Theme 2025 on wordpress.com using voice over on apple phone the primary menu does not open

[stephjazz]

Primary menu button on theme 2025 does not open when using a screen reader and there is a warning text on all the forms such as contact and subscriptions

[sabernhardt]

Hi and welcome to WordPress Core Trac!

The subscribe and contact forms are for WordPress.com, so WordPress.org should not have any effect on their error messages.

Inability to open the primary menu could be caused by a JavaScript conflict somewhere, including plugins, and the WordPress.com version of Twenty Twenty-Five might not match the self-hosted theme. However, testing with iOS and VoiceOver could be good:

• Twenty Twenty-Five with a WordPress.com site
• Twenty Twenty-Five with a self-hosted site and the public version of the theme
• other block theme(s) with the Navigation block

[stephjazz]

Thanks for the info. So are you saying the warning is up to wordpress.com to fix? Also WP.com tested menu button and said it was a wordpress core bug. Are you saying it’s a WP.com bug and they need to fix it? Many WP including myself hours of testing on ios mobile and the menu button simply does not open that is clear and needs no further testing to conclude it’s a accessibility bug because it opens for people who don’t use screen readers. Can you clarify more wether it’s a .com or WP core isssue? Regards, Steph

[sabernhardt]

I do not have an iPhone, so I cannot test it myself.

Did you contact WP.com directly last year? I did not find any forum posts. I would like to know where they identified a problem in core.

Regarding the forms, that is likely WP.com, or possibly the Jetpack plugin.

[poena]

Hi

@stephjazz Newer themes that use blocks for the menus, from Twenty Twenty-Two and newer, does not support all versions of browsers that are available on older iphones.

There are no plans to improve the support for these older browsers.

This is the list of supported versions: ​https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/best-practices/browser-support/

I believe this is a duplicate of https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/62533

[joedolson]

@stephjazz Can you confirm what version browser and operating system you're using? If they aren't on the supported browser list, then that would be the issue here.

Although I will say that if this is an issue that impacts the front-end, our browser support guidelines for themes should not be the same as our support guidelines for the admin, and that support should not have been removed.

[joedolson]

FYI, I've just commented on #60970 to suggest that this removal of support should be reconsidered. I'm not happy with removing support for relatively recent browsers on the front-end.

[stephjazz]

Replying to joedolson:

FYI, I've just commented on #60970 to suggest that this removal of support should be reconsidered. I'm not happy with removing support for relatively recent browsers on the front-end.

Th emenu opens for sighted people using iphones meaning they are not using a screen reader because they are not blind. Blind people cannot open the menu because we use screen readers. I use fire fox version 142.1 and tested it with safari also. As of a half year ago or so my phone is no longer being updated however my apps are beign updated on a regular basis. Thanks to all for info on menu. I’m shocked that the ability to open a primary menu on a website has been discontinued. I”ve spent a year with WP.com with at least 20 employees with some not just responding, some giving info that is not correct , some looking into it but not getting back, some getting back with no results. If something as important as a primary menu is no longer going to function the very least is that website companys need to clearly add this to their theme description and to put that info where their employees can access it so we don’t have to spend 1000 hours . I last week had my site moved to theme 2024 which did not work so had it moved back to theme 2025 hopin gthe bug would be fixed. This means I cannot use my website I will now have to move it to a theme that is acccessible. I will not be able to do this myself because parts of WP are not accessible. Again thats for the info but I’m shocked this decision has been made. It also excludes people who do not wish to buy a new phone every year. Regards, Steph