News

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Apple has today released iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, watchOS 8.6, tvOS 15.5, and HomePod Software 15.5.

Apple says that iOS 15.5 includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

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Apple has today released iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 to the public, both of which appear to focus on bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements.

Amongst the fixes is the following for Braille users:

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Apple has today released iOS 15.6.1, iPadOS 15.6.1, macOS Monterey 12.5.1, and watchOS 8.7.1 for Apple Watch Series 3 only.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 15.6.1 β€œ...provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.””

The release notes for macOS 12.5.1 are similarly brief, with Apple simply saying that β€œThis update is recommended for all users and improves the security of macOS.”

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Apple has today released iOS 16.0.3 and watchOS 9.0.2 to the public.

At the time of posting, it is unclear whether these updates contain any fixes specific to blind and low vision users. If you do notice any changes to VoiceOver or low vision features during your use of these releases, please let us know by posting your findings in the comments.

iOS 16.0.3 Release Notes

This update provides bug fixes and important security updates for your iPhone including the following:

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Apple has today released iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 to the public. Our testing suggests that these releases resolve a number of the issues introduced for blind and low vision users with the initial release of iOS 16.

Our experience is that the following accessibility bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1:

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Apple has today released iOS 16.1.1, iPadOS 16.1.1, and macOS Ventura 13.0.1 with bug fixes.

It is not known which specific bugs are fixed in these releases, as Apple's release notes only say that each update "includes bug fixes and security updates."

At the time of posting, it is unclear whether these updates contain any fixes, changes or regressions specific to blind and low vision users. If you do notice any changes to VoiceOver, Braille or low vision features during your use of these releases, please let us know by posting your findings in the comments.

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Apple has today released iOS 16.1.2, bringing unspecified optimizations to Crash Detection on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, as well as improved wireless carrier compatibility.

As this update appears to have been released to address a small number of specific issues, our expectation is that it does not contain any accessibility changes for blind and low vision users; however, if you notice any changes, improvements or regressions in your own use of this release, please post a comment with your findings.

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Apple has today released iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 to the public.

Our experience is that the following accessibility bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2:

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Apple has today released iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3 to the public.

Compared to iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, today's releases have few new features and bug fixes, with Apple seemingly focusing on a limited number of enhancements and likely some under-the-hood improvements.

Based on our experience, it appears that the following accessibility-related bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3:

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Apple has today released iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to the public.

Based on our experience, it appears that the following accessibility-related bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4:

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Apple has today released iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 bring fixes for the following bugs related to emoji and Siri:

  • Pushing hands emoji does not show skin tone variations
  • Siri does not respond in some cases

In addition to the emoji bug fix mentioned above, MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 also includes the following bug fix:

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Apple has today released iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 to the public. While these updates seem to be relatively minor, they do introduce two changes. The first one is the Sports tab in the News app that allows users to easily access news, scores, and schedules for their favorite teams and leagues. The second is a new wallpaper option named "Pride Celebration."

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Apple has today released iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and watchOS 9.5.2 to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, these updates include important security fixes and are recommended for all users. The iOS and iPadOS updates address a bug that could prevent charging with the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

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Apple has today released iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 to the public. While these updates seem to be relatively minor, they do bring a few notable bug fixes for Braille and VoiceOver users.

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Apple has today released iOS 16.6.1, iPadOS 16.6.1, macOS Ventura 13.5.2, and watchOS 9.6.2 to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, these updates include important security fixes and are recommended for all users.

As today's updates appear to have been released to address a small set of specific issues, our expectation is that they do not contain any accessibility changes for blind and low vision users; however, if you notice any changes, improvements or regressions in your own use of the software, please post a comment below with your findings.

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Apple has today released iOS 16, bringing customizable Lock Screens; enhancements to Focus modes; the ability to edit and delete messages; improvements for Apple apps like Mail, Home, and Maps; and much more.

Arguably the biggest new feature is the ability to customise the Lock Screen. You can now change the font and color of the time and date; add widgets that allow at a glance access to information; create multiple custom Lock Screen for use at different times or for specific situations; and have Lock Screens linked with Focus modes so that they switch automatically.

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Barely a week after dropping the major iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10 releases, Apple has unexpectedly pushed out updates to patch some concerning security flaws. iOS 17.0.1, iPadOS 17.0.1, and watchOS 10.0.1 are now available for download.

These types of quick sub-point updates usually signify urgent bugs or vulnerabilities that Apple wanted to address rapidly. The release notes state these updates provide "important security updates and are recommended for all users."

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Apple has today released iOS 17.0.3 and iPadOS 17.0.3, bringing a fix for an issue that could cause the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to overheat when using certain apps, as well as a fix for a security vulnerability that Apple believes may have been actively exploited.

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Apple has today released iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 to the public.

Our experience with past iOS and iPadOS updates is that the X.1 releases often contain fixes for many of the accessibility bugs introduced in the major X.0 updates. Our experience is that iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 appear consistent with this pattern, resolving or significantly improving several of the bugs from the initial 17.0 versions:

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Apple has today released iOS 17.2.1 and macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 to the public.

The release notes for these updates are simply listed as β€œThis update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users.”

As these updates appear to have been released to address a small set of specific issues, our expectation is that they do not contain any accessibility changes for blind and low vision users; however, if you notice any changes, improvements or regressions in your own use of these releases, please post a comment below with your findings.