Apple previews new accessibility features coming later this year: improved visual descriptions, auto-generated subtitles, and more

Ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 21, Apple is offering a preview of accessibility features coming to its platforms later this year; including improved visual descriptions and text readability powered by Apple Intelligence, the ability to generate subtitles for videos, and more.

Enhanced Visual Descriptions (Apple Intelligence)

• Detailed descriptions of text, images, and the camera viewfinder powered by Apple Intelligence will be integrated into VoiceOver and Magnifier on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
• Image Explorer will use Apple Intelligence to give more detailed descriptions of images across the operating system; including for pictures, scanned documents (such as bills), and other visual content.
• Users will be able to launch Live Recognition with the Action Button on iPhone, ask a question about what's in the camera's viewfinder, and receive a detailed response. Users will also be able to ask follow-up questions to obtain even more information.
• The new Image Explorer and Live Recognition capabilities will also be available in Magnifier, with the added ability to control the app via spoken commands like "zoom in" or "turn on flashlight."
• To preserve privacy, descriptions are generated on-device.
• An audio-described video of these features in action is available on Apple's website.

Accessibility Reader Improvements (Apple Intelligence)

• Accessibility Reader will be able to understand and improve the reading experience of more complex material, such as scientific articles with multiple columns, images, and tables.
• Content in Accessibility Reader can be summarized and translated on demand, with custom formatting, fonts, and colors retained across languages.

Hearing Accessibility Features

• Subtitles for spoken dialog in videos where captioning is not already provided (such as uncaptioned online videos and personal content shared among friends and family) can be generated automatically on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and visionOS. To preserve privacy, subtitles are generated on-device and will be able to be customized in videos' playback menus as well as in Settings. (Available in English in the U.S. and Canada.)
• Made for iPhone (MFI) hearing aids will pair and hand off between Apple devices more reliably, with an improved setup experience on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.
• Name Recognition (a feature that alerts people who are deaf or hard of hearing when someone says their name) will work across more than 50 languages.
• For developers of sign language interpretation apps, a new API will support adding a human interpreter to an active FaceTime call.

Other Updates

• tvOS will gain support for Larger Text.
• Voice Control on iOS and iPadOS will utilize Apple Intelligence to allow users to navigate interfaces with natural language, like referencing what they see on the screen rather than speaking elements' exact labels or grid numbers. This could also improve the usability of interfaces whose elements lack proper accessibility labels. (Available in English in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia.)
• Touch Accommodations will be able to be configured at the time of iPhone/iPad setup.
• visionOS will support Vehicle Motion Cues, which can help reduce motion sickness when using your Apple Vision Pro in a moving vehicle.
• Face gestures can now be used to control Apple Vision Pro, and users will be able to use their eyes to select elements while using Dwell Control.
• Eye-tracking on Apple Vision Pro will be able to be used with compatible alternative drive systems in the US to control power wheelchairs.
• The Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone, an adaptive grip and stand designed to make the iPhone easier to hold for people with a variety of grip, strength, and mobility needs, is now available worldwide from the Apple Store online in three new colors.
• iOS, iPadOS, and macOS will support the Sony Access controller, offering a wide range of customizations for the thumbstick, buttons, and switches.

Feature Availability

According to Apple, the above new accessibility features will be available later this year. At the time of publication, we do not have any further information about how these features will be implemented or any other possible upcoming changes for blind, DeafBlind, or low vision users.

What do you think of the accessibility features Apple announced for Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026? Sound off in the comments!