Accessibility Features That Make Your Phone Easier
Discover built-in features that make your phone easier to see, hear, and use.
Start the guide
Start with the first step, try it on your own device, and use the next-step section at the end if you want a clear follow-on guide.
Guide details and who this is for
Guide details
- Published
- January 15, 2025
- Country scope
- Global
Who this is for
Best for beginners learning on their own device for the first time.
Good to know
Try one step at a time on your own device. If something does not look right, stop there and ask for help before guessing.
Before you begin
What this guide helps you do
This guide explains the task in plain English and gives a safe first sequence to try on your own device.
Best time to use it
Use it when you want to build confidence step by step instead of guessing through menus or buttons.
Common mistake to avoid
Do one step at a time so you can tell what changed if something looks different.
Helpful tech words
Open a plain-English term first if you need it
Making Your Phone Work Better for You
Your phone has many built-in features designed to make it easier to use — whether you have difficulty seeing small text, hearing sounds, or moving your fingers quickly. You do not need to buy any extra apps.
Making text and icons bigger
- Android: Settings → Display → Font size and Display size.
- iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Larger Text.
Screen reader — hear everything read aloud
If reading the screen is difficult, these features read everything aloud:
- Android: Settings → Accessibility → TalkBack. Tap to turn it on.
- iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver.
Once on, your phone will speak everything you touch on screen.
Magnifier — a digital magnifying glass
- iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Magnifier → turn on. Then triple-click the side button to activate it — it turns your camera into a magnifying glass. Great for reading small print on medicine bottles or restaurant menus.
- Android: Settings → Accessibility → Magnification.
Hearing: louder and clearer
- Increase call volume: During a call, press the volume up button on the side of your phone.
- Sound Amplifier (Android): Settings → Accessibility → Sound Amplifier. Plug in headphones to boost and filter surrounding sounds.
- Hearing Aid Compatibility: Most smartphones are compatible with hearing aids — check with your audiologist or phone shop.
- Visual alerts: Settings → Accessibility → turn on flash alerts so the camera flash blinks when you receive a call or message.
Motor/touch accessibility
- Larger tap targets: Android: Settings → Accessibility → Interaction Controls.
- AssistiveTouch (iPhone): Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch. Adds a floating button on screen that lets you do common actions (home, volume, screenshot) with a single tap.
- Slow double-tap: Settings → Accessibility → Touch → adjust for slower tapping speed if tapping quickly is difficult.
Voice control — control your phone without touching it
- Android: Settings → Accessibility → Voice Access. You can say commands like “Open WhatsApp” or “Tap send”.
- iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control. Same capability — “Open Camera”, “Swipe up”, “Tap [button name]”.
Simplify the screen
- Simple Mode (Samsung): Settings → Display → Easy Mode. Makes icons larger and the home screen simpler.
- iPhone: iOS does not have a dedicated easy mode, but increasing text size and turning on Bold Text achieves a similar result.
Get free help with accessibility settings
Contact the local senior digital support programme:
- Hotline: 1800 10 80 800 (free call, Mon–Sun 8am–8pm)
- In-person help at community centres, libraries, and digital-support services in your community.
Try it yourself — follow along now Click to expand
Follow along and tick each step as you go. You can use a real device right now!
✨ Tip: Ticking these boxes only works on your screen — nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
You finished this guide
What do you want to do next?
Move to the next recommended guide if you want a clear progression, or ask a real person if you would rather check before trying something new.