Is it worth switching to BSI?

BSI is certainly a huge step up for me compared with touch typing. Whether it is faster for you would depend on your braille proficiency.

If you try BSI and like it, I'd recommend giving the MBraille app a try. If you unlock all of its features it is a bit pricy, but for me, worth every penny.

1. Better notification of misspelled words.
2. A swipe up reads the entirety of what you have written.
3. To send text messages, I just open MBraille, type the message, then type something like .sms bob. I find this a bit easier than searching through the messages app for a contact.

A caveat with MBraille is that I think it may no longer be under development? I have not seen an update for it in quite some time. BSI seems to be catching up in functionality. Still, I feel MBraille boosts my productivity enough to warrant the price.

I just now have discovered that when in uncontracted Braille input mode, IOS will tell me a word is misspelled as I type. This is one of the things I like MBraille for. But for some reason IOS doesn't say "misspelled" when I am typing in contracted braille. So, ... maybe MBraille isn't worth the money? especially if Apple were to fix the announcement of misspelled words.

I'm one of those, probably annoying at times, BSI stans. It's absolutely worth learning if you're a proficient Braille user, even more so if you already know or are willing to learn UEB.

I have a keys-to-go BT keyboard and have only used it a handful of times, partly because I hate the typing feel on it, but also partly because BSI has made it redundant for most of the writing I do on my iPhone, which is currently my only device. I also use my Focus display for text input, but only when I also have it connected to get Braille output.

They've made a lot of quality of life improvements in iOS 18. I love that you now get keyboard click feedback when you type, which makes me feel like I can type as fast as a sighted person! Although writing with my Air Pods connected is noticeably laggy. That's down to bluetooth though.

I thought the command mode would be awesome, I just haven't gotten used to it yet.

BSI makes typing a lot more efficient. On iPhone, I use screen-away mode (the phone screen is facing away from me, and I am holding the phone landscape with the charging port in my right palm and my pointer, middle, and ring fingers hitting the screen). With BSI, you can get to the point where you can type accurately without needing to hear VO read out what characters you have entered. BSI has allowed me to not need a braille display on the go, even though I am a heavy refreshable braille user otherwise. Command mode is something I am getting used to still but it is very powerful and intuitive.

That's exactly how I use it on my phone. With the new click feedback, I've set VO to only announce words as the clicks by themselves make me faster otherwise.

An absolute yes to BSI. I use screen away mode too, but still have feedback spoken for both words and characters, though thinking about switching to words only and giving that a shot.

An absolute yes to BSI. I use screen away mode too, but still have feedback spoken for both words and characters, though thinking about switching to words only and giving that a shot.

Command mode can have its uses, but it still is lacking in some areas, such as if you need to actually hold on a button, like when you need to use one of those push-to-talk apps. BSI is also useless in the Skype app, not that anyone uses Skype much these days. So for most things, I'd say it's a lot faster, especially when you don't need to listen out for what key you want.

If you don't know some Braille symbols, you'll have to look them up, where as on a keyboard, you can just find them.

These are just some of the pros and cons of using Braille Screen input.

This has had some issues in the past, but it works for me. You can swipe up with three fingers, or perform a new line by swiping two fingers to the right.

I seen people do it, but I have no idea how to.

As for BSI, glad it is working for you. For me, on the iPhone 16, three finger swipe up seems to be broken. But it normally works, and I hope they will fix it with 18.2, which should be released in a few days.
Regarding replying on this site, I just do re: followed by the subject of the post, if anything at all.

Hi! BSI is certainly the quickest way to type for me. Like the New BSI, but does someone know if they disablede/took away the gesture to start BSI? The double tap witth onefinger in opposite corners of the sscreen diagonally. That doesn't seem to work for me anymore.

You will have to go into settings, accessibility, VoiceOver, braille, and reenable the gesture. For some reason, the updates automatically disable it.

There used to be a genuine reply function on these forums, but that was years ago. The powers that be removed that feature, for whatever reason, and now if you want to show that you're replying to something, it helps if you just type in the subject field, "RE: (insert subject here)".

I’ve been wondering that for years how I have seen people replying to other people. Wonder why it was removed. That clears one thing up I’ve been wondering for about a year now.

definitely worth it. It'll speed you up very much.

Thanks mate! Had no idea it just seemed to have disappeared. Will change it back ASAP. Cheers!

My BSI usually feeds back words when I'm typing. But with iOS 18, I'd actually rather it didn't feed anything back, I know you can change this but the point I make is that sometimes the dots randomly need to be calibrated with no previous issue. I trust myself to use braille completely, so maybe it’s me who causes the issue with them? I'm not sure, but yeah, I'd totally recommend using BSI, it’s so fast and simple if you know braille well. But if not, I'd say either give it a go with character and word feedback, see how that goes, as its feeding back, you'll get a feel for the dots, and the space required when holding the phone. I started using it in iOS 16, and wouldn't go back now, couldn't even imagine doing that. But yeah, iOS 18 keyboard clicks make a huge difference

I absolutely love what Apple has done with BSI in iOS 18. As someone who does not use Braille very often these days, I find that both character and word announcement helps a lot. I also prefer screen flip, or screen away mode. The benefit of this mode is that you do, not, need a surface to use the device. You hold it in Landscape mode, much like someone would hold their device to watch a film. The only thing is, you are technically holding your device backwards, that is to say with the back of your device facing you.

While holding your device in screen away mode, you type dots 1 thru 3 with your left hand, and dots 4 thru 6 with your right. Even someone like me can type pretty fast in this mode.

To the OP, BSI is where it's at. The only reason not to use it, is if you never studied Braille a day in your life.

Or, ya know, you actually, like, touch typing. 🤷

I use BSI all the time in screen away mode and orientation locked. It helps me type and text so much faster than on the regular keyboard. I love the keyboard clicks and the upgrades they did in IOS 18. I'm still trying to understand command mode though but using BSI is very worth it especially if you know Braille. Once you get used to the fill of it you know Braille and that takes over and you can type faster.

For anyone struggling with command mode, or anyone who just wants a command list cheat sheet, check out the link below.
https://www.applevis.com/forum/braille-apple-products/list-commands-bsi-ios-18

screen away mode feels more accurate compared to table top mode, where the fingers I guess work more as a V shape rather than in straight lines. Once orientation is locked on the screen away mode, you can tilt the device more flexibly towards a table top kind of orientation. this way, you get the best of both worlds. Hth.,

If you have a bigger iPhone, think iPhone 11 or newer, you can actually use tabletop mode in a straight line. Just reposition the dots to match your finger placement and boom, done. Just like typing on a brailler. It's a lot more intuitive coming from someone who uses a brailler in their daily life. I can successfully type with screen away mode, but it requires a lot of extra thought that I don't need to put in when typing with tabletop

BSI is definitely the best thing apple has introduced after voice over. If you know braille, you type even faster than a lot of sighted people.
I use the feature in screen away mode.

is there a guide on how to use braille screen input? I’ve tried to use it before, I just can’t wrap my head around it.

Several years ago, Alex Hall wrote an excellent guide to Braille Screen Input on iOS and recently updated it for iOS 18.