On Tuesday, Apple announced several new accessibility features coming to MacOS later this year. The features will be part of MacOS 16, which will be revealed on WWDC25 on June 9.
The features are highlighted by a new Magnifying app With continuity camera -functionality. Mac users are already familiar with the continuity camera and its ability to use iPhone’s camera as a webcam. Now with the magnifying app, a Mac can use the iPhone camera (or any other USB camera) to view the environment and zoom in.
For example, users in a lecture hall can use the magnifying app and iPhone camera to get a closer look at a blackboard in the front of the room. The magnification will also be able to show more live session windows where a user can see a presentation and follow a book at the same time using Desk View. Brightness, contrast, color filters and perspective are adjustable, and views can be caught, grouped and stored to add to a later date.
The new one Accessibility reader is a system -covering feature to make text easier to read. Text can be adapted to color, font and distance, and users can also switch to spoken content. Since accessibility reader is system -covering, it can be used in any app, including the new magnification.
Other new accessibility features that come to macOS 16 include:
- Braille Access: Users can use a built-in app-launcher to open any app by typing with Braille screen input or a connected Braille device. Braille Access lets users note in Braille and do calculations using Nemeth Braille. Braille Ready Format (BRF) files can be opened directly from Braille Access. Live -image texts Integration gives users transcribe conversations directly on Braille screens.
- Background sounds: Can be personalized with new EQ settings, playback duration times and new actions for automations in shortcuts.
- Personal voice: Uses machine learning and artificial intelligence on one of the devices for a smoother, more natural-sounding voice. Support for Mexican Spanish will also be available.
- Vehicle movement signs: Available in the iPhone and comes to the Mac, this feature can help reduce movement disease when driving in a moving vehicle by displaying animated dots that correspond to a vehicle’s movements.
Vehicle movement signs can help prevent movement sickness at the times you use your Mac as a passenger on a bus, train or car.
Apple
Apple also updates iOS 19 and iPados 19 with several new accessibility features. Apple often uses the opportunity to show new accessibility features about a month before the WWDC head. Last year, the company highlighted eye tracking, Musikhaaptik and other features of iOS 18.