
Hands-Free Accessibility on Apple Vision Pro
visionOS is receiving substantial updates, enhancing accessibility for users with mobility challenges. The Zoom feature on Apple Vision Pro allows users to magnify the entire view, while Live Recognition can describe surroundings, read text, and identify people or objects. Approved apps like Be My Eyes now work directly with the headset, providing real-time assistance.
Magnifier Comes to Mac
After being a key accessibility tool on iPhones and iPads, Magnifier is now available on macOS. This new app uses the Mac’s camera (or an iPhone through Continuity Camera) to zoom in on objects, documents, or whiteboards. Users can adjust brightness, contrast, color filters, and capture views for later reference, further enhancing the experience for those with low vision.
More Accessibility Updates
- Background Sounds now include EQ settings and new automation options in Shortcuts.
- Personal Voice can now be created in under a minute using just 10 phrases, and it now supports Spanish (Mexico).
- Vehicle Motion Cues are coming to Mac, helping reduce motion sickness while traveling.
- Eye and Head Tracking are becoming more powerful, allowing control of iPhones and iPads with simple gestures.
- Brain-Computer Interface support is expanding to assist those with severe mobility impairments.
- Assistive Access now simplifies media playback on Apple TV.
- Music Haptics are more customizable, letting users feel the music through iPhone vibrations.
- Name Recognition in Sound Recognition helps users who are hard of hearing identify when their name is being called.
- Voice Control adds a new programming mode in Xcode and extends to more languages, including Korean, Arabic, and Turkish.
- CarPlay introduces Large Text support and additional sound notifications like crying babies and sirens.