Apple has announced a number of accessibility features (coming later this year) updates that embrace Apple Intelligence. The changes, which span visual, auditory, and motor accessibility, are slated to arrive later this year across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.
The announcements take into account a number of use cases, from improved image descriptions for blind users to eye-controlled wheelchair navigation. Among the many notable features is on-device generated subtitles for uncaptioned video content.
“Apple’s approach to accessibility is unlike any other,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO in a statement. “Now, with Apple Intelligence, we are bringing powerful new capabilities into our accessibility features while maintaining our foundational commitment to privacy by design.”
The scope of this year’s announcements is notable in that it covers multiple disability categories simultaneously — visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive — and applies AI capabilities to each in different ways. Many of the features are built around on-device processing, which Apple frames as a privacy consideration, since sensitive content like personal documents or private video audio is not transmitted off the device.
Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of global accessibility policy and initiatives, said: “With these updates, we’re bringing new, intuitive options for input, exploration, and personalisation — designed to protect users’ privacy at every step.”
New generated subtitles display transcriptions of spoken audio automatically when captions or subtitles are not already provided in a video
VoiceOver and Magnifier
Two of Apple’s most widely used accessibility tools, VoiceOver and Magnifier, are receiving updates that use Apple Intelligence to deliver richer information about the visual world.
VoiceOver, which assists users who are blind or have low vision, will gain a feature called Image Explorer. This uses Apple Intelligence to generate more detailed descriptions of images encountered across the system, including photographs, scanned bills, and personal documents.
VoiceOver will also see updates to its Live Recognition feature. Users will be able to press the Action button on iPhone to ask a spoken question about whatever is currently in the camera’s viewfinder and receive a detailed response. Follow-up questions will be supported in natural language, allowing for a more conversational interaction with the camera.
Magnifier, which presents a high-contrast camera interface for users with low vision, is getting similar treatment. It will use Apple Intelligence to provide visual descriptions alongside its existing zoom and enhancement tools, and will also be accessible via the Action button. Users will also be able to control Magnifier with spoken commands such as zoom in or turn on flashlight. It removes the need to navigate the interface manually.
Voice Control
Voice Control, which allows users with motor impairments to navigate iPhone and iPad entirely by voice, is getting what Apple describes as a more intuitive input model.
Currently, Voice Control often requires users to either memorise specific element labels or use numbered overlays to tap on-screen elements. The updated version introduces flexible natural language input, letting users describe what they want to interact with in their own words rather than matching exact labels.
Apple gives examples like “tap the guide about best restaurants” or “tap the purple folder” — descriptive phrases rather than precise command strings. The company notes this could be particularly useful in apps where elements aren’t properly labelled for accessibility, as well as in visually complex applications like Maps or Files.
Apple Intelligence-powered updates to Magnifier bring the same assistive exploration and visual description to a high-contrast interface designed for users who have low vision
Accessibility Reader
Accessibility Reader, a feature designed to make reading more accessible for users with dyslexia, low vision, and other conditions, is expanding its capabilities.
The updated version will handle more complex document formats, including scientific articles with multiple columns, embedded images, and tables. It’s content that can be difficult for assistive tools to parse correctly. It will also offer on-demand summaries, letting users get an overview of an article before reading in full.
A new built-in translation feature will allow users to read content in their preferred language while maintaining the custom font, formatting, and colour settings they’ve applied within Accessibility Reader, preserving the personalised experience.
Auto-generated subtitles
For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, captioning is increasingly standard on streaming platforms, but far less available for personal videos, clips shared via messaging apps, or informal online content. Apple is addressing this gap with generated subtitles. The feature automatically transcribes spoken audio in videos that don’t already have captions. One needs to remember that this is not closed captioning. For example, if in a video there are people clapping between a speech, the feature can handle the voice aspect.
This will apply to videos recorded on iPhone, received from contacts, or streamed online. Apple emphasises that the speech recognition runs on-device, meaning the audio is processed locally rather than sent to external servers. The feature will be available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.
Apple Vision Pro
Perhaps the most distinctive announcement is a new wheelchair control feature for Apple Vision Pro. For power wheelchair users who cannot operate a standard joystick, the headset’s precision eye-tracking system can now be used to control compatible alternative drive systems.
The feature launches with support for two alternative drive systems — Tolt and LUCI — in the US, with both Bluetooth and wired connection options.
Eye tracking on Vision Pro does not require frequent recalibration and is designed to function across varying lighting conditions — practical considerations that matter significantly for day-to-day use outside controlled environments.