In every iOS release, Apple puts in a lot of exertion to not just add typical features like Continuity, Extensions, but to also improve iOS’ already remarkable set of accessibility tools. In this post, we roll out all new Accessibility features Apple added in iOS 8

All the new features Apple added in iOS 8.

Here are All the new features Apple added in iOS 8.

1. Natural Sounding VoiceOver.

Existing versions of iOS have a robotic-sounding VoiceOver that doesn’t feel as natural as OS X’s speech synthesis system. Apple is bringing Alex, its natural-sounding voice on the Mac to iOS. Alex will work with all of iOS’s spoken audio technologies except Siri which includes VoiceOver, Speak Selection. In real meaning, Alex is a substitute for the robotic-sounding voice that controls VoiceOver.

Also Read: How to Boost your Phone's Volume with a Simple Trick.

2. Speak Screen.

Speak Screen is a new feature in iOS 8, that speaks out the contents of the screen including text, buttons, labels etc. This feature will be a blessing to visually impaired users who may have issues reading text on their iPhone and/or iPad and can be triggered by a simple gesture. iOS 7 already has a similar feature called Speak Selection and It should be noted that Speak Screen is basically different from Speak Selection. Speak Selection  works only with text that is selected at the time.

3. Enhancement to Zoom.

 iOS has had zoom since moderately a few versions, that lets you zoom into the screen and then move around with the help of gestures. The feature is now more refined, users now have the ability to specify which part of the screen is zoomed in, as well as adjust the level of the zoom, and the keyboard appears in its normal size even when zoom is active.

4. Addition of Grayscale.

In addition to a pseudo-theme Invert Color. Apple in iOS 8 is adding a second pseudo-theme to the system with Grayscale that provides the entire user interface in gray scale rather than color.

5. Guided Access Improvements.

Guided Access is an accessibility feature that lets you limit your iOS device to a single app with a passcode, and disable unnecessary gestures, and hardware buttons. With iOS 8, Guided Access lets you use Touch ID for verification when quitting an app. Apple also had a feature that lets users configure a time limit for Guided Access, after which all parts of iOS are reachable without the need for any passcode.

Guided Access plays an significant role in businesses, offices and schools where iPads are set up and used to run just a single application. Guided Access’s new features are basically game-changing, crucial tools for educators.

Also Read: How Apple is Saving the World day after day.

6.Braille Keyboard. 

Apple has added support for a 6 dot Braille keyboard throughout the system. This feature involves a devoted Braille keyboard that will decode 6-dot chords into text.

7. Hearing Aids “Made for iPhone”.

Apple has several partners that manufacture Made for iPhone hearing aids that connect to the iPhone via Bluetooth, and provide a lot of accessibility features. Apple in iOS 8 has enhanced its Made for iPhone Hearing Aids software so that now users who use hearing aids and have multiple devices now can easily switch between them.  The user can also select which device they’d like to connect to, if there are more than two devices paired. 

8. Third Party Keyboards.

Apple has the same keyboard that shipped with the original iPhone in 2007. The problem is that the key caps are too small and the glyphs too hard to read.Apple’s Extensibility framework lets third-party developers build their own custom, system-wide keyboards. This opens up the possibility of improving the default keyboard’s key size, spacing and organisation. Basically with the new API, though, third party developers can create completely customized keyboards that users can use instead of the stock one.

Also Read: Have a look at HP's Magnificent New Smartwatch.

Conclusion.

Apple’s dedicated loyalty for improving Accessibility year after year deserves the supreme praise, and 2014 is no different. Apple already had one of the best set of accessibility features in the smartphone and tablet business, and with iOS 8, it further improves upon these features to make iPhones and iPads even more functional for everyone.

All the new features Apple added in iOS 8.

iOS 8 has been addressed as Apple's most innovative operating system until now. Here is Everything you need to know about iOS 8.

Apple revealed iOS 8, its latest operating system for iPhone and iPad earlier this week at its annual worldwide developers' conference (WWDC), calling it the biggest iOS release ever since the launch of the App Store.

The system contains a range of new features which put forward a transformed interest in lifestyle integration, along with multitasking and faster, easier sharing. Here are the key features you need to know about:

HomeKIt

HomeKit is aimed to control internet-enabled home appliances, such as security systems, washing machines and fridges remotely through your iPad or iPhone. Apps for every appliance or service will be grouped in one place with the potential to be controlled by digital assistant Siri. For example, telling Siri you're preparing on going to bed could activate your lights dimming, doors locking and thermostat being set.

HealthKit

Just like HomeKit, HealthKit will line healthcare and fitness apps and permit them to communicate with one another. For example, a heart monitoring app and blood pressure tracking app could send information to each other from within HealthKit to develop a wide-ranging picture of your health. This modified data could then be sent to your medical doctor through an app such as Mayo Clinic, which will allow your doctor to observe certain changes in your information remotely. Apple is also at work with a number of partners including Nike on the fitness side of HealthKit, through which users can set aim and track their own growth through a single dashboard.

Enhanced Messaging

Getting irritated by multiple notifications from a group conversation? A new muting feature makes it possible to silence those maddening pings, and enhancements to video and audio controls will be introduced to make messaging through numerous platforms as smooth as possible. New location controls will also make sharing where you are with contacts more appropriate.

Family Sharing

The Family Sharing app has been planned to make sharing purchases of films, iBooks, apps and songs at ease, across up to six family members' devices. Each member has an account which is connected to a single payment card, meaning all purchases must be permitted by a parent before any currency is exchanged.

iCloud Drive

Apple is taking on its cloud storage competitors through the iCloud - allowing you to work on any kind of document across any of your Apple devices, or even Windows PC. Edits made to these files will be straightaway visible, no matter which product you're using. Likewise, an email in progress on your one device can now be finished off by another through Continuity, a true push towards smooth integration, while iPhone users can answer calls by a Mac or iPad, and send SMS messages from any of them.

Editing Picture

iOS 8 users can correct elements of their pictures, such as brightness, contrast or saturation, and watch the changes take place in present on another iOS device through a sequence of powerful new editing tools. Every photo will be uploaded to the new iCloud Photo Library, making them manageable through all Apple devices.

Touch ID

The iPhone 5s' brilliant fingerprint scanner was formerly confined to unlocking the phone and providing proof of identity when making purchases in the App Store. Through iOS 8, the technology will be used by third party apps to safeguard logins and user data, making purchases quicker, more suitable and more secure.

Improved keyboard

Apple has modernized its keyboard function to better predict contextually appropriate words when typing. It identifies the receiver you're writing a message to and the presentation, as your tone in an email may vary from that you'd use in a text message. It also learns from your writing behaviors over time, making writing more spontaneous and faster.

Spotlight

Search system Spotlight has been restored to display suggestions from Wikipedia, applicable nearby locations and trending news together with more conservative searches for contact information or apps. This has been personalized to be as contextually related as possible to what you're searching for.

App Store updates

The App Store has also acknowledged a minute makeover, posing a trending report bar, upgraded search function and a video option in app previews.


Thanks For Reading

Everything you need to know about iOS 8.