You may already know your iPhone or iPad has a magnifier app to help you zoom into things and see clearly. Now, you can use it to read aloud text and labels thanks to Apple’s Point and Speak feature. It helps people with visual disabilities to navigate and interact with their physical environment. Here’s how to use the Point and Speak feature on iPhone and iPad.
What is Point and Speak on an iPhone?
Point and Speak is an accessibility feature built into Magnifier’s Detection Mode. This mode uses the iPhone or iPad’s sensors to detect nearby text, people, doors, and scenes and provide users with sound, speech, or haptic feedback.
Point and Speak combine on-device machine learning and input from the device’s camera and LiDAR scanner to detect and read the text labels aloud when your finger is pointed at them within the camera view.
So, whether you’re navigating appliances or reading labels at a distance, Point and Speak can make daily tasks easier and more independent.
Which devices support Apple Point and Speak in Magnifier?
To use Point and Speak in the Magnifier app, your device needs to satisfy the following conditions:
- An iPhone or iPad with iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 or later.
- A device with a LiDAR sensor. LiDAR sensors are currently available on the following iPhone and iPad models:
- iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPad Pro (2022)
- iPad Pro (2021)
- iPad Pro (2020)
Further, to use Point and Speak in the Magnifier app, you must first enable Detection Mode on Magnifier since its primary controls are for zooming in on things in the environment. Here’s how to do it.
How to enable the Point and Speak feature in the Magnifier app
- Open the Magnifier app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Settings icon and select Detect.
- Here, toggle on Show in Control Panel. Ensure all toggles are enabled.
- Then, tap Point & Speak at the bottom and check the settings.
- Finally, hit Done.
Once you have ensured all of the above, you can proceed towards using Point and Speak.
How to use Point and Speak in the Magnifier app on your iPhone
- Tap Detect to start the Detection Mode icon.
- Press and hold Detect and select Point & Speak (the icon with a pointing finger).
- Position your finger under the camera and wait for your device to announce that your finger has been detected. You’ll also see a Hand Detected notification on the screen.
- Keep your camera parallel to the surface or object being scanned.
- By default, Point and Speak will detect text under your finger. To change this, tap Settings → Detect → Point and Speak. Under Location, tap Under or Above.
- Toggle Automatic Flashlight if you want Magnifier to automatically turn on the flashlight for 10 seconds when the environment is too dark to detect text.
You can also select which feedback you want to get whenever you use Point and Speak. Under Detection Feedback, toggle any of the following:
- Sound: You’ll hear a clicking sound whenever it detects something
- Labels: Your device will show the text it was able to recognize
- Speech: Your device will describe/read the text you’re pointing to
- Haptics: You’ll feel haptic feedback every time it identifies a text
By default, when you point to a text on your iPhone or iPad, it will be enclosed with a yellow border. However, you can modify the color of this border or remove it entirely if you prefer. Here’s how you can do it:
- To remove the border: Toggle the Border option to off.
- To change the border color: Tap Color. A range of color options will appear, allowing you to choose your preferred border color. You can Tap the Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders tab to explore and select the ideal color that suits your preference.
Benefits of using Apple Point and Speak feature
- Many individuals with low vision can perceive outlines and distinguish high contrasts, helping them identify buttons and objects with significant contrast.
- However, due to reduced visual acuity, they often struggle to read labels with small fonts or tight spacing.
- Point and Speak is incredibly helpful for interpreting printed labels on various objects.
- It’s also useful for individuals whose eyes tire quickly, reducing the need for straining to read small text.
- The feature can:
- Detect and narrate small labels for easier understanding.
- Display detected text in a larger font, making it more accessible.
Wrapping up…
Vision is a precious gift, enabling us to appreciate our surroundings and engage with the world. Unfortunately, many everyday objects have labels printed in small fonts, and for those experiencing a loss of visual clarity, this can hinder interaction with such objects.
Thankfully, innovative features like Point and Speak can transform your iPhone or iPad into a revolutionary magnifying tool that doesn’t just enlarge labels but also reads them aloud
Can you think of other ways Point and Speak can benefit its users? Share them below!
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