Apple announced a slew of new accessibility features for its products on Tuesday that can help people with disabilities.
One highlight feature is live captions for videos for iPhones, iPads and Macs. It means people who are hard of hearing, or anyone who wants to watch a video with the volume off, will see text at the bottom of the screen that they can read along with. Apple said it can be used on streaming services, FaceTime calls and other video conferencing apps. A similar feature is already available on Google’s Android operating system.
The software will roll out later this year.
Apple also introduced a new Door Detection feature that can help blind or low-vision iPhone or iPad users find doors if they’re unfamiliar with the area. The tool can also describe whether the door is open or closed and whether it can be opened by pushing, pulling or turning a knob. It uses lidar technology and machine learning to operate. Lidar is available on iPhone Pro and iPad Pro models.
Among other features, Apple is also adding a way for people with disabilities to mirror their assistive features on the iPhone onto their Apple Watch, get alerts on their iPhone when it hears a doorbell or appliance beeping and more.
