Apple unveils new accessibility features, and updates powered by Apple Intelligence

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PRESS RELEASE May 19, 2026

With Apple Intelligence, detailed descriptions and natural language navigation are coming to features such as VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility ReaderApple also announced new features for controlling power wheelchairs with Apple Vision Pro and generating subtitles across the Apple ecosystem, all coming later this year

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed a suite of accessibility updates that use Apple Intelligence to bring new capabilities to features users rely on every day, including VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader.1 Apple also announced on-device generated subtitles for uncaptioned video content coming to the Apple ecosystem, as well as a new feature for Apple Vision Pro users to control compatible wheelchairs with their eyes. These new features, as well as updates using Apple Intelligence, are coming later this year. And starting today, the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone — an adaptive MagSafe accessory designed with accessibility at the core — is available in three vibrant new colors on the Apple Store online.

VoiceOver and Magnifier Can Explore More

A Mac screen displaying a source document with a complex layout and small text. The Mac screen showing the document reformatted by Accessibility Reader with larger, clearer text in a single column.

Generated Subtitles for Video

While captioning solutions are increasingly common for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, subtitles for spoken dialogue are rarely available for personal videos, content shared by friends and family, and other media. With new generated subtitles, videos can display transcriptions of spoken audio automatically when captions or subtitles are not already provided, including in clips recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online. With on-device speech recognition, subtitles are generated privately and appear automatically for uncaptioned videos on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. The appearance of subtitles can be customized in the video playback menu or in Settings.4

Additional Updates

Vehicle Motion Cues come to visionOS, which can help reduce motion sickness for people who use Apple Vision Pro as a passenger in a moving vehicle. Vision Pro will also support face gestures for performing taps and system actions, plus a new way to select elements with one’s eyes while using Dwell Control.

Touch Accommodations provide a new way to personalize setup in iOS and iPadOS.

Made for iPhone hearing aids pair and hand off between Apple devices more reliably, with an improved setup experience in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

Larger Text support is coming to tvOS, so viewers who have low vision can increase onscreen text size to be easier to read.

The Apple TV interface shows a menu for the show “Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” with the standard text size. The Apple TV interface shows a control for increasing the text size. The Apple TV interface shows a menu for the show “Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” with a larger text size.

Name Recognition, which can notify users who are deaf or hard of hearing if someone says their name, works across more than 50 languages globally.

For sign language interpretation app developers, a new API supports users in adding a human interpreter to an ongoing FaceTime video call.

Those with difficulty interacting with traditional controllers can now connect the Sony Access controller as a game controller with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Users can configure the thumbstick, nine built-in buttons, and up to four additional external buttons or specialty switches to personalize layout. They can also combine two controllers for a deeply personalized gaming experience.

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Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115. VoiceOver and Magnifier should not be relied upon in circumstances where one could be harmed or injured, in high-risk situations, for navigation, or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Voice Control powered by Apple Intelligence will be available in English in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia. Generated subtitles will be available in English in the U.S. and Canada. The feature and Apple Vision Pro are intended for use in controlled environments. For more information, visit support.apple.com/en-us/118507. A wired connection requires the purchase of the Apple Vision Pro Developer Strap. Customers can purchase the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone on apple.com in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the U.S.