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.
- How Apple’s technology helps someone who is quadriplegic – and how it doesn’t
- Quadriplegic Apple user rates iOS 15 and watchOS 8 for accessibility
- Apple quietly adds valuable new feature to Mac Voice Control, but more work needed
- iPhone 13 Face ID failing with CPAP masks; worked with older phones
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 ask Siri for an answer to an incoming phone call but, bizarrely enough, not to terminate the call. Apple has now fixed this, in the first beta of iOS 16, as Hughes notes:
I thought this was a ridiculous way to use Siri on iPhones. For years, users have been able to place calls by simply saying “Hey Siri”, call …”,, but there hasn’t been a “Hey Siri,” command until now. 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! It will hopefully also prove useful to others who have a lot on their plates.
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 said that although it may seem like an insignificant thing, this is actually quite 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. Apple should enable Siri to switch auto answer on/off by saying “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 has an “announce notification” function that allows Siri to read aloud messages such as incoming iMessages. But this only worked with AirPods or Beats headphones. Apple now has this fixed, and it also works with MfI Hearing Aids as well as the iPhone’s 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 my iPhone is not always with me, I can still use it to communicate with my friends and family on the move.
However, until now, the announce notifications feature only worked when wearing AirPods or Beats buds. Announce notifications can be very useful even if you don’t have AirPods. My iPhone can be charged while it is on the charging stand at my desk or on my bedside table. Apple has been very responsive to my request to expand the functionality of 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 meet Hughes in the near future to film a video that shows how smart home technology and Siri commands have transformed Hughes’ life.
