iOS Accessibility Review: Closing Communication Gaps with Apple’s Live Speech

Live Speech is a built-in feature on Apple devices designed to provide speech assistance for users who prefer or need to type their communications rather than speak them (Apple, n.d.-a). This review evaluates the functionality, usability, and effectiveness of Live Speech and offers a perspective on the tool's perceived benefits and disadvantages.

Device Description

Live Speech is an accessibility feature primarily designed to help individuals with speech disabilities or who prefer not to speak aloud. It leverages Apple's voice synthesis functionality to convert typed text into spoken words. Users can type phrases in real-time or use pre-saved phrases for quick communication (Apple, n.d.-a; Apple, n.d.-b; Apple, n.d.-c; Apple, n.d.-d).

Live Speech is available on various Apple devices, including Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It offers features such as language and voice selection and the ability to save frequently used phrases. On the Mac, there is an additional font size setting for the display size of the Live Speech menu. Live Speech is compatible with iPhones running iOS 17 or above, iPads running iPadOS 17 or above, Macs running Sonoma and above, and Apple Watches running watchOS 10 or above (Costello, 2023).

The primary target users for Live Speech are individuals with a need or preference to communicate non-verbally. Additionally, it can benefit people who have temporarily lost their voice due to illness or strain, such as after a concert. It also benefits individuals who may not be fluent in the language but have some understanding and speaking ability, providing confidence in communicating correctly. This feature can benefit many age groups, from children who have developed basic reading skills to older adults.

Usability and User Experience

Setting up and activating Live Speech was straightforward across all Apple devices, following the standard process for setting up an accessibility feature. Users go to Settings (System Settings on Mac), select Accessibility, and choose Live Speech under the Speech heading (Apple, n.d.-b; Apple, n.d.-c). This process becomes familiar and user-friendly after setting one or two accessibility features on an Apple device.

The user experience varied slightly between devices. On macOS, the Live Speech keyboard is accessed via the menu bar (which runs along the top of the monitor screen), and on mobile devices, it is activated by triple-clicking the home/side button/digital crown, depending on the device. Users can then type phrases into the Live Speech keyboard or select from their pre-saved phrases for quicker communication. However, the inability to rearrange favourite phrases and the lack of visual indicators for additional phrases below the visible screen were notable usability issues. Furthermore, although practical, the focus defaulting to the Live Speech keyboard led to accidental typing in the wrong field when adding new favourite phrases whilst the Live Speech keyboard was still active.

Benefits and Disadvantages

The key benefit of the Live Speech feature is that it provides an alternative means of communication, reducing barriers between verbal and non-verbal communication and enhancing social interactions and accessibility. This feature allows non-verbal individuals to communicate effectively in various scenarios, such as ordering coffee or asking for assistance. It also benefits language learners or travellers through an increasingly natural pronunciation of a phrase, which could be input by or learned from a native speaker.?

However, several disadvantages and limitations were noted. Although improved, the text-to-speech engine still sounds artificial and does not readily support fine-tuning phrase intonations or speech speed. The inability to reorder favourite phrases and the lack of visual indicators for additional phrases hidden below the visible screen hamper usability. Lastly, the minor focus issues on input and menu bar clutter preventing the display of the Live Speech keyboard were observed as potential areas for improvement.

Additional Comments

Several improvements could enhance the usability and functionality of Live Speech. Allowing users to reorder favourite phrases or providing a sorting option to display the most frequently used phrases at the top would enhance usability. Additionally, system suggestions to save frequently typed phrases as favourites could streamline the process and reduce cognitive load for users who find themselves repeating specific phrases but are unaware of doing so. Improving the focus issues when the Live Speech keyboard is active could prevent accidental typing in the wrong field when adding new favourite phrases. Also, removing the reliance on an uncluttered menu bar to display the Live Speech keyboard toggle on Mac devices would be beneficial. Integrating these improvements could make Live Speech more user-friendly and efficient, particularly for individuals relying on it for daily communication.

References

Apple. (n.d.-a). Accessibility. https://www.apple.com/uk/accessibility/#footnote-10 ?

Apple. (n.d.-b). Have what you type spoken out loud on Mac. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchl86b6234f/mac

Apple. (n.d.-c). Type to speak using Live Speech on iPhone. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iphcf92d2d9b/ios

Apple. (n.d.-d). Type to speak using Live Speech on Apple Watch. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd86a007717/watchos

Costello, S. (2023, July 12). How to use Live Speech on iPhone and iPad. Lifewire. https://www.lifewire.com/use-live-speech-iphone-and-ipad-7549305