Apple has today released iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
iOS 15 brings a redesign of Notifications and a new Notifications Summary, a new Live Text feature that recognizes text in photos and across the operating system, a highly-customizable Focus Mode that helps reduce distractions by filtering notifications based on what you are currently doing, spacial audio and other improvements in FaceTime, privacy enhancements, and more.
Update: Our testing suggests that none of the bugs we previously reported as being introduced in iOS 15.0 and iPadOS 15.0 are resolved in these releases. However, there were some new bugs introduced in those releases which were not encountered by members of our team or had a way for us to test for them, so we cannot comment on the status of these.
Apple has today released iOS 15.1.1. This appears to be an extremely minor update to fix an issue with dropped calls on some iPhone models.
Apple's release notes for iOS 15.1.1 simply say:
iOS 15.1.1 improves call drop performance on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models.
Apple has today released iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 to the public.
Our experience is that the following accessibility bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2:
Apple has today released iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1.
According to Apple's release notes, these updates resolve the following two issues:
Apple has today released iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 to the public.
These releases are relatively minor in regard to user facing changes and enhancements, instead focusing on under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes.
Apple's release notes simply state that iOS 15.3 includes ”bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone.”
Apple has today released iOS 15.3.1 and iPadOS 15.3.1.
Apple’s release notes say: “iOS 15.3.1 provides important security updates for your iPhone and fixes an issue that may cause Braille displays to stop responding.”
Apple has today released iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4, bringing a slew of new features and enhancements.
Our experience is that the following bugs specific to VoiceOver and braille users have been resolved or significantly addressed in these releases:
Apple has today released iOS 15.4.1, iPadOS 15.4.1, macOS Monterey 12.3.1, watchOS 8.5.1, tvOS 15.4.1, and HomePod Software 15.4.1.
Apple says that iOS 15.4.1 includes the following bug fixes:
Apple has today released iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, watchOS 8.6, tvOS 15.5, and HomePod Software 15.5.
Apple says that iOS 15.5 includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
Apple has today released iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 to the public, both of which appear to focus on bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements.
Amongst the fixes is the following for Braille users:
Apple has today released iOS 16.1.1, iPadOS 16.1.1, and macOS Ventura 13.0.1 with bug fixes.
It is not known which specific bugs are fixed in these releases, as Apple's release notes only say that each update "includes bug fixes and security updates."
At the time of posting, it is unclear whether these updates contain any fixes, changes or regressions specific to blind and low vision users. If you do notice any changes to VoiceOver, Braille or low vision features during your use of these releases, please let us know by posting your findings in the comments.
Apple has today released iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 to the public.
Our experience is that the following accessibility bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2:
Apple has today released iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3 to the public.
Compared to iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, today's releases have few new features and bug fixes, with Apple seemingly focusing on a limited number of enhancements and likely some under-the-hood improvements.
Based on our experience, it appears that the following accessibility-related bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3:
Apple has today released iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to the public.
Based on our experience, it appears that the following accessibility-related bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4:
Apple has today released iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 to the public.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 bring fixes for the following bugs related to emoji and Siri:
In addition to the emoji bug fix mentioned above, MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 also includes the following bug fix:
Apple has today released iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 to the public. While these updates seem to be relatively minor, they do introduce two changes. The first one is the Sports tab in the News app that allows users to easily access news, scores, and schedules for their favorite teams and leagues. The second is a new wallpaper option named "Pride Celebration."
Apple has today released iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and watchOS 9.5.2 to the public.
According to Apple's release notes, these updates include important security fixes and are recommended for all users. The iOS and iPadOS updates address a bug that could prevent charging with the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.
Apple has today released iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 to the public. While these updates seem to be relatively minor, they do bring a few notable bug fixes for Braille and VoiceOver users.
Apple has today released iOS 16.6.1, iPadOS 16.6.1, macOS Ventura 13.5.2, and watchOS 9.6.2 to the public.
According to Apple's release notes, these updates include important security fixes and are recommended for all users.
As today's updates appear to have been released to address a small set of specific issues, our expectation is that they do not contain any accessibility changes for blind and low vision users; however, if you notice any changes, improvements or regressions in your own use of the software, please post a comment below with your findings.