Apple Releases iOS 10.3; Bringing a Number of VoiceOver Fixes, but also
Introducing at Least One New Bug
Apple has released iOS 10.3 to the public.
At the time of posting, release notes are not yet available; however, this
release brings a number of new features to iOS in addition to the usual mix
of under-the-hood improvements and fixes.
For blind and low vision users, our testing indicates that Apple has made
some progress towards addressing the accessibility bugs present in iOS
10.2.1 <http://www.applevis.com/bugs/ios/active> .
Accessibility-Related Fixes in iOS 10.3
* When opening a message in the native Mail app on iPhone, VoiceOver
focus is once again placed into the body of the message. (Note: Based on our
testing, this does not appear to be the case on iPad.)
* It is once again possible to move an app out of a folder using the
VoiceOver rotor. When moving an app out of a folder, VoiceOver users will
find a new Rotor option to close the folder. Once activated, focus is moved
out of the folder and the user can then navigate to wherever they wish to
place the app.
* The Space bar on the onscreen keyboard can again be reliably and
consistently located by touch.
* Navigating by Heading in the native News app is now more consistent
and reliable.
* VoiceOver no longer announces "incoming call" when making a call
with the native Phone app.
* VoiceOver now provides feedback when dragging an app from a folder
on the Home screen.
New Accessibility-Related Bugs Introduced in iOS 10.3
* Behavior of Shortcut Menus triggered on app icons by 3D Touch is
unreliable. Things appear to work as expected if, after triggering the 3D
Touch menu, you keep your finger pressed to the screen and drag to locate a
menu item by touch or perform a very distinct swipe gesture to move
VoiceOver focus. However, anything else (such as lifting your finger and
then trying to locate a menu item by touch) may result in one of the menu
items being triggered with no input from you.
Some Other changes of Note in iOS 10.3
Help With Finding Mislaid AirPods
Find My AirPods is a new option available in the "Find My iPhone" app. It
keeps track of the last known location where AirPods were connected to an
iOS device over Bluetooth, making a mislaid AirPod easier to find. It also
allows you to play a sound to locate a lost AirPod.
Some Changes to App Store Reviews
According to MacRumors
<https://www.macrumors.com/2017/03/27/apple-releases-ios-10-3/> , iOS 10.3
will introduce a number of changes to App Store reviews.
App developers will be able to respond to reviews; and users will be able to
label reviews as "Helpful" or "Not Helpful".
The number of times that an app can prompt users to submit a review will now
be limited; and there will be a new setting option that lets you turn off
app review request completely. The process of submitting a review when
prompted by an app is also reported to be more streamlined, and should now
be able to be completed without leaving the app in question.
iOS Gets a New File System
When installing iOS 10.3, the device's file system will be updated to use
Apple File System (APFS). Announced last year at WWDC, APFS is optimized for
Flash/SSD storage and includes features like strong encryption, space
sharing, copy-on write metadata, cloning for files and directories,
snapshots, and more.
This article from iMore
<http://m.imore.com/apple-file-system-apfs-and-what-you-need-know> provides
information on APFS and what it will mean for you.
It has been reported by AppleInsider
<http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/03/27/lengthy-ios-103-install-time-like
ly-due-to-conversion-to-new-apple-file-system> that the conversion to APFS
is making the upgrade to 10.3 take longer for some than is typical for an
iOS release.
And a Few More Changes
* Settings covering Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes & App Store are now
grouped together in a new section in the Settings app.
* The Settings app now provides a list of your installed apps which
Apple say may slow down your iPhone and will not work with future versions
of iOS if they are not updated by the developer. This is located at
Settings>General>About>Applications.
* SiriKit has been updated with new features that will let Siri be
used to pay bills, check on the status of payments, and schedule future
rides from services like Uber.
* You can now use 3D Touch on the weather icon in the native Maps app
to see weather-related details for your current location.
* The "Diagnostics and Usage" option in the Privacy section of the
Settings app has been renamed to "Analytics". It continues to allow you to
decide whether or not to send usage information to Apple to help the company
improve its services. There's also a new "Share iCloud Analytics" option.
How to Update to iOS 10.3
iOS 10.3 is available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings>General>Software
Update) or via iTunes on your Mac or PC. As always, we recommend making a
backup of your device before installing any software update.
Apple Releases macOS Sierra 10.12.4, watchOS 3.2 and tvOS 10.2
This is another round of software updates from Apple. In addition to the
release of iOS 10.3
<https://www.applevis.com/blog/apple-ios-news/apple-releases-ios-103-bringin
g-number-voiceover-fixes-also-introducing-least> , there have also been
updates for the Mac, Apple Watch and fourth-generation Apple TV.
At the time of posting, full release notes for these updates are not yet
available; however, it is safe to assume that there will be the standard mix
of bug fixes, security patches, and under-the-hood performance improvements.
The macOS update brings a Night Shift mode
<https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/night-shift/> to the Mac; and also
includes dictation support for Shanghainese, cricket scores for Siri,
improved PDFKit APIs, and iCloud Analytics options.
watchOS 3.2 introduces a new "Theater Mode" which enables you to quickly
mute the sound on the Apple Watch and disable Raise to Wake. This release
also brings SiriKit to the Apple Watch, allowing you to ask Siri to do
things such as send messages, send payments, book a ride, log a workout or
make a call.
We have been able to carry out some limited testing of macOS Sierra 10.12.4
prior to it's public release, and our experience suggests that blind and low
vision users are likely to find no accessibility-related changes in this
release.
How to Update
macOS Sierra 10.12.4 is available via the Updates tab in the Mac App Store.
watchOS 3.2 is available by going to the Watch app on your iPhone and
navigating to General> Software Update. To install the update, your Watch
must be connected to its charger and have at least 50% battery power.
To install tvOS 10.2 on a fourth-generation Apple TV, go to the Settings
channel, then look for the System section near the bottom. From here, look
for Software Updates under Maintenance, then select Update Software and
Download and Install.
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