iPhone Accessibility Features
VoiceOver (Screen Reader)
VoiceOver reads everything on your screen out loud and lets you navigate by touch.
To turn it on:
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Tap VoiceOver
4. Toggle VoiceOver on
Before you turn it on:
Tap "VoiceOver Practice" first to learn the gestures. With VoiceOver on, you tap once to select something and hear it read aloud, then double-tap to activate it. Swipe left or right to move between items. Practice makes a huge difference!
To set up a quick shortcut:
1. Go to Settings
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Accessibility Shortcut
4. Check VoiceOver
Now you can triple-click the side button to toggle VoiceOver on or off quickly.
Live Captions
Shows real-time captions for any audio—phone calls, videos, FaceTime, even someone talking next to you.
To turn it on:
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Tap Live Captions (under Hearing)
4. Toggle Live Captions on
5. Choose whether you want captions for phone calls, FaceTime, and other apps
To use it:
Once enabled, captions appear automatically at the top of your screen when audio plays. You can drag the caption box anywhere on screen. Double-tap the caption box to expand it and see more text.
Good to know: Live Captions work even when you're offline—your phone processes the audio on the device, so your conversations stay private.
Magnifier
Turns your phone into a powerful digital magnifying glass with filters and freeze-frame.
To set up quick access:
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Accessibility Shortcut
4. Check Magnifier
Now you can triple-click the side button anytime to open Magnifier instantly.
To use Magnifier:
1. Triple-click the side button (or find the Magnifier app in your app library)
2. Point your camera at what you want to see
3. Use the slider at the bottom to zoom in or out
4. Tap the freeze button (looks like a circle) to freeze the image so you can look closely without holding steady
5. Tap the filters icon (three circles) to adjust brightness, contrast, or apply color filters
6. Tap the flashlight icon to add light in dark areas
Great for: Reading medicine bottles, menus in dim restaurants, price tags, serial numbers, or any small print.
Voice Control
Control your entire phone by speaking—no touching required.
To turn it on:
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Tap Voice Control
4. Tap "Set Up Voice Control" and follow the prompts to download the speech files
5. Toggle Voice Control on
Basic commands to try:
• "Tap [name of button]" – taps any button you can see
• "Scroll down" or "Scroll up" – moves the page
• "Go home" – returns to home screen
• "Open [app name]" – opens any app
• "Show numbers" – puts numbers on everything you can tap, then say the number
• "Show grid" – overlays a numbered grid so you can say "Tap 5" to tap that area
Pro tip: Say "What can I say?" anytime to see a list of available commands.
Personal Voice (iOS 17+)
Create a synthetic voice that sounds like you. If you're at risk of losing your voice due to ALS, cancer treatment, or another condition, you can record your voice now and use it later.
To create your Personal Voice:
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Tap Personal Voice (under Speech)
4. Tap "Create a Personal Voice"
5. Name your voice (like "My Voice")
6. You'll be asked to read 150 phrases out loud—this takes about 15 minutes
7. Find a quiet room and hold the phone about 6 inches from your mouth
8. After recording, your iPhone will process the voice (this can take overnight while charging)
To use your Personal Voice with Live Speech:
1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech
2. Toggle Live Speech on
3. Under "Voices," select your Personal Voice
4. Now triple-click the side button, type what you want to say, and tap Send—your phone speaks in your voice
Important: Record your Personal Voice while your voice is still clear and strong. The earlier you do this, the better quality voice you'll have to use later.
