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AppleVis Podcast
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AppleVis is the go-to resource for blind and low vision users of Apple technologies. Our Podcast discusses the latest in Apple vision accessibility. Topics cover OS and accessibility features, apps, interviews with developers, roundtable discussions, and more - centering around accessing the maximum potential of Apple hardware, software, and services. Tune in to learn how you can get the most out of your Apple devices, hear the latest accessibility news, and more.
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Michael Hansen unboxes, sets up, and shares his first hands-on impressions of the iPhone 17E, Apple’s new budget iPhone starting at $599. He outlines the phone’s place in the iPhone 17 lineup, describes the included case and packaging, and walks through the hardware design, including the 6.1-inch display, USB-C port, Action button, MagSafe support, and single camera system. He compares the 17E to his personal iPhone 17 Pro Max, focusing especially on speaker sound, VoiceOver performance, keyboard click volume, and general usability for blind users. He also notes the absence of certain higher-end features such as precision finding support and the camera control button, while emphasizing the phone’s value and practical appeal for most buyers. The episode also includes brief setup impressions, an accidental drop test that highlights the phone’s durability with Ceramic Shield 2 and case protection, and an invitation for listeners to submit questions for a future written review on AppleVis.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Michael: Hello, AppleVis friends. This is Michael Hansen. Thanks so much for joining me. I hope that today finds you well wherever you are. In this podcast, I'm going to be unboxing, setting up, and giving my initial first hands-on impressions of the all-new iPhone 17E. The iPhone 17E is Apple's new budget iPhone. It starts at 599 US dollars. For that price, you get an A19 series processor. You get 256 gigabytes of storage. You get MagSafe charging up to 15 watts. You get a phone with a 6.1 inch display. You get a whole lot more. And all of it, again, for the same starting price of $599 as last year. Looking at it kind of in terms of the other iPhone 17 models, we, of course, we have our iPhone 17E, which is kind of the entry level. the the basic iphone at 599 us dollars you have your iphone 17 which is 200 more at 7.99 you have your iphone air at 9.99 your iphone 17 pro at 10.99 and you have an iphone 17 pro max at 11.99 Now, my personal device is an iPhone 17 Pro Max. I like big phones. I like big batteries. And so... It's not lost on me that the phone that we're looking at here is half the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. And last year I reviewed the iPhone 16E and I really had a blast with it. Battery life was really good. Speakers were really good. It did not have MagSafe, which of course this year's model does. Apple has corrected that. It also does not have the precision finding support. So for precision finding for your air tags and things like that. And I don't think this year's model does either from what I was able to see. And it doesn't look like this one has dual frequency GPS. Whether or not that is important to you is totally a personal thing. Just giving you information here so you kind of know what's going on. But in many other ways, I really, really, really liked the iPhone 16E. And so I kind of am going into this review with some expectations. I'm expecting and thinking that the iPhone 17E is going to be a year's newer iPhone 16E with MagSafe and a newer processor. And so I'm really excited about this to kind of see where this goes, because I think this and the lower cost iPhone is going to be what a majority of people are probably going to want to buy. So as much as I like my big, super big…
Welcome to Gamers Corner, your roundup of accessible games for blind and low vision gamers. In this October–December 2025 edition, we share our latest iOS game picks, highlight three runner-ups, revisit a classic Blindfold Games Vault Treasure, and close with a Crossing Consoles recommendation—plus a quick look at end-of-year awards.Hosts: Thomas Domville, Aaron Spelker, and Jesse AndersonLinks (Quick Access)Adventure To Fate: Dungeons (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adventure-to-fate-dungeons/id6743055907Dungeon Scoundrel (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dungeon-scoundrel/id6756222423Echo Chain: Multiplayer (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/echo-chain-multiplayer/id6751758104Lane Defender: Haptic Arcade (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/at/app/lane-defender-haptic-arcade/id6749909197Lenguard (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lenguard/id6747782520Blindfold Games Launcher (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blindfold-games-launcher/id1067124446Stories of Blossom (Steam): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581680/Stories_of_Blossom/Stories of Blossom (Itch.io): https://softleafstudios.itch.io/stories-of-blossomStaff Picks (iOS)Adventure To Fate: Dungeons — Platform: iOS — Price: $4.99 (one-time purchase)
A turn-based roguelike RPG featuring handcrafted dungeons, multiple character classes, loot collection, and both casual and permadeath modes.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adventure-to-fate-dungeons/id6743055907Dungeon Scoundrel — Platform: iOS — Price: Paid one-time purchase (no ads, no in-app purchases)
A tactical roguelike card-based dungeon crawler built around a fixed 55-card dungeon deck, designed for quick 5–15 minute sessions.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dungeon-scoundrel/id6756222423Runner-Ups (iOS)Echo Chain: Multiplayer — Platform: iOS — Price: Free (in-app purchases; full unlock around $2.49)
A rhythm and memory-based multiplayer puzzle game for up to four players, with modes like Battle Royale and Arcade and full accessibility support.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/echo-chain-multiplayer/id6751758104Lane Defender: Haptic Arcade — Platform: iOS — Price: $0.99 (one-time purchase)
A minimalist, haptic-first…
In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to disable Hot Corners on macOS.Hot Corners are areas of the screen that perform a specified action when the mouse pointer is hovered over them. As a VoiceOver user who doesn't use the mouse, you might want to configure them to do nothing, so you don't inadvertently cause an action to be performed if you accidentally brush your fingers against the trackpad or use trackpad gestures to control VoiceOver. To do this, go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners, and make sure the popup menu for each screen corner is set to hyphen (-) rather than any of the actions in the menu.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Tyler: Hey, AppleVis-ers. Tyler here with a quick tip for how to disable hot corners on macOS. Hot corners are areas of the screen that, when hovered over with the mouse pointer, cause certain functions to be performed, such as locking the screen, starting screensaver, or creating a quick note.Tyler: If you're a voiceover user who doesn't use the mouse, you may want to disable these so you don't inadvertently trigger them in the course of using your Mac, say, if you accidentally brush your fingers on the trackpad or if you use trackpad gestures to control voiceover. To do this, you go into System Settings, Desktop and Dock, click the Hot Corners button, and make sure each of the four corners is set not to perform any action. And I'm going to demonstrate that now on my Mac.VoiceOver: Menu bar Apple. Apple, system settings. System settings. T7, volume, systems, general, window, sidebar.Tyler: D for desktop and dock.VoiceOver: Desktop and dock. Desktop and dock, scroll area.Tyler: Interact with scroll area.VoiceOver: Desktop and dock, scroll area. 77 up.Tyler: And because the Hot Corners button is located near the bottom, I'm going to jump to the bottom of VL Globe, right?VoiceOver: Help button.Tyler: VL left.VoiceOver: Hot Corners button.Tyler: Hot Corners.VoiceOver: Dialog hyphen top left Hot Corner pop-up button.Tyler: Here we are. So at the top of the dialog, VLGlobe left arrow. Okay, so that's hyphen. And that means that there is nothing, no action bound to that hot corner. But if I go into the pop-up menu. Mission control. Application windows. Desktop. Notification center. Apps. Quick note. Start screensaver. Disable screensaver.Tyler: And hyphen, which is do nothing. So if that corner, the top left corner on your Mac is set to do something else and you don't want it to do that, just change it to hyphen. And if you go VL right, bottom left, same deal.VoiceOver: Choose hyphen.Tyler: And top right is hyphen. Hyphen, bottom right. So if all of these are set to hyphen,Tyler: there will be no actions performed when moving the mouse to the corners of the screen. So no hot corner is active. And when you're done, just feel right again, hit done. Hot corners button. And here you are back in system settings. So that's a quick tip for how to disable hot corners on Mac OS. It's a quick set it and forget it task that can help if you…
WikiTrip – Travel Audio Guide is an iOS app that uses VoiceOver accessibility with a location-based audio guide to pull curated information from Wikipedia and read it aloud while the listener is moving.In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates and reviews the iOS app WikiTrip, a location-based audio guide that pulls curated information from Wikipedia and reads it aloud while the listener is moving, such as during a road trip, bus ride, or walk. He explains how the app works, including its reliance on location services and an active cellular connection, and notes that it is designed primarily for use on the go rather than while stationary. He walks through the main interface, describes how the app discovers nearby points of interest, and discusses key settings such as voice selection, minimum distance traveled, and minimum time between articles. He also highlights the History feature, which stores previously played items and allows the user to open the associated Wikipedia pages, and explains that the app avoids repeating content unless the history is cleared. Finally, he shares examples of points of interest the app surfaced during a trip to Branson, Missouri, illustrating the type of information WikiTrip can provide during travel.Host: Thomas Domville
Length: 0:20:47App InformationName: WikiTrip – Travel Audio Guide
Developer: Björn Schefzyk
Category: Travel
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free
App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wikitrip-travel-audio-guide/id1438931523Timestamps00:05 Intro
00:10 Host introduction
00:38 Why this app came up for road trips
01:05 What WikiTrip does (Wikipedia audio based on location while moving)
02:51 First launch: location permission
03:14 Starting playback with Continue
06:40 Movement requirement to trigger new content (150 feet)
07:21 Pausing playback with Stop
07:54 Settings: voice, distance, time between articles
11:15 History: reviewing previous articles and opening Wikipedia
12:20 Clearing history to allow repeats
14:10 Map list: selecting nearby items without traveling
15:57 Points of interest examples from the Branson tripTranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Thomas: Hello and welcome. My name is Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. In this podcast, I'm going to do a walkthrough and a review of an iOS app called Wikitrip. W-I-K-I-T-R-I-P. So this past weekend, Mrs. Mouse and I went on a road trip, and we were heading down to southern Missouri into the Ozark Mountains. And specific, we spent some time in Branson, Missouri itself. And while we were doing that, and while we were on the road trip, somebody on AppleVis asked, what can you do during a road trip? What, you know, obviously we can listen to books and things, but are there any apps for entertainment for things that you can do in the car? Well, there's so much you can do, but Wikitrip is one of the AppleVis contributors out there. So thank you out there for suggesting Wikitrip. What is Wikitrip? Wikitrip is an app that you can take on the road with you. So it's not just for the road or a car ride. It can be if you're on a bus. or you're walking, so essentially any time that you're moving.…
In episode 113 of the AppleVis Extra podcast, Dave Nason and Scott Davert welcome back Xiaoran Wang and welcome Buddy Brannan from Agiga to talk about the EchoVision smart glasses. The conversation focuses on how EchoVision is designed specifically for blind and low vision users, highlighting its accessibility-first approach and ongoing development through close collaboration with the community. Those interested can also check out EchoVision's Youtube channel for more information.
During the discussion, the guests cover key features such as live AI scene description, a dedicated reading mode for printed text, button-based controls, audio routing to hearing aids, battery life and charging options, and hardware design choices. They also explain the Pioneer program while announcing its expansion,, upcoming hardware improvements, pricing and subscription plans, and the expected timeline for the final release.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Dave: Hello there and welcome to the AppleVis Extra podcast. I am David Nason with you again and this time joined by my good friend and experts in all things Apple, Scott Davert. How are you Scott?Scott: Hey, Dave, it's good to be back here on the podcast with you. I think the only thing I'm an expert in is taking a nap. It seems like the older I get, the more I look forward to nappy hour instead of happy hour. Oh, let's not open that kind of world. Well, let's hope we don't turn our listeners' time here into nappy hour, and we'll hopefully have an interesting podcast. I think it's really fascinating to see where the company that we're going to talk to came from, what they're up to, and what they will be up to.Dave: Yes, indeed. So who we're speaking to is Xiaoran Wang and Buddy Brannan from... Agiga Agiga is that how we say it Agiga who make the EchoVision smart glasses so there's so many smart glasses now come onto the market over the last couple of years between the mainstream ones like meta um meta raybons and now oakleys and then we've got obviously we've had failed attempts like celeste and we've got the envision solos are out there as well and And these guys are another company having a go with the smart glasses specifically for the blind and low vision community. They're not a mainstream product. They're a blindness product. And yeah, utilizing AI and they're going about it in their own way. So it's going to be a really interesting conversation.Scott: Well, it's a long echo, though. I mean, you had them on in October 2024, and it took this long for the echo to return. But I guess the point is it did, right?Dave: Yeah, that's really interesting. I think it may have been like September, October, something like that, 2024, was it? And at that point, I remember they were talking about going to CSUN last year, which they did, I believe. But I thought at that time, yeah, the product would have been fully released before the end of 2025. It's now looking like mid-2026. But we'll learn more about…
In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to manage login items on macOS.If there are certain apps or files that you always want open, you can configure them to open automatically when logging into your Mac. To do this, go to System Settings > General > Login items & Extensions, click Add, and select the item in the open dialog. To delete a login item, select it in the table and click Remove. Alternatively, items in the Dock can be added as login items by selecting them and choosing "open at login" from the "options" submenu in the item's context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M); uncheck this option to remove it.In addition to login items, Login items & Extensions Settings allows you to manage background items, processes that run even if the app is not open in order to complete certain tasks or respond to changing conditions, such as checking for and installing updates. If there are certain apps you don't want to be able to run background processes, for example, if they're utilizing a disproportionate amount of system resources, you can toggle them off under the "App background activity" heading; however, keep in mind that disabling an app's background processes may cause the app to not work as expected, so you may wish to perform additional research before doing so to determine those processes’ functions. If, after uninstalling an app, its background items still appear in this list, you may need to manually delete the files that the app deposited, which can typically be found in the "Launch Agents" folders, one of which is in your user Library folder (~/library) and the other in the Library folder at the root of your startup disk (/library), as well as the "Launch Daemons" folder in the Library folder at the root of your startup disk.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Tyler: Hey AppleVissers, Tyler here with a quick tip for how to manage login items on macOS. Login items, as the name suggests, are items like apps or files that open automatically when logging into your Mac. This may be useful if you, for example, have apps that you use constantly or always want open. So even if you restarted your Mac, those apps would be open and ready for you to use. While this feature may be convenient, the more items you have configured to open automatically might slow the boot process or login process. In addition, some apps insert themselves as login items or background items, which I'll explain later. And depending on your preference and use case, you may not want certain apps opening every time you log in. So in this tutorial, I'll demonstrate how to manage this. To do that, you'd go into System Settings, General, Login Items and Extensions. I'll demonstrate that now on my Mac.VoiceOver: Menu bar, Apple app system settings, ellipsis, Dropbox, alias, system, window, sidebar, table. Row 10 of 37, general, selected.Tyler: Okay. VLGlobe right for the scroll area. Scroll area. Interact.VoiceOver: In scroll area. 16 items general.Tyler: And since this is located near the bottom, I'll VLGlobe right.VoiceOver: Transfer or reset button. VL left. Device, time machine, startup disk,…
In the December 2025 edition of Apple Crunch, hosts Thomas Domville (AnonyMouse) and John Gassman wrap up the year with a wide-ranging discussion covering AppleVis community awards, Apple’s own App Store recognitions, major Apple hardware and business news, and an accessibility-focused app pick to close out the month.The episode begins with a deep dive into the AppleVis Golden Apples Awards for 2025. Thomas explains the nomination criteria and selection process before announcing this year’s winners. PixieBot takes top honors as Best App of the Year, praised for its rapid adoption of new AI models and especially its standout video description capabilities. Adventure to Fate earns Best Game of the Year for its fully accessible RPG design and highly engaged developers, while the PixieBot developer is recognized as Best Developer of the Year for consistent community involvement and innovation. The prestigious David Goodwin Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Aira, recognizing its long-standing global impact in providing visual assistance to blind and low-vision users. Runner-ups across categories, including Ally, InnoSearch AI, Art of Fauna, Land of Livia, and Weather Gods, are also discussed in detail.From there, the conversation shifts to Apple’s own 2025 App Store Awards, focusing on the Cultural Impact category. Art of Fauna and Be My Eyes are highlighted as winners, with discussion around why Apple may have chosen to spotlight these apps as examples of accessibility, inclusion, and broader social awareness.The second half of the show turns to Apple news and rumors. Thomas and John examine troubling reports about the iPhone Air, including its dramatic 47 percent resale value drop within ten weeks and what that says about consumer demand and pricing strategy. They also revisit ongoing rumors surrounding the iPhone Fold, expressing skepticism about its rumored $2,400 price point and questioning whether it risks becoming another niche, luxury product. The Vision Pro receives similar scrutiny, with discussion of sharply reduced marketing, low unit sales, and signs that Apple may already be shifting focus away from the headset.This leads into a broader conversation about Apple’s leadership, including rumors that Tim Cook may step down. While acknowledging his many successes—particularly Apple silicon—the hosts debate whether recent missteps in AI, hardware pricing, and product strategy signal that Apple may be ready for a new era.The episode concludes with AnonyMouse’s App Pick for December 2025: Mona 7 for Mastodon. Thomas discusses Mona’s long history as a highly accessible social networking client, the mixed community reaction to its move to a subscription model, and why it remains a strong option despite controversy.Hosted ByThomas Domville (AnonyMouse)
John GassmanCrunchy TopicsGolden Apples Spotlight — Celebrating Accessibility Excellence
Apple’s Cultural Impact Awards
Apple News Bytes and Rumors
Leadership Shift — Is Tim Cook Nearing the Exit
AnonyMouse App Pick of the MonthResourcesGolden Apples Spotlight — Celebrating Accessibility ExcellenceAppleVis Announces Winners of the 2025 Golden Apple Awards
https://applevis.com/blog/applevis-announces-winners-2025-golden-apple-awards…
This podcast episode features a detailed, hands-on review of the iOS game Dungeon Scoundrel, presented by Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. The episode focuses on exploring the game’s mechanics, accessibility, and overall design, offering listeners a thorough understanding of how the game plays from start to finish. Thomas introduces Dungeon Scoundrel as a tactical, turn-based dungeon crawler card game with solitaire-style elements, designed for short but strategic play sessions that typically last around fifteen minutes.Throughout the episode, Thomas explains that the game is fully playable offline and emphasizes its strong accessibility support, including full VoiceOver compatibility. He walks listeners step by step through the interface, starting from launching the app and navigating the main menu to selecting a character class and entering the dungeon. He explains how each run consists of clearing a deck of cards that represent dungeon rooms filled with monsters, weapons, shields, potions, and special class-specific cards. Strategy is central to success, as players must decide when to fight monsters with bare hands, when to use weapons or shields, and when to save or consume healing potions.Thomas provides a narrated playthrough that demonstrates how combat works, how shields differ from weapons, how special abilities affect an entire room, and how fleeing a room can be used as a tactical option at the cost of health. He also explains the class system in detail, noting that there are seven classes in total, each with a unique spell or ability, and that new classes are unlocked by successfully completing runs with earlier ones. The episode further covers the game’s difficulty settings, quests, statistics, and progression system, highlighting how these elements encourage replayability and long-term engagement.In addition, Thomas reviews the game’s settings menu, including audio options, music tracks, and difficulty adjustments, and discusses how these features enhance the overall experience. He concludes by sharing his positive impressions of the game, noting that despite not usually enjoying RPG-style games, he found Dungeon Scoundrel to be highly addictive, well-balanced, and enjoyable. He recommends it to listeners who appreciate strategic card games, accessible design, and games that can be played in short sessions without an internet connection.App Name: Dungeon Scoundrel
Category: Games (Card / Strategy)
Price: $0.99 USD
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dungeon-scoundrel/id6756222423Contact: thomas@AppleVis.comTranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Thomas: Hello and welcome. My name is Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. In this podcast, I'm going to review an iOS game called Dungeon Scoundrel. This is kind of a unique game. I saw this come across the other day and I saw the description for the game and I was like, wow, this is kind of interesting. So it kind of refers itself as a tactical solitaire style dungeon crawler card game. Isn't that interesting? So I was like, I was intrigued. So I was like, wow, this should be…
In this episode of the AppleVis Extra podcast, hosts Dave Nason and Thomas Domville speak with StephenLovely, the creator of Vision AI Assistant, a rapidly emerging web-based accessibility tool designed primarily for blind and visually impaired users. Stephen explains the motivation behind the project, rooted in his own lived experience as a person who has been blind since birth, and how that perspective shaped every design decision. The discussion covers the app’s core philosophy of giving users control over what visual information they receive, rather than forcing them to listen to long, generic descriptions.The conversation explores Vision AI Assistant’s major features in depth, including the Photo Explorer, which allows users to explore images by touch and zoom into specific areas for granular detail; Live Camera Mode, which provides near real-time environmental feedback and action detection; object tracking for navigation; sign and text reading via gesture-based interaction; physical book reading with page tracking; and optional voice commands. Stephen explains how the app leverages a progressive web app model to deliver instant updates across platforms, why he chose the Base44 language model, and how careful prompt engineering minimizes hallucinations while allowing medically descriptive output when needed.The hosts and guest also discuss privacy considerations, data handling, accessibility trade-offs between web and native apps, and the financial realities of running AI-driven services. Stephen outlines future plans, including native app wrappers, potential integration with smart glasses, expanded social media accessibility, and a sustainable subscription model. The episode concludes with reflections on community-driven development, responsiveness, and the broader impact of having accessibility tools led by people with lived experience.Guest contact information:
Website: https://visionaiassistant.com
Phone: 1-866-825-6177TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Dave: Hello there and welcome to another episode of the AppleVis Extra podcast. My name is David Mason and I am once again joined by my good friend Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. Today we're here to talk about an app that has somewhat exploded on the AppleVis website over the past few weeks called Vision AI Assistant. So yeah, thanks for joining me Thomas, it's going to be a really interesting conversation.Thomas: Right, Dave, and this is going to be kind of an exciting one because this is something a little different than we typically do. Just because it's a web app and not like a native app per se, like we've typically done interviews with other developers, but with this technology, you said it right on. This has exploded. I mean, this has only been out for about a month. And if you haven't been on AppleVis, this is really something that you should take a look at. This is like the next level of things that we can do or AI can do for us visually that others are not doing. So I'm excited to do this interview with Stephen.Dave: Yeah, absolutely. So rather than us trying to describe the app, let's dive in, chat to Stephen and get the lowdown on all of the great ideas…
In this November edition of Apple Crunch, Thomas, John, and Desiree dig into a surprisingly busy month for Apple. We start with the iPhone Air’s underwhelming debut and why Apple may be rethinking its strategy after weak sales and confusing pricing. Next, we explore Apple’s ongoing talks to bring a Gemini-powered core to Siri—what that means for privacy, how it blends with Apple Intelligence, and how it may finally close the gap with today’s leading AI assistants.We also look ahead to iOS 27, which is shaping up to be a major stability-focused update across all Apple platforms—echoing the beloved Snow Leopard era—with an emphasis on fixing long-standing issues including Braille bugs and Personal Voice quirks.From there, we move into Apple’s evolving 2026 roadmap, including new release schedules for iPhones and Macs, the long-rumored foldable iPhone, a next-generation smart home device, and early hints of Apple smart glasses. We also discuss a promising Vision AI web app offering detailed grid-based image exploration and real-time scene updates. Finally, we wrap up with our App Pick of the Month, Ramblio, a social audio platform reminiscent of Clubhouse and Vorail.Hosted ByThomas Domville (AnonyMouse)John GassmanDesiree ReneeCrunchy ChaptersAir Turbulence — The iPhone Air Stalls on the RunwayWe examine the disappointing performance of the iPhone Air: weak launch-day demand, pricing too close to the Pro lineup, and confusion around where the device fits. We explore whether the Air should even be a yearly release and what Apple may adjust for the next version.The Siri Shake-Up — Gemini Steps Into the SpotlightWe unpack Apple’s potential plan to integrate a Gemini-powered model into Siri. The team discusses privacy protections, how this pairs with Apple Intelligence, and how this hybrid approach may finally bring Siri up to modern AI standards.Stability Surge — iOS 27 Aims to Smooth Out the Rough EdgesReports suggest iOS 27 and all major Apple OS updates next year will focus heavily on stability and bug fixes rather than new features. We discuss the need for accessibility fixes—including Braille reliability and Personal Voice issues—and why a Snow Leopard–style year is long overdue.Future Shock — Apple’s 2026 Roadmap Promises a Wild Ride)Apple is restructuring its entire release calendar. We highlight the new E-series iPhones coming early in the year, delayed base-model iPhones, refreshed MacBook Air and Pro models, the pricey foldable iPhone, and an upcoming smart home display. Early signs of Apple smart glasses also enter the conversation.Eyes Forward — A New Wave of Vision AI Assistance)We explore a powerful new Vision AI web app featuring a 6-grid photo mode, zoomable image analysis, real-time live view with two-second refreshes, and smart duplicate filtering—all designed to give blind and low-vision users richer environmental insights.AnonyMouse App Pick of the Month — RamblioRamblio is a simple, audio-based social networking app blending asynchronous rambling with real-time hangouts. Fully accessible and VoiceOver-friendly, it offers a clean, clutter-free…
In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to customize the Control Center and menu bar on macOS.With macOS Tahoe, the Mac's Control Center and menu bar have become more customizable, with the ability to add, remove, and reorder a greater variety of items.To add an item to the Control Center or menu bar, click the “Edit controls” button at the bottom of the Control Center dialog, focus on the item you want to add either in the list of suggestions or the “More controls” grid, and choose "Add to Control Center" or "add to menu bar" from the Actions menu (accessed by pressing VO-Command-Space). Note that you can use the search field, or click a category in the “Available controls” group to narrow down what’s shown in the “more controls” grid.To remove an item from Control Center, focus on it and choose "Remove" from the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M). To remove an item from the menu bar, focus on it and choose "Remove" from the Actions menu.To move an item in Control Center, press VO-Shift-F3 to turn cursor tracking off, focus on the item, route the mouse pointer to it by pressing VO-Command-F5, and mouse down on it by pressing VO-Command-Shift-Space. Then, move to where you want to move the item to, route the mouse pointer by pressing VO-Command-F5, and mouse up by pressing VO-Command-Shift-Space. Note that this may not always work reliably, depending on the positions of controls being reordered.To reset Control Center to its default layout, go to System Settings > Menu bar, and click Reset Control Center.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Tyler: Hey AppleVisors, Tyler here with a quick tip for how to customize the Control Center and Menu Bar on macOS. With macOS Tahoe, the Mac's Control Center and Menu Bar have become much more customizable with the ability to add, remove, and reorder a greater variety of items. To do this, you'd go into the Control Center and hit the Edit Controls button at the bottom of the dialog. You can also find this button in System Settings by selecting the Menu Bar category and clicking the Edit Controls button in the scroll area. To demonstrate, I'm going to go into Control Center on my Mac with VL Shift O. VL Globe Right, jump to the bottom.VoiceOver: Edit controls. System dialogue. In system dialogue, content is empty. Drag the controls to place in the control center or menu bar. System has new system dialogue.Tyler: Okay, so here we are in the edit controls dialog. At the top we have the search field. We can search for a control.VoiceOver: Available controls groupTyler/VoiceOver: this is where you can categorize what you see in this dialog. For some reason it jumps down to vision accessibility at the bottom, so I'm going to jump to the top with VL Globe left. All controls selected. Battery, Connectivity, Desktop and Finder, Display and Brightness, etc. Suggestions will depend on what macOS thinks will be helpful based on how you use your Mac.VoiceOver: Scene or accessory toggle button. Actions available. Alarm…
In this episode, David Nason unboxes an iPhone Air and gives his first impressions of the device. Apple’s thinnest phone to date, the iPhone Air was released alongside the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max in September 2025.
Our thanks to Apple for providing this device for review. This and future reviews of the device are entirely independent with no editorial input from Apple.Key Points:Despite the coverage I’ve seen and heard, I was still somewhat blown away by just how thin this device is.It is significantly thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro.While the screen is slightly larger, it doesn’t immediately feel like a much larger device due to the thin build.Set up went smoothly, including transfer from physical SIM card on my existing phone to the eSIM on the Air.During set up and initial use, the fact that it has only a single speaker does not appear to be problematic. This is only navigating the phone with VoiceOver, and in a quiet environment however, so more real world use is needed in order to make a full judgement.Seems nice and responsive, but of course it’s only a very first impression. Battery too will be an important aspect to test in the coming weeks.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Dave: Hey there, David Nason here. I hope you are keeping well. I am with you today to take a look at the new iPhone Air which came out in September 2025. Apple have kindly sent me one to review. The one they sent me is the space black model with 512 gigabytes of storage.Dave: The phone I am coming from myself is an iPhone 15 Pro so I'll quickly compare the two as well in terms of their size and weight and that kind of thing so firstly let's take a look at the box that they came in so you can see that the iPhone 15 Pro box is significantly higher um or thicker than the Air so the Air is in a much thinner box the Air is in a slightly longer box but that makes perfect sense as well because it is a bigger screen size as well so that's how the two compare but now I'm going to move the old one aside and open up the iPhone Air box so just do the tabs at the back and off the lid.Dave: And the phone is sitting on top and there are very little things in the box. So we have the phone sitting on top, which I'll come back to in a second. And then we have a USB-C cable and a few little pieces of paper, that kind of thing. As with previous models in recent years, there's no charger, but we do have the USB cable and that is all that is in the box. It's a nice threaded cable as well.Dave: Good so let's move the box aside and the phone as soon as I picked it up I'd say straight away and I it's it's lighter and thinner than I even expected it to be coming from the 15 Pro which you know compared to a Max I can see how with the Pro Max I could see how it'd be significantly thinner and feel significantly smaller but even compared to the regular Pro the regular 15 Pro in my case this really does feel a lighter but just really really thin it's incredible so I'm going…
In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to opt out of notifications for offers and promotions in the Wallet app on iOS.The Wallet app, responsible for managing payments, orders, passes, and more, often sends important notifications related to users' financial activity. However, notifications from the Wallet app can also be used to deliver ads, like Apple's advertising of discounted "F1: The Movie" tickets. To ensure you don't receive such notifications in the future, open the Wallet app, double-tap the "More" button near the top right of the screen, select "notifications" from the menu, and toggle the "offers & promotions" switch off.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Tyler: Hey Apple visitors, Tyler here, with a quick tip for how to opt out of offers and promotions in the Wallet app on iOS. As the Wallet app is used to manage payments, passes, orders, and other things, you may want to be able to receive notifications from it to stay on top of pertinent activity. However, the Wallet app has also been known to send ads as notifications, like the time Apple used it to promote a discount on tickets to F1 the Movie in early 2025. If you'd rather not receive such notifications, you can turn them off by opening the Wallet app, double-tapping the More button, selecting Notifications, and turning the Offers and Promotions switch off. And I'm going to demonstrate that now on my iPhone.VoiceOver: camera weather camera wallet walletTyler: and since the more button is located near the top right of the screen i'm going to put my finger thereVoiceOver: more button more orders buttonTyler: and touch my finger toward the bottomVoiceOver: dismiss context menu button notifications notifications close buttonTyler: and since the setting is the last one on this screen i'm gonna tap with four fingers near the bottom of the screenVoiceOver: offers and promotions switch button off offers and promotionsTyler: this is off for me if it's on for you and you want to turn it off just double tap if you swipe leftVoiceOver: new features and updates switch button onTyler: you have new features and updates that's on for me because the wallet app is constantly improving and new features are rolling out as time passes and i like to be aware of when a new feature rolls out to decide whether i want to take advantage of it or not but if you don't want to be alerted of such things just turn that off when you're done changing these settings and making them what you want Double tap theVoiceOver: close buttonTyler: near the top left of the screen. And here you are back on the main screen of the Wallet app. So that's a quick tip for opting out of offers and promotions in the Wallet app. It's a very set it and forget it procedure. And I hope you found it helpful. Peace.
In this episode, Scott Davert gives us an in-depth demonstration of Braille Access. New in iOS 26, Braille Access aims to offer an experience similar to dedicated braille note takers.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers' names, voices, or content.An AppleVis Orriginal
Thanks for checking out the AppleViz podcast. I'm Scott Davert, and on this podcast, I'm going to cover Braille Access, a brand new set of features available in iOS 26.My apologies, by the way, for getting this out kind of late. I know it's been pretty much a month at this point, but I had a lot of things going on, including being sick twice last month. And the bulk of everything I'm going to talk about here today is available in the article I published on September 13th.So if you're someone who prefers blog posts to podcasts, that is also available to you. What is Braille Access? Braille Access provides access to Braille. That's the podcast. Hope you enjoyed. This podcast was brought to you by the community at AppleBiz.com. No, I'm kidding. Braille Access isA set of tools, I would call them. I don't know if we're supposed to refer to Braille access as a feature and these other things as sub-features or as an app. I don't know. Whatever it is, it has a lot to offer. We have a few functions in it that... We're already available on previous versions of iOS that have been put into this suite of applications or tools, we'll call them. And you have some newcomers. Like anything that is brand new, it does suffer with some challenges, but we'll talk about that as we go along.The idea behind this is to essentially address the needs of Braille users. For a long time, we've, of course, been able to connect Bluetooth displays to iOS devices, but we haven't had any real major features built in specifically for Braille display users, and that changes with iOS 26.If you're familiar with the old note takers like the Braille Lite, the Braille and Speak, the BrailleNote, the BrailleNote Empower, the BrailleNote Apex,The Braille Sense 6 has some of this as well. It's probably the most modern example of this type of environment. But this one brings a lot of these features to your iOS and iPadOS devices. So, for example, you have the ability to take notes. That one's called Braille Notes.I don't know how humanware feels about that, but that's what it's called. And then you have BRF files. So if you have files that you have created on notetakers or things that you have downloaded from Bookshare, NLS barred,CELA, I know, has BRF content, RNIB does, and so on and so forth. You'll be able to read. You can also create and edit BRF documents through Braille access. There's also a calculator application that allows you to use Nemeth code, which is still, I think, what a lot of schools are using here in the States, as well as UEB math.which is starting to spread across the U.S., but who knows how that one will come out. We also have live captions. I can't really demonstrate those. It's kind of difficult to do in a podcast, but I'll definitely talk about that and how they are used and some of the limitations. And we also have the ability to tell the time in…
September 2025 Edition
Hosted by Thomas Domville, Dave Nason, and John GassmanWelcome to the September 2025 edition of Apple Crunch, where we break down the biggest Apple stories and explore what they mean for the blind and low-vision community. This month, we dive into a wide range of updates—from AppleVis itself getting a major facelift, to a critical VoiceOver bug fix in iOS 26.0.1, to Apple’s highly anticipated September hardware event with its mix of bold moves and controversial compromises.We also take a closer look at rumors of a new budget-friendly MacBook that could redefine Apple’s entry-level lineup, while across the tech landscape Meta is making aggressive plays in AR, VR, and AI that may shape the competition for years to come. Rounding things out, we announce the launch of two exciting new AppleVis series: Gamers Corner, a podcast dedicated to accessible play, and AnonyMouse’s App Pick of the Month, a blog feature highlighting standout apps.There’s a lot happening this fall, and we’re here to make sure you don’t miss the updates that matter most.Mentions in This Show: The Crunchy ChaptersA Fresh Look for AppleVis
The redesigned AppleVis website brings a cleaner interface, smoother navigation, and a better mobile experience for the accessibility community. Early feedback highlights easier movement across devices, though some longtime users are already looking ahead to future refinements like personalization and faster forums.Apple’s Quick Save: VoiceOver Users Get Relief in iOS 26.0.1
Apple wasted no time releasing iOS 26.0.1, a vital patch that fixed a critical VoiceOver bug. For blind and low-vision users who rely on consistency, the update restores confidence and underlines Apple’s responsiveness when accessibility issues arise.Apple’s Big Reveal: Hits, Misses, and Maybes
The September event delivered the lightweight iPhone Air, the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro with its shift from titanium to aluminum, and the upgraded AirPods Pro 3. While innovation was on display, compromises in display, materials, and battery life sparked spirited debates about Apple’s direction.The Ghost MacBook: Hiding in Plain Sight?
Rumors of a budget-friendly MacBook powered by Apple’s upcoming A18 chip hint at a big play for students and first-time Mac buyers. History, however, shows Apple’s “affordable” MacBooks often struggle to last. Could this be the one that sticks—or another ghost in the product vault?Meta Moves In: Beyond the Headset
At Meta Connect 2025, new Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, expanded AI companions, and mixed reality initiatives showed the company doubling down on mainstream wearables. The contrast with Apple’s high-end Vision Pro is striking: Apple pursues polish, while Meta races for ubiquity.Announcing Gamers Corner: A Podcast for Accessible Play
We’re thrilled to introduce Gamers Corner, a new AppleVis podcast dedicated to the world of gaming and accessibility. Hosted by passionate gamers from within the community, this show brings together reviews, insights, and discussions about the latest accessible titles, platforms, and trends. It’s designed as a space for blind and low-vision players to stay informed, share experiences, and celebrate how far accessible…
Welcome to Gamers CornerWelcome to the very first edition of Gamers Corner, a brand-new show from AppleVis hosted by Thomas Domville (AnonyMouse), with co-hosts Aaron Spelker and Jesse Anderson. This inaugural episode marks the beginning of a seasonal series that will run three or four times a year, depending on the pace of major game releases.Gamers Corner was created to provide blind and low vision gamers with a dedicated space to discover new titles, revisit hidden gems, and explore accessibility in mainstream and indie games alike. Each edition will highlight standout iOS games, feature community-driven insights, and showcase accessible titles across other platforms. Our goal is to capture the excitement of gaming while maintaining a critical eye on design, accessibility, and overall player experience.In this debut issue, we dive into two ambitious iOS games that generated plenty of discussion, explore Aaron’s “Vault Treasure” pick from the past, and finish with Jesse’s console recommendation that proves accessibility is expanding beyond mobile platforms.Glory FrontlinePlatform: iOS (Free, with in-app purchases)
Genre: Strategy and Action HybridGlory Frontline isn’t content to play it safe. Instead, it pushes the boundaries of what blind-accessible iOS gaming can be, throwing players headfirst into the chaos of battle. In single-player mode, it feels like a tower defense game where enemies swarm down lanes, demanding that you shift quickly between positions to survive. Switch to multiplayer, however, and the world opens up into a full 360-degree battlefield more reminiscent of mainstream first-person shooters.The ambition is undeniable, and the sound design is equally striking, immersing players in frantic combat with clear audio cues for threats at every range. Yet with great ambition comes some missteps. The lack of a proper tutorial makes onboarding overwhelming, leaving many players confused about mechanics and progression. Microtransactions and skill regressions can also frustrate those unwilling to commit daily playtime.Still, for the dedicated gamer, Glory Frontline represents one of the boldest and most console-like experiences available on iOS. It’s complex, sometimes punishing, but undeniably groundbreaking.Joker Poker: Texas FrenzyPlatform: iOS (Free, optional in-app purchase to remove ads)
Genre: Roguelike PokerAt first glance, Joker Poker: Texas Frenzy might sound like just another card game. But this clever roguelike flips expectations on their head. Here, poker hands become puzzles, shaped by modifiers, celestial cards, and relentless boss battles. It’s not about chasing the perfect flush — it’s about leveraging multipliers and bending the rules of poker to survive another round.The replay value is immense. Every run feels different, and every choice carries weight, from what jokers to buy in the shop to how you approach the final boss’s brutal debuffs. What looks like a familiar round of poker quickly turns into a strategic tug-of-war, where two pairs may outperform a full house thanks to well-stacked modifiers.Accessibility is generally solid, though a few unlabeled elements and interface quirks make the learning curve steeper than it should be. Fortunately,…
In this short AppleVis episode, host Scott Davert walks through how to bind a custom braille display command that instantly announces and brailles the current date and time on an iPhone. The motivation is simple: while the lock screen shows the time, that isn’t always convenient; a dedicated braille command lets you check the time anywhere without leaving what you’re doing.The conversation centers on VoiceOver’s braille command customization inside iOS. Scott explains that, as of this recording, iOS does not offer an equivalent mapping for a connected QWERTY keyboard or a native touchscreen gesture; he hopes Apple adds those options later. He also points out a brief “silent” behavior in one of the command menus where speech may stop speaking; there’s a quick recovery keystroke for that. Finally, he clarifies that longer braille displays can show the entire date and time on one line, while shorter displays (like 20-cell units) may require a single pan forward to reveal all details.Step-by-step: Assign a braille display command to announce the time on iOSOpen Settings on your iPhone with VoiceOver enabled.Go to Accessibility → VoiceOver → Braille.Select your connected braille display (e.g., Braille Edge) to open its command categories.Open the section for assigning Braille button commands.If speech goes quiet on this screen, press Space + dot 4 once to restore speech.Press Space + F to use Find, type time, and navigate to the Time action.Activate Assign New Braille Keys.When prompted, press your desired chord (example: Enter + T for “time”). If it doesn’t register, activate Assign again and retry promptly.Test your new binding: press the chord and confirm VoiceOver speaks—and your display shows—the current date and time.On 20-cell displays, pan forward once if the full string doesn’t fit.Press Space + Backspace (dots 7–8) to back out when finished.Tip: To jump quickly to the Assign New Braille Keys control when it’s at the bottom of the list, try Space + dots 4-5-6.Key details and tips surfaced in the episode include that this workflow is specific to braille displays attached to iOS with VoiceOver enabled, that QWERTY keyboard mapping for the Time action isn’t available yet, and that using space with dots 4-5-6 is a quick way to jump to the “Assign New Braille Keys” control if it’s at the bottom of the list. Scott’s suggested binding—Enter with T—keeps the command memorable and fast. The end result is a friction-free way to check the time from anywhere in iOS, without unlocking or navigating away from your current task.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Scott: Hey, everybody. It's Scott Devert back for a podcast, this time covering a quick tip, which is how to set up a Braille display command to access the time and date on your iOS device.…
In this episode, Thomas Domville (also known as AnonyMouse) walks listeners through the new and customizable VoiceOver sounds and haptic feedback options introduced in iOS. Thomas highlights how these features can be especially helpful for users who experience sensory overload or prefer a more tailored accessibility experience.Listeners will learn how to access, adjust, and personalize VoiceOver sound effects and haptics, including how to change volumes, intensities, and even toggle individual sounds on or off.Key PointsIntroduction to VoiceOver soundsExplanation of different tones and sound effects (e.g., navigation into Touch Containers).Why customizing these effects can reduce sensory overload.Accessing the settingsStep-by-step navigation into Accessibility → VoiceOver → Audio → VoiceOver Sounds and Haptics.Customizing optionsTurn off VoiceOver sounds completely if preferred.Adjust sound volume separately from speech volume.Toggle haptics on or off, or fine-tune haptic intensity.Per-effect controlEach VoiceOver sound (such as “navigated inside touch container”) can be individually toggled on/off.Users can preview each sound before deciding to keep or disable it.Step-by-Step GuideOpen Settings → Double tap to enter.Navigate to Accessibility → Swipe right until Accessibility button is found.Go to VoiceOver → Double tap to open.Select Audio → Double tap.Open VoiceOver Sounds and Haptics.Customize options:Toggle all VoiceOver sounds on/off.Adjust sound volume independently from speech volume.Enable/disable haptics, and set haptic intensity.Explore individual sound effects:Find a specific sound (e.g., “Navigated inside touch container”).Preview the sound.Choose to turn it on or off.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Thomas: Hello and welcome. My name is Thomas Donville, also known as Not a Mouse. Now, many of you may not know that you could do this, and that is being able to change how the voiceover tones or sounds in Haptic works. So, all the different variations of the voiceover sounds that you get, for example, in starting iOS 26, we had this new navigation into Touch Container. I'm going to use that as an example here.So I'll give you a little indicator of what we're looking for here and what I mean by voiceover sound. You heard that little subtle tone. And there's all sorts of variation of voiceover noise you can get. Just like that. When you hit the side, it goes thunk like that. So those are…
In this episode, Thomas Domville walks through the redesigned Phone app in iOS 26. The episode explains the difference between the new Unified view and the legacy Classic view, shows how to switch between them, and highlights where previously familiar items—like Voicemail—now live. Throughout, Thomas shares VoiceOver-friendly steps and tips to make navigation faster and less confusing.Key PointsiOS 26 introduces a Unified layout for the Phone app; Classic is still available.You can switch views anytime via the Filter button (top-right).In Unified, Calls/Missed/Voicemail/Unknown Callers/Spam are grouped as options rather than bottom tabs.VoiceOver gestures used: one-finger double-tap, swipe right/left, four-finger tap to jump to top.What You’ll LearnHow to quickly toggle between Unified and Classic layouts.Where to find Voicemail and other categories in Unified.How the Calls screen combines Favorites and Recents in one layout.Why Unknown Callers and Spam are easier to separate from Missed.Step-by-Step: Switch Between Unified and ClassicOpen Phone.VoiceOver: one-finger double-tap on “Phone.”Open Filter.Navigate to the top-right and double-tap “Filter.”Choose a View.Classic: returns the familiar tabbed layout.Unified: uses a single screen with options like Calls/Missed/Voicemail/Unknown Callers/Spam.Confirm You Switched.In Classic, bottom tabs (e.g., Calls) appear.In Unified, you’ll see category buttons (Calls, Missed, Voicemail, etc.) in the main view.Step-by-Step: Find Voicemail in UnifiedFrom the Unified Phone screen, swipe right through options.Stop on “Voicemail” and double-tap to open.Use standard VoiceOver gestures to review messages.Quick Navigation Tips (VoiceOver)Four-finger tap (top half): Jump to the top of the screen (handy to reach Filter quickly).One-finger double-tap: Activate selected items (Filter, Voicemail, Calls, etc.).Swipe right/left: Move through available options like Calls, Missed, Voicemail, Unknown Callers, Spam.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Thomas: Hello and welcome. My name is Thomas Domville, also…
In this episode, Thomas Domville walks through Safari’s new Tabs layout options in iOS 26, explains the default Compact view, and shows how to switch between Compact, Bottom, and Top tab layouts. The demo is VoiceOver-centric, with practical navigation tips (rotor use, headings, and screen-edge gestures) to make changing this setting quick and repeatable.SummaryWhat changed: Safari now defaults to a Compact UI along the bottom: a single row with More, Tabs, the Address Bar, and a Page Menu. Traditional back/forward controls aren’t where long-time users expect.Why it matters: If Compact disrupts your muscle memory (or your VoiceOver workflow), iOS 26 lets you pick an alternate layout—Bottom (classic iOS) or Top (very old Safari style).Key Points & TakeawaysThree layouts available: Compact (default), Bottom (classic), Top (legacy-style).Settings location: You change this in Settings → Apps → Safari → Tabs.VoiceOver navigation pattern: Use headings to jump quickly through long Settings screens; the Apps button sits just left of the Search field at the bottom of Settings.Customization is back: Apple now lets you choose the tab bar placement instead of enforcing a single layout.Step-by-Step GuideFast PathOpen Settings.Go to Apps → Safari.Find the Tabs section.Choose one: Compact, Bottom, or Top.Detailed Instructions with VoiceOverOpen Settings.Four-finger single tap near the bottom to reach the footer controls.Navigate to Apps.You’ll encounter the Search field and a Dictate button; Apps is just to the left of Search. Double-tap Apps.Jump by Headings to the letter sections and flick to S; move right to Safari and double-tap.In Safari settings, use Headings to reach Tabs.Swipe right to the layout choices and double-tap your preference:
Compact (default)Bottom (classic bottom bar)Top (tab controls at the top)VoiceOver will announce Selected: \—you’re done.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Thomas: Hello and welcome. My name is Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. I have a great battery saver mode that I want to introduce you today. Now, this is…





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