Explore best practices for creating inclusive apps for users of Apple accessibility features and users from diverse backgrounds.

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Unreliable Accessibility API behavior when interacting with Microsoft Teams app
I'm developing a macOS app that interacts with Microsoft Teams using the Accessibility API. I've noticed inconsistent behavior when querying UI elements, particularly for the mute button. My queries often fail, while system tools like VoiceOver can consistently access these elements (which are visible on the screen). In some cases, it works well, but in others, the UI elements are not visible from my code. When I try Accessibility Inspector, it also initially fails to inspect. However, the Inspector seems to have some "magical" power that, when I run it or via AX audit, appears to refresh the AX tree, and then my code occasionally works as well. Given that VoiceOver can consistently read the screen, I assume the issue is not with the Microsoft Teams app itself (assuming it's based on Electron/React). I am mentioning this, because when I interact with Zoom app, reading the mute status from the app's menu bar, its 100% working anytime. What would you recommend I try or explore to improve reliability? Can I refresh the apps' AX tree from my end from swift? Is that a bug in AX API or even in Microsoft Teams? (have ready example and demo video, but it does not let me upload here)
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589
Sep ’24
iOS Eye Tracking Accessibility Feature API
Hi, is there any way to interact with the eye tracking accessibility feature in iOS and iPadOS? I want to be able to trigger an eye tracker recalibration programmatically. Also if possible, I would like to be able to retrieve gaze location data. These are not intended to be features on an app being published to the app store but rather a custom made accessibility app.
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863
Oct ’24
Accessibility Localization Questions
For practice, I have implemented accessibility labels and announcement in a very simple test app (All SwiftUI, all iOS 18). The app is not localized, default language is English. When running this on a German phone, odd things happen in the localization. My accessibility labels are read with an accent, but when they contain a url, the "dots" are read as the German "Punkt" (with an English Accent). When I am providing the same text as accessibility announcement, the same text (which is in English), is read with a German voice. I am also providing a Button with an "arrow.clockwise" image, and VoiceOver reads this, in an English Voice with "Refresh, Button". This is great and was to be expected. However, when the button is disabled, VoiceOver reads "Refresh, grau dargestellt, Button", all in an English Voice. Is this an error? Am I doing it wrong? The video at the link should show the issue https://share.icloud.com/photos/0757FJW2Q3fsA_cdhMX6ls46Q
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1.2k
Dec ’24
Guided Access Mode From Background
My team is designing an app for retail associates that need to share managed iPads. We keep the app in Guided Access mode on our login app until an auth token is obtained. Then the iPad is opened for general use. Upon signout we need to re-enter guided access mode and we can do this via manual signout easily. But with idle signout, ie after 60 minutes of inactivity, we need to be able to make a call from the background (in a locked state even) and sign out the user, clear the pin code and enter single app mode before restarting. So that hopefully once the device restarts, we have the app in a locked state again until the next user provides credentials that can obtain a new auth token. We are struggling to see if this is even possible. Our bosses will be displeased if we tell them it isn't. So anybody with any tips would be very appreciated.
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205
Mar ’25
VoiceOver Text Recognition Announcing Hidden Labels
I have a UIImageView as the background of a custom UIView subclass. The image itself does not contain any text. On top of this image view, I have added two UILabels. To improve accessibility, I converted the entire view into a single accessibility element and set a proper accessibilityLabel. Additionally, I disabled accessibility for the UIImageView and the labels by setting isAccessibilityElement = false. However, when VoiceOver's Accessibility Recognition's Text Recognition feature is enabled, VoiceOver still detects and announces the text inside the UILabels at the end after reading my custom accessibility properties. This text should not be announced. It seems that VoiceOver treats the UILabel content as part of the UIImageView. Additionally, when using the Explore Image rotor action, the entire subview is recognized as a single image. Is this the expected behavior? If so, is there a way to disable VoiceOver’s text recognition for this view while keeping custom accessibility intact? class BackgroundLabelView: UIView { private let backgroundImageView = UIImageView() private let backgroundImageView2 = UIImageView() private let titleLabel = UILabel() private let subtitleLabel = UILabel() override init(frame: CGRect) { super.init(frame: frame) setupView() } required init?(coder: NSCoder) { super.init(coder: coder) setupView() configureAceesibility() } private func configureAceesibility() { backgroundImageView.isAccessibilityElement = false backgroundImageView2.isAccessibilityElement = false titleLabel.isAccessibilityElement = false subtitleLabel.isAccessibilityElement = false isAccessibilityElement = true accessibilityTraits = .button } func configure(backgroundImage: UIImage?, title: String, subtitle: String) { backgroundImageView.image = backgroundImage titleLabel.text = title subtitleLabel.text = subtitle accessibilityLabel = "Holiday Offer ," + title + "," + subtitle } private func setupView() { backgroundImageView2.contentMode = .scaleAspectFill backgroundImageView2.clipsToBounds = true backgroundImageView2.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false backgroundImageView2.image = UIImage(resource: .bannerfestival) addSubview(backgroundImageView2) backgroundImageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit backgroundImageView.clipsToBounds = true backgroundImageView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false addSubview(backgroundImageView) titleLabel.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 18, weight: .bold) titleLabel.textColor = .white titleLabel.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false titleLabel.numberOfLines = 0 addSubview(titleLabel) subtitleLabel.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 14, weight: .regular) subtitleLabel.textColor = .white.withAlphaComponent(0.8) subtitleLabel.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false subtitleLabel.numberOfLines = 0 addSubview(subtitleLabel) NSLayoutConstraint.activate([ backgroundImageView2.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingAnchor), backgroundImageView2.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: trailingAnchor), backgroundImageView2.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 200), backgroundImageView.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: centerYAnchor), backgroundImageView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: topAnchor), backgroundImageView.leadingAnchor.constraint(greaterThanOrEqualTo: leadingAnchor), backgroundImageView.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: trailingAnchor), backgroundImageView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: bottomAnchor), titleLabel.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingAnchor, constant: 16), titleLabel.trailingAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualTo: centerXAnchor), titleLabel.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: centerYAnchor, constant: -4), subtitleLabel.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingAnchor, constant: 16), subtitleLabel.trailingAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualTo: centerXAnchor), subtitleLabel.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: centerYAnchor, constant: 4) ]) } override func layoutSubviews() { super.layoutSubviews() backgroundImageView.layer.cornerRadius = layer.cornerRadius } }
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98
Apr ’25
Membership Purchase Issue
Dear Team, We are stuck in membership enrollment process at the purchase stage. We enter the payment details, get the message that our purchase will be completed in 48 hours, but after some time, it reverts back to the same stage of purchase your membership without any error or information. This has happened for 3-4 times till now. Kindly let us know how to resolve this issue and move forward with the enrollment process. Thanks.
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525
Dec ’24
WhatsApp not showing in Apple Carplay in iOS 18.X
I bought a new iPhone 16 recently and connected with my car (Hyundai Venue) I couldn't able to see WhatsApp. I researched and found some forum, but the suggested steps are not workable or not suitable for latest iOS version. I have updated iOS and WhatsApp, nothing helped to resolve. Note: Earlier I was used Pixel phone I can able to see Whatsapp and I can make a call
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477
Jan ’25
mkdir actions-runner && cd actions-runner
curl -o actions-runner-osx-x64-2.321.0.tar.gz -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.321.0/actions-runner-osx-x64-2.321.0.tar.gz echo "b2c91416b3e4d579ae69fc2c381fc50dbda13f1b3fcc283187e2c75d1b173072 actions-runner-osx-x64-2.321.0.tar.gz" | shasum -a 256 -c tar xzf ./actions-runner-osx-x64-2.321.0.tar.gz ./config.sh --url https://github.com/funds123/tpsdk --token BMOPQPZNQKB57MXE4BDDKKTHMTHJO ./run.sh Save this configuration as com.github.actions.runner.plist in
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629
Dec ’24
Accessibility full keyboard access issue.
In our application we are using UIAlertViewController. When accessibility full keyboard access is enabled, and we are trying to dismiss that AlertViewController with Esc key from external keyboard that is not working. We are presenting AlertViewController as a popover. We need dismiss the AlertViewController with Esc key press from external keyboard.
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523
Mar ’25