In all likelihood, Apple won’t acknowledge the existence of iOS 27 until WWDC 2026, but that doesn’t mean the company is saving all of its iOS 27 announcements until then. On Tuesday, Apple published a press release announcing several new accessibility features coming “later this year.” Although Apple did not specify, it almost certainly means that they will come with iOS 27.
Apple has a good track record when it comes to accessibility features, and it usually announces new accessibility updates before WWDC. But this year feels a little different: While these features will indeed benefit users with limitations or special needs, Apple also advertises them as “powered by Apple Intelligence.” This is almost certainly the company’s way of signaling to the tech community (as well as investors) that it continues to take AI seriously, especially after two years of meltdowns and setbacks. Furthermore, many of these features seem broadly useful, whether you “need” them or not.
You can use voice control with natural language
Perhaps the most universally useful new upgrade is Voice Control. While Apple currently lets you use Voice Control to navigate your iPhone with spoken commands, Apple Intelligence will let you use Voice Control with natural language. This means that instead of telling Voice Control to tap an input on a certain grid number, you can say “Open the yellow folder” in Files, or “Tap the best restaurant guide” in Maps.
This is going to be huge for users who rely on voice control to use their iPhone or iPad. But it also shows that Apple intelligence has advanced to the point where any of us can control these devices with our voice. If you need to use your iPhone hands-free for any reason—say, you want to check a recipe while you’re cooking—then instead of washing your hands, you can direct your iPhone with your voice, find the right recipe, then wash your hands again.
Add subtitles to individual videos
Apple says that with its future updates, Apple Intelligence will be able to caption videos whenever subtitles are not present. This can work on a clip you watch online that doesn’t have subtitles, or on a video you filmed yourself. This will happen automatically on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, and Apple says the entire process is processed privately on the device (although this can be turned on or off).
Voiceover and Magnifier
Credit: Apple
Apple says that later this year, VoiceOver and Magnifier will be able to describe what’s going on on your screen — which when paired with the camera means your phone will be able to describe what’s going on around you. You’ll be able to get details of photos, bills, records, and whatever else you feed it using the “Image Explorer” in VoiceOver. With Live Recognition, Apple Intelligence will be able to describe what’s happening in the camera’s view, similar to how competing products like Gemini Live work. At that point, Apple says you’ll also be able to ask follow-up questions “in your own words,” which makes the experience more like a back-and-forth rather than constantly pinging the Assistant.
The magnifier option makes it easier for users with low vision to see certain elements up close. However, after the upgrade, when hovering Magnifier’s camera over a document or receipt, you’ll also be able to ask Apple Intelligence questions about the subject. For example, you might ask “How much is the bill?” And get the complete answer with references. You can also use voice commands to take actions like “zoom in” or “turn on flashlight.”
What do you think so far?
Apple is improving Accessibility Reader
Credit: Apple
Apple’s Accessibility Reader can make body text easier to read with customizable fonts, backgrounds, layouts, and colors. Now, with Apple Intelligence, Accessibility Reader will work on “more complex source content.” It contains scientific articles, text printed in several columns, as well as images and data tables. This feature will also offer a summary, so you can get the gist of the content before reading further.
Apple Vision Pro accessibility updates are also coming
Credit: Apple
Apple also has some new Vision Pro upgrades coming this fall. First, the company is adding a new wheelchair control feature to the headset, which will allow users in power wheelchairs to control their wheelchair with eye movements. Additionally, Apple announced that vehicle motion cues are coming to the headset. This feature, which was previously iOS-exclusive, adds moving dots on the display to counteract the effects of motion sickness. It will be interesting to see if this can help deal with the motion sickness that sometimes occurs when using the Apple Vision Pro in a moving vehicle. Finally, users will have new options to perform taps and system actions through facial gestures.
Other accessibility updates are in the works
In addition to the above, Apple is adding the following accessibility options in iOS 27:
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Sony Access controller support for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS
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Touch Accommodations will support a “new way to personalize setup” in iOS and iPadOS
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Hearing aids built for the iPhone are in the works that can pair and work between your Apple devices, like AirPods — which are also FDA-approved hearing aids
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Apple is adding larger text support to tvOS
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Name recognition expanding to more than 50 languages
