[Updated: Fix On the Way] A Warning to Blind, DeafBlind, and Low Vision Users About Potential Loss of VoiceOver Speech in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26

Update, 09/18/2025: Apple has confirmed that they are aware of the issue and that it will be fixed in an upcoming software update. We will update this post as more information becomes available.

On occasions, blind, DeafBlind, and low vision users may lose VoiceOver speech after updating to iOS 26; either immediately after the update installs or upon a subsequent reboot of the device. If you use VoiceOver and have not already done so, we recommend that you do not install iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 until Apple resolves this issue.

At the outset, we must stress that the issue discussed in this post is not something that members of the AppleVis Editorial Team have personally experienced, and our understanding of the full nature and scope is limited. This issue also does not occur for everyone.

It is AppleVis' general practice to not post about issues that our team cannot personally validate; however, due to the seriousness and documented impacts for blind, DeafBlind, and low vision users, we feel that to not raise awareness of this issue would be doing a tremendous disservice to our community.

Shortly after the releases of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, we began receiving reports from the community from users who experienced a loss of VoiceOver speech--either immediately upon installing the update, or after rebooting the device at a point in the future. From what we have gathered, this issue appears to present itself only while on the Lock Screen after a device restart, and it has so far only been reported on devices that are passcode-protected.

When the issue occurs, impacted users report that there is no VoiceOver speech and that Siri is also unusable. We hypothesize that inability to use Siri is tied to the device being locked and requiring a passcode upon first restart, as this was the case on a properly-functioning device we tested.

There are multiple reported manifestations of this issue. While some reports have been from users who experienced a loss of speech immediately upon installing the iOS 26 update, multiple users have also reported that the issue presents itself only after the device is rebooted after a period of time; suggesting that perhaps the underlying issue may be with something unrelated to the update process. One user reported that VoiceOver was turned off upon installing the iPadOS 26 update on their M1 iPad Pro.

Once the device is unlocked, impacted users report that VoiceOver speech works normally. We are not aware of any reports of this issue occurring more than once for a particular user.

While we believe the reach of this issue is somewhat limited, it is nonetheless incredibly serious. As just one example of the impact of this issue, a member of our community shared how their iPhone 15 became unusable upon rebooting some time after installing iOS 26, with all attempts at troubleshooting being unsuccessful.

As the issue appears to resolve upon unlocking one's device, it is possible that disabling one's passcode and biometrics in advance may allow a user to bypass the lock screen and get to a point where VoiceOver works normally. The only other confirmed solutions have been (1) obtaining sighted assistance to unlock the device, or (2) absent sighted assistance, erasing the device with Find My and/or via a computer.

Apple is aware of these reports and is investigating. We recommend that users do not update to iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 until this issue is resolved. We call on Apple to uphold their long-standing commitment to accessibility for their blind, DeafBlind, and low vision customers by prioritizing and releasing a fix for this issue as a matter of great urgency.