

In March, Instagram made auto-generated captions the default for creators, which are supported globally across iOS and Android. These changes help to improve the experience for everyone, however, as Instagram said one-third of video plays on Instagram are with the sound off. The company also said it has started rolling out closed caption features to improve the Instagram experience for the deaf and hard of hearing communities. The company also noted other developments it had rolled out, like dark mode, screen reader improvements, improved automatic and custom alternative text options for people with vision impairments, caption stickers for Reels and Stories, and more. Instagram’s account shared information with its community about how and why to use accessibility features, like alt-text and auto-generated captions to create a better experience for your audience. A number of app makers and tech companies took part in GAAD this year to either highlight or announce new features designed to better meet the needs of those with vision impairment, hearing loss and other disabilities. This past Thursday, May 19, 2022, marked the 11th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), which is a day focused on raising awareness about digital access and inclusion for the more than 1 billion people who live with disabilities or impairments. This Week in Apps offers a way to keep up with this fast-moving industry in one place with the latest from the world of apps, including news, updates, startup fundings, mergers and acquisitions, and much more.ĭo you want This Week in Apps in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here: /newsletters Top Stories Apps celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day In 2020, investors poured $73 billion in capital into mobile companies - a figure that was up 27% year-over-year. In 2019, mobile-first companies had a combined $544 billion valuation, 6.5x higher than those without a mobile focus. Consumers also downloaded 10 billion more apps in 2021 than in 2020, reaching nearly 140 billion in new installs, it found.Īpps aren’t just a way to pass idle hours - they’re also a big business. App Annie says global spending across iOS and Google Play is up to $135 billion in 2021, and that figure will likely be higher when its annual report, including third-party app stores in China, is released next year. The app industry continues to grow, with a record number of downloads and consumer spending across both the iOS and Google Play stores combined in 2021, according to the latest year-end reports.
Why is there no snapchat app for mac series#
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy.
