Enlarge the text, tidy your screen and control alerts so you can use the iPhone comfortably and focus on what you want to do.
Start with what bothers you
You do not need to accept tiny text or a difficult gesture as part of learning. In Settings you will find Appearance, Display & Brightness and Accessibility, with options for vision, hearing, interaction and other needs.
Adjust what you see on screen
- Open Settings.
- Tap Appearance.
- Tap Text Size.
- Drag the slider to the size that feels comfortable.
- Open a conversation and a webpage to check how they look.
- Even larger text: in Settings, tap Accessibility, then Display & Text Size, then Larger Text.
- Zoom: magnifies the whole screen or part of it and has its own gestures. You turn it on in Settings, inside Accessibility, under Zoom.
- VoiceOver: provides screen reading and changes how you interact with the iPhone. It does not work like enlarging text.
Tidy the Home Screen and Control Center
Keep the apps you really use on the Home Screen, the main screen, and use App Library for the rest. To remove one, touch and hold it, tap Remove App, then Remove from Home Screen. Removing a shortcut from the Home Screen does not uninstall the app.
Control Center is the panel of quick controls. On an iPhone with Face ID you open it by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen; on an iPhone SE, by swiping up from the bottom edge.
To customize it, open it and tap the Add button, the plus sign in the top-left corner: you can then drag controls or remove them. Keep functions you recognize; the available controls and their arrangement may vary by version and model. Also review sounds, vibrations and notification previews for the places where you use the phone.
Use a Focus to avoid interruptions
A Focus is a mode, such as Do Not Disturb, that can allow particular people and apps and silence the rest. When one is on, its icon appears in the status bar and on the Lock Screen. Keep one simple mode, for work or rest, and learn how to turn it off:
- Open Control Center.
- Tap Focus.
- Tap the Focus that is on to turn it off.
In Settings, tap Focus: the Share Across Devices option is there. Tap a Focus to check whether it has automatic schedules.
Review the buttons on your model
If your iPhone has an Action button or Camera Control, review what it does and its accessibility options. You change the Action button in Settings, under Action Button. The Home button, the silent switch and the gestures are not the same on every model.
For hearing or mobility needs, explore the options that respond to your need and test them calmly.
YOUR TURN
Try it now
You did it if you can read the text in that app without effort and you know whether a Focus is on.
Your progress is saved only in this browser. No sign-up.