Next month, Apple is slated to release iOS 16.2, which will include numerous new features such as the new Freeform collaboration app, updates to Live Activities, and a few Lock Screen widgets. However, a much larger change may also be in the works.
According to 9to5Mac, iOS 16.2 could bring with it a new Custom Accessibility Mode that Apple has been working on. Screenshots on the site suggest that the new interface offers a “streamlined iPhone experience,”
with options including a home screen that can be customized with either photos or words instead of icons. 9to5Mac reports that the new mode, known as clarity, contains settings for “apps available on the Home Screen,” “authorized contacts,” and “access to hardware buttons.”
Apple released iOS 16 in September, and iPadOS 16 followed in October. Apple’s website currently does not include Custom Accessibility Mode while highlighting hundreds of new features, many of which have already arrived.
The new personalized mode can be found in the Accessibility menu, alongside Guided Access and Back Tap. As with any iOS feature, Custom Accessibility Mode could be held off until a later version, which is why it’s possible that iOS 16.2 won’t hit phones until December.