How to Control Your Apple Watch With Your iPhone

[alongdingdong]

It seems odd that a feature built for people who have more challenges in life due to physical limitations can't be considered at all by people making comments. Anyone with these physical limitations are overlooked by society as a whole as if they don't count. While we can't run the world based on the minority, seeing companies like Apple putting effort and energy into making these people's lives just a little bit better.....well you would think it would bring joy and supportiveness into the world. It does, just evidentially not to a lot of MR forum users.

Many people have already stated many "why's" but at the end of the day, I think people look for criticism over joy.

I am excited for the people this will help. I am happy Apple is supporting the disabled community. Keep up the good work!

Is this a assumption on your end or has there been a official statement from apple that this is for people with a mobility issue? if so please share the source.

Given the source information we have received on this forum you get a representation of what you see on the AW, which if you compare it to the actual AW seems like less then a 2x magnification, which is not a huge increase in touchscreen realestate (half size bigger AW screen to manipulate?)

Just look at the picture it covers 1/3th or less of the iphone screen, sure for some a extra help but i would argue this is not a feature designed in mind for lesser abled people in mind. For that i would say at least 2/3 of the iphone screen and voice command options for altering settings should be present.

If you get a full screen on your iphone of the AW i can see your point though, but this seems like a marginal increase that only will help a limited portion of the people that require some additional aid to operate their AW.

I understand the sentiment from your end, but i could not find any source that this feature is designed with disabled/less abled people in mind anywhere, that would mean you try to corner people with a opinion by using a wildcard to make them look bad.

But then again i eat my words if you come up with the source from Apple.

 

[c deerinck]

Is this a assumption on your end or has there been a official statement from apple that this is for people with a mobility issue? if so please share the source.

Given the source information we have received on this forum you get a representation of what you see on the AW, which if you compare it to the actual AW seems like less then a 2x magnification, which is not a huge increase in touchscreen realestate (half size bigger AW screen to manipulate?)

Just look at the picture it covers 1/3th or less of the iphone screen, sure for some a extra help but i would argue this is not a feature designed in mind for lesser abled people in mind. For that i would say at least 2/3 of the iphone screen and voice command options for altering settings should be present.

If you get a full screen on your iphone of the AW i can see your point though, but this seems like a marginal increase that only will help a limited portion of the people that require some additional aid to operate their AW.

I understand the sentiment from your end, but i could not find any source that this feature is designed with disabled/less abled people in mind anywhere, that would mean you try to corner people with a opinion by using a wildcard to make them look bad.

But then again i eat my words if you come up with the source from Apple.

Eat away. It is under "Accessibility". But to be clear, that only means "disabled", based on how you define that term. I find that as I am aging, I start to use hearing and seeing accessibility features more and more. But Arsenikdote is correct. Use what you want, but don't bash a feature because you think it is not helpful to you. Lift your head up, realized that people vary significantly in what they value, and realize that there is value for many others. I write code for IOS too, and I am constantly amazed at how often I almost make something difficult for some users, because I wasn't being thoughtful enough. I am very glad Apple goes to the lengths that it does. Someday soon, you too might start to reach in to accessibility features that you previously thought worthless.

 

[Arsenikdote]

You actually make a list of all the offenders. A list.

Anyway, I think you missed one or two. For what it's worth, I didn't think of the disabled community, and agree with you.

I didn't make a list of offenders, I quoted posts so those people got notified of the response. I think you read a little more into it than was there.

 

[Arsenikdote]

Is this a assumption on your end or has there been a official statement from apple that this is for people with a mobility issue? if so please share the source.

Given the source information we have received on this forum you get a representation of what you see on the AW, which if you compare it to the actual AW seems like less then a 2x magnification, which is not a huge increase in touchscreen realestate (half size bigger AW screen to manipulate?)

Just look at the picture it covers 1/3th or less of the iphone screen, sure for some a extra help but i would argue this is not a feature designed in mind for lesser abled people in mind. For that i would say at least 2/3 of the iphone screen and voice command options for altering settings should be present.

If you get a full screen on your iphone of the AW i can see your point though, but this seems like a marginal increase that only will help a limited portion of the people that require some additional aid to operate their AW.

I understand the sentiment from your end, but i could not find any source that this feature is designed with disabled/less abled people in mind anywhere, that would mean you try to corner people with a opinion by using a wildcard to make them look bad.

But then again i eat my words if you come up with the source from Apple.

From the way I understand software and technology, Accessibility features are for disabled people. I feel like having started coding in the 90's, having built and sold a software development company, and now doing business consulting for SMB's that range from $2M to $2B in revenue, I have specific and a broad understanding of technology in today's world. I fully admit that I might be wrong that "most everyone" understands Accessibility in the same way. But aside from my personal experience, a google search netted the expected results. A small sample:

Computer Basics: Using Accessibility Features

There are various computer accessibility options available today for those who are impaired. Learn all about assistive technology here.

edu.gcfglobal.org

https://www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/what-accessibility-features-are-provided-windows-operating-syste0

Accessibility - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

What Does Accessible Mean?

dro.dasa.ncsu.edu

While the exact wording isn't standard across all industries and platforms, I don't think it is a stretch to understand that accessibility items under the Accessibility section of iOS are for disabled people.

If you don't agree with that, then I don't think we have any common reference point for a conversation.

 

[ApeBot]

It seems odd that a feature built for people who have more challenges in life due to physical limitations can't be considered at all by people making comments. Anyone with these physical limitations are overlooked by society as a whole as if they don't count. While we can't run the world based on the minority, seeing companies like Apple putting effort and energy into making these people's lives just a little bit better.....well you would think it would bring joy and supportiveness into the world. It does, just evidentially not to a lot of MR forum users.

Many people have already stated many "why's" but at the end of the day, I think people look for criticism over joy.

I am excited for the people this will help. I am happy Apple is supporting the disabled community. Keep up the good work!

Holier than thou comment. Congratulations. All I asked for was a particular use case. On my 13 mini, the watch face is practically the same size as the watch. Call me unimaginative if I can’t find a use case, but don’t you dare call me ableist.

 

[brian017]

Holier than thou comment. Congratulations. All I asked for was a particular use case. On my 13 mini, the watch face is practically the same size as the watch. Call me unimaginative if I can’t find a use case, but don’t you dare call me ableist.

But the thing is actual disabled people, like me, are finding use cases. Just because YOU can’t find any use cases. That’s why your comments are ableist

 

[c deerinck]

Holier than thou comment. Congratulations. All I asked for was a particular use case. On my 13 mini, the watch face is practically the same size as the watch. Call me unimaginative if I can’t find a use case, but don’t you dare call me ableist.

Ok, with no condescension at all here are some points to consider:
- People with seeing or hand movement disabilities are not likely to own a 13 mini, they are likely to own something with a bigger screen.
- iPhones also have zoom features so they could zoom in if the need to.
- Apple only needs to create a single use case to win over a new customer.
- People with disabilities have been largely ignored for much of the history of mankind, and can be a bit sensitive when people don't bother to think even a bit to understand their perspective.

Now imagine you really like your iWatch, but you have difficulty seeing small details on the face. You wish Apple would have a bigger watch, but understand that there is not a big enough market to sustain another model. Further, you don't really want a big watch strapped to your wrist, signaling that you are somehow "different". You could carry a magnifying glass around with you, but that is a hassle. You have a phone that can act as a magnifying glass, and that was what you have been doing. Not ideal trying to keep things steady with you shaky hands. You take a picture, and zoom in. That works. You deal with it. Someone at Apple notices all of this and designs a better solution. There is your use case.

In general, I think maybe 90% of what my iPhone can do is irrelevant to me. They sit there waiting for me to have a use case. Maybe someday I will, maybe not. For instance, I don't ever take selfies, so why put a camera on the screen side? Why have to have a notch at all? Then one day, I am taking a picture underneath something, and don't want to crawl under to do it, so I hold the phone under it, using the screen to aim the camera, and that only works if the camera is pointing the same way as the screen (this happened last week). Voila, I have my use case! This is why you create a well featured device, so that everyone wants/needs them, and is constantly impressed as they get new use cases, and the device delivers.

Example #2, my kids phones can run Facebook, but none of them use it, because "it is for old people". Little do they know, that someday they will get old too, and then they will have their use case. Or maybe before then Zuckerberg will finish off making it a complete stinking pile, and the world will shrug it off. In either case, the iPhone will be there.

 

[Night Spring]

Holier than thou comment. Congratulations. All I asked for was a particular use case. On my 13 mini, the watch face is practically the same size as the watch. Call me unimaginative if I can’t find a use case, but don’t you dare call me ableist.

I find tapping on my wrist while holding up my arm awkward. I can't keep my arm steady in the position I need to manipulate the watch. It's much easier to do it from my phone. The few times when I need to go into the watch's settings because that setting is not available in the phone's watch app, I end up taking the watch off my wrist so I can hold it an angle where it's easier to see and manipulate.

And like @c deerinck said, I buy the biggest iPhone available that I can afford, so I can easily see and manipulate it.

 

[Arsenikdote]

Holier than thou comment. Congratulations. All I asked for was a particular use case. On my 13 mini, the watch face is practically the same size as the watch. Call me unimaginative if I can’t find a use case, but don’t you dare call me ableist.

You asked for a use case for a feature in the Accessibility section of the operating system. If YOU are disabled and can't think of a reason, I would assume that you can have empathy for others who might. If YOU aren't disabled then this feature isn't for you and you can move along.

 

[jebrennan]

Not interested until I can watch tv on my watch while surfing on my phone.

Watching TV on my watch while surfing 🌊