RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
August 20, 2024 – 7 minutes read time
This is for iPhone and iPad. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17+
Accessibility is always important since it makes devices easier for those with visual or audio impairments. Apple always does a great job with accessibility, and you will find plenty of accessibility options on your iPhone or iPad to make life easier. Perhaps you need to have more sound on one side of your favorite headphones, or you just need to make text easier to read. No matter what you need, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 are very inclusive, so you will not feel left behind. And to make it even easier to access your favorite accessibility tools, there is the Accessibility Shortcut on your favorite iPhone or iPad.
How to Enable
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on Accessibility.
- Tap on Accessibility Shortcut; it’s all the way to the bottom. Refer to the below image:
- Tap the action you would like to perform when you triple-click the Home or Side button so that a blue checkmark appears next to it. You can assign multiple functions to the shortcut.
- If you want to reorder the options, just drag and drop. Tap and hold the handle on the right side of each option to move it.
- Triple-click your Home button (Touch ID devices) or Side button (Face ID devices) to perform the action you have assigned to the shortcut.
- If you have assigned multiple options, simply choose the action you want to perform from the menu. See the below image:
Here’s a brief description of the options you have and what they are:
- AssistiveTouch: Adds the ability to access many common hardware buttons and gesture controls with single taps; a useful feature for those with motor impairments.
- Background Sounds: A new feature in iOS 15, Background Sounds lets you play soothing white noise to help you concentrate. Using the Accessibility Shortcut toggles your selected sound. First, you need to set up your Background Sounds.
- Classic Invert Colors: A great option for anyone with a visual impairment such as color blindness. All colors across iOS will be inverted.
- Color Filters: Changes the color layout of the screen for those with color blindness.
- Full Keyboard Access: This allows you to navigate the iOS interface without using touch input. A physical keyboard is required to use this feature.
- Increase Contrast: This will increase the contrast of visual elements on the screen, making it easier to see and read text.
- Left/Right Balance: This turns on your custom audio balance setting if you have one set up. For example, if you want more sound on the left or right side of your earbuds or headphones, you will want to adjust that audio balance. Turning this off will go back to the default setting.
- Magnifier: Triggers a camera-style viewfinder with sharp zoom controls so you can see small text. You will need the Magnifier enabled to have this option available.
- People Detection: With People Detection, your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 uses Machine Learning with the LiDAR scanner to determine if an object in the camera is a person. You will receive audio feedback to help you determine how far away or close a person is to you.
- Reduce Motion: This turns on the Reduce Motion setting, which reduces motion in the user interface, including the parallax with app icons. This can also help conserve some battery power.
- Reduce Transparency: This reduces the transparency used in apps and websites, including blurred backgrounds. Having this on improves the legibility of text.
- Reduce White Point: Reduces the intensity of bright colors for those with sensitivities or color blindness.
- Smart Invert Colors: Same as Classic Invert Colors, except it does not change photos, media, and some apps.
- Switch Control: This lets you use external switches, or the screen itself, as a switch for motor accessibility.
- Voice Control: This lets you speak commands to your iPhone or iPad.
- VoiceOver: Allows your iPhone or iPad to speak to you when enabled. Commonly used by folks with visual impairments.
- Zoom: Allows you to zoom your content for better visibility. You can then use two and three-finger gestures to tap and pan around.
- Guided Access: This keeps the iPhone in a single app and allows you to control which features are available. You need the Guided Access feature enabled before it is available as an Accessibility Shortcut option.
Once you have made your selection for the Accessibility Shortcut on iPhone and iPad, you can simply triple-click the Home button or the Side button on iPhones and iPads with Face ID from anywhere, not just from Settings, and your iPhone or iPad will enable the function you have selected. To disable it, just triple-click the button again. If multiple functions are assigned, tap the option you want to use.
Back Tap
iOS 14 added a new Back Tap gesture. With the Back Tap, you can double-tap or even triple-tap the back of your iPhone for quicker access to some commonly used actions, such as accessing the Notification Center or Control Center. You can also use the Back Tap gesture to launch Shortcuts that you have created, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
- Launch Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Touch. See the following image
- Tap Back Tap at the bottom.
- Tap Double Tap or Triple Tap to choose an action. Refer to the below image:
- Select an action for your chosen Back Tap. Options include the Accessibility Shortcut that we just created, or you can choose from System, Accessibility, Scroll Gestures, or your own Shortcuts actions. See the below image:
Quick Access
As you can see, having an Accessibility Shortcut and Back Tap gestures can make your life easier. It adds another layer of customization to your device, and you do not need to fiddle around in the settings every time to get to certain accessibility actions. Even if you are not visually or hearing impaired, these accessibility features are handy for everyone.
Disclaimer
Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.
Quote For the Day
“Real work is completed in silence and strikes a chord in the minds of only a very few.”
CG Jung
X (Tweeter) Info
That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Tweet
I Would Like to Hear From You
Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app, and version you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the “Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath” can be accessed from a Kindle device or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.
Tech Savvy Life 