Since I updated to iOS and iPadOS 17 I am unable to detect and pair my Focus 40 4th Gen, is anyone going through this? I also reported this to Apple Accessibility.
Go into settings/Bluetooth and delete the display. Once that is done, go into accessibility/voiceover/braille and try to add it. Once this is done, it may last a while, or you may get to do it again the next time you attempt to use the display.
This has been a long-standing issue for me, although it happened rarely with iOS16. iOS17 seems to have made it far worse. My display worked fine for a while, then it disconnected once and never reconnected to my iPhone. I tried unpairing and pairing it again, and it seemed to work, but then I locked the iPhone and now the display is no longer detected when the device unlocks (had to repeat the pairing process twice to get it working for that short time, too). I will try restarting the phone and see if that will change things, but I don't have much hope. Very unpleasing experience: the display is almost unusable, given that it seems you have to unpair and pair it again every time you lock your device.
Sorry I am no help, I hope someone else has a suggestion for us.
The procedure I outlined earlier in this thread had been working for me until today, when it didn't. I had deleted the display and nothing, I went in and deleted the bluetooth connection for the phone in the display itself, still nothing. I rebooted the phone, and went in and reconnected the display. Finally, after a few seconds, success!
If nothing else works, delete the display, then reboot the phone, and either wait a bit or try to reconnect the display, then wait a bit.
The sad part of all of this is that everything was fine until the release candidate, either nobody in the developer beta program used braille, or nobody at Apple was listening.
I erased my iPad fully and start with a fresh iPad, factory-like device. The same issue persists, my Focus is not detected and when it is detected then happens for once, I paired and it is shown as connected but no braille, I locked and unlocked the screen, I restarted the iPad and nothing. On MacOS it works just fine, I have older iPhone that runs iOS 10 and it works flawlessly. So it seems to me that Apple has tampered with the braille drivers and this is what is causing all this.
Laura and Chris, can you please report your experience to Apple Accessibility Team? A braille device is not a luxury device, it is essential and without it one may not perform important tasks. So please, if you have the time, do report it to Apple.
After I tried the above procedure on my iPhone 14 Pro, my display is not showing up at all, either under Bluetooth settings or under Braille VoiceOver settings. I have tried restarting the phone. Still isn’t showing up anymore at all! Help, please! 🥺
I am literally thinking about getting the free NLS eReader after this situation, even though I was wanting to keep the supply for soeone who truly couldn’t afford other displays. I have an Orbit but I have had such bad luck with it as well, both in the bluetooth department and in other areas.
I just want a Braille display that works consistently with my iPhone! Is that really too much to ask?! I feel so darn sorry for DeafBlind users for whom Braille is the only option! It’s really not right that Braille gets such short shrift from Apple, especially for you guys! 😢 ðŸ˜
My Focus 5 is currently away (again) for extensive (and expensive!) out-of-warranty repair, so I am now using my backup, a Focus 4. The remarkable thing is how much more reliable it is at maintaining Bluetooth connection to my iPhone, no matter how much use it gets over USB to the Mac.
Anyway, restart your display. Pull the cable, if connected. Push the Power button, till the display goes blank. Wait about 10 seconds, then press the Power button to resume power. Now iOS should see it as a candidate display again. You can reconnect the cable when you're convinced it's working.
Have you tried resetting the Focus entirely? If you have version 5.81-37 or later, you can perform a reset of the Focus 5th generation. This deletes all settings and returns them to factory default. To do this, press the following keys together: Right Selector, Right Shift and Left Mode Button. With the these keys held down press and hold the power button until the display responds by showing an alternating pattern of dots toggling to indicate the reset is complete. This solved the issue for a client who just upgraded from 16.7 to 17.3. I'm not sure it'll solve the issues folks are having, but it has solved them in both of the recent times I've come across it. I hope it may help some of you as well. I understand you really have to stretch both hands to carry out this reset, that would be an issue to take up with Vispero. Smiles.
Sadly, it's only an option on the fifth gen and only applies to devices running a version of the firmware newer than the one I mentioned. Have you contacted Vispero support about this?
I don't know about the Focus 4th gens, but with my Focus 40 Blue, in addition to removing the connection in iOS, it also helps to delete the connection on the Focus, and then try pairing again.
Comments
If it works like my Focus 5th
Go into settings/Bluetooth and delete the display. Once that is done, go into accessibility/voiceover/braille and try to add it. Once this is done, it may last a while, or you may get to do it again the next time you attempt to use the display.
Good luck.
CH
No result
I tried the above suggestion and it did not work for me. Please do let me know if there is something else I can do to sort out this issue.
Same issue here using Focus 40 5th gen.
This has been a long-standing issue for me, although it happened rarely with iOS16. iOS17 seems to have made it far worse. My display worked fine for a while, then it disconnected once and never reconnected to my iPhone. I tried unpairing and pairing it again, and it seemed to work, but then I locked the iPhone and now the display is no longer detected when the device unlocks (had to repeat the pairing process twice to get it working for that short time, too). I will try restarting the phone and see if that will change things, but I don't have much hope. Very unpleasing experience: the display is almost unusable, given that it seems you have to unpair and pair it again every time you lock your device.
Sorry I am no help, I hope someone else has a suggestion for us.
disconnect procedure update.
The procedure I outlined earlier in this thread had been working for me until today, when it didn't. I had deleted the display and nothing, I went in and deleted the bluetooth connection for the phone in the display itself, still nothing. I rebooted the phone, and went in and reconnected the display. Finally, after a few seconds, success!
If nothing else works, delete the display, then reboot the phone, and either wait a bit or try to reconnect the display, then wait a bit.
The sad part of all of this is that everything was fine until the release candidate, either nobody in the developer beta program used braille, or nobody at Apple was listening.
Still not working with Resetting
I erased my iPad fully and start with a fresh iPad, factory-like device. The same issue persists, my Focus is not detected and when it is detected then happens for once, I paired and it is shown as connected but no braille, I locked and unlocked the screen, I restarted the iPad and nothing. On MacOS it works just fine, I have older iPhone that runs iOS 10 and it works flawlessly. So it seems to me that Apple has tampered with the braille drivers and this is what is causing all this.
Please Report to APple
Laura and Chris, can you please report your experience to Apple Accessibility Team? A braille device is not a luxury device, it is essential and without it one may not perform important tasks. So please, if you have the time, do report it to Apple.
Already reported it.
I reported the problem on the first day through the beta feedback app. I guess we'll just have to wait on a fix.
Focus 14 5th Gen Blue Not Detected At all
After I tried the above procedure on my iPhone 14 Pro, my display is not showing up at all, either under Bluetooth settings or under Braille VoiceOver settings. I have tried restarting the phone. Still isn’t showing up anymore at all! Help, please! 🥺
I am literally thinking about getting the free NLS eReader after this situation, even though I was wanting to keep the supply for soeone who truly couldn’t afford other displays. I have an Orbit but I have had such bad luck with it as well, both in the bluetooth department and in other areas.
I just want a Braille display that works consistently with my iPhone! Is that really too much to ask?! I feel so darn sorry for DeafBlind users for whom Braille is the only option! It’s really not right that Braille gets such short shrift from Apple, especially for you guys! 😢 ðŸ˜
Also Restart Display
My Focus 5 is currently away (again) for extensive (and expensive!) out-of-warranty repair, so I am now using my backup, a Focus 4. The remarkable thing is how much more reliable it is at maintaining Bluetooth connection to my iPhone, no matter how much use it gets over USB to the Mac.
Anyway, restart your display. Pull the cable, if connected. Push the Power button, till the display goes blank. Wait about 10 seconds, then press the Power button to resume power. Now iOS should see it as a candidate display again. You can reconnect the cable when you're convinced it's working.
Good luck.
No Fix
Up to now Apple has not fixed this issue!
Resetting the Focus to factory default
Have you tried resetting the Focus entirely? If you have version 5.81-37 or later, you can perform a reset of the Focus 5th generation. This deletes all settings and returns them to factory default. To do this, press the following keys together: Right Selector, Right Shift and Left Mode Button. With the these keys held down press and hold the power button until the display responds by showing an alternating pattern of dots toggling to indicate the reset is complete. This solved the issue for a client who just upgraded from 16.7 to 17.3. I'm not sure it'll solve the issues folks are having, but it has solved them in both of the recent times I've come across it. I hope it may help some of you as well. I understand you really have to stretch both hands to carry out this reset, that would be an issue to take up with Vispero. Smiles.
To Scot
Any idea how this can be done on the 4th gen?
Not available on 4th gen
Sadly, it's only an option on the fifth gen and only applies to devices running a version of the firmware newer than the one I mentioned. Have you contacted Vispero support about this?
I don't know about the Focus…
I don't know about the Focus 4th gens, but with my Focus 40 Blue, in addition to removing the connection in iOS, it also helps to delete the connection on the Focus, and then try pairing again.