Ben Lovejoy
Apple has introduced three iOS 16 accessibility features that might sound
like small things, but one 9to5Mac reader says they will make a big
difference to his independence.
Colin Hughes has been calling for three improvements, and says he is
delighted to learn that Apple listened, and that all three are present in
the first beta of iOS 16 .
Background
Apple has long been a leader in accessibility features, and things like
instructing Siri to answer a phone call has made a real difference to the
lives of many people with disabilities.
However, some key related features were missing, causing frustration by
disabled people. One 9to5Mac reader has long been offering his feedback on
Apple's accessibility features, explaining both what works for him, and what
doesn't.
Colin Hughes is quadriplegic, having no use of his legs and very limited use
of his arms, and first shared his experiences with us back in 2020. He has
since regularly commented on accessibility updates, and noted that Apple has
read and acted on these pieces.
A number of these issues have now been addressed, and Apple advised him that
three more of his accessibility requests have been met in iOS 16.
Siri end call support
You could always ask Siri to answer an incoming call, but bizarrely not to
end the call! Apple has now fixed this, in the first beta of iOS 16, as
Hughes notes:
" I always thought it bonkers when using Siri on iPhones, for years users
can place a call by saying "Hey Siri, call.", but until now there's been no
"Hey Siri, end call" command. It lead to a lot of daily frustration as I
can't press the red button on the iPhone screen to hang up a phone call, so
this prompted me to campaign for it. I'm really glad Apple has listened and
resolved the contradiction! Hopefully, it will also be of use to anyone who
has their hands full".
Auto-answer Calls setup
Some users with disabilities find it easier to simply set their iPhone to
auto-answer incoming calls.
However, one of the great ironies is that a feature designed to be useful
to, for example, quadriplegic people, required them to do something they
couldn't:
Go into settings and flip an on-screen toggle. Hughes says this might sound
like a minor thing, but it's surprisingly important.
"I always found it beyond ironic that a feature for people who can't touch
the iPhone screen, or Watch face, required you to do exactly that to turn
auto answer on and off. So I have been calling on Apple to provision Siri to
turn auto answer on and off with a voice command "Hey Siri turn on auto
answer".
I am delighted the company has listened and the ability is coming in both
iOS 16 and WatchOS 9.
I don't want auto answer on all the time and I want to be able to turn it on
and off myself without having to ask a carer for help. Personal independence
is so important to disabled people, practically and psychologically, and
technology can really help with this. This feature may sound niche but it is
massive for people like me".
Announce notifications without earphones
The iPhone offers an "announce notifications" feature, where Siri reads
aloud things like incoming iMessages. But this only worked with AirPods or
Beats headphones. Apple has now fixed this, so it works with MfI hearing
aids, as well as on the iPhone's own speaker.
Hughes says this again is something which might sound incredibly minor, but
can be a huge benefit.
"Announce Notifications has been a real boon for me since the feature was
Introduced last year. I use it a lot to keep in touch and stay connected.
Even though I am unable to pick up my iPhone in many situations, with
announce notifications on I am able to interact with messages on the go
without having to touch my iPhone or Watch.
However, until now, the announce notifications feature only worked when
wearing AirPods or Beats buds. I could see how useful announce notifications
could be when not wearing AirPods. For example, when my iPhone is sat on a
charging stand on my desk, or bedside table. So last year I asked Apple to
extend the functionality so you don't need to wear AirPods, everything can
be done through the iPhone speaker.
I am really pleased to learn Announce notifications is being brought to both
Made for iPhone hearing aids as well as over the device speaker for users
who want to be able to hear their notifications read out even when their
AirPods are not in their ear. I understand there won't be trigger-less
followup support, but for the phone speaker you will be able to act on the
notification by saying "Hey Siri".
I'll be meeting with Hughes shortly to shoot a video showing how a
combination of Siri commands and smart home technology has transformed his
life.
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