Mac 15 beta 2 - quick thoughts before people update

By Ollie, 24 June, 2024

Forum
Apple Beta Releases

Firstly, iPhone Mirroring is a dud, it doesn't work for us. I was really looking forward to this feature as it would stop my mac from being an utter pile of crap, but we've been overlooked again. Bad apple.

First boot safari completely melted down. The reboot seems to have fixed it.

Interesting new addition, I think, for single ltter quick nav, it automatically lets you write in edit boxes rather than having to drop out of single letter quick nav first. Not sure if it is new, and don't really use the feature a great deal due to it being poorly implamented.

Spell check still doesn't work in web edit boxes, like here.

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Comments

By Mathieu on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Don't stress about mirroring the iPhone, there is still hope, we're only at beta 2! I really hope that this function will happen, and especially in Europe... ...

By Dennis Long on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Its technically beta 1 for this particular functionality so I wouldn't stress report it and lets see what happens.

By Ollie on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

It won't be coming. This is very close to final release software, at least in terms of the OS lifecycle. They are dribbling out some features for various reasons, but the fact that this is completely inaccessible now means that it is highly unlikely to be accessible in three months time. They are not creating features now, they are fixing issues... Though I do apreciate your optimism. I have the feeling it will be very much like mirroring to iPad which has never become accessible for us in any form.

By Zachary on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

It's quite common for apple to not have fully accessible new features this early on in the beta. I would be quite surprised if this isn’t made useable, especially since audio will be transmitted as well. In what way is this not accessible currently?

By Tyler on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Currently, when connecting to an iPhone using the new iPhone mirroring app, VoiceOver only sees an empty window, with no way to navigate onscreen content or hear iPhone VoiceOver audio. As audio from the iPhone is transmitted to the Mac, and the Mac's keyboard can work with the iPhone, I see no reason why the iPhone's VoiceOver audio couldn't be transmitted to the Mac, with the Mac's keyboard being used to navigate the interface and perform commands.

By Ollie on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

I agree it should be possible. My concern is that with no sign of it being accessible yet, our experience of it is going to be less betaed... If that's a verb. I do hope I'm wrong, of course, but I wonder why, if there is accessibility built in, it's not in this first iteration. If it does exist, surely they would include it and, if it doesn't exist now, it's unlikely that they will create it between now and september... This is my reasoning, anyway.

Are there any examples of new features that have been added in beta cycles that have gained accessibility closer to release date? Off the top of my head I can't think of any, but the top of my head is a finite space.

By Ollie on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Saying all that, you can control the iPhone with the keyboard. There are conflicts with voiceover on mac and audio is coming through the iPhone and not the mac. The issue I'm facing is that it's asking for me to unlock my iPhone and each time I do it cancels the session. I'll continue playing with it and send in some feedback. I think it's likely that this is a consequence of just how the keyboard is relayed to the iPhone rather than a built in bridge to using it with voiceover. It's interesting though as all audio, I'd imagine, should be piped through the mac, unless all system level audio is meant to remain on the phone whilst only media audio is played on the mac?

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Was watching youtube and there are some bugs with it. If the main people are dealing with bugs with it some with VO will also. Also RCS still with bugs and is not working. That is what I heard.

By Ollie on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Ah, good to know. Thank you.

to be honest, even if it is just keyboard control of our phone if it is put to one side, that's pretty useful. Still, the whole thing of it being locked and acting like a native part of mac OS, would be the ideal.

By TheBllindGuy07 on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

So I personally don't use the dock at all as spotlight is the way to go on the mac, but the bug where when the focus is placed on the dock voiceover wouldn't announce the item under the cursor is finally fixed in this second developer beta. Safari, yes just have to reboot it and it works after. Haven't noticed anything new or changed yet but for my calendar new reminder button bug being fixed.
I wouldn't worry too much about iphone miroring as it's still in beta, although this is the most exciting feature I'd be looking for on macos 15 and ios 18 as a voiceover user on the mac.

By JC on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Hi, there are commands from within iPhone Mirroring. these can be found in the view menu. these are: command 1 takes you to the home screen, command 2 takes you to the app switcher, and command 3 takes you to spotlight search. also, all notification sounds goes directly to the mac. in system settings inside notifications, they have added a mirror notifications from iPhone section, where you can select the apps you have on your phone to send notifications to when mirroring from Mac.

By Tyler on Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 13:50

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

I haven't yet played with notifications, but in my testing of the commands in the View menu, VoiceOver feedback, either on iOS or macOS, does not change when performing them.