AppleVis Podcast

In this episode of the AppleVis Extra, David Nason speaks with Rocco Fiorentino, developer of FloType, an upcoming VoiceOver-first keyboard for blind and low-vision users. If you remember the speed and simplicity offered by Fleksy and later FlickType, FloType will feel immediately familiar. Rocco explains how his background as an audio engineer and producer gradually led him into development, first through scripting tools designed to make Pro Tools more efficient with VoiceOver, and eventually to building a keyboard intended to solve one of the persistent frustrations of touchscreen devices: typing quickly without needing to hit every virtual key precisely.FloType takes a very different approach from Apple's conventional onscreen keyboard. Rather than requiring you to locate individual letters accurately, you tap approximately where you believe the letters would be on a QWERTY keyboard. FloType analyzes the pattern of those taps and predicts the word you intended. Swipe right to accept the suggestion, swipe up or down to move through alternatives, and continue typing without having to find a spacebar. In the episode, Rocco gives a hands-on demonstration showing just how quickly this can work, including entering words, correcting an incorrect prediction, adding punctuation and emoji, deleting text, and switching to manual character entry when a word isn't in FloType's dictionary.There is considerably more going on than word prediction. FloType can be used system-wide through an iOS keyboard extension, while gestures provide access to editing commands that would otherwise require finding controls on the screen. Rocco discusses cursor navigation, manual entry, customizable sounds and haptics, key size and contrast options for low-vision users, and plans for a self-voicing experience. He also talks about an Apple Watch version currently being tested, where limitations in watchOS gesture handling present some interesting accessibility challenges. Multi-language support is another major goal, with English and Spanish planned as the initial languages when FloType reaches the App Store.The conversation also offers an interesting look behind the scenes at accessible app development. Rocco is totally blind and discusses using Swift and Xcode, AI-assisted development, sighted feedback for visual design, and extensive input from blind and low-vision beta testers. He explains why supporting another language involves far more than translating an interface: FloType needs to understand the vocabulary, grammar, keyboard layout, and patterns of each language well enough for its prediction system to remain useful. The pair also discuss FloType's eventual business model, the realities of maintaining an accessibility-focused app as Apple changes VoiceOver and its operating systems, and Rocco's commitment to ensuring the project can continue even if he is someday unable to maintain it himself.This episode should be particularly interesting to anyone who misses Fleksy or FlickType, finds conventional touchscreen typing cumbersome, doesn't use Braille Screen Input, or simply wants another fast way to enter text on an iPhone or iPad. It is also well worth hearing for blind developers and anyone curious about how a VoiceOver-first application moves from an idea to a working product. FloType remains in active beta at the time of writing rather than being a publicly released App Store app, but its…

Harrison introduces **Deyesfree **, an accessible dice rolling app built specifically with VoiceOver users in mind. Rather than adapting a traditional visual interface, the app was designed from the ground up to provide a fast, intuitive experience for blind and low vision users while remaining equally enjoyable for anyone looking for a simple digital dice roller. Throughout the introduction, Harrison shares the story behind the app, the inspiration for creating it, and the accessibility decisions that shaped its development.The demonstration begins with a guided tour of the app's interface before moving into practical examples of rolling dice for games such as Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Dungeons & Dragons. Harrison shows how to create custom dice rolls, save frequently used presets, hold individual dice while re-rolling the rest, review previous rolls using the history feature, sort dice, and customize the app's speech and sound settings. Along the way, he explains how each feature helps make tabletop gaming faster and more enjoyable without requiring users to work around a sighted interface.As the episode continues, Harrison explores several of the app's advanced capabilities, including Bluetooth keyboard support, configurable voice speed, optional ambient sound effects, multilingual support, and integration with Siri Shortcuts. He also demonstrates the Apple Watch companion, showing how players can quickly roll common dice directly from their wrist or access synchronized presets from the iPhone app. These features work together to create an experience that is both accessible and efficient whether you're playing a casual board game or a lengthy tabletop role-playing campaign.Whether you're an experienced tabletop gamer, new to role-playing games, or simply interested in thoughtfully designed accessible software, this episode provides an excellent look at how accessibility can enhance—not limit—the user experience. Harrison's walkthrough highlights both the practical features of Deyesfree and the design philosophy behind creating an app that feels truly native for VoiceOver users.Thinking About Giving It a Try?If Deyesfree sounds like something you'd enjoy, it's available as a free download from the App Store. The app is developed by Harrison Tu and is designed to make rolling dice quick, intuitive, and fully accessible for VoiceOver users while remaining just as useful for low vision and sighted players. According to the current App Store listing, the app is available at no cost and falls under the Entertainment category. ([App Store][1])You can learn more or download the app using the following resources:App Store:DeyesFree on the App StoreAppleVis App Directory:DeyesFree on AppleVisTranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Harrison: Hello everyone. Um hello Apple Vis. My name is Harrison2, and I am…

In this episode of the AppleVis Extra podcast, David Nason is joined by Ashley Cox, a blind software developer who is building native apps for Apple's platforms with a strong focus on accessibility, usability, and thoughtful design.Ashley shares his journey into software development—from teaching himself HTML in the early days of the web to developing sophisticated Swift applications for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Along the way, he discusses how personal needs often inspire his projects and why creating software for yourself can lead to better experiences for everyone.The conversation takes an in-depth look at Simulcast, Ashley's upcoming podcast application that combines podcast playback, internet radio, Apple Music integration, iCloud syncing, Siri support, and a host of accessibility-focused features into one native Apple experience. Ashley also discusses two additional projects currently in development: Levelly, a precision spirit level for iPhone; and Audit, a modern single-track audio editor designed specifically for macOS.David and Ashley also explore:Learning Swift as a blind developerWhy native apps still matterCross-platform versus native developmentBuilding accessible interfaces from the ground upVoiceOver customization, rotor support, and real-world testingWorking with hundreds of beta testersUsing Apple APIs such as Siri, Apple Intelligence, ShazamKit, and iCloudThe realities—and frustrations—of publishing software on the App StorePricing apps without relying solely on subscriptionsHow AI is changing modern software developmentWhy blind developers bring unique perspectives to software designWhether you're interested in Apple development, accessibility, podcast apps, or hearing from developers within the blind community, this conversation offers an honest look behind the scenes of modern app development and the passion required to bring quality software to life.Resources & Links:Ashley CoxThe Blind Man's WorkshopAppleVis discussion: Seeking Testers for my new iOS and macOS Podcast AppIf you're interested in following the development of Simulcast, joining the beta, or reading feedback from early testers, be sure to visit the AppleVis discussion thread linked above. It includes feature updates, development news, and information on participating in the TestFlight beta.Thanks for listening to the AppleVis Extra podcast.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.David: welcome to the Appoviz Extra podcast. David Nason here, delighted to be with you for another episode. On today's podcast, really excited to be joined by a developer called Ashley Cox. This is the first in a mini-series of podcasts we're doing to showcase blind and low vision developers. So people from within our community, who…

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to customize the Control Center and menu bar on macOS.With macOS Tahoe, the Mac's Control Center and menu bar have become more customizable, with the ability to add, remove, and reorder a greater variety of items.To add an item to the Control Center or menu bar, click the “Edit controls” button at the bottom of the Control Center dialog, focus on the item you want to add either in the list of suggestions or the “More controls” grid, and choose "Add to Control Center" or "add to menu bar" from the Actions menu (accessed by pressing VO-Command-Space). Note that you can use the search field, or click a category in the “Available controls” group to narrow down what’s shown in the “more controls” grid.To remove an item from Control Center, focus on it and choose "Remove" from the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M). To remove an item from the menu bar, focus on it and choose "Remove" from the Actions menu.To move an item in Control Center, press VO-Shift-F3 to turn cursor tracking off, focus on the item, route the mouse pointer to it by pressing VO-Command-F5, and mouse down on it by pressing VO-Command-Shift-Space. Then, move to where you want to move the item to, route the mouse pointer by pressing VO-Command-F5, and mouse up by pressing VO-Command-Shift-Space. Note that this may not always work reliably, depending on the positions of controls being reordered.To reset Control Center to its default layout, go to System Settings > Menu bar, and click Reset Control Center.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Tyler: Hey AppleVisors, Tyler here with a quick tip for how to customize the Control Center and Menu Bar on macOS. With macOS Tahoe, the Mac's Control Center and Menu Bar have become much more customizable with the ability to add, remove, and reorder a greater variety of items. To do this, you'd go into the Control Center and hit the Edit Controls button at the bottom of the dialog. You can also find this button in System Settings by selecting the Menu Bar category and clicking the Edit Controls button in the scroll area. To demonstrate, I'm going to go into Control Center on my Mac with VL Shift O. VL Globe Right, jump to the bottom.VoiceOver: Edit controls. System dialogue. In system dialogue, content is empty. Drag the controls to place in the control center or menu bar. System has new system dialogue.Tyler: Okay, so here we are in the edit controls dialog. At the top we have the search field. We can search for a control.VoiceOver: Available controls groupTyler/VoiceOver: this is where you can categorize what you see in this dialog. For some reason it jumps down to vision accessibility at the bottom, so I'm going to jump to the top with VL Globe left. All controls selected. Battery, Connectivity, Desktop and Finder, Display and Brightness, etc. Suggestions will depend on what macOS thinks will be helpful based on how you use your Mac.VoiceOver: Scene or accessory toggle button. Actions available. Alarm…

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to opt out of notifications for offers and promotions in the Wallet app on iOS.The Wallet app, responsible for managing payments, orders, passes, and more, often sends important notifications related to users' financial activity. However, notifications from the Wallet app can also be used to deliver ads, like Apple's advertising of discounted "F1: The Movie" tickets. To ensure you don't receive such notifications in the future, open the Wallet app, double-tap the "More" button near the top right of the screen, select "notifications" from the menu, and toggle the "offers & promotions" switch off.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Tyler: Hey Apple visitors, Tyler here, with a quick tip for how to opt out of offers and promotions in the Wallet app on iOS. As the Wallet app is used to manage payments, passes, orders, and other things, you may want to be able to receive notifications from it to stay on top of pertinent activity. However, the Wallet app has also been known to send ads as notifications, like the time Apple used it to promote a discount on tickets to F1 the Movie in early 2025. If you'd rather not receive such notifications, you can turn them off by opening the Wallet app, double-tapping the More button, selecting Notifications, and turning the Offers and Promotions switch off. And I'm going to demonstrate that now on my iPhone.VoiceOver: camera weather camera wallet walletTyler: and since the more button is located near the top right of the screen i'm going to put my finger thereVoiceOver: more button more orders buttonTyler: and touch my finger toward the bottomVoiceOver: dismiss context menu button notifications notifications close buttonTyler: and since the setting is the last one on this screen i'm gonna tap with four fingers near the bottom of the screenVoiceOver: offers and promotions switch button off offers and promotionsTyler: this is off for me if it's on for you and you want to turn it off just double tap if you swipe leftVoiceOver: new features and updates switch button onTyler: you have new features and updates that's on for me because the wallet app is constantly improving and new features are rolling out as time passes and i like to be aware of when a new feature rolls out to decide whether i want to take advantage of it or not but if you don't want to be alerted of such things just turn that off when you're done changing these settings and making them what you want Double tap theVoiceOver: close buttonTyler: near the top left of the screen. And here you are back on the main screen of the Wallet app. So that's a quick tip for opting out of offers and promotions in the Wallet app. It's a very set it and forget it procedure. And I hope you found it helpful. Peace.

September 2025 Edition Hosted by Thomas Domville, Dave Nason, and John GassmanWelcome to the September 2025 edition of Apple Crunch, where we break down the biggest Apple stories and explore what they mean for the blind and low-vision community. This month, we dive into a wide range of updates—from AppleVis itself getting a major facelift, to a critical VoiceOver bug fix in iOS 26.0.1, to Apple’s highly anticipated September hardware event with its mix of bold moves and controversial compromises.We also take a closer look at rumors of a new budget-friendly MacBook that could redefine Apple’s entry-level lineup, while across the tech landscape Meta is making aggressive plays in AR, VR, and AI that may shape the competition for years to come. Rounding things out, we announce the launch of two exciting new AppleVis series: Gamers Corner, a podcast dedicated to accessible play, and AnonyMouse’s App Pick of the Month, a blog feature highlighting standout apps.There’s a lot happening this fall, and we’re here to make sure you don’t miss the updates that matter most.Mentions in This Show: The Crunchy ChaptersA Fresh Look for AppleVis The redesigned AppleVis website brings a cleaner interface, smoother navigation, and a better mobile experience for the accessibility community. Early feedback highlights easier movement across devices, though some longtime users are already looking ahead to future refinements like personalization and faster forums.Apple’s Quick Save: VoiceOver Users Get Relief in iOS 26.0.1 Apple wasted no time releasing iOS 26.0.1, a vital patch that fixed a critical VoiceOver bug. For blind and low-vision users who rely on consistency, the update restores confidence and underlines Apple’s responsiveness when accessibility issues arise.Apple’s Big Reveal: Hits, Misses, and Maybes The September event delivered the lightweight iPhone Air, the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro with its shift from titanium to aluminum, and the upgraded AirPods Pro 3. While innovation was on display, compromises in display, materials, and battery life sparked spirited debates about Apple’s direction.The Ghost MacBook: Hiding in Plain Sight? Rumors of a budget-friendly MacBook powered by Apple’s upcoming A18 chip hint at a big play for students and first-time Mac buyers. History, however, shows Apple’s “affordable” MacBooks often struggle to last. Could this be the one that sticks—or another ghost in the product vault?Meta Moves In: Beyond the Headset At Meta Connect 2025, new Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, expanded AI companions, and mixed reality initiatives showed the company doubling down on mainstream wearables. The contrast with Apple’s high-end Vision Pro is striking: Apple pursues polish, while Meta races for ubiquity.Announcing Gamers Corner: A Podcast for Accessible Play We’re thrilled to introduce Gamers Corner, a new AppleVis podcast dedicated to the world of gaming and accessibility. Hosted by passionate gamers from within the community, this show brings together reviews, insights, and discussions about the latest accessible titles, platforms, and trends. It’s designed as a space for blind and low-vision players to stay informed, share experiences, and celebrate how far accessible…

In this short AppleVis episode, host Scott Davert walks through how to bind a custom braille display command that instantly announces and brailles the current date and time on an iPhone. The motivation is simple: while the lock screen shows the time, that isn’t always convenient; a dedicated braille command lets you check the time anywhere without leaving what you’re doing.The conversation centers on VoiceOver’s braille command customization inside iOS. Scott explains that, as of this recording, iOS does not offer an equivalent mapping for a connected QWERTY keyboard or a native touchscreen gesture; he hopes Apple adds those options later. He also points out a brief “silent” behavior in one of the command menus where speech may stop speaking; there’s a quick recovery keystroke for that. Finally, he clarifies that longer braille displays can show the entire date and time on one line, while shorter displays (like 20-cell units) may require a single pan forward to reveal all details.Step-by-step: Assign a braille display command to announce the time on iOSOpen Settings on your iPhone with VoiceOver enabled.Go to Accessibility → VoiceOver → Braille.Select your connected braille display (e.g., Braille Edge) to open its command categories.Open the section for assigning Braille button commands.If speech goes quiet on this screen, press Space + dot 4 once to restore speech.Press Space + F to use Find, type time, and navigate to the Time action.Activate Assign New Braille Keys.When prompted, press your desired chord (example: Enter + T for “time”). If it doesn’t register, activate Assign again and retry promptly.Test your new binding: press the chord and confirm VoiceOver speaks—and your display shows—the current date and time.On 20-cell displays, pan forward once if the full string doesn’t fit.Press Space + Backspace (dots 7–8) to back out when finished.Tip: To jump quickly to the Assign New Braille Keys control when it’s at the bottom of the list, try Space + dots 4-5-6.Key details and tips surfaced in the episode include that this workflow is specific to braille displays attached to iOS with VoiceOver enabled, that QWERTY keyboard mapping for the Time action isn’t available yet, and that using space with dots 4-5-6 is a quick way to jump to the “Assign New Braille Keys” control if it’s at the bottom of the list. Scott’s suggested binding—Enter with T—keeps the command memorable and fast. The end result is a friction-free way to check the time from anywhere in iOS, without unlocking or navigating away from your current task.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Scott: Hey, everybody. It's Scott Devert back for a podcast, this time covering a quick tip, which is how to set up a Braille display command to access the time and date on your iOS device.…