Following Up on tvOS and Text Size
Aside from new iPhones and Apple Watches and AirPods, last week saw Apple release the version 27 class of operating systems which power those devices. One of those updates was tvOS 27 for Apple TV 4K. On the whole, the new software is unexciting—except for accessibility, fortuitously enough for yours truly. Back in late May, I wrote about tvOS 27’s support for larger text sizes. The features come after tvOS 26.4 brought with it support for customizable captions and subtitles in an effort to promote better accessibility—particularly for those with visual disabilities.
In short, both features have made the Apple TV box appreciably more accessible in everyday use.
First, the larger text sizes. After installing tvOS 27 on my A15 Apple TV, I immediately made a beeline to Settings > Accessibility > Text Size and spent a few minutes playing around with the larger text setting. As you’d expect, the UI for it is exactly what you’d see on iOS or iPadOS: a horizontal slider with notched intervals, with text overhead showing the adjusted size. The default setting is at the far left, but I went across both ends of the spectrum at different points to see what the effect feels like at each place. One of the ancillary benefits of having a 77” display on my wall is, in my case at least, the TV’s sheer size compensates greatly for any perceived viewing problems. What this means is, I can leave tvOS as-is, without enabling many accessibility features, and still comfortably enjoy the experience. At a technical level, it also helps a great deal that (a) my TV is an OLED replete with infinite contrast and pixel-level control; and (b) tvOS renders the user interface in 4K. In other words, the house’s foundation is rock-solid even before adding accessibility.
After a few minutes of testing, I decided to leave the text slider one bigger than the default. In practice, the larger text sizes obviously are prevalent in the system apps: TV, Settings, etc. In the TV app, for example, using large text has material effects on, say, show descriptions and metadata. This is helpful because I’ve always struggled to read this information without physically walking up to the TV screen itself. On the other hand, I’m guessing third-party developers need to support the new API; in my testing, apps like Netflix and Pluto TV don’t (yet?) support larger text.
Most interesting in my experimentation, however, is the discovery that using large text also has a material effect on the presentation of the Home Screen and its icons. They look ginormous at any of the larger levels; too disorienting for me personally, but assuredly a godsend for someone else who absolutely needs supersized text for maximum readability.
Next, the customizable captions and subtitles. This feature has had the biggest quality-of-life impact for me, as my background as a CODA dictates I must watch TV with captions turned on. It’s weird without them. I have captions pretty large, set in SF Mono, and they are glorious. Even my low vision can easily read them from my sofa ten feet from the television. My only complaint is the design isn’t conducive to things like weather maps or chyrons, as the captions are so large they naturally obstruct imagery on screen. In my newfound home in the Portland metro, for instance, it can be damn hard to see the temperature in Beaverton or Hillsboro because the local news station’s meteorologist’s talking points will cover the numbers on their map. It’s annoying, but then again, a good illustration of why I like this sort of bimodal sensory input. I’m a hearing person, but I benefit from the concurrent visual feedback given to me by captions.
And yes, it’s worth underscoring yet again that captions and subtitles aren’t one and the same.
