Apple Podcasts Is Getting Transcripts—The Accessibility Ramifications Are Immense

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Apple Podcasts Is Getting Transcripts—The Accessibility Ramifications Are Immense

Steven Aquino
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Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Steven covers accessibility and assistive technologies.

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Jan 29, 2024,02:16pm EST

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Apple Podcasts is getting support for auto-generated transcripts come iOS 17.4.

Apple

Following the recent release of iOS 17.3, Apple last week issued the first beta of iOS 17.4 to developers. Arguably the marquee feature of the update—which includes sweeping changes to the iOS App Store in the EU—from an accessibility standpoint is the addition of auto-generated transcriptions to Apple Podcasts. According to a report by Jon Porter of The Verge, the forthcoming functionality allows users to jump to specific sections of an episode, as well as gives creators the ability to edit transcripts as needed or add their own. They will be available in English, French, German, and Spanish and viewable in more than 170 countries.

As Apple notes in its announcement, the advent of transcripts in the Podcasts app—truly a momentous occasion worthy of a bonafide finally—is a significant step forward for accessibility [...]