Hey there! Hope you are starting the year with great joy.
My situation
I'm building a new product that is based on detecting certain text on screen in realtime. The product is only targeted for Mac and it's built with Swift
My problem
I need to get the exact position of a text element with the Apple Accessibility API but I can't figurate it out. I managed to get the AXUIElement where the text is placed but it's position is too broad and off target.
My discoveries so far
I've tried OCR but is too slow for what I'm building, so the only possible way I can think of is with the Accessibility API.
Thank you in advanced.
General
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In VoiceOver, when using Group Navigation style, the cursor first focuses on the semantic group. To navigate inside the group, a two-finger swipe (left or right) can be used. This behavior works for default containers like the Navigation Bar, Tab Bar, and Tool Bar.
How can I achieve the same behavior for a custom view?
I tried setting accessibilityContainerType = .semanticGroup, but it only works for Mac Catalyst. Is there an equivalent approach for iOS?
Description
When calling AppStore.showManageSubscriptions(in:), the system modal for managing subscriptions appears visually. However, it is not automatically focused by VoiceOver, and in some cases, VoiceOver still allows interaction with elements in the underlying view controller, such as buttons and labels. This creates confusion and violates accessibility expectations.
Steps to Reproduce
1. In a UIKit app, present the system subscription sheet via AppStore.showManageSubscriptions(in:).
2. Ensure VoiceOver is enabled on the device.
3. Observe the focus behavior when the modal appears.
4. Try swiping right/left — VoiceOver continues to announce items in the presenting view controller.
Expected Result
The modal should automatically take VoiceOver focus, and all elements behind it should be non-accessible until dismissed.
Actual Result
VoiceOver continues to focus and interact with elements behind the presented modal.
Notes
• Tested on iOS 18.5
• Reproducible on device
• Using Swift/UIKit (not SwiftUI)
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
Hi! I have noticed a few glitches as well as some overall unfortunate cons with the assistive access mode.
Alarms, timers, stopwatch, etc. do not sound or alert. However, I have an infant monitor app and I do get that sound alert so I know it is possible.. do I need to download a separate alarm app for it to work?
Cannot make FaceTime calls with favorite contacts.
Find My iPhone cannot jump to the maps app.
Camera cannot zoom in or out.
Photos cannot be deleted, edited, or shared in a shared album in the photos app.
Photos/videos cannot be sent in messages.
Spotify cannot be accessed from the lock screen.
Apps do not stay open if you lock the phone screen or leave it on too long without touching the screen (auto locks).
There is no flashlight option. I downloaded an app to have this feature but without being touched the screen will lock which shuts off the flashlight feature in the app until I unlock the phone again.
Hi everyone,
I’m developing a React Native iOS app that includes a custom keyboard extension for sending stickers across apps. The project builds successfully, and the main app installs fine on my test device.
However, I’m not seeing the keyboard extension appear under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard, which means I can’t activate it or grant access. At this point, I’m not even sure if the extension is actually being installed on the device along with the main app.
Here’s what I’ve done so far. I created a Keyboard Extension target in Xcode, set the correct bundle identifiers and provisioning profiles, and enabled “Requests Open Access” in the extension’s Info.plist. I built and installed the app on a physical device rather than the simulator to ensure proper testing.
My main questions are: how can I confirm that the extension is being installed on the device, and if it isn’t, what might prevent it from installing even though the build completes successfully?
Any insights, troubleshooting steps, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Please update Accessibility OS Settings for VoiceOver in iPhone iOS and iPadOS to include frames on the Rotor, and to make web navigation and component gestures easier to find and assign. Please add content to the iPhone and iPad Apple User Guide to use VoiceOver in web navigation with touch gestures.
Specifically... iframes.
There is no clear guidance in Apple documentation for VoiceOver users in iPhone or iPadOS to access iframes with touch gestures. A common belief as written on AppleVis, other blogs, and internet searches is that iframes in Safari or a webView in an app are only available with explore by touch.
If explore by touch is the only option for some interactions, that needs to be included in Apple User Guides. If not, details on equivalent touch gestures for VO that have keyboard interactions in Mac need to be clear for users.
VoiceOver for Mac includes a default keyboard interaction of VO-Command-F in its extensive User Guide (https://support.apple.com/guide/voiceover/by-images-or-frames-mchlp2740/mac). A user can include a rotor option for web navigation for iframes.
VoiceOver for iPhone and iPad does not include a default swipe gesture assigned to frames. An option is not available for the Rotor.
While there is iPhone User Guide guidance that gestures can be customized (https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/customize-gestures-and-keyboard-shortcuts-iph59a8e6fd2/18.0/ios/18.0), it is not clear that for adding this gesture, "Move to the next frame" is tucked into the advanced navigation commands for VoiceOver Accessibility Settings in the OS. At least in my phone, the word "frame" was not searchable despite the All Commands screen using a search bar.
Individuals with a stroke can end up with vision impairments: specifically Homonymous Hemianopia which basically means the individual has lost sight in (as an example) the left half of both eyes. I'm interested in understanding if it would be possible to help individuals with this vision impairment by providing an accessibility config within the Apple Vision Pro which would first determine an individuals field of view (possibly by showing a field of dots across the entire "screen" and having the individual look at the dot and click. Based on the results of this field of view, this would determine how the screen would be presented to the user moving forward.
My mom (82 years old) had a stroke recently and was diagnosed with Homonymous Hemianopia. She lived on her IPhone and would love to get back the ability to text message, use Facebook, and order items from Amazon.
Please advise if you believe the Apple Vision Pro would be capable of helping in this area with the suggested development, or other thoughts.
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
who else has this error?
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
There are several ways we are supposed to be able to control a11y (accessibility) focus in FKA (Full Keyboard Access) mode.
We should be able to set up an @AccessibilityFocusState variable that contains an enum for the different views that we want to receive a11y focus. That works from VO (VoiceOver) but not from FKA mode. See this sample project on Github:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/79067665/how-to-manage-accessibilityfocusstate-for-swiftui-accessibility-keyboard
Similarly, we are supposed to be able to use accessibilitySortPriority to control the order that views are selected when a user using FKA tabs between views. That also works from VO but not from FKA mode. In the sample code below, the `.accessibilitySortPriority() ViewModifiers cause VO to change to a non-standard order when you swipe between views, but it has no effect in FKA mode.
Is there a way to either set the a11y focus or change the order in which the views are selected that actually works in SwiftUI when the user is in FKA mode?
Code that should cause FKA to tab between text fields in a custom order:
struct ContentView: View {
@State private var val1: String = "val 1"
@State private var val2: String = "val 2"
@State private var val3: String = "val 3"
@State private var val4: String = "val 4"
var body: some View {
VStack {
TextField("Value 1", text: $val1)
.accessibilitySortPriority(3)
VStack {
TextField("Value 2", text: $val2)
.accessibilitySortPriority(1)
}
HStack {
TextField("Value 3", text: $val3)
.accessibilitySortPriority(2)
TextField("Value 4", text: $val4)
.accessibilitySortPriority(4)
}
}
.padding()
}
}```
Hi, I am not able to renew my Apple Developer Program membership. I do not see any renew button. not on app, not on website, not on iphone. :(
what should i do?
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
Using the floating keyboard extensively. Often It starts to jump up and down. I have to pinch out to see the large version and pinch in again to restore the floating version. Sometimes just touching a key sets it off. Sometimes returning to a window from which the keyboard is displayed starts the issue. This was never a problem in ipad os 18.
While editing the search text using the external keyboard (with VoiceOver on), if I try to navigate the to List using the keyboard, the focus jumps back to the search field immediately, preventing selection of list items. It's important to note that the voiceover navigation alone without a keyboard works as expected.
It’s as if the List never gains focus—every attempt to move focus lands back on the search field.
The code:
struct ContentView: View {
@State var searchText = ""
let items = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry", "Date", "Elderberry", "Fig", "Grape"]
var filteredItems: [String] {
if searchText.isEmpty {
return items
} else {
return items.filter { $0.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains(searchText) }
}
}
var body: some View {
if #available(iOS 16.0, *) {
NavigationStack {
List(filteredItems, id: \.self) { item in
Text(item)
}
.navigationTitle("Fruits")
.searchable(text: $searchText)
}
} else {
NavigationView {
List(filteredItems, id: \.self) { item in
Text(item)
}
.navigationTitle("Fruits")
.searchable(text: $searchText)
}
}
}
}
Hello everyone,
Our community dues payment app only facilitates real-world maintenance-dues payments directly to property managers’ bank accounts. However, during testing it was likely flagged by the AI-driven review system for a metadata criterion and rejected under Guideline 3.1.1 (“Paid digital content must use IAP”).
Meanwhile, hundreds of similar apps remain live on the App Store using the exact same model:
The app is completely free
No digital content or subscriptions are sold
Dues payments are made via bank transfer or credit card directly to the manager
Has anyone else encountered this? How did you overcome the metadata check in the AI-driven review process?
Thanks!
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
Even though navigationBarBackButtonHidden is set, the back button appears when you swipe slightly.
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
In the app I'm working on, I have a SwiftUI View embedded in a UIKit Storyboard. The SwiftUI View holds a menu with a list of payment tools, and the ForEach loop looks like this:
ForEach(self.paymentToolsVM.paymentToolsItems, id: \.self) { paymentTool in
Button {
navigationCallback(paymentTool.segueID)
} label: {
PaymentToolsRow(paymentToolName: paymentTool.title, imageName: paymentTool.imageName)
.accessibilityElement()
.accessibilityIdentifier("Billing_\(paymentTool.title.replacingOccurrences(of: " ", with: ""))")
}
if paymentTool != self.paymentToolsVM.paymentToolsItems.last {
Divider()
}
}
So you can see the accessibility ID is there, and it shows up properly when I open up Accessibility Inspector with the simulator, but the testing script isn't picking up on it, and it doesn't show up when the view is inspected in Appium. I have other SwiftUI views embedded in the UIKit view, and the script picks up the buttons on those, so I'm not sure what's different about this one.
If it helps, the script is written in Java with the BDD framework. I can try to get the relevant part of the script if anyone thinks that would be helpful. Otherwise, is there anything else I can try?
Hello, my submission is based on Haptics. Without it the App doesn't make sense. And only real iPhone can give this opportunity. But it says that Xcode playgrounds will be tested on Simulator.
Is it indeed like this? What can I do?
Thank you in advance!
Added a view controller in the storyboard, added a tableview in this view, and added a cell under the table, when I run the APP to jump to the page, when using the narration function, I find that when I use three fingers to swipe up or down, a sentence will be broadcast in English, I want to no longer change the accessiblity of the cell, when I perform the behavior of swiping up or down with three fingers, Broadcast how Chinese should be implemented.
The Text view seems to automatically prevent orphaned words on screen, but barring exceptional circumstances such as the font size being too large.
I couldn't find any documentation on this behaviour, how to configure, and would also be very interested in how it's implemented?
Thanks!
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
It’s very annoying but on my iPhone 12 Pro I keep getting the accessibility app with the microphone on and it keeps opening the app by itself and it’s a blank screen and every time I close it it just reopens. I don’t know why it keeps doing this, but it drives me crazy. Does anyone know what else to do? I also have the beta iOS 26 but it’s been doing this even with the past update.
I'm encountering an issue related to BLE device discovery on iOS.
I have a BLE peripheral device that I initially connected to using an iOS device. After this connection, the BLE device's advertised name was programmatically changed by the peripheral. Now, when I try to scan for this device using other iOS devices, it does not appear in the scan results in most apps — including nRF Connect and our own custom BLE app that uses CoreBluetooth.
A few observations:
The device is definitely powered on and advertising (confirmed via Android).
The name change is reflected correctly on Android and on the iOS device that originally connected to it.
Other iOS devices no longer see the device in their scan list.