Apple is working on a brand new “Custom Accessibility Mode” for iOS, according to evidence found by 9to5Mac in the second beta version of iOS 16.2 for developers. The company apparently says this mode provides a “customizable, streamlined way to use your iPhone and iPad,” which seems to mean you can tweak some settings to make your iOS devices easier to use.
The new mode “allows users to set things like the UI and larger text, apps available on the home screen, allowed contacts, and access to hardware buttons for when custom accessibility mode is enabled”, 9to5Mac reports. In screenshots shared by the outlet, you can see how the mode enables things like much larger app icons, a large back button, and a simpler UI in the Messages app.
When released, Custom Accessibility Mode would be an addition to iOS’ already impressive array of useful accessibility features, but unfortunately we don’t know when the mode will actually be available. 9to5Mac says it found the custom accessibility mode “under the hood” of the second iOS 16.2 beta and that it’s not something people can actually use in the beta update right now, which could indicate that the feature will be released much later in the future arrives. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
