Accessibility settings on iPhones actually contain many hidden features that are useful not only to users with specific needs, but to everyone. This settings menu contains 13 useful, often overlooked, features that make using the phone more comfortable and practical.
The iPhone’s Best Accessibility Features
The iPhone can be controlled not only with your finger but also with your eyes. “Eye Tracking” tracks the user’s eye movements to move the cursor on the screen and triggers a click when a specific icon is focused. This feature allows users to perform actions without touching the phone.
Another hidden feature, “Back Tap,” transforms the back of the iPhone into a “hidden button.” Users can trigger various actions, such as taking a screenshot, opening Control Center, or launching a specific app, by tapping the back of the phone twice or three times. This feature even works on phones with cases.
“AssistiveTouch,” on the other hand, creates a floating virtual button on the screen. Tapping this button instantly accesses shortcuts such as locking the screen, adjusting the volume, and taking screenshots. This virtual key reduces the user’s reliance on physical keys.
For those who struggle to read text on their phone screen, the “Display and Text Size” settings offer a solution. This menu includes the “Bold Text” feature, which makes text bolder, and the “Larger Accessibility Sizes” setting for larger fonts. This feature offers an alternative to “Display Zoom,” which magnifies everything on the screen.
The “Reduce White Point” feature is activated to address the eye strain caused by even the lowest brightness levels at night. This setting softens the brightest colors on the screen, bringing the overall screen brightness to a more comfortable level for the eyes. Furthermore, the “Auto-Brightness” feature automatically adjusts the screen brightness based on the surrounding light, improving comfort and preserving battery life.
To read difficult-to-read small text or product serial numbers, the “Magnifier” app turns your phone’s camera into a magnifying glass. This app can be opened from the App Library and allows you to zoom in with the camera.
When handing over an iPhone to someone else, the “Guided Access” feature is used, which allows the phone to remain in a specific app only. This feature locks the phone to a single app and terminates the session with a passcode or Face ID. This prevents unauthorized use of the phone by anyone else.
“Attention-Aware Features” use the iPhone’s front camera to detect when the user is looking at the screen. The screen doesn’t dim or turn off while the user is looking at the screen. When the user looks away from the screen, the screen automatically turns off. This feature eliminates the need to increase the auto-lock time.
To prevent missed calls or notifications in crowded environments, the “LED Flash for Alerts” feature turns on the camera flash when a notification arrives. The “Sound and Name Recognition” feature listens for specific sounds, such as a doorbell, a baby crying, a fire alarm, or a person’s name, and sends notifications to the user.
The “Per-App Settings” feature allows users to configure different settings for each app, providing flexibility. This setting allows you to stop auto-playing videos for an app or enable dark mode for a specific app.
Finally, there’s the “Vehicle Motion Cues” feature to reduce dizziness or discomfort caused by movement while traveling in a car, bus, or train. This feature adds moving animated dots on the screen, reducing the discrepancy between the movement perceived by the eye and the body’s perception, thus ensuring comfortable use.
The iPhone’s accessibility menu is not limited to limited features; it also includes a number of features that enhance the daily user experience and offer practical solutions. By exploring this menu, users can find the most suitable settings for themselves and personalize their iPhone experience.
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