Cognitive

You’ve got this.
Imagine that.

NewBackground Sounds

Keep calm and listen on.

Everyday sounds can be uncomfortable or annoying. Background sounds help minimise distractions and increase your sense of focus, calmness and rest to the tune of distant rain or ocean waves. Choose from balanced, bright or dark noise, or ocean, rain and stream sounds to continuously play in the background and mask excess environmental or external noise. These sounds can also mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds that are playing through your device.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Everyday sounds can be uncomfortable or annoying. Background sounds help minimise distractions and increase your sense of focus, calmness and rest to the tune of distant rain or ocean waves. Choose from balanced, bright or dark noise, or ocean, rain and stream sounds to continuously play in the background and mask excess environmental or external noise. These sounds can also mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds that are playing through your device.

Set up Background Sounds on:

Spoken Content

Listen along as
you read or write.

Enhance your reading or writing with audio. Hear your entire screen read aloud with Speak Screen. Control speech playback with Speech Controller. Or use Speak Selection to have a specific range of text read to you. Then follow along as Highlight Content highlights words or sentences as they’re spoken. Or activate Typing Feedback so each letter you type is also spoken out loud. And all this spoken content can come from one of 70 voices in over 35 languages.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

Spoken Content

Enhance your reading or writing with audio. Hear your entire screen read aloud with Speak Screen. Control speech playback with Speech Controller. Or use Speak Selection to have a specific range of text read to you. Then follow along as Highlight Content highlights words or sentences as they’re spoken. Or activate Typing Feedback so each letter you type is also spoken out loud. And all this spoken content can come from one of 70 voices in over 35 languages.

Set up Spoken Content on:

Safari Reader

More attractions.
Fewer distractions.

Sometimes navigating the web can be sensory overload. Safari Reader is an assistive technology feature that strips away ads, buttons and navigation bars, allowing you to focus on all the content you want — and none of the clutter.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

Sometimes navigating the web can be a sensory overload. Safari Reader is an assistive technology feature that strips away ads, buttons and navigation bars, allowing you to focus on all the content you want — and none of the clutter.

Set up Safari Reader on:

Guided Access

Do everything.
One thing at a time.

Guided Access helps you stay focused on the task (or app) at hand. You can limit a device to stay on one app at a time by disabling the Home button. You can even restrict access to the keyboard or touch input on certain areas of the screen so wandering taps and gestures won’t distract from learning. Whether you’re a parent, a teacher or just trying to help yourself focus, you have all the options you need to customise your experience on Apple products.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Guided Access helps you stay focused on the task (or app) at hand. You can limit a device to stay on one app at a time by disabling the Home button. You can even restrict access to the keyboard or touch input on certain areas of the screen so wandering taps and gestures won’t distract from learning. Whether you’re a parent, a teacher or just trying to help yourself focus, you have all the options you need to customise your experience on Apple products.

Set up Guided Access on:

Facial Recognition

Spot new faces and old friends in any photo.

Facial Recognition allows you to identify people across all your photo albums. The Photos app scans your library to help you find new faces and lets you assign names or nicknames to those you select. And when you import new pictures, Facial Recognition will match individuals’ faces to ones you’ve already identified.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac

Facial Recognition allows you to identify people across all your photo albums. The Photos app scans your library to help you find new faces and lets you assign names or nicknames to those you select. And when you import new pictures, Facial Recognition will match individuals’ faces to ones you’ve already identified.

Set up Facial Recognition on:

Go deeper:

Use the People album in Photos

Do Not Disturb

Stay focused on the task at hand.

Do Not Disturb helps you concentrate by silencing calls, alerts and notifications while your device is locked. You can also schedule Do Not Disturb and allow calls from only certain individuals while it is enabled.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

Do Not Disturb helps you concentrate by silencing calls, alerts and notifications while your device is locked. You can also schedule Do Not Disturb and allow calls from only certain individuals while it is enabled.

Set up Do Not Disturb on:

Go deeper:

Turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving

Screen Time

Keep an eye on your screen use.

With Screen Time, it’s even easier for people to manage device usage for themselves and their families. Activity reports give a detailed breakdown of where time is spent, and App Limits let you set a specific time to spend in any app. This helps you identify patterns of usage and track improvement over time. You can also use Screen Time to schedule a block of downtime in which the device can’t be used. Or choose specific apps, like Apple Books, that will always be available.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

With Screen Time, it’s even easier for people to manage device usage for themselves and their families. Activity reports give a detailed breakdown of where time is spent, and App Limits let you set a specific time to spend in any app. This helps you identify patterns of usage and track improvement over time. You can also use Screen Time to schedule a block of downtime in which the device can’t be used. Or choose specific apps, like Apple Books, that will always be available.

Set up Screen Time on:

Hover Text

Get a quick size boost of what you’re reading.

Hover Text makes it easier to view selected text on your Mac display. If a paragraph, caption or headline is too small to focus on and too important to miss, just hover over it with your pointer and press the activation key for a bigger, high‑resolution version of your selection. You can even choose the fonts and colours that work best for you.

Available on:

Mac

Hover Text

Hover Text makes it easier to view selected text on your Mac display. If a paragraph, caption or headline is too small to focus on and too important to miss, just hover over it with your pointer and press the activation key for a bigger, high‑resolution version of your selection. You can even choose the fonts and colours that work best for you.

Set up Hover Text on:

Mac

Dark Mode

Make everything
easier on the eyes.

Dark Mode transforms every element on your screen into a dark colour scheme to make reading easier. Toolbars and menus recede into the background as your content takes centre stage. Light text against darker backdrops in apps like Mail, Safari and Calendar makes text easier to read in low light.1

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, iPod touch

Dark Mode transforms every element on your screen into a dark colour scheme to make reading easier. Toolbars and menus recede into the background as your content takes centre stage. Light text against darker backdrops in apps like Mail, Safari and Calendar makes text easier to read in low light.1

Set up Dark Mode on:

Dictation

Everything you say goes.

Dictation lets you talk where you would type — and it works in over 30 languages. If you have strong verbal skills, but your spelling or typing could use some help, just go to any text field and tap the microphone button on the onscreen keyboard to start dictating.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPod touch

Dictation lets you talk where you would type — and it works in over 30 languages. If you have strong verbal skills, but your spelling or typing could use some help, just go to any text field and tap the microphone button on the onscreen keyboard to start dictating.

Set up Dictation on:

Predictive Text

Find your next word without a second thought.

Let your device finish the sentence for you. Predictive Text adjusts its suggestions based on who you’re talking to and what you’ve said before. Just tap to choose the perfect suggestion.2

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, iPod touch

Predictive Text

Let your device finish the sentence for you. Predictive Text adjusts its suggestions based on who you’re talking to and what you’ve said before. Just tap to choose the perfect suggestion.2

Set up Predictive Text on:

iWork

Work modes that suit everyone.

Create accessible documents, spreadsheets and presentations at work, school or in your living room. Pages, Numbers and Keynote include several features that can help you better communicate and understand documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Built-in layout options in Pages help you organise and customise the look of your documents. New line and word spacing tools enhance how you read, perceive and edit documents. And for VoiceOver users, the new layout rotor and automatic alignment for selected elements help everything look exactly the way you want.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

Create accessible documents, spreadsheets and presentations at work, school or in your living room. Pages, Numbers and Keynote include several features that can help you better communicate and understand documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Built-in layout options in Pages help you organise and customise the look of your documents. New line and word spacing tools enhance how you read, perceive and edit documents. And for VoiceOver users, the new layout rotor and automatic alignment for selected elements help everything look exactly the way you want.

Set up iWork on:

Scribble

Quickly jot letters
that turn into text.

Reply to a message by scribbling letters on your display and your words automatically convert to typed text. Use your finger to quickly jot down responses on your Apple Watch display or write a message with Apple Pencil on iPad. If you’re non-verbal or communicate better through handwriting, Scribble will help you get your point across.

Available on:

iPad, Apple Watch

Reply to a message by scribbling letters on your display and your words automatically convert to typed text. Use your finger to quickly jot down responses on your Apple Watch display or write a message with Apple Pencil on iPad. If you’re non-verbal or communicate better through handwriting, Scribble will help you get your point across.

Set up Scribble on:

Find My

Locate friends, phones, or both.

Find My can do more than help you find a lost device. You can easily share your location with friends or family in the Find My or Messages app, allowing you to check in on family members, find friends in a crowded place or help them locate their missing Apple devices.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

Find My can do more than help you find a lost device. You can easily share your location with friends or family in the Find My or Messages app, allowing you to check in on family members, find friends in a crowded place or help them locate their missing Apple devices.

Set up Find My on:

Go deeper:

iCloud Keychain

Remembers what you might forget.

iCloud Keychain remembers things so you don’t always have to keep track of every password, card number and username. It autofills certain information on any approved device, so sign-ins and checkouts stay simple and secure.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch

iCloud Keychain remembers things so you don’t always have to keep track of every password, card number and username. It autofills certain information on any approved device, so sign-ins and checkouts stay simple and secure.

Set up iCloud Keychain on:

Go deeper:

Siri

A smart assistant who keeps getting smarter.

Siri can help you complete the tasks you do every day. Or just answer questions you’re curious about. You can ask it to find definitions, set reminders, turn features on or off, and so much more. And if you need to streamline a series of actions or tasks, you can create Siri Shortcuts. Use the new Accessibility Assistant Shortcut to discover accessibility features that are tailored to your personal needs. No matter the Apple product, your favourite assistant is always ready to assist.3

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, iPod touch

Siri can help you complete the tasks you do every day. Or just answer questions you’re curious about. You can ask it to find definitions, set reminders, turn features on or off, and so much more. And if you need to streamline a series of actions or tasks, you can create Siri Shortcuts. Use the new Accessibility Assistant Shortcut to discover accessibility features that are tailored to your personal needs. No matter the Apple product, your favourite assistant is always ready to assist.3

Set up Siri on:

Go deeper:

Updates:

New English Siri voices. Siri has two new English voices that can read the news or answer life’s pressing questions with natural inflections.

Accessibility Assistant Shortcut. Siri Shortcuts features a new Accessibility Assistant Shortcut that can create a customised list of recommended accessibility features and resources by asking you questions about your individual needs.

Get more out of your features.

Learn tips, tricks and how-tos for cognitive features straight from Apple Support on YouTube.

Watch now

Make yours. showing Speak Selection feature.

Discover more about Apple accessibility features.

Learn more