Apple is working on a new "Custom Accessibility Mode" for iPhone and iPad, according to evidence uncovered by 9to5Mac in the second iOS 16.2 developer beta.
Image credit: 9to5Mac
Apple released the second betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 to developers on Tuesday, including camera bug fixes, support for 5G in India, a Medication widget, and references to the new Custom Accessibility Mode, which 9to5Mac found "under the hood."
Within those references, Apple describes the new mode as offering "a customizable, streamlined way to use your iPhone and iPad," although how the feature works isn't completely clear, as it is not yet enabled for developers to test.
That said, screenshots suggest the new mode will allow users to replace the typical Lock Screen and "Springboard" Home Screen with more accessible UI elements, as well as remove the Dock, set much larger app icons, larger hardware interface elements, allowed contacts, and a simpler interface for Messages.
Image credit: 9to5Mac
Given the dearth of references, it's not certain that the Custom Accessibility Mode will go live with the release of iOS 16.2. Apple could be just laying the groundwork, with the feature still in the early stages of development. For everything else in the second beta of iOS 16.2, be sure to check out our roundup of changes.
Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed.
Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles."
If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself.
Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update.
Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September.
Below, we recap the key...
Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models.
tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options.
If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami."
Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...
Apple doesn’t get the credit it clearly deserves for its accessibility efforts. My father had a terrible tremor, so gestures were difficult for him. Thank God Apple made an assistive touch function, or else he wouldn’t have been able to use a phone.
This is amazing - it looks exactly like what I was mocking up in my head all weekend for my father, and feeling frustrated that it’s something I didn’t think Apple would ever build. iPhones have gotten much harder to use for older people over the last few years. Neither of my parents ever fully adapted after iOS 7 made UI controls much less obvious and clear. And as my Dad’s tremors have gotten worse, the gestures, edge swipes, and long presses essentially make his phone a minefield. Existing accessibility options help a bit, but don’t do enough to fundamentally fix the big-picture UI paradigms that are an issue for older users.
We need options for huge home screen icons and/or a list view with large labels for the homescreen, a way to prevent accidental rearranging, a way to disable control center and the other edge swipe gestures, and a much simpler way for a family member to control your screen from FaceTime (he doesn’t under stand how to share screen from FaceTime, and the button icons are absolutely inscrutable). And frankly, this mode should offer dramatically fewer features. For Photos.app, just let it be a big picture frame with a way to scroll backwards in time through the grid view; hide all the UI about albums, organization, and editing. It’s so overwhelming to people who don’t or can’t keep up with so many new changes every year.
I tried to talk to him about a Jitterbug Smart, which I think is solving a lot of these issues, but we’ve been an Apple family since 1984, and he doesn’t want to give it up (and when I showed it to him he said “but those are for old people”…he’s 82). And I have a sneaking suspicion that once you’re past the Jitterbug’s launcher, the apps themselves will be the typical Android hard-to-use UI, so it’s not complete win.
Apple built its reputation on ease of use, and people used to marvel at how babies could pick up and use an iPad. You don’t hear that anymore. For myself, I want all the gestures, shortcuts, automations, and power user tweaks I can get my hands on. But I don’t want that to come at the expense of a worse experience for others. iPhone needs a way to accommodate our parents. Really hope this pans out.
