UPDATE: American Printing House for the Blind (APH) has issued a warning that there are connection issues for the Mantis and Chameleon braille displays after upgrading to iOS 14.4; and recommend that you turn off automatic updates and do not upgrade until a resolution has been found:
The basic issue is that once you upgrade to 14.4, as soon as you lock your iPad or iPhone with the Mantis or Chameleon connected, the braille display will not automatically reconnect once you wake the device back up. You can force it to reconnect by leaving the terminal and reconnecting from there but then you won’t get braille. The only way to get braille back is to toggle Bluetooth on the iOS device but the issue will happen again as soon as you lock your device or it goes to sleep.
Another way that this issue can manifest is if you don’t lose your connection but use the braille display to wake up the iOS device, you can successfully wake it up and regain your connection but you will stop receiving braille. Regardless of how the issue appears, it is best to avoid it altogether by not upgrading to 14.4.
We are currently unaware of whether this issue is specific to the two braille displays mentioned in the APH warning, or if other braille displays are also effected. If you have any information on this, please let us know by posting a comment below.
It's incredibly disappointing that braille users have been hit yet again by a bug that significantly impacts upon their ability to use Apple hardware.
A review of our bug tracker shows that more than 80% of the braille-related bugs we have reported have been rated as either serious or moderate. This compares to 45% for all other bug categories. 36% of the braille-related bugs were rated as serious, compared to 8% of bugs for all other categories. However, not only does our bug tracker highlight how braille-related bugs are more likely to be significantly impactful for braille users; it also indicates that they typically take longer to be resolved by Apple.
It's time for this to change if Apple is to stand behind its stated commitment to accessibility.
Apple continues to demonstrate that its internal testing and prioritisation of braille support is simply not up to the task. If they can't change this internally, then they need to contract an organisation such as APH or Blind Institute to handle testing; and for Apple to put in place better mechanisms for acting on the information that comes from that testing And from the reports of braille users themselves.
If it can't do better by its customers who use and rely on braille, then Apple's recent announcement that its executives' bonuses will Be tied to their performance with respect to accessibility and the company's other core values would seem to be nothing more than meaningless public relations ‘fluff’.
ORIGINAL POST: Apple has today released iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4, which–alongside the usual bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements–bring a new Direct Touch accessibility setting, support for recognizing smaller QR codes in the Camera app, as well as the option to classify Bluetooth device types in Settings.
When navigating to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor Actions you will now find a new section named Direct Touch Apps, from where you can enable Direct Touch on an app-by-app basis. This should remove the need with apps such as Flicktype to enable Direct Touch each time you use the app (or, in the case of Flicktype, its keyboard).
To complement this new setting, Apple has also added Direct Touch to the list of items that can be added or removed from the VoiceOver rotor at Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor.
For those unfamiliar with Direct Touch, it's a way in which developers can tell VoiceOver to ignore touch events in part or all of an app's screen so that the app can handle those touch events directly. Examples include virtual instruments, exploring a map by touch, interpreting touches and gestures in a game, and so on.
For owners of a HomePod mini and a newer model iPhone equipped with a U1 chip, this update to iOS and the HomePod software update also released today introduce a new Handoff experience when transferring audio between the two devices. AppleInsider describes how the new Handoff works:
As you bring your phone near the HomePod mini, the light atop the speaker will start dim and small and slowly start to glow brighter and brighter as it gets closer. Simultaneously, your phone will start vibrating. The vibration increases in intensity as the devices move closer together.
As you start bringing them together, a status bar will appear at the top of your phone's display. It shows an icon of the HomePod mini, the name, and the location of the device. You can tap it to manually pass over your audio or continue moving the devices closer. Once you do bring the devices close enough, the light will flash on the HomePod mini and your audio will transfer from your iPhone to the HomePod or vice versa.
Once it does transfer the audio, a new card will pop onto your phone that shows the large album art, currently playing track, audio controls, and an AirPlay button for rerouting audio.
If you have a HomePod mini and a U1-equipped iPhone, please share your thoughts below on the new handoff experience for VoiceOver users.
Bugs
Our testing suggests that no pre-existing accessibility bugs have been resolved in iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4.
Aside from the aforementioned issues with Mantis and Chameleon displays, we are aware of one new bug for blind and low vision users in these releases.
- When composing a message in a new conversation in the Messages app and using Braille Screen Input, VoiceOver does not speak words deleted if deleting by word with 2-finger flick left. This behaviour does not appear to occur when composing a reply to an existing conversation or in other apps or across the operating system.
As we always stress, we can make no claims on the completeness or accuracy of our testing. We are only a small team, and it is simply impossible for us to test all devices, configurations, applications, and use cases. Accordingly, to help us ensure that the information on this page is as complete and accurate as possible, please let us know in the comments of any fixes; enhancements; or regressions that you find in your own use of iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4.
iOS 14.4 Release Notes
iOS 14.4 includes the following improvements for your iPhone:
- Smaller QR codes can be recognized by Camera
- Option to classify Bluetooth device type in Settings for correct identification of headphones for audio notifications
- Notifications for when the camera on your iPhone is unable to be verified as a new, genuine Apple camera in iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max
This release also fixes the following issues:
- Image artifacts could appear in HDR photos taken with iPhone 12 Pro
- Fitness widget may not display updated Activity data
- Typing may be delayed and word suggestions may not appear in the keyboard
- The keyboard may not come up in the correct language in Messages
- Audio stories from the News app in CarPlay may not resume after being paused for spoken directions or Siri
- Enabling Switch Control in Accessibility may prevent phone calls from being answered from the Lock Screen
How to update
iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 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 locally or in 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 device is available on this Apple Support page.
As always, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on these updates. Do you like the new features and changes? Let us know by adding a comment below.
Comments
HomePod Mini Hand-Off Feature
After updating, I gave this a try and, sure enough, it worked as advertised. Started moving my iPhone 11 near my Mini and I'd say about a foot away, started feeling a constant buzz on my iPhone, then the haptic changed the closer you got, until it switched over to the Mini.
Do keep in mind that once it's handed off to the Mini, I wasn't able to perform the same gesture to hand it back off to my iPhone. I had to select the audio destination on the pop up screen and change it back to my iPhone.
But I'm glad to say that the new hand off function does work fine, well both times I did it.
Will play with it some more to get used to the process.
Thanks and Kudos
Applevis folks rock. Thank you for the valuable info. :-)
I didn't submit any bug…
I didn't submit any bug reports as I don't own a braille display, however those of us who are testing, did you manage to submit this before this got pushed out to the public? I hope so?
Direct Touch is a Winner
I just set up direct touch for a couple of games, and while it's not a crucial issue, it sure makes things easier and more fun.
I was texting with a friend…
I was texting with a friend last night and I noticed that when you want to catch up with messages in the conversation, and your friend is typing, Voiceover will stop reading the message and inform you that X is typing. Very annoying, but so far, that's my only complaint. BSI issues don't appear to have been fixed yet, but for me they're merely a nuisance.
Has anyone else dealt with this?
I found that when composing a message in the mail app, sometimes when I cancel the draft, as in saying I don't want it anymore, the one draft in progress bar appears at the bottom of my screen and refuses to go away. I reported it, but it didn't seem to get fixed
post on composing message and it remaining as draft When cancel
I also have experienced this. I've found the only way to get rid of it is to simply send the blank message to myself instead of where it was originally supposed to go because otherwise the draft simply can't be deleted, at least not that I have been able to figure out.
Bugs are not exclusive to Apple
Hi Everyone,
I agree that the lack of fixes in this update is disappointing, but I would like to point out that the latest Windows 10 update is a prime example of major opperating system updates being released without major testing, and ironicly I haven't scene any posts on Microsofts forum regarding accessibility.
My point is, people are complaining about things not being fixed, ranting about Apple staff not doing their jobs, but it would be more helpfull for said posters to troubleshoot workarounds and then post them here.
Of course not all issues are fixable, the Braille display one being an example, but in all the negativity I kind of think people are loseing the point of forums such as this.
I, for one am glad that this comunity exists.
When I was growing up, in the late 90's, there was no help/advice/anything for blind people anywhere, in the US, UK or anywhere else.
From Me, Thank you to all the people that have worked tirelessly on all resources, reviews and blogs on this site.
Sincerely,
Melissa Cox.
My two cents
Having done customer service for twenty years, it's how you treat the CSR. If you ome with swearing and such, they don't want to help you. But, if you talk to them professionally, they will help you. I notice that sometimes my braille display and Voiceover can't keep up with my typing. I'm using Focus 14 5th generation braille display and it works just fine. The only thing I can suggest is that people keep contacting Appe Accessibility with the issue with their particular braille display. The more that come in, the sooner it will get fixed. But, be nice about it. I've been on both ends of the spectrum. As a customer and a CSR. (customer service representative.) I id my job because I enjoy it! If you don't enjoy your job, then find another line of work. A lot of these people enjoy their job; because people come to them help. for
Regarding the posts on fear, envy, and how we approach reporting
I hadn’t thought about this before but these posts as well as the poster who posted the Emotive Language post make good points. Looking at it from a different angle How many times do you see people hesitate to complain about JAWS? JFW is a program specifically made for the blind. We pay for it and we expect it to work. We hold them to a higher standard than any other accessible product I can think of. It’s a standard so high that they never make the grade with some people.
What is VoiceOver? It’s a product that we pay for. Yes, it comes as part of the phone’s OS. Yes the cost of it is being subsidized by millions of people who aren’t using it. But there’s no question that part of what you’re paying for, part of the reason the phone costs so much, is VoiceOver. Apple should definitely be held to a high accessibility standard. The press release they made earlier this year regarding their bonus structure is just one more reason to do it. They like to tout their features to the disabled, so we should definitely make them practice what they preach.
Now that I’ve made my views on that clear we should look at the other side of the coin. The reason that I like JAWS, NVDA, ETC., is simple. They have one Job. With Freedom Scientific, I don’t think that whole name change went anywhere looking at their site, as a whole they have a few more jobs. But a big part of Freedom Scientific is JAWS and the rest of it is visually impaired related. NVDA Is just a screen reader. On a side note because it is free and open source many of us won’t complain about NVDA, but as someone who donates, I’m happy to. But I like these companies because they have one job. When Microsoft releases an update NVDA and JAWS try to correct it on their next incremental update. Same goes for mainstream software that isn’t created by Microsoft. Their job, I’ll be the first to admit they’re far from perfect at it, is to make all of the software or apps that run on Windows accessible, not just that made by Microsoft.
On the other hand, the accessibility department at Apple is 1 gear in a giant machine. VoiceOver only represents a few teeth on that gear. So we have multiple issues here. First we’re a small part of Apple’s market share. Second their first concern, this is more easily seen on the MacBook, is to make sure the native apps work properly.
Honestly it would be a good thing if someone made a 3rd party screen reader for IOS. I’m not advocating getting rid of voiceover. I think that all phones and computers should have accessibility out of the box, and Apple has done a better job of that than anybody. On the other hand, it would not hurt to have a product out there who’s job was only accessibility and spisificly text to speech and magnification. People wouldn’t have to pay for it but the premium option would be an option.
In the meantime we should absolutely hold Apple’s feet to the fire. If they want to use us, which is what they are doing when they tout their accessibility, then we should damn well see the results. We’re not the only ones they are marketing to every time they brag on their own accessibility. They are also marketing to the feelings of those who aren’t blind or don’t have another disability that apple products provide accessibility for but who want to feel good for supporting that accessibility. It’s our job to be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, the nail sticking up that gets the hammer, or provide your own metaphor here that makes them continue to walk the walk after talking the talk.
Re: My Two Cents
You are absolutely correct and I may not have made this clear in my previous post. I wasn’t trying to say we should treat people badly when reporting bugs. My point was that while being polite we can also be persistent. Don’t sit back and wait for things to happen.
Are there any other Braille displays affected by the bug?
Hi folks,
Could we all get back on track of this section, which is to respond to questions about experience with the new iOS update?
So, my question is whether the bug discussed in the article with the APH warning affects any other Braille display model? My wife and I along with at least one friend have the Focus Braille displays and I want to be sure if they are affected I tell our friend at least not to do the update.
Thanks.
I have a focus 40, 5th generation
Hi,
I have a focus 40 5th generasion and everything is perfectly fine on my end.
So, I'd say, as long as you don't have one of the displays listed in the above article, you should be fina, to go ahead and update.
I was really excited about this direct touch, but ...
Hearing that we could enable direct touch on certain apps by going to the router was very exciting. I have some usible vision, and for years now I've really wanted to be able to use the screen normally at times while voiceover is on, such as when scrolling quickly down a page or even interacting with elements voiceover doesn't recognize. This feature does not appear to do what I hopedwhen checking my seetings, all the apps are selected, I've got direct touch in my roter settings, but I can not select direct touch in the roter. Not even when I'm in an applike safari for instance which is selected in direct touch's list. Am I mistaken in what this setting is actually supposed to accomplish or is it just not working?
Direct Touch
From the main post above:
So, what you appear to want would not be possible, as it's beyond the intended purpose and scope of the feature.
Hi mcox, this is not really…
Hi mcox, this is not really the same. When Microsoft publish Windows 10 version 20H2 (in last October), this was a facultative update, not installed automatically by default on all Windows 10 devices. This means version 20H2 will be deployed on user's device in six months or one yearso it let the time to Microsoft to figure out the remaining bugs. Also on Windows, people rely on NVDA or Jaws which have their own release schedule to address bugs. Also it is possible to downgrade NVDA or Jaws if any issues occur.
By default on iOS, every new updates are installed by default on device. You can't downgrade VoiceOver if their are a buggy upgrade. The only solution you've to restore your last saved backup of iOS on the previous release. Microsoft knows bugs will occur and doesn't force the update, whereas Apple are arrogant and deliver the update by default on users devices, so if they encourage you to upgrade, you're in your right to complain the update they've provided to you is not as good as it should be for automatic release.
apple is a marketing genius
this direct touch thing has been around as early as ios 10, maybe earlier. the point is it will work automatically if the developer know how to implement it, otherwise, it won't. many people think this is like command pass through, it is not. the only thing added is a roter for you to turn it off, but why would you want to turn it off if that's how the app is supposed to operate? so it is totally useless, in my opinion. but apple just says we add a roter and bills this as some kind of new feature, and people just go gaga over it. no wonder they make so much money, right?
Yes, I have the similar experience
It is on the native mail app. which I really use extensively. The only way to get rid of it is use that draft to send a mail to yourself. Like sending yourself postcards and flowers on valentines day. It's a bug; thank you I shall report it to aa
Can you help answer
I am not very clear with the accessibility option of Direct Touch; here is a apple vis user asking a question on it. If you can help answer it would be really helpful https://www.applevis.com/forum/ios-ipados/what-direct-touch
VoiceOver works perfect
As per my experience; I haven't run into issues with VO. Some applications I use are the ones I am frustrated with because they are not made accessible. Applications that have unlabelled buttons and images as buttons with no text to understand what the control is for. Brail users are facing some accessibility challenges and I believe in due course of time, apple will address them. It doesn't matter what share of the market we users are for them, they sincerely advocate social change by making their product accessible. The look on the faces of many of my friends when I show them what they failed to do on a Mac; it's just priceless!
Jumping in here a bit late but...
I'd like to chime in here, while waiting for my tutor. I updated my phone last week to iOS 14.4, and have had no problems so far that I know of. I seem to have gone back to VoiceOver echoing character by character at least in the messages app, but that's no big deal at all on my end. Perhaps Apple changed something again and I haven't had the time to explore everything. This new Direct Touch feature sounds pretty cool, and I can't wait to try it out. Regarding Apple not doing enough for accessibility, I respectfully disagree and wish all the negativity would stop. Remember folks, that Apple is a big company and accessibility isn't the only thing they do. As others have said, consider switching platforms if this company's offerings aren't good enough for ya. Apple and AppleVis are to be commended in my books, for doing an outstanding job and I hope they keep it up.
Disappoineading with Braille on the Kindle app is now impossible
Hello friends,
I'm currently studying, and in these lockdown times rely on Kindle books on my phone and iPad to gather information. I primarily use Braille access via a Braille display to read the content of titles. Since upgrading to 14.4 the Kindle app is now unstable. When you reach the end of a page and press the panning button, you are placed randomly down the next page and not at the top - this is a problem that used to occur back in the day, but has been successfully resolved in later ios updates. Definitely a backwards step!
Equipment used: iPhone 10S and iPad mini 4 - Displays used: Focus 40 5th Gen. and BrailleSense U2.
All displays and ios devices show the same bug.
Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received
David
"Apple is a big company"
It's a little puzzling that people use this to defind Apple. Apple is the world's most valuable company and could easily afford a competent quality control team. In addition, these comments completely ignore the fact that many people are reliant on Braille support, and these bugs have forced people to choose between being able to use their devices and making themselves vulnerable to security flaws that are currently being exploited.
Interestingly, on the Android side, the excuse generally used to defend its accessibility issues is that Google is a young company (they launched in 1998). Before criticising what you perceive as negativity, you should ask yourself why other disability communities have been much more successful in their accessibility advocacy. (Hint: it's because a consensus that excusing inaccessibility will somehow make things better by making companies see how grateful we are hasn't taken hold in these communities as it has among blind people.)
Orbit Reader 20 Plus
My Orbit Reader 20 Plus has been having the same issue since iOS 14.3. Just me or anyone else?