Apple introduced three accessibility features in iOS 16 that might seem like little things, but one reader says they’ll go a long way towards its independence.
Colin Hughes called for three improvements and says he’s happy to know that Apple has listened and that all three are in the first iOS 16 beta…
Background
Apple has long been a leader in accessibility, and things like telling Siri to answer a phone call have made a real difference in the lives of many people with disabilities.
However, some key features were missing, which caused frustration for people with disabilities. One reader has long offered his feedback on Apple accessibility, explaining what works for him and what doesn’t.
Colin Hughes is paraplegic, has no legs and very limited use of his arms and first shared his experience with us back in 2020. Since then, he has regularly commented on accessibility updates and notes that Apple has read and responded to these articles. .
A number of those issues have now been resolved, and Apple has informed him that three more of his accessibility requests have been completed in iOS 16.
Support for ending a Siri call
You can always ask Siri to answer an incoming call, but, oddly enough, not end the call! Apple already fixed this in the first iOS 16 beta, as Hughes points out:
I always thought using Siri on iPhone was crazy, for years users can call by saying “Hey Siri, call…” but until now there was no “Hey Siri, end call” command. This resulted in a lot of daily frustration as I couldn’t press the red button on the iPhone screen to hang up a phone call, so it motivated me to campaign for it. I am very glad that Apple listened and resolved the controversy! I hope this will also be useful for everyone who is busy with their own hands.
Setting up an auto answer for calls
Some users with disabilities find it easier to simply set their iPhone to automatically answer incoming calls.
However, one of the great ironies is that a feature designed to be useful for paraplegic people, for example, required them to do something they couldn’t: go into settings and flip a switch on the screen. Hughes says it may seem like a small thing, but it’s surprisingly important.
I’ve always found it ridiculous that a feature for people who can’t touch the iPhone’s screen or watch face required you to do exactly that in order to turn the answering machine on and off. So I called Apple to give Siri the ability to turn auto-reply on and off with the “Hey Siri, turn on auto-reply” voice command. I’m glad the company listened and this feature came in both iOS 16 and watchOS 9.
I don’t want auto answer to be on all the time and I want to be able to turn it on and off on my own without asking a caregiver for help. Personal independence is so important for people with disabilities, both from a practical and psychological point of view, and technology can really help with this. This feature may seem niche, but it’s essential for people like me.
Announce notifications without headphones
The iPhone offers an “announce notifications” feature when Siri reads things like incoming iMessages out loud. But it only worked with AirPods or Beats headphones. Apple has already fixed this, so it works with MfI hearing aids as well as the iPhone’s own speaker.
Hughes says again that this may seem incredibly small, but it can be a huge benefit.
Announcement notifications have been a real boon for me since this feature was introduced last year. I use it often to keep in touch and stay connected. Even though I can’t take my iPhone out in many situations, with notifications turned on, I can interact with messages on the go without touching my iPhone or watch.
However, until now, the announcement notifications feature only worked when wearing AirPods or Beats headphones. I could see how useful announcement notifications can be when I’m not wearing AirPods. For example, when my iPhone is on the charging stand on my desk or bedside table. So last year I asked Apple to expand the functionality so that you don’t have to wear AirPods, everything can be done through the iPhone’s speaker.
I’m thrilled to learn that Announce notifications are streamed to both Made for iPhone hearing aids and the device’s speaker for users who want to hear their notifications even when their AirPods are not in their ear. I understand there won’t be support for non-triggered follow-ups, but for a phone speaker, you’ll be able to act on a notification by saying “Hey Siri”.
I’ll be meeting with Hughes shortly to make a video showing how the combination of Siri commands and smart home technology has changed his life.
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