AppleVis Blog

Coming away from Apple's recent “Hi, Speed” event, I found my thoughts travelling back ten years to being in line to buy my first iPhone, when the only decision needed before reaching the front of the line was whether I wanted the 16GB or 32GB model. With Apple releasing five new iPhone models this year - the SE, 12 mini, the 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max - it was hard not to feel some nostalgia for the purity and…

Apple has today released iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1 to the public.

For blind and low vision users, our preliminary testing suggests that Apple has resolved the most critical issues present in the initial releases of iOS and iPadOS 14. However, there are also a couple new bugs in today's releases.

Fixes for Blind and Low Vision Users in iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1

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Also in this series:

• GarageBand Part 1: The Basics
• GarageBand Part 2: Mixing and Mastering
• GarageBand Part 3: Drummers and Loops
• Related podcast: …

Apple has today released watchOS 7.0.3 for the Apple Watch Series 3.

According to Apple's release notes via Mac Rumors, watchOS 7.0.3 contains a fix for an issue which could cause Apple Watch Series 3 devices to restart unexpectedly:

watchOS 7.0.3 contains improvements and bug fixes, including an issue where Apple Watch Series 3 may unexpectedly restart for some users.

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Hi, Speed

Today was Apple's second event this fall, named "Hi, Speed". The previous one, about a month ago, introduced new Apple Watch and iPad models, among other announcements. Notably absent that day was any mention of iPhone.

That's what today was all about. We now have all the details on iPhone 12, which is seeing some changes to its line-up with the inclusion of a "mini" option. Of course, today's announcements covered more than just iPhone; we also got the details on…

Update: AppleInsider and MacRumors both now report that these updates were not meant for the public but were briefly, and inadvertently, published to the main release channel. Apple subsequently pulled the initial downloads and has re-released them as downloads exclusive to…

Apple has today released watchOS 7.0.2, bringing a fix for an issue that caused an Apple Watch's battery to drain more quickly than expected.

According to Apple's release notes, via MacRumors this update:

• Addresses an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly
• Resolves an issue that prevented some users from accessing the ECG app in regions…

Apple has today announced that it will be holding its second fall special event on October 13.

It is anticipated that this event will see the launch of the iPhone 12; and possibly other products such as Apple AirPods Studio, AirTags, an Apple Silicon powered MacBook, a smaller HomePod, and an updated Apple TV.

As with the recent “Time Flies” event, this will be a virtual presentation likely featuring pre-recorded sections for each new product. It starts at 10am PT and will be…

Apple has today released tvOS 14.0.2 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

Outside of the major upgrade each year, tvOS updates are typically minor in scale with a focus on under-the-hood fixes and performance improvements. As Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS updates, we will have to wait and see if tvOS 14.0.2 does include user facing changes. We will update this post if anything of note is discovered.

To install tvOS 14.0.2 on Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to the…

Welcome to the September 2020 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which highlights what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis by members of the community - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

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Just a week after the release of iOS 14.0 to the public, Apple has today released iOS 14.0.1. This appears to be a bug fix release to address a small number of issues introduced in 14.0; including one where changing your default email client or web browser would be reset when you restarted your device.

As we have not had the opportunity to test iOS 14.0.1 ahead of today's release, we are unaware at this time if it brings any fixes to…

Apple has today released tvOS 14, bringing what at best can be described as small, incremental changes for the Apple TV.

For gamers, tvOS 14 brings quick game resume with multi-user support, similar to features on the PS4 and Xbox One, that let you jump right back into a game where you left off, and new support for the Xbox Elite Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers.

Picture-in-picture support has been expanded as well. Now users can use fitness apps while watching live TV…

Apple has today released watchOS 7, bringing a new Sleep app, new watch faces, the ability to use more than one complication from an app on the same face, face configuration sharing, handwashing tracking, Family Setup, and more.

Here are the highlights.

Sleep App

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of your health. With watchOS 7, Apple Watch now uses its accelerometer to notice the subtle movements associated with breathing and differentiate between sleeping…

Fall is almost here, and in the year of unpredictability, we have something which remains consistent. iOS 14.0 is out the same week it has been in previous years. It will have a significant number of enhancements for users of the iPhone 6s and newer, as well as the iPod 7th generation. Mainstream changes include the ability to put widgets on the Home screen, an App Library, enhancements to Messages, new privacy settings, and many more. A lot of outlets will be covering these features in…

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 have been released to the public. This post contains details of the VoiceOver, low vision, and braille bugs which we believe have been introduced in these releases; as well as details of the pre-existing bugs which we believe to be resolved.

As is our routine practice, each new bug has been given a severity rating; these ratings are based upon what we believe to be the implications for accessing and using features and functionality and the level of impact on the…

The "Time Flies" Event

On September 15, Apple held its second all-digital major press event of the year, calling it "Time Flies". Ordinarily, the September event is where we get to see the latest iPhone, among other products. Even Apple isn't immune to the craziness of life in the year 2020, however; it seems we'll have to wait a bit longer for the new iPhone. Instead, today was about Apple Watch and iPad. It wasn't all hardware, though. We also got a new fitness…

Update #2: It's been confirmed that audio description will be available for the event when it airs (rather than a described version being made available later, which is what Apple typically does with live stream events).

The event starts at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. UTC.

How to watch

• Watch the official live stream on Apple’s YouTube channel.
• Watch on…

You tried Google Docs. You approached it like a web page, expecting to find controls with VO+Left and VO+Right, but nothing made sense. Or you approached it like a word processor but couldn't figure out even simple things like how to open menus. Me too. It was a frustrating experience.

Take a moment with me. Let's cry and scream together and smash our fists on the keyboard. And after that's over, let's teach this beast that we will not surrender. Together, we will learn Google Docs…

Apple has today released iOS 13.7, bringing a new COVID-19 “Exposure Notifications Express” system, which removes the need to install a separate third-party app.

In a quote provided to The Verge, Apple described this new notification system as:

... the next step in our work with public health authorities on Exposure Notifications,…

Welcome to the August 2020 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which highlights what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis by members of the community - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

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