Explore best practices for creating inclusive apps for users of Apple accessibility features and users from diverse backgrounds.

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Programmatically force VoiceOver to read parentheses for math expressions
How can I force VoiceOver to read parentheses for math expressions like this: Text("(2+3)×4") // VoiceOver: Two plus three, times four I’m looking for a way to have VoiceOver announce parentheses (e.g. “left paren”, “right paren”) without relying on NumberFormatter.Style.spellOut or .speechAlwaysIncludesPunctuation(), as both have drawbacks. Using .spellOut breaks braille output and Rotor › Characters menu by turning numbers and symbols into words. And .speechAlwaysIncludesPunctuation() makes VoiceOver overly verbose—for example, it reads “21” as “twenty hyphen one.” Is there a better way to selectively announce specific punctuation like parentheses while keeping numbers and symbols intact for braille and Rotor use?
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Jul ’25
System clock ancs notification is not sent on iPhone >= 14
I'm working on a ble connected device that use ancs and system clock to receive alarm notification events for earing impaired people. It used to work until iPhone 13 with latest iOS 18.x. Starting with iPhone 14 onward (iOS 18.x), system clock alarm notification is not sent anymore. Is There any reason for this to happening?. Is anyone aware of this behaviour? Any suggestion would be really appreciated. Cheers
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Jun ’25
accessibilityElements excludes the unlisted subviews – How to Fix?
I have a parent view containing 10 subviews. To control the VoiceOver navigation order, I set only a few elements in accessibilityElements. However, the remaining elements are not being focused or are completely inaccessible. Is this the expected behavior? If I only specify a subset of elements in accessibilityElements, does it exclude the rest? What’s the best way to ensure all elements remain accessible while customising the order?
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Apr ’25
The camera preview screen cannot be previewed in full screen
I downloaded the official camera sample code(https://developer.apple.com/tutorials/sample-apps/capturingphotos-camerapreview )it's a .swiftpm package and created a SwiftUI project. I copied the official sample code into this new project, build it, and ran it on an iPhone 13 for testing. I found that there were black empty areas on the top and bottom of the application interface, which means that the application interface cannot be previewed in full screen. I have tried many methods but cannot preview in full screen. How can I modify the code?
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201
Apr ’25
AssistiveTouch pointer cannot move past center of screen in landscape orientation on iPhone
Hello everyone, I’d like to report an issue I’ve encountered when using a Bluetooth mouse together with AssistiveTouch on iPhone running iOS 16.5. This has also been reported via Feedback Assistant with Feedback ID: FB17806167 Description: When using a Bluetooth mouse together with AssistiveTouch on iPhone (iOS), the pointer behaves incorrectly in landscape orientation. Specifically: The pointer cannot move past the center of the screen Horizontal and vertical (X/Y) movements appear to be swapped or misaligned Natural movement of the pointer is not possible It seems as if the internal coordinate mapping remains locked in portrait orientation, even when the device is physically rotated to landscape. This issue occurs system-wide, regardless of the current app. It is observable in Settings, on the Home screen, and in third-party apps. Steps to Reproduce: Enable AssistiveTouch Connect a Bluetooth mouse to the iPhone Rotate the device to landscape orientation Try moving the mouse pointer across the screen → Notice that: Pointer cannot move past the center Horizontal/vertical input is interpreted incorrectly (as if still in portrait) Expected Behavior: The mouse pointer should move across the entire screen correctly, regardless of device orientation. Actual Behavior: In landscape orientation, the pointer is either restricted to part of the screen or misaligned. It behaves as if the device is still in portrait. Horizontal mouse movement causes vertical pointer movement, and vice versa User experience feels broken and unintuitive Feature Suggestion: Please improve the synchronization between physical device orientation and AssistiveTouch pointer mapping on iOS. I also suggest exposing AssistiveTouch orientation control via a public API, so developers can help maintain consistent pointer behavior. Thanks in advance for any insights or suggestions. Best regards, Jannis
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Jun ’25
accessibilityActivationPoint Not Working When Set Directly on UITableViewCell
I’m trying to set the accessibilityActivationPoint directly on a UITableViewCell so that VoiceOver activate on a specific button inside the cell. However, this approach doesn’t seem to work. Instead, when I override the accessibilityActivationPoint property inside the UITableViewCell subclass and return the desired point, it works as expected. Why doesn’t setting accessibilityActivationPoint directly on the cell work, but overriding it inside the cell does? Is there a recommended approach for handling this scenario? The following approach works, override var accessibilityActivationPoint: CGPoint { get { return convert(toggleSwitch.center, to: nil) } set{ super.accessibilityActivationPoint = newValue } } but setting accessibility point directly not works private func configureAccessibility() { isAccessibilityElement = true accessibilityLabel = titleLabel.text accessibilityTraits = .toggleButton accessibilityActivationPoint = self.convert(toggleSwitch.center, to: self) accessibilityValue = toggleSwitch.accessibilityValue }
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Apr ’25
How to Receive Callbacks for UIAccessibilityAction Methods Like accessibilityPerformMagicTap()?
I’ve tried implementing the accessibilityPerformMagicTap() method in a specific UIViewController, its view, and even in AppDelegate, but I am not receiving any callbacks. I directly overrode this method in the mentioned areas, but it never gets triggered when performing a magic tap. How can I properly observe and handle the accessibilityPerformMagicTap() action?
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Mar ’25
Attempting to go directly to a help book page results in the main help book page being displayed instead
There is an issue with Help Books that started with the release of macOS 14.4. The issue is that when an app attempts to go directly to a Help Book page, the help viewer opens to the Help Book's main index page, rather than the specific page requested. As I investigated the issue I found that the requested page was actually part of help viewer's navigation history, and all I had to do was to click the Back navigation arrow and the requested page would be displayed. So it seems like the requested page is momentarily visited but is then (for whatever reason) quickly replaced by the main index page. Our app uses the AHGotoPage() API for directly accessing our Help Book's pages. This is the same mechanism/code that our app has used for more than a decade and has never caused us any issues. Everything works fine on macOS 14.3.0 and earlier. I've scoured the documentation and can't find any newer APIs for accessing Help pages. I've also tried various other things (e.g. reworking the code, creating new indexes for the app's Help, etc.), but none of it seems to make a difference. As far as I can tell, the issue seems to stem from some change made to the OS. So my questions are: Is this a known bug? And if so, is there any ETA on a fix? Is there something different we should be doing for newer versions of the OS (create indexes differently, use a different API, etc.)?
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2.0k
Oct ’25
Handling Keyboard Hotkeys and Shortcuts across Multiple Languages
We have a requirement to manage the shortcuts and hotkeys in our application, and have it to be intuitive and support multi-lingual fully. The understanding that we have currently is that most universal shortcuts and hotkeys on MacOS/iOS are expressed using English/Latin characters’ – and now, when a ‘pure foreign language physical or virtual keyboard’ is the ‘input device’ – we are unclear how the user would invoke such a hotkey. Now, considering cases where other language keyboards have no Latin characters, in these environments, managing shortcuts and hotkeys becomes a rather difficult task. Taking a very simple example, the shortcut for Printing a page is Command/Control + 'P'. This can be an issue on Non English character keyboards like Arabic, where not only are there no letters for P, there is also no equivalent phonetic character as well, since the language itself does not have it. Also – when we are wanting customizability of a hotkey by the user, how would the user express ‘which is the key combination for a given action they want to perform’. So, based on these conditions, in order to provide the most comprehensive and optimal experience for the user in their own language, what is it that Apple recommend we do here, for Hotkeys/Shortcuts support in Pure Languages
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1.1k
Dec ’25
Guided Access Mode From Background
My team is designing an app for retail associates that need to share managed iPads. We keep the app in Guided Access mode on our login app until an auth token is obtained. Then the iPad is opened for general use. Upon signout we need to re-enter guided access mode and we can do this via manual signout easily. But with idle signout, ie after 60 minutes of inactivity, we need to be able to make a call from the background (in a locked state even) and sign out the user, clear the pin code and enter single app mode before restarting. So that hopefully once the device restarts, we have the app in a locked state again until the next user provides credentials that can obtain a new auth token. We are struggling to see if this is even possible. Our bosses will be displeased if we tell them it isn't. So anybody with any tips would be very appreciated.
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Mar ’25
To say I'm extremely hurt is an understatement! 😔
Voice Control Disabling System Services After Reboot I recently learned from Apple Accessibility Support that the issue I’m experiencing with Voice Control is now affecting multiple users. When I first reported the problem, I appeared to be the first case—what you might call “patient zero.” I have provided extensive feedback and system logs, but now that the issue is more widespread, I have been told that I will not be informed of the cause or notified directly when a fix is found. Instead, updates will be released as solutions are identified, and support staff will not necessarily know the details of the underlying problem. To summarize my experience: after enabling Voice Control and rebooting my MacBook Pro (14.2-inch, M4 chip), critical Apple system services—including FaceTime, Apple Music, and News—stop functioning. Dictation remains available, but it is not as accurate or effective for my needs as Voice Control. I rely on these accessibility features daily due to my disability and cerebral palsy, and this issue has persisted for over five months. I have always valued contributing to the developer program and supporting Apple’s efforts to improve accessibility. However, I find it discouraging that there is no clear communication about the status of this issue or its resolution. My theory is that there may be a hardware interaction—perhaps between the neural engine and the new Wi-Fi chip—rather than a purely software problem. I understand that some information may not be immediately available, but I believe that users who rely on accessibility features should be kept informed about major issues and their progress toward resolution. I appreciate the dedication of the accessibility and development teams, and I want to continue supporting Apple’s mission of inclusion. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Donald Spencer Kirby Dayton, Ohio
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Jun ’25
[macOS 15.4] Game Controller Background Input Capture Broken - Accessibility App No Longer Functions
Our application, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gamecontroller-mapper/id6737088417 which maps game controller inputs to keyboard/mouse events system-wide, has stopped functioning properly after the macOS 15.4 update. Specifically, the app can no longer capture game controller inputs when running in the background, severely impacting its core functionality. Environment macOS version: 15.4 Previous working versions: All versions prior to 15.4 App type: Background utility with accessibility permissions Hardware: All game controller brands compatible with macOS Detailed Description Before macOS 15.4 Our application correctly captured game controller inputs from any brand connected to Mac and successfully translated them to keyboard/mouse events system-wide. Users could control any application (e.g., scrolling through documents in Preview using controller buttons) while our app ran in the background with the accessibility permissions granted. After macOS 15.4 The application only works when it has active focus (is in the foreground). When any other application gains focus, our app completely stops receiving or detecting any input events from the game controller while running in the background. For instance, pressing the 'down' button on the controller while another app is active results in no event being registered within our application. We've tried updating the app to work in accessory mode (in the menubar), but the issue persists. Steps to Reproduce Install our application on macOS 15.3 or earlier Grant accessibility permissions when prompted Connect a compatible game controller (e.g., Xbox or other controller) Open another application (e.g., Preview with a PDF document) Press buttons on the controller to navigate the document without touching the keyboard Expected result on 15.3: Controller inputs are translated to keyboard events, even when our app is in the background Upgrade to macOS 15.4 Repeat steps 2-5 Actual result on 15.4: Controller inputs are only translated to keyboard events when our application has focus Technical Implementation Our app uses: CGEvent.tapCreate() to create a global event tap CGEvent for simulating keyboard and mouse events GCController.extendedGamepad?.valueChangedHandler for detecting controller inputs Proper NSAccessibilityUsageDescription and appropriate entitlements GCController.shouldMonitorBackgroundEvents = true to ensure controller events continue when the app is inactive Possible Relation to Recent Changes We noticed in the macOS 15.4 Release Notes: Game Controller - Resolved Issues: Fixed: Game controllers might stop responding when accessibility features, such as Voice Over, are enabled. (141497799) We suspect this fix might have introduced a regression or intentional limitation affecting applications like ours that rely on background event simulation with game controller input. Impact This change severely impacts: Applications designed to use game controllers as assistive input devices for users who may have difficulty using traditional keyboard and mouse inputs Applications for media control, presentation navigation, and other similar use cases Users who rely on our application for accessibility purposes Questions Is this an intentional security change or an unintended side effect of the controller fix mentioned in the release notes? Are there any new APIs or alternative approaches we should implement to restore functionality? If this is a system bug, when can we expect a fix? We would greatly appreciate any guidance on how to restore our application's functionality. Thank you for your assistance.
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Apr ’25
MacOS Sequoia support for VoiceOver AppleScript automation
We are unable to programmatically enable AppleScript automation for VoiceOver on macOS 15 (Sequoia) In macOS 15, Apple moved the VoiceOver configuration from: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.VoiceOver4/default.plist to a sandboxed path: ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceOver/Library/Preferences/com.apple.VoiceOver4/default.plist Steps to Reproduce: Use a macOS 15 (ARM64) machine (or GitHub Actions runner image with macOS 15 ARM). Open VoiceOver: open /System/Library/CoreServices/VoiceOver.app Set the SCREnableAppleScript flag to true in the new sandboxed .plist: plutil -replace SCREnableAppleScript -bool true ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceOver/Library/Preferences/com.apple.VoiceOver4/default.plist Confirm csrutil status is either disabled or not enforced. Attempt to control VoiceOver via AppleScript (e.g., using osascript voiceOverPerform.applescript). Observe that the AppleScript command fails with no useful output (exit code 1), and VoiceOver does not respond to automation.
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311
Jun ’25
Developer Mode Restart without HomeButton
After enabling Developer Mode on my iPhone and restarting it, the device asks me to press the Home button to confirm. Unfortunately, my Home button is broken, so I can’t access Developer Mode. The iPhone itself still works, but I can’t enable the mode. Is there any way to bypass this without the Home button?
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Mar ’25
AVSpeechSynthesisProviderVoice audioFileSettings field
Hello, the AVSpeechSynthesisVoice has a audioFileSettings attributes let utterance = AVSpeechUtterance(string: text) utterance.voice = AVSpeechSynthesisVoice(identifier: voiceSelected!) print("- voice \(utterance.voice!.audioFileSettings)") ["AVLinearPCMIsBigEndianKey": 0, "AVLinearPCMIsFloatKey": 1, "AVLinearPCMIsNonInterleaved": 1, "AVNumberOfChannelsKey": 1, "AVSampleRateKey": 22050, "AVFormatIDKey": 1819304813, "AVLinearPCMBitDepthKey": 32] This is declared in AVSpeechSynthesisVoice { ... @available(iOS 13.0, *) open var **audioFileSettings:** [String : Any] { get } @available(iOS 17.0, *) open var voiceTraits: AVSpeechSynthesisVoice.Traits { get } } How can we specify the audioFileSettings attributes in a AVSpeechSynthesisProviderVoice ? Cause in AVSpeechSynthesisProviderVoice there is no such field AVSpeechSynthesisProviderVoice { open var name: String { get } open var identifier: String { get } open var primaryLanguages: [String] { get } open var supportedLanguages: [String] { get } open var voiceSize: Int64 open var version: String open var gender: AVSpeechSynthesisVoiceGender open var age: Int } Regards
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Mar ’25