Adjust iOS Interaction Accessibility Settings On iOS.
iOS has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most user-friendly operating systems on the market. While they lack some of the advanced customization options that many Android devices offer, iPhones and iPads are very easy to get right out of the box. In addition, Apple has included a wide range of accessibility features to make its devices easier for almost everyone.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common accessibility settings on iOS and how to enable them. However, this guide is by no means exhaustive, so we recommend you do a little research to learn more about some of the more niche features that the operating system has to offer.
IOS Interaction Accessibility Settings
There are several different ways to modify iOS to make it easier to interact, and the startup process remains the same regardless of the features you want to enable.
Step 1. Tap on the Settings app.
Step 2. Click “General”.
Step 3. Click “Availability” to open a menu with Apple’s full line of iOS devices.
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Auxiliary contact
Assistive Touch is a useful utility that adds a small menu to your phone or tablet screen. It is designed to allow those with hand mobility issues to access the same interactions that are usually done through actions such as swipe, pinch, tap, and 3D tap.
Setting up Assistive Touch is pretty simple, and you can choose from a variety of settings to customize the menu exactly the way you want.
Step 1. On the accessibility menu, tap Assistive Touch.
Step 2. On this page, you will see many settings. At the top is a slider that you toggle to enable this feature, and in the center of the screen is a series of tabs that you can use to customize what each iOS action is tied to.
Step 3. When you turn this on, you will see a small button with concentric circles in the lower right corner of the screen. Clicking on it will open the Assistive Touch menu.
Here you will have the ability to easily access notifications and other phone settings with a simple click of a button, as well as a custom menu, which we discuss in more detail below.
Assistive touch gestures
The default custom menu gives you the ability to access options such as Pinch, Double-tap, and 3D Touch, giving users who are struggling with these tasks a one-touch way to do so.
When you select one of the options, a small “bull’s-eye” appears on the phone, which can be moved to the correct position to activate movement with a simple tap.
The real power of custom menus, however, lies in the ability to record custom gestures to perform just about any type of interaction you’re looking for on your phone.
Step 1. From the Assistive Touch menu, select Create New Gesture at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2. On the next screen, a window appears where you can record any action or sequence of actions that you want to include in your own gesture. In order not to complicate the task, we swipe across the screen once and then clicked “Stop” in the lower right corner of the screen.
Step 3. In the upper right corner of the screen, select Save Gesture to add the recorded actions as a button in the Custom section of the Assisted Touch menu.
Step 4. Open the Assistive Touch menu and go to Custom. Now, in addition to the usual actions that were already there, you should see an asterisk with the name of your saved gesture. Clicking on it will perform an action, which in this case is swiping to the right.
Write notes
While touch keyboards are more comfortable than a physical keyboard or even typing text manually through the keyboard, some users will find it difficult due to the lack of tactile feedback. Others may have trouble keeping track of the text they enter due to visual impairment, which can make it difficult to use this essential part of a phone or tablet.
Apple addresses this issue with Typing Feedback, giving users an entire menu of options to choose from to improve their typing experience.
Step 1. Go to the Speech section in the accessibility menu.
Step 2. Click on “Feedback”.
Step 3. On the next page, you can select the type of feedback you want to add to your text input on your phone or tablet.
The settings at the bottom of the screen are the main aspects of the text input feedback feature and include text below them explaining how they work.
The two options at the top of the page are slightly less clear. The character will speak each letter as you type, and Character Hints will read out the phonetic name of the letter.
Reduce movement
The last function we will discuss is the Reduce Motion option. Many phone interactions involve moving icons or pages in some way, the most obvious of which is swiping between screens or opening applications.
Reducing motion will replace motion with effects that are less harmful to those who are sensitive to motion, such as screens appearing and disappearing.
Step 1. Tap Reduce Motion in the Accessibility Menu.
Step 2. On the next screen, you can activate a simple switch to enable this feature.
Below it is a feature called automatic message playback effects. IMessage can now send visuals along with messages. Sharing them with friends is fun, but appearing from nowhere can cause problems for those sensitive to visual movement. This feature is enabled by default, but a simple tap is enough to disable it!
While the tips we’ve provided are the most common and readily available interaction settings, Apple has also added a number of more advanced and niche features.
iPhones and iPads are some of the best devices on the market for users with disabilities, and you’ll find a lot of flexibility when you take the opportunity to explore iOS accessibility. Enjoy!
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