Smartphone accessibility guide

Your smartphone can be much easier to use.

Modern phones include powerful smartphone accessibility features that can make text clearer, sounds easier to notice and everyday controls more comfortable to use.

Built around you

See it.

Clearer text, zoom and display options

Hear it.

Audio adjustments, alerts and captions

Control it.

Easier ways to touch and interact

Accessibility is for everyone

You don't need to have a disability to benefit from these settings.

Perhaps the text feels too small. Maybe buttons are difficult to tap, calls are hard to hear or you simply want your phone to feel easier to use. A few carefully chosen settings can make a surprisingly big difference.

Already inside your phone

Small changes. Noticeable difference.

No extra app needed

Make text easier to read

Increase text size and adjust the display to make information clearer.

Magnify what you need

Zoom and magnification tools can help with small details when you need a closer look.

Make controls easier

Touch and interaction settings can make everyday actions more comfortable.

Hear and follow more

Audio adjustments, visual alerts and caption features can make important information easier to follow.

Most of these tools are already built into your phone. However, their names and locations can differ between iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and other Android devices. Therefore, this guide focuses on what each feature does and when it may be useful.

Discover what your phone can do

Start with what feels difficult

Make the phone fit the person. Not the other way around.

Accessibility settings are most useful when they solve a real everyday problem. So, rather than changing lots of settings at once, start with the thing that makes your smartphone difficult to use.

What would you like to make easier?

Find the problem first. Then explore the features designed to help with it.

Reading Text is too small or difficult to see

Try first Text and display settings

Increase text size gradually. Bold text, contrast and magnification may also help.

Hearing Calls, speech or alerts are difficult to hear

Explore Audio, captions and hearing features

Your phone may offer audio adjustments, captions, visual alerts or hearing-device support.

Touch & control Tapping, swiping or gestures feel awkward

Explore Touch and interaction controls

Accessibility options can change how a smartphone responds to touch, gestures and other controls.

Alerts Calls or notifications are easy to miss

Explore Alternative notification options

Depending on the phone, visual, vibration and sound options can make alerts easier to notice.

Keep it simple

You probably don't need most accessibility settings.

Modern iPhones and Android phones include many accessibility tools. However, that does not mean you should switch them all on.

Instead, change one setting at a time. Then use your phone normally for a while. If the change makes everyday use easier, keep it. If it does not, change it back and try another option.

Harder to read

Appointment reminder

Your appointment is booked for Tuesday at 10:30am. Please arrive a few minutes early.

Easier to read

Appointment reminder

Your appointment is booked for Tuesday at 10:30am. Please arrive a few minutes early.

The aim is comfortable reading, not simply the largest possible text.

Larger text can help, but very large text also means less information fits on the screen. Therefore, increase the size gradually and stop when reading feels comfortable.

Everyday reading

Larger text and bold text

If menus, messages and other text are difficult to read, increasing the text size is a sensible first step. Bold text may also make lettering easier to distinguish.

However, change the size gradually. This helps you find a comfortable balance between readability and the amount of information visible on screen.

iPhoneSettings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size

AndroidSearch Settings for “font size” or “display size”

Small details

Zoom and magnification

Perhaps most of the screen is already comfortable to read, but small details are difficult to see. In that case, magnification can be more useful than making everything permanently larger.

iPhone includes a Zoom accessibility feature. Android phones also offer magnification tools, although the controls and menu location can vary by manufacturer and software version.

iPhoneSettings → Accessibility → Zoom

AndroidOpen Accessibility settings and search for “Magnification”

Definition

Contrast and colour

Text size is not always the issue. Sometimes controls, lettering or interface elements are difficult to distinguish from their background.

Depending on the phone, accessibility settings may offer options for contrast, transparency or colour. Colour filters or colour correction may also help some people distinguish colours more easily.

There is no ideal setting for everyone. Make one adjustment at a time and keep it only when it genuinely makes the display clearer.

Think beyond volume

Sound can be adjusted, supplemented or shown visually.

The most useful option depends on what you are struggling to hear. For example, a phone call, video and notification may each need a different solution.

Audio adjustments Change how compatible audio sounds.

Captions Read supported spoken content on screen.

Visual alerts Supplement sounds with another type of alert.

If calls are difficult

Start with call audio

First, check the call volume while a call is actually in progress. Also make sure the earpiece opening is not blocked by dirt, a case or a poorly positioned screen protector.

If hearing remains difficult, explore the hearing and audio accessibility options available on your phone.

If videos are difficult

Add captions where available

Captions can make spoken content easier to follow, especially in noisy places or when speech is not completely clear.

However, caption availability and accuracy depend on the app, content and feature being used.

If alerts are missed

Use more than sound

Check vibration and haptic settings as well as ringtone and notification volume. Some phones also provide accessibility options for visual notification alerts.

This can provide another cue when sound alone is easy to miss.

Another way to follow speech

Sometimes reading the words is easier than hearing every word.

Captions turn supported spoken audio into text. They can be useful for videos and other compatible content when listening is difficult.

Some smartphones also provide additional accessibility features for live or device-generated captions. Availability varies by device, language, region and software version.

iPhoneLook in Settings → Accessibility for hearing and caption options.

AndroidSearch Settings for “captions” or “hearing”.

Captions

“Your appointment is at half past ten tomorrow morning.”

Touch and physical control

Make your phone respond in a way that works for you.

Small buttons, quick gestures and repeated taps can make a smartphone frustrating to use.

Fortunately, accessibility settings can change how you interact with the phone without changing what the phone can do.

Start with the exact difficulty

Which part of using the touchscreen causes the problem?

Different settings solve different problems. Therefore, identify the difficult action before changing the controls.

Accidental or repeated touches

Some accessibility settings can change how the device interprets touches and repeated input.

This may help when unintended taps make the phone difficult to control.

Buttons or gestures are difficult

Alternative on-screen controls may provide another way to perform common actions without relying on the usual physical button or gesture.

Touch timing feels too demanding

Some devices let you adjust aspects of touch interaction. However, these options should be changed carefully because they can alter how normal taps and gestures behave.

iPhoneSettings → Accessibility → Touch

AndroidOpen Accessibility settings or search Settings for “touch”, “interaction” or the feature name.

A useful iPhone feature

AssistiveTouch can put common controls on the screen.

Apple's AssistiveTouch places an on-screen button on the iPhone. You can use its menu to access actions and controls without performing every standard gesture or button press.

You can also customise aspects of AssistiveTouch. As a result, it can be useful when certain gestures or physical controls are uncomfortable or difficult to perform.

Voice and hands-free control

Sometimes the easiest way to use your phone is to talk to it.

Voice features can reduce the amount of tapping, typing and swiping needed for everyday tasks.

More importantly, some phones offer dedicated accessibility tools for broader voice control.

Imagine doing this without typing

“Call my daughter.”

A simple spoken request can replace several taps when the relevant voice feature is available and set up.

Voice can be particularly helpful when typing is slow, small controls are difficult to tap or repeated touchscreen gestures are uncomfortable.

Depending on your phone

Voice features can help with everyday actions.

Calls and communication

Start a call or use supported messaging features with less manual input.

Timers and reminders

Spoken requests can make common everyday tasks quicker to set up.

Dictation

Where supported, speech-to-text can reduce the amount of keyboard typing required.

Device control

Dedicated accessibility features may offer more extensive spoken control of the interface.

An important difference

A voice assistant and full voice control are not necessarily the same thing.

A voice assistant is useful for requests such as making a call, setting a timer or asking for information. However, dedicated accessibility features can provide more extensive ways to control a compatible phone by voice.

On iPhone, for example, Apple provides Voice Control within Accessibility. Android accessibility options vary more between devices and software versions. Therefore, it is sensible to check the features available on the particular phone.

Everyday voice help

Ask for a task

Useful for supported actions such as calls, timers, reminders and other everyday requests.

Accessibility control

Control more of the interface

Dedicated accessibility tools may provide additional spoken commands for navigating and interacting with the phone.

Think about what gets missed

Is the problem the alert itself, or how the phone delivers it?

If calls or messages are easy to miss, increasing every volume setting may not be the best answer.

Instead, combine the types of alert that work best for you.

Incoming alert Important message

Three ways to notice an alert

Don't depend on one signal if another works better.

Sound

Check ringtone and notification settings. Also remember that call volume, media volume and alert volume may be controlled separately.

Vibration and haptics

Vibration provides a physical cue. This can be useful when the phone is in a pocket or when sound is difficult to hear.

Visual cues

Some smartphones include accessibility features that can supplement an audible alert with a visual signal.

Availability and behaviour vary by device and software version.

Reduce notification overload

Making every notification louder can make the important ones easier to ignore.

Smartphones can generate a lot of notifications. Therefore, it can help to review which apps are allowed to interrupt you.

Keep useful alerts visible. Then consider reducing notifications from apps that do not need immediate attention. A quieter phone can make an important call or message stand out more clearly.

Keep Important people

Calls and messages you genuinely need to notice.

Review Useful apps

Decide whether each app needs sound, vibration or only an on-screen notification.

Reduce Unnecessary noise

Remove interruptions that make important alerts harder to identify.

Visual notification options

A flash can provide another cue.

iPhone includes an accessibility option that can use the LED flash for alerts. Some Android phones also provide flash notification options, although the exact feature and location vary.

This is intended to supplement an alert, rather than guarantee that every notification will always be noticed.

iPhoneSettings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual → Flash for Alerts

AndroidSearch Settings for “flash notifications”. Availability varies by device.

Choose the easier route

Change how information goes into or comes out of the phone.

Accessibility is not always about making the screen bigger. Sometimes the best improvement is simply reducing how much typing or reading you need to do.

Speak instead

Dictation can reduce typing

If using the on-screen keyboard is slow or uncomfortable, dictation can turn spoken words into text in supported text fields.

It can be useful for messages, notes and other everyday writing. However, always check the text before sending it.

Example

Say your message, check names and important details, then send it.

Type less

Keyboard assistance can help

Modern smartphone keyboards may offer features such as suggestions, autocorrection and predictive text.

These tools can reduce typing effort. Still, they can make mistakes. Therefore, check important messages before you send them.

Useful approach

Use suggestions when they help, rather than feeling that every word must be typed in full.

Listen instead

Your phone may read text aloud

Both iPhone and Android include accessibility features that can provide spoken feedback or read supported on-screen content.

The exact tools work differently. Therefore, choose the feature that matches the level of assistance you actually need.

Worth knowing

A feature that reads selected content is different from a full screen reader.

When reading becomes tiring

Let the phone speak useful text aloud.

On iPhone, accessibility features include options for spoken content. Apple also provides VoiceOver, which is a more comprehensive screen reader.

Android also provides accessibility tools for spoken feedback and screen reading, including TalkBack on supported devices. Available features can vary by device and Android version.

iPhoneSettings → Accessibility. Look for Spoken Content or VoiceOver, depending on what you need.

AndroidOpen Accessibility settings and look for TalkBack or other reading features available on the device.

Read aloud

Your appointment is booked for Tuesday at 10:30am. Please arrive a few minutes early.

Too much to choose from

Easier to recognise

The easiest smartphone is not necessarily the one with the most features visible.

Put the things you use most where they are easy to find. Meanwhile, less important apps can stay available without occupying the main Home Screen.

Start here

Keep important apps easy to find

Put frequently used apps in predictable places. For example, Phone, Messages, Camera and other everyday apps can stay on the first Home Screen.

This reduces searching and makes it easier to build a familiar routine.

Make choices clearer

Reduce unnecessary Home Screen clutter

If the main screen contains dozens of rarely used apps, finding the right one becomes harder. Therefore, consider moving less important items away from the first screen.

You do not necessarily need to delete them. The aim is simply to make the everyday choices easier to recognise.

People matter most

Make important contacts easier to reach

For some people, the most important smartphone tasks are simply calling family, sending a message and finding a familiar contact.

Favourite contacts, widgets or other shortcuts may reduce the number of steps needed. The exact options vary by phone.

Keep familiarity

Avoid changing everything at once

A major rearrangement can be confusing, particularly when someone has already learned where familiar apps are located.

Instead, make small changes and explain what moved. Then allow time to get used to the new layout before changing anything else.

iPhone has another option

Assistive Access can provide a much simpler iPhone experience.

Apple includes Assistive Access on supported iPhones. It provides a simplified interface with larger visual elements and a more focused experience for selected apps.

It can be useful for people who benefit from a significantly simpler way to use an iPhone. However, it changes the normal iPhone experience much more than simply increasing the text size or rearranging the Home Screen.

Set it up with the person who will use it.

Decide which apps and features they actually need before relying on Assistive Access. Make sure they understand the simplified layout and how to exit it when necessary.

A useful rule

Simplify what gets in the way. Keep what already works.

Accessibility does not mean rebuilding someone's entire phone. Often, a few carefully chosen changes can make everyday use much easier while keeping the device familiar.

Keep the important things simple

In an emergency, nobody wants to search through menus.

Smartphones include safety features that can provide emergency information or help someone contact emergency services. However, the exact features and the way they operate vary between devices.

Therefore, set up the features on the actual phone and learn how they work rather than assuming every iPhone or Android device behaves in the same way.

Useful information

Set up emergency information

Compatible smartphones can store information intended to help in an emergency. Depending on the device, this may include details such as emergency contacts and selected medical information.

Familiar people

Keep key contacts easy to find

Make important family members or carers straightforward to reach. A familiar contact should not be buried among hundreds of entries if they are regularly needed.

Know before you need it

Understand the emergency controls

Emergency shortcuts can involve particular button presses or on-screen controls. Learn the correct method for the specific phone instead of trying to work it out during an emergency.

Emergency information

A locked phone can still provide useful emergency information.

On iPhone, Apple's Medical ID can contain emergency information and contacts. If the owner chooses to allow access while the iPhone is locked, that information can be made available from the emergency screen.

Android phones can also provide emergency information and contacts. However, the setup and available options vary by device manufacturer and Android version.

Emergency information Example only

Emergency contact Family member

Medical information Information chosen by the phone owner

Availability Depends on device and chosen settings

Emergency SOS

Learn how it works on your phone.

iPhone includes Emergency SOS. Android phones also provide emergency and safety functions, although their operation can differ between manufacturers, models and software versions.

Some emergency features can also contact or share information with chosen emergency contacts when the relevant options are configured. Therefore, review the settings carefully rather than assuming that a contact will automatically be notified.

iPhoneReview Emergency SOS in Settings. Medical ID information can be managed through Apple's Health app and related settings.

AndroidSearch Settings for “Emergency”, “Safety” or “Emergency information”. Available options vary by phone.

Start with the person

The problem may be much more specific than “I can't use my phone”.

Watch how they use the device. A single difficulty can often make the whole phone feel complicated.

A better question

“Show me the part that gives you trouble.”

Look for the real problem

A few simple questions can point you towards the right accessibility feature.

Rather than exploring every setting, begin with the task that causes difficulty.

“Is the writing difficult to read?”

Start with text size, display settings and contrast rather than changing the whole interface.

“Do you struggle to tap the right thing?”

Look at touch controls, display size and alternative ways to interact with the phone.

“Are calls or alerts easy to miss?”

Review sound, vibration, visual alerts and notification settings.

“Is it difficult to find things?”

Simplifying the Home Screen may help more than enabling another accessibility feature.

A better way to make changes

Change one thing. Then see whether it helped.

Accessibility settings can affect familiar behaviour. Therefore, making several changes at once can leave someone unsure what happened or how to get back to the way their phone worked before.

Identify the difficulty

Ask the person to demonstrate the task rather than trying to guess what is wrong.

Make one useful change

Choose the simplest setting that directly addresses that particular problem.

Let them try it

Hand the phone back. Ask them to perform the same task themselves and see whether it feels easier.

Keep what works

If the change helps, leave it in place. If it makes things harder, reconsider it before changing something else.

Better approach

Preserve familiar habits where possible.

If somebody already knows where Phone, Messages or WhatsApp is, there may be little benefit in moving it simply to create a tidier Home Screen.

Instead, improve the parts that genuinely cause difficulty while leaving familiar parts alone.

Be careful with

Enabling advanced features without explaining them.

Features such as VoiceOver, TalkBack, Voice Control or a substantially simplified interface can change how a phone behaves.

They can be extremely useful for the right person. However, switching them on without showing someone how they work can create more confusion.

Need a little help?

You don't have to work through every setting alone.

At FoneFix Honiton, we regularly help people understand their phones and work out why something has become difficult to use.

If you are in Honiton or elsewhere in East Devon and are unsure which accessibility settings may be useful, bring the phone with you. We can help you identify the relevant options without changing things that already work well.

Make your phone work better for you

The useful setting is the one that makes everyday life easier.

Smartphone accessibility is not only for people with a recognised disability. These features can help anyone who finds text difficult to read, struggles with touch controls, misses alerts or simply wants an iPhone or Android phone to be easier to use.

You also do not need to use every feature. A small adjustment may be all that is needed.

Smartphone accessibility FAQ

A few common questions

Accessibility settings can sound complicated. In practice, many of the most useful changes are straightforward.

Are accessibility features only for people with disabilities?

No. Accessibility features can be useful whenever a smartphone is difficult to see, hear, touch, read or control. For example, larger text may simply make an iPhone or Android phone more comfortable to use.

Can I make the writing on my phone bigger without changing everything else?

Often, yes. Both iPhone and Android provide options for adjusting text and display size. The exact controls vary by device and software version.

Can my smartphone read text aloud to me?

Yes, supported devices include spoken accessibility features. iPhone includes spoken-content options and VoiceOver. Android also offers spoken feedback and screen-reading features such as TalkBack.

A full screen reader changes how you interact with the device. Therefore, it may be more than you need if you only want occasional text read aloud.

Can I make an iPhone simpler for an older person?

Yes. You can begin by making text easier to read and reducing Home Screen clutter. Important apps can also be kept in familiar places.

Supported iPhones also include Assistive Access, which provides a more simplified experience. However, it changes the interface more substantially, so it should be configured around the needs of the person using it.

Do Android phones have the same accessibility features as iPhones?

They offer many features for similar needs, but they are not identical. Android options can also differ between manufacturers, models and software versions. Therefore, instructions for one Android phone may not exactly match another.

Can FoneFix Honiton help me with accessibility settings?

If you are unsure where to start, you are welcome to speak to us at FoneFix Honiton. We can help identify relevant settings and explain the options available on your device.

One final tip: if your phone already does something in a way that works well for you, there is no reason to change it. Accessibility is about removing difficulties, not creating new ones.