Getting Started With iOS and iPadOS

In this podcast from his series looking at some of what's new and notable in iOS 15, Thomas Domville Shows us how haptic feedback is now given to VoiceOver users when “No Item Discovered,” and tells us how it can be disabled.

On iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple has replaced the ‘notch’ that's been a feature of Face ID-equipped iPhones since the iPhone X with what it calls the Dynamic Island. The Dynamic Island is a small area of display pixels surrounding the pill-shaped cutout. It appears whenever your iPhone is unlocked, and changes size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications, and interactions such as music that’s playing, your timer, an AirDrop connection, and directions from Maps.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us how VoiceOver users locate the Dynamic Island and its contents.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville walks us through a new accessibility enhancement in iOS 16 that allows you to increase ‌Siri's pause time, which causes the voice assistant to wait a longer period for you to finish speaking.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville walks us through where to find and enable the iOS setting that prevents the side or lock button from ending calls.

Note that some in our community have recently reported issues with the side button not behaving as expected in regard to ending calls.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville demonstrates how in iOS 16 you are now able to recover deleted conversations in the native iOS Messages app. Note that this will only be possible for up to approximately 30 days after the conversation was deleted.

1. Open the Messages app and double-tap the Edit button.
2. From the menu that appears, double-tap Show Recently Deleted.
3. Select at least one conversation.
4. Double-tap the Recover button.
5. Double-tap Recover Messages from the confirmation dialog.
6. Double-tap the Done button.

Alternatively, the VoiceOver rotor can be used to recover or permanently delete a conversation.

New to the iPhone with the release of iOS 16 is the ability to report SMS/MMS messages as junk. This expands on the built-in "Report Junk" feature in Messages that previously only let you report iMessages. Now you can use the same option to report an SMS/MMS message as junk, which will alert Apple and your network carrier and delete the message in question.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us how it works.

Note that availability of this feature will depend upon your region and carrier. This Apple Support page provides more information.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville discusses and demonstrates the relocation of the audio messages function in iOS 16. This is now accessed by a iMessage app in the Messages app dock, rather than a button next to the text field where you type your message.

New with iOS 16 is the ability to unsend sent iMessages. In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us how it works.

In this quick tip, Dave Nason shows us how to de-clutter your Safari tabs on iOS by having tabs close automatically after a period of time not being used.

In this podcast, Scott Davert demonstrates how to move apps around your various home screens with a braille display only using iOS 10 and higher. The process is the same for all displays that have a Perkins style keyboard paired with an iDevice. Moving apps to different pages, in to folders, and out of folders are covered.

In this podcast, AnonyMouse walks us through the process of setting up your iPhone for use with Apple Pay, the recently launched mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple that lets you make payments using your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.

Note: at the time of posting, this service is only available to US users.

In this short podcast, Graham Langford shares three quick tips on where you can use a 1-finger double-tap and hold (also known as a “long-press”) to be more efficient and productive on iOS.

1. Quickly access draft emails in the iOS Mail app with a “long-press” on the Compose button.
2. Quickly archive an email message with a “long-press” on the Delete button.
3. “Long-press” on the Delete key on the iOS keyboard to delete text faster - in some instances, the speed will increase incrementally with the amount of time you are holding the key.

Please post a comment to share your own tips on where “hidden” iOS features such as these make you more efficient and productive.

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to use the Text Selection Rotor to select text on iOS and iPadOS.

As an alternative to selecting text by expanding two fingers on the screen, you can use the rotor to easily and reliably select text by swiping. To do this, first add "Text selection" to the VoiceOver rotor if it isn't there already by going to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor > Rotor items, and double-tapping "text selection." Then, whenever you want to select text, focus on a block of text, turn the rotor to text selection, swipe up or down with one finger to choose the level you want to select by, then swipe left or right with one finger to select and deselect the text.

In this podcast, Scott Davert shares some tips on how to use the native iOS Mail app more effectively. These include selectively enabling Smart Mailboxes; which can be particularly useful when you have multiple email accounts.

In this podcast, Tunmi gives us a quick demonstration of how to use effects and apps in the iOS Messages app.

In this episode, Thomas Domville (also known as AnonyMouse) walks listeners through the new and customizable VoiceOver sounds and haptic feedback options introduced in iOS. Thomas highlights how these features can be especially helpful for users who experience sensory overload or prefer a more tailored accessibility experience.

Listeners will learn how to access, adjust, and personalize VoiceOver sound effects and haptics, including how to change volumes, intensities, and even toggle individual sounds on or off.

Key Points

• Introduction to VoiceOver sounds

  • Explanation of different tones and sound effects (e.g., navigation into Touch Containers).
  • Why customizing these effects can reduce sensory overload.

• Accessing the settings

In this post, we will discuss the importance of reporting accessibility-related bugs to Apple and the best way to do so.

AppleVis is a great platform for discussing VoiceOver, Braille, and low vision related issues in Apple products, allowing you to confirm with others if what you are experiencing is indeed a bug, find and share workarounds, and express your frustration. However, it's important to make sure that the Accessibility Team at Apple is aware of these bugs so they can address them in future software updates.

In this episode, Thomas Domville teaches you how to use Screen Recording on iOS and iPadOS.

Screen Recording is a feature that allows you to capture what's happening on your screen. This can be useful for creating tutorials, demos, or simply sharing something interesting with your friends and family.

To set up this feature, go to Settings > Control Center and double-tap the "Insert Screen Recording" button under the "more controls" heading. To create a recording, open Control Center by placing your finger on the top edge of the device until you hear a tone, and sliding it straight down until you hear the second tone (devices without a Home button) or placing your finger on the status bar and swiping up with three fingers (devices with a Home button). Double-tap the Screen Recording button; there will be a three-second countdown before recording starts.

Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed with and for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world by describing nearby people, text and objects.

Seeing AI provides tools to assist with a variety of daily tasks:

• Short Text - Speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera.

• Documents - Provides audio guidance to capture a printed page, and recognizes the text, along with its original formatting.

• Products - Scans barcodes, using audio beeps to guide you; hear the name, and package information when available.

• People - Saves people’s faces so you can recognize them, and get an estimate of their age, gender, and expression.

• Currency - Recognizes currency notes.

In this podcast, Dave Nason demonstrates setting up Face ID on the iPhone X with VoiceOver enabled.