Apple announced a new accessibility feature for the Apple TV app: the option to watch certain titles accompanied by sign language interpretation.
The tool, simply called Sign Language, will be available starting Friday, November 13, the same day as the worldwide streaming premiere of Being Heumann, a film based on the true story of Judy Heumann, one of the key figures of the disability rights movement in the United States.
In addition to Being Heumann, ASL and BSL interpretation will be available from day one for F1, the racing film starring Brad Pitt which, according to Apple, became the highest-grossing sports film in history.
Before the end of the year, Way of the Warrior Kid and Greyhound will be added, and the company anticipates that more original productions are coming. The announcement does not, for now, mention other sign languages, such as Chilean.
For Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple, the feature is a step toward making viewing more accessible and inclusive for deaf audiences. "Accessibility is a core value at Apple," she notes.
How to activate it
The option is turned on from the settings of the Apple TV app. Once activated, compatible titles display a sign language icon, and you simply press the corresponding button during playback for the int…
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Apple announced a new accessibility feature for the Apple TV app: the option to watch certain titles accompanied by sign language interpretation. The tool, simply called Sign Language, will be available starting Friday, November 13, the same day of the worldwide streaming premiere of Being Heumann, a film based on the true story of Judy Heumann, one of the key figures in the disability rights movement in the United States. In addition to Being Heumann, ASL and BSL interpretation will be available from day one for F1, the racing movie starring Brad Pitt, which, according to Apple, became the highest-grossing sports film in history. Before the end of the year, Way of the Warrior Kid and Greyhound will be added, and the company anticipates more original productions. The announcement does not mention, for now, other sign languages, such as Chilean sign language. For Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policies and Initiatives, the feature is a step toward making viewing more accessible and inclusive for the deaf audience. "Accessibility is a core value at Apple," she points out.
How to activate: Apple TV will allow you to watch movies with sign language interpreter
The option is turned on in the Apple TV app settings. Once activated, compatible titles display a sign language icon, and you just need to press the corresponding button during playback for the interpreter to appear. The search function will also recognize simple phrases like "with ASL," and the app will launch a dedicated collection, "Movies & Shows with American Sign Language," which will gather the interpreted titles. According to the company, the interpretations were designed and tested by deaf individuals and native signers, and each one is tailored to the accompanying film.
Apple TV will allow you to watch movies with sign language interpreter
In the case of Being Heumann, the direction of the interpretation was handled by Daniel Durant, a deaf actor who also appears in the film. "It required a lot of care to ensure that each translation captured the emotion of the story," he notes.
The feature requires iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2, or visionOS 27.2 or later, or the most recent version of the app on compatible third-party devices.