2023-06-18 12:01:40
In addition to a synthetic voice system for people with slurred speech, iOS 17 comes with an all-new mode that makes the system much more accessible. Called “Help access”, it offers a simplified way to use your iPhone. The general interface and applications are lightened in order to reduce the cognitive load of users.
A trustworthy person takes care of supervising all this from the “full” iOS by configuring the applications in the way most suited to the owner’s disability. Once activated, this mode offers only a handful of essential apps in a new view without superfluous elements. It is not possible to return to the standard iOS interface without entering a code created for the occasion, and even restarting the phone will not change anything. The person under guardianship will therefore not be able to get lost in the menus or modify important elements.
It is not possible to take screenshots in Help Access and the video output is blocked, which prevents mirroring via QuickTime. Since the mode was not available in the latest Xcode simulator, we had to resort to taking photos of the iPhone.
Once in “Help access” mode, we are left with five applications: Messages, Calls (which integrates FaceTime), Photos, Camera and Music. The interface is reduced to a minimum and the gesture to go back gives way to a large button. Some elements have been evacuated, such as multitasking and the control center.
You can customize some things, for example the contact and conversation lists displayed in Phone and Messages. You can choose between four modes in the Camera to allow the taking of photos or videos on the front or rear cameras. The choice of the objective is made when starting the app. Music is limited to a selection of playlists, which simplifies navigation.
The locked screen has also been revised: no need to swipe up, just press an “Open” key before typing a code. You can choose to display the time, the battery level or the notifications, but also choose a wallpaper. Siri remains accessible via the side button or Hey Siri.
If only a few applications are optimized for this mode, you can still add third-party apps. The interface is slightly redesigned to always let the back button appear, which should slightly crop the edges. However, Apple foresaw this and developers can manage to adapt the interface of their apps to use the entire screen. It remains to be seen whether publishers will play the game.
Pressing volume and the lock button allows you to return to the standard iOS interface using a code. It is possible to change some settings from this screen, for example to quickly switch to airplane mode, mute the volume or increase the size of the text. The concept is similar on iPadOS, but with a larger screen.
This function is in the Settingsheading Accessibility > Help Access. It will be very effective for people with disabilities or possibly for an elderly person who uses their phone in a limited way. The mode is still a bit buggy, some apps didn’t work for me or forced me to force restart my iPhone following a freeze. This is enough for a preview, but we will have to wait for the next more stable betas for use in real conditions.
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