Apple has today released iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, bringing changes to how software updates are installed, changes to the Health and News apps, and support for Car Key - a feature which allows an iPhone or an Apple Watch to be used to unlock an NFC-enabled vehicle.
We are currently unaware of any changes, fixes or regressions in these releases for blind or low vision users. If you encounter any during your own use of the software, please let us know by posting a comment below.
According to Apple's release notes via MacRumors,, iOS 13.6 includes the following changes:
iOS 13.6 adds support for digital car keys, introduces audio stories in Apple News+, and contains a new symptoms category in the Health app. This release also includes bug fixes and improvements.
Digital car keys
- Unlock, lock, and start your compatible car with your iPhone
- Securely remove digital keys from a lost device via iCloud
- Share digital keys easily with iMessage
- Driver-specific profiles so you can configure shared keys for full-access or restricted driving
- Power reserve lets you unlock and start your car for up to five hours after iPhone runs out of battery
Apple News
- Audio stories are professionally narrated versions of some of the best reads from Apple News+, selected and produced by the Apple News editors as part of your Apple News+ subscription
- Apple News Today is a new, free audio briefing on the day's top stories from the Apple News editors, also available in the Podcasts app
- A new Audio tab makes it easy to find Apple News Today and Apple News+ audio stories
- CarPlay allows you to listen to Apple News Today and Apple News+ audio stories while on the road
- Local news in your Today feed provides extensive coverage of San Francisco, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York City
- More stories available from local news providers with a subscription to Apple News+
- Your daily newsletter from Apple News can now be personalized with stories that reflect your interests
Health
- New category for symptoms in the Health app, including symptoms logged from Cycle Tracking and ECG
- Ability to log new symptoms, like fever, chills, sore throat or coughing, and share them with third-party apps
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.
- Adds a new setting to choose if updates automatically download to your device when on Wi-Fi
- Addresses an issue that could cause apps to become unresponsive when syncing data from iCloud Drive
- Fixes an issue that could cause data roaming to appear to be disabled on eSIM even though it remained active
- Fixes an issue that causes some phone calls from Saskatchewan to appear as originating from the United States
- Addresses an issue that could interrupt audio when making phone calls over Wi-Fi Calling
- Fixes an issue that prevented some iPhone 6S and iPhone SE devices from registering for Wi-Fi Calling
- Resolves an issue that could cause the software keyboard to appear unexpectedly when connected to certain third-party hardware keyboards
- Fixes an issue that could cause Japanese hardware keyboards to be incorrectly mapped as a U.S. keyboard
- Addresses stability issues when accessing Control Center when Assistive Touch was enabled
- Provides a mechanism for administrators to specify domains to exclude from traffic carried by always-on VPN connections
iOS and iPadOS 13.6 are available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update) via Finder on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, or via iTunes on a PC or Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier.
Before updating, we strongly recommend making a full and complete backup of your device (either in Finder, iTunes or iCloud, depending on personal preference). This will ensure that, in the unlikely event that something goes wrong during the update process, you will have a current backup on hand in case a device restore becomes necessary. Also, if using OTA update, we recommend plugging your device into a power source for the duration of the download/installation process, so as to prevent the unlikely event of your battery going dead during the update.
More information on how to update the software on your iOS or iPadOS device is available on this Apple Support page.
Comments
"Back" button disappears in News articles using VoiceOver
One regression I've noticed and reported to apple accessibility is that when reading an article in the News app with VoiceOver, one can no longer find the "Back" button at the top left of the screen by sliding one's finger up the left side of the screen or flicking left any number of times.
I did find that if I switched to another app or the home screen and then returned to the article I was reading, then I could easily find the "Back" button to return to the list of News articles.
Apple Accessibility said they would forward my comment. As an alternative to closing the article and getting back to the list of articles they suggested using a two finger scrub. That does seem to work.
--Pete
getting it
I am downloading it.
Back button
FYI. I do not have that bug. Went to news, 2 articles and top of left heard back button and got out from both articles.
Be careful
Hello everyone. I’d advise caution when it comes to using this version. I tested the gm and some wonderful gentleman on here had to help me downgrade. Because when deleting text, my phone made the sound it does when you get to the end of the page and can’t go any further. This can be very confusing because it makes you think it’s not deleting anything. Also, it does the same thing when you send a message. I’ve not yet reported it to Apple accessibility because I’m not sure how
deleting.
I sent a message and needed to delete several misspell words. I did heard the sound but VO read each letter I deleted.
I downloaded to 13.6 and …
I downloaded to 13.6 and like the previous poster said above, when I delete text with the delete button it does make the can't go any further sound, but it does tell what I am deleting as well. Whether that's a letter or space.
apple accessibility.
The email is: accessibility@apple.com.
thank you so much for this,…
thank you so much for this, I'm updating right away.
:)
hi same here.. I hear the…
hi
same here..
I hear the sound but was able to delete it..
So Far So Good Here...
I just got this update last night, but my phone shut off instead of restarting. I had to press and hold the power button, and after awhile I was prompted to enter my passcode. Everything seems to be smooth sailing on my end, but that powering off was a bit interesting. Don't exactly know what caused it to happen. I've explored a bit and like it. I think I'll start tracking my steps again and perhaps then I'll find this new symptoms thing.
So far so good pretty much.
Everything was pretty much good here. Smooth sailing getting it too.
However, like a lot of you, I am experiencing that delete thing too. With mine it makes that sound but it will delete stuff. and tell me what it is deleting. So for me, it’s really more of an annoyance than a bug. But compared to some of the other annoyances and bugs that we’ve had to deal with, and I’ve had to deal with, I will gladly put up with this one. As long as it doesn’t stop deleting stuff.
What I’d like to know, is I have a question about the software updates. I have automatic updates turned on. How would I get the update if I turn off downloading it over Wi-Fi? Because I have a Wi-Fi only device. But, I’m thinking of turning the setting on. But I would just like to know what I’m getting into first before I do that.
I can’t wait to check out the today in headlines podcast though! Since I do like to be kept abreast of current events.
As for the news app, this is exactly why I switched to using Google news for my news. Because it seems like every update they change something about the Apple news app. And I mean everything from making the share button harder to find, to not having voiceover tell you what stories you have and haven’t read. At least for as long as I’ve been using Google news, everything has pretty much stayed the same. And everything Or at least 98 to 99% of things, can be completed by using the action setting in the rotor!
And you still have the 100% Accessibility! I also use smart news as well. But for my primary, I use Google news. In Not only that, but everything has stayed the same. No interface changes.
Deleting text working…
Deleting text working normally for me.
hi just to confirm, aren't…
hi
just to confirm, aren't you hearing the end reached sound of VO which plays to indicate there is nothing at screen?
Same Here!
I to seem to get the noise when deleting characters, but like many, it seems to be deleting the text.
I would still suggest to report this to Apple Accessibility though, but this isn't really a major killer. It's more of a nuissance really.
update
Now you have 2 buttons in customize, in update. Download and install. If you just pick download, it will not install it and will let you know that you have update that you can install. I think that how it works. Regarding news, I am able to share articles and go back. No issues.
apple spam
almost every day, the news app keeps prompting me to sign up for their overpriced news+, how long are they going to keep doing this?
Gugs
It looks like the bugs regarding leaving an article is showing on my iOS 13.6. When I go to read an article, the back button sometimes does not show up. It comes and goes. Did not have this issues for several days until recently. Strange.
Same here with the delete bug
Same here with the delete bug. I turned my device off and then back on again after I had to unplug it. And the bug one away. And then I turn voiceover off to show something to someone on my iPad. And the bug came back.
And so far it hasn’t gone away again yet. It’s not a real showstopper or dealbreaker. It’s just annoying. As well as strange.
There was one issue though that kept coming up a little bit last night, and a little bit during the day yesterday. But it seems to of worked itself out for now. I would go to hide the keyboard, and whatever app I was typing and crashed. Last night it was doing it with the Facebook app. But it only did it with one thing. And then after that It was OK once I close the app and restarted it. I’m definitely keeping an eye on it though just in case.
Please tell Apple accessibility
The only way for the bags to be solved is if we keep telling Apple accessibility. So please do.
I see the bug well at least…
I see the bug well at least on my end is back where if I'm on a phone call and a text comes through voiceover reads that entire text even though I don't have speak notifications on. I was trying to schedule a paratransit trip today and got a text and couldn't hear the reservationist because of this. Very annoying! Apple for the love of god fix these bugs permanetly! Yes I will be contacting apple and it is getting harder and harder to be nice to them because the once fixed bugs keep coming back.
I downloaded 13.6 yesterday…
I downloaded 13.6 yesterday and I have not encountered this delete bug.
Battery level for Bluetooth earbuds gone.
I just upgraded from 12.4.1 to 13.6 this weekend. The battery level for my Bluetooth earbuds (Miccus Stealth) disappeared from the status bar. Accessibility support told me it was in the control center. I told her it isn’t there. She told me to add it from Settinggs > Control Center > Customize. It isn’t there either.
check battery widget
Hopefully you can still get the information through the batteries widget.
Bluetooth battery level in battery widget
That works. Thank you!
hi
since a few days now, VO says "L O W," instead of 'low'
I don't know why.. but I just noticed it a while ago..
has anyone else faced it?
:)
funny bug if it is one :)
Voice
Hi there. What voice our you using? Because sometimes, certain bugs can affect different voices in different ways. Maybe try changing the voice, then see if you can reproduce the same bug. Hope that helps
hey I use Siri female US. I…
hey
I use Siri female US. I'll try what you told and revert if it is the same :)
thank you :)
hi I tried the same thing…
hi
I tried the same thing with Samantha enhanced. this issue does not repeat itself. however, I had only tried it with one voice.. so far, something's wrong with Siri female US.. im not sure though..
Have the deleting annoyance, on an SE device.
Like other fellows I also experiencing the annoyance of deleting characters.... Voice over do tell me what it is deleting, but it also producing the sound as if I were at the beginning of the text and there's nothing further to delete.
Those guys who are serious typers and really want to fix this, I have a work around for them:
go to: Settings > accessibility > voice over > audio > sounds
from here choose the Boundry reach and turn off the sound for it...
Of course this will also annoy you that it wont tell you now whether you reach at the end of the page or not, But I think you have to sacrifice one thing....
For me, turning it off is a big deal, So, I'm leaving it to default and reporting this bug to accessibility team right now.
Stay blessed!