• AdGuard VPN for Mac v2.9 puts accessibility front and center
• Visually impaired users can now navigate key sections with confidence
• A new dark app icon helps the app blend in more naturally

AdGuard has rolled out version 2.9 of its Mac VPN client, and the headline change will matter a great deal to a slice of its user base. The update centers on accessibility, making the app significantly easier to use for people with visual impairments.

For anyone who relies on a screen reader, the best VPN client is one that labels its buttons and statuses properly. AdGuard added this feature to its Windows app in February, and now the fix has come to macOS as well.

The update ensures the interface elements in the app are correctly structured and labeled, so that assistive technologies can describe what's on screen accurately. The company sums it up neatly: the app can now "speak" clearly to its users.

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What's new in AdGuard VPN for Mac v2.9

The core of the update is straightforward: AdGuard VPN has gone through the app and made sure that interface elements are properly exposed to macOS's accessibility layer.

In practice, that means VoiceOver and other assistive tools can now read out buttons, toggles, statuses, and actions correctly, instead of skipping over them or describing them as unlabeled controls.

The benefit here is independence. A user who couldn't previously tell whether the VPN was connected, or which server was selected, can now get that information read aloud without needing sighted help. The same applies to going through onboarding for the first time, signing into an account, or contacting support, all of which have been brought into the accessibility fold.

Alongside the accessibility work, v2.9 also adds a dark app icon for macOS, a small cosmetic touch that helps the app sit more comfortably alongside other apps in dark mode.

It may be a minor visual tweak, but for users who run macOS in dark mode, it means the AdGuard VPN icon no longer stands out awkwardly in the Dock or menu bar.

The app, in AdGuard's words, feels "more at home" in a darker environment. This isn't the only Apple update AdGuard has released this month; it also released a new iPhone app just a couple of weeks ago.

How to use the new features

To take advantage of the accessibility improvements, you'll need to update to AdGuard VPN for Mac v2.9 through the app's built-in updater or by downloading the latest version from AdGuard's website.

From there, the changes are automatic: turn on VoiceOver from macOS's System Settings under Accessibility, and the app should now narrate its interface properly as you tab through it.

The dark icon should follow your system appearance settings on its own. If you've set macOS to dark mode, the new icon will appear without any extra configuration on your end.

It's a quietly useful release. Accessibility updates rarely get the same attention as new server locations or protocol upgrades, but for the users who need them, they're the difference between an app being usable and not. With v2.9, AdGuard has made its Mac client a friendlier option for everyone.

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Monica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.

GPUs are her main area of interest, and nothing thrills her quite like that time every couple of years when new graphics cards hit the market.

She built her first PC nearly 20 years ago, and dozens of builds later, she’s always planning out her next build (or helping her friends with theirs). During her career, Monica has written for many tech-centric outlets, including Digital Trends, SlashGear, WePC, and Tom’s Hardware.