Apple has announced new features for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. Many of them are designed for people with disabilities — visual, hearing and cognitive disabilities.

On the devices of the Cupertino company, the Personal Voice option will appear to create a "copy" of the user's voice. To do this, you will need to take a 15-minute test with special tips on an iPhone or iPad.

It will be paired with Live Speech ("Live Speech"). As the name implies, this is a voice-over of the text. Users will be able to type a message, and the system will voice it. For example, during a call.

At first, both functions will work only with English and on devices with Apple processors.

The Assistive Access mode will also appear on the iPhone and iPad. This is a set of basic functions (camera, messages, calls, photos and music) combined into one application.

The function offers a customizable interface, as well as enlarged icons and text labels. For example, for users who prefer visual communication, "Messages" provides a keyboard with emojis only, as well as fast recording and sending video messages.

A "magnifying glass" will receive new functions, which allows you to use the camera as a magnifying glass. She will learn to recognize small text symbols and read them out loud. For example, on the buttons of the microwave. The extension will be available in several languages at once: English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Ukrainian.

Additional functions:

Hearing-impaired users will be able to connect hearing aids created for the iPhone directly to the Mac and configure them.
Phonetic prompts for text editing will appear in Voice Control so that users typing text by voice can select the desired word from several options.
Users with disabilities and motor disabilities using Switch Control will be able to turn any switch into a virtual game controller to play directly on the iPhone and iPad.
It will be easier for visually impaired users to adjust the text size in Mac applications such as Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar and Notes.
It will be possible to automatically pause images with moving elements on devices, for example, GIF files - in messages and Safari.
Siri's voice will become more natural, and the speed of her speech can be adjusted — from 0.8x to 2x.

All these options will be available by the end of 2023.

And already today, Apple Music and Apple Maps have added the ability to search for concerts. There are 40 new guidebooks in "Maps", which were prepared by the editors of the music service. With their help, you can find "the best places to listen to live music". So far, the option is available only in some cities of the USA, Europe, Mexico, Japan and Australia.