Registered blind assistive tech geek, trainer, speaker & photographer. Apple user. Volunteer for @VistaLeicester. Challenging preconceptions about disability.
Joined April 2011
- Tweets 2,278
- Following 368
- Followers 269
- Likes 1,400
355 Photos and videos
Finding first beta of new Siri very erratic on email requests. Asking to delete has resulted in marking as junk, archiving and once, deleting! Just one example. I've abandoned feedback on Siri until next beta in hope it's a bit more consistent.
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Many blind iPhone users rely on dictation & often find it frustrating. I'd expected #iOS27 to improve dictation on all iPhones supporting Apple Intelligence but without the dictation boost available only on iPhones 17Pro & presumably 18 Pro dictation may be as in iOS26. Hope not.
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Sorry, I omitted that the new, improved dictation is available on iPhone Air as wel as 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. I assume that the 18 Pro models will have sufficient memory but what about the base iPhone 18?
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If you're frustrated by unreliable dictation on Apple devices note that Apple promised improved on-device dictation on its "most capable devices" in #iOS27. Presumably iOS27 dictation will improve on all devices with Apple Intelligence but be even better on most capable devices.
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I asked Gemini and it told me that the iPhones that will support the best dictation and configurable Siri voice are iPhone 17 Pro and Max and iPhone Air. Haven't attempted to verify that.
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There is a full list of devices on which Apple's most capable on-device model installs in footnote 1 of Apple's press release on the announcement of Siri AI.
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Thinking of buying an iPhone 16e, which is great for blind users? Wait. iPhone 17e is likely very imminent & will sell at the current 16e price & 16e prices will then drop. 17e has new processor & supports MagSafe. New iPads also expected soon. Details at:blindios.uk/selecting-an-iph…
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Thinking of buying an iPhone 16e, which is great for blind users.? Wait. iPhone 17e is likely imminent & will sell at the current 16e price & 16e prices will then drop. 17e has new processor & supports MagSafe. A new iPad also expected soon. Details at: blindios.uk/selecting-an-iph…
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I mentioned Apple's new AirTags at a meeting & was surprised several people weren't aware of these trackers which can be fantastically helpful for VI people. For those who don't know here's a link to my page on AirTags with a note about alternatives. blindios.uk/useful-apps/airt…
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A low vision iPad user asked if windows can be resized & moved using VoiceOver because they couldn't easily find the drag handles with their vision. I couldn't find documentation but found this by experiment. Do you know alternatives? blindios.uk/can-i-resize-and…
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VoiceOver iPhone users, do you know there's a setting which lets you switch a phone call automatically between the earpiece & hands-free over the speaker just by moving the phone away from your ear? It's great when dealing with numeric phone menu systems. blindios.uk/faq/how-to-switc…
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7 Dec 2025
It happened again. Someone rushed out to their local phone shop & bought a new iPhone without getting advice first. Phone shops aren't the best sources of advice for blind folk. Please talk first with someone who knows about accessibility. Here's my take: blindios.uk/selecting-an-iph…
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4 Nov 2025
Apple released iOS and iPadOS 26.1 last night. If you haven't already updated to version 26, this is a good point to update but there are lots of small changes that can initially confuse blind or low vision users. blindios.uk/faq/ios-26-tips-…
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28 Sep 2025
I'm updating blindios.uk for iOS 26. I didn't realise just how many small changes there are that affect VoiceOver. Nothing too awful but several tasks work a bit differently. I adapted automatically but those who follow familiar recipes may have some initial problems.
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22 Sep 2025
Just been told by an optician who sells & reglazes Ray-Ban Meta glasses that reglazing invalidates the frame warranty. I assume it's the same for Oakley. Not a huge concern but worth considering before you ask an optician to reglaze or do it yourself.blindios.uk/ray-ban-meta-sma…
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15 Sep 2025
iOS and iPadOS 26.0 are available now. Before you install you might save yourself some time by reading my tips for low vision and blind users first. blindios.uk/faq/ios-26-tips-…
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11 Sep 2025
iOS & iPadOS 26 will be available next week. Before you install, make sure you know about changes that will affect both blind & low vision users & how to reconfigure some of the changes if you wish. blindios.uk/faq/ios-26-tips-…
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10 Sep 2025
I've updated my recommendations on iPhones for blind and low vision users following yesterday's Apple announcement. Comments welcome. blindios.uk/selecting-an-iph…
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5 Jul 2025
Had a delightful email from a blind overseas user of blindios.uk who'd used the site to help set up a system with his iPhone & a bluetooth keyboard to record a trip list of birds he'd identified by their song on a wildlife park visit. Makes it all worthwhile.😎
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