Apple Adds New Grayscale Mode, Zoom Accessibility Options In iOS 8
by Joe White
June 4, 2014
Apple has made it easier for iOS device owners who are color blind or who suffer from low vision to use its mobile operating system with iOS 8. In particular, two new additions -- a Grayscale mode and enhanced zoom options -- have appeared in the Accessibility section of the iOS 8 Settings app.
First, the Grayscale mode can be enabled with a toggle button (pictured above), and this removes color from iOS 8. Instead, users can navigate through the operating system experiencing only shades of gray, and the effect applies to the iOS Home screen, built-in first-party apps, and third-party applications downloaded on the App Store.
Usefully, when having content magnified in iOS 8 users can now also enable a toggle button to leave the virtual keyboard "unzoomed."
This means users with low vision will be able to magnify text fields in Safari, for example, while having the keyboard remain its usual size. This, too, can be enabled or disabled using a toggle button from inside the Accessibility section of the Settings app.
Besides the above, we're also hearing from our developer sources that various toggles in the Accessibility preferences pane have switched places, or have been offered dedicated sections of their own.
The changes come as part of a larger number of alterations made by Apple to the iOS 8 Settings app. One particular change, which we told you about earlier today, allows users to have their iOS device automatically send the location of their handset to Apple when its battery life reaches "a critical level." It's hoped that the smart feature will make it easier for users to find lost iPhones and iPads.
See also: Microsoft Updates Xbox One SmartGlass For iOS With Various Improvements, Canada's Rogers Wireless Also Confirms Support For iOS 8's Wi-Fi Calling, and In iOS 8, Apple Has Ditched Yahoo For The Weather Channel.