How to quickly unlock features with the iPhone Accessibility Shortcut

Fast fix

Open Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut, then select the features that you use most. 

Tech makes life easier. And if you’re one of the 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with a disability, your iPhone® can help you with sight, hearing, and other challenges. We’ll highlight the best accessibility features on your device and show you how to set up a shortcut to unlock them quickly. 

Asurion Experts help millions of people make the most of their tech every day, whether you want to set up Touch ID® or use the Magnifier app on your iPhone. Here’s our guide to the Accessibility Shortcut on your iPhone. 

Importance of accessibility features in technology

Smartphones are essential. They keep us connected, informed, and entertained. But people with disabilities, or simply advanced age, may have trouble navigating features like small buttons, hard-to-see text, or difficult-to-hear sounds. Accessibility features like the Magnifier app, which lets you see things around you, or VoiceOver, which reads aloud the text on your screen, lets people use their tech with ease.

Popular accessibility features and their functions

Here are a few iPhone accessibility settings that help you get the most from your device: 

Magnifier app 

The built-in Magnifier app lets you use your iPhone as a magnifying glass. You can zoom in on images, change light or contrast, add color filters, or even detect people or physical objects like doors that are close by.

To turn it on: Swipe up on your home screen and tap the magnifying glass icon to open the magnifier. If you don’t see the icon: 

1. Open Settings > Control Center. 
2. Tap the green plus sign to add Magnifier. 
3. Or, say, “Siri®, open Magnifier.”

To learn more, read our guide on how to use the Magnifier app on your iPhone.  

VoiceOver

This screen-reading feature narrates what’s on your iPhone screen, from text messages to app icons and more—incredibly helpful if you have visual impairments. 

To turn it on: 

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, and slide the switch to on.
2. You can customize what you’ll hear by scrolling down and tapping options like Speaking Rate, Speech (Pronunciations, Pitch Change, etc.), and Typing (Typing Style, Keyboard Interaction Time, etc.).  
3. Or, say, “Siri, open VoiceOver.” 

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Assistive Touch

You can use AssistiveTouch to adjust volume, lock your screen, use multi-finger gestures, restart your iPhone, or replace pressing buttons with just a tap. 

To turn it on:

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Assistive Touch, then slide the switch to turn it on. 
2. Or, say, “Siri, open Assistive Touch.” 

Guided Access

If you’ve got attention or sensory challenges, this feature keeps the iPhone in a single app and lets you control which features are available. To turn it on: 

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access, then slide the switch to on. 
2. Or, say, “Siri, open Guided Access.”  
3. Once Guided Access is on, triple-click the Home or side button when you’ve opened the app you wish to use. 

Adjust colors 

There are several color settings you can adjust to make it easier to see what’s on your iPhone screen:

Invert colors

To make it easier to read text, you can invert colors on your screen: 

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. 
2. Turn on one of the following: 

• Smart Invert. Reverse colors everywhere except images. 
• Classic Invert. Reverse all the colors on screen. 

Filter colors

To adjust intensity or hue and make images easier to see:

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. 
2. Turn on Reduce White Point to tone down the intensity of bright colors. 

Differentiate without color

Some screen items rely on color to convey information, which is a problem for those with color-blindness. To replace color with shapes or text:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. 
2. Turn on Differentiate Without Color.

What is the Accessibility Shortcut on your iPhone?

The Accessibility Shortcut on your iPhone lets you quickly unlock one or more of the accessibility features on your device with just a few clicks. This way, features like VoiceOver and Guided Access will be ready when you want to use them.

How to set up the Accessibility Shortcut 

There are two easy ways to set up the Accessibility Shortcut on your iPhone:

Use settings 

Open Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut, and then select the features that you use most. 

Use Control Center

Open Settings > Control Center, then tap the Add button (+) next to an accessibility feature like Magnifier, Hearing Aids, and Guided Access. Swipe down from your Lock Screen to access these options.

How to use Accessibility Shortcut

Here’s how to turn on the feature you want to use once you’ve set up the Accessibility Shortcut:

1. Triple-click the Home button. 
2. If your device doesn’t have a Home button, triple-click the side or top button. 
3. Prompts will appear for the accessibility features you’ve turned on. Tap the one you want to use. 

You can also use your voice to turn on any accessibility feature you’ve set up. Just say, “Siri, turn on the magnifier.”