Advancing Accessibility: iOS 18 and Android 16’s New Features
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)was established in 2012 to promote understanding and raise awareness of digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities or impairments. It takes place annually on the third Thursday of May – 15th May this year. The day encourages conversation, learning, action, and celebration to help make digital products and services more inclusive.
Ahead of GAAD, both Apple and Google have continued to roll out updates focused on accessibility. Apple’s iOS 18, released in September 2024, introduced a suite of powerful features designed to support users with a wide range of needs, from mobility and speech to sensory processing. The recent 18.4 update, released on 31 March 2025, builds on that foundation with a handful of refinements and smaller but meaningful improvements. Meanwhile, Google’s upcoming Android 16 is expected to bring its own set of enhancements later this year.
New Accessibility Features in iOS 18.4
iOS 18.4 adds a small set of updates that continue Apple’s long-standing commitment to accessibility and inclusive design. While these updates may seem subtle at first, they contribute to more seamless and customisable experiences for users who rely on assistive technologies.
Braille Display Enhancements
This update introduces the ability to perform an indefinite double-tap and hold gesture using a braille display. This may be particularly useful for tasks like recording audio messages or navigating audio content. The gesture is performed by pressing Space with dots 3-6-7-8, and released by repeating the same combination. While perhaps a small update it provides a significant improvement that gives users who rely on braille displays more fluid control and a richer, more intuitive interaction with audio-based features.
VoiceOver Improvements
Another small but thoughtful improvement in iOS 18.4 is VoiceOver’s verbosity settings. You now have more control over how and when VoiceOver announces the type of control currently in focus, such as a heading, link, or button. This can be especially helpful for tailoring the amount of spoken feedback to suit different preferences or contexts. The new setting is found under Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Verbosity > Controls. Here you can choose whether control types are spoken before the content, after it, or not at all.
Building on iOS 18’s Accessibility Foundation
While iOS 18.4 introduces several meaningful updates, it builds on a much broader foundation laid with the release of iOS 18 and its predecessors. That update, mentioned in a previous article marked a significant step forward in how users with disabilities can interact with their devices, introducing tools that are more adaptive, intuitive, and responsive to individual needs. In particular Eye Tracking, Vocal Shortcuts, Listen for Atypical Speech, and Music Haptics, demonstrate Apple’s continued focus on inclusive design across different types of impairment.
Eye Tracking
Eye Tracking enables users to control their iPhone or iPad using only their eyes. It uses the front-facing camera and on-device machine learning to allow for navigation, selection, and gesture-like actions. While this may not be as good as dedicated eye tracking systems, it offers an alternative means of interaction that’s integrated directly into the operating system, with no extra hardware required. The feature is available on devices with an A15 Bionic chip or later. This includes models such as the iPhone 12 and newer, as well as the iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (5th generation), and iPad Pro models released in 2021 or later.
Vocal Shortcuts
Vocal Shortcuts enable users to assign personalised, recorded sounds to trigger actions on their device—ideal for those with atypical speech patterns. It adds a layer of flexibility and independence for interacting with iOS using voice.
Listen for Atypical Speech
Another important addition in iOS 18 was enhanced support for recognising atypical speech. Similar to the work done through the Nuvoic project, this feature uses on-device machine learning to better understand speech patterns that fall outside typical voice profiles, enabling more reliable voice control for individuals with non-standard speech. While Apple’s approach is distinct, the inclusion of atypical speech recognition at the system level is a welcome move – reflecting a growing awareness of speech diversity within mainstream tech design.
Music Haptics
This new feature allows users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music through vibrations, using the iPhone’s Taptic Engine to reflect rhythm, tone, and the dynamic elements of a track. Rather than relying on audio output, Music Haptics translates the essence of a song into tactile feedback, offering a multisensory way to connect with music.
It works across a range of audio content, including streaming services, downloaded tracks, and third-party apps and requires no additional hardware. With this feature, users can feel the beat drop, rhythm shift, or swell of a chorus directly through their device. It’s particularly valuable not only for enjoyment, but also for enabling greater access to cultural and creative content for those who may not experience it through sound alone.
Music Haptics is currently available only on iPhones, specifically on iPhone 12 and newer models (excluding the third-generation iPhone SE). It’s not supported on iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac, as these devices don’t have the Taptic Engine technology required.
To enable the feature, users can go to Settings > Accessibility > Music Haptics, where it can be switched on with a simple toggle. Once activated, the iPhone will use subtle vibrations to mirror the structure and feel of the music, including tracks played through apps like Apple Music, Apple Music Classical, and Shazam.
While still in its early stages, Music Haptics is a promising step toward more inclusive, sensory-rich media experiences.
Accessibility in Android 16
While Apple continues to expand its accessibility features, Google is preparing to launch Android 16, which is expected to bring its own set of improvements later this year. Although the update hasn’t been released yet, developer previews and early announcements suggest that accessibility is also a key focus for the Android team.
One of the most anticipated additions is Auracast support for Bluetooth LE Audio hearing aids. This feature will allow users to stream audio from public spaces, such as announcements in transport hubs or presentations directly to their compatible hearing aids, creating a more inclusive experience in shared environments.
In addition to Auracast, Android 16 is also expected to bring enhancements to TalkBack and Live Captions. TalkBack, Android’s built-in screen reader, is set to receive performance and customisation improvements aimed at providing smoother navigation and more responsive interaction. Live Captions, which automatically generate on-screen subtitles for spoken content, will likely see expanded language support and better integration across apps and media sources. Together, these updates reflect Google’s continued commitment to making Android more usable and adaptable for people with vision, hearing, and language processing differences.
Final Thoughts
As Global Accessibility Awareness Day approaches, it’s encouraging to see both Apple and Google making continuous strides toward more inclusive technology. From hands-free navigation to haptic music, and from enhanced screen readers to better support for atypical speech, these updates reflect a welcome shift in how mainstream platforms are considering the needs of all users.
Whether refining existing features or introducing entirely new ones, each change marks a step forward. While there’s always more to be done, it’s worth acknowledging the growing momentum to develop more accessible and inclusive systems – continuously seeking to answer the question how our technologies can be made more inclusive, adaptable, and empowering for everyone.
As always, I am keen to hear about how you are using mobile, and other technology, and or even which accessibility features you find useful. If you would like to have a particular topic covered in the next newsletter, please let me know. Finally, please feel free to contact me if you have a question or need technical help and support.
Martin Pistorius
Karten Network Technology Advisor
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