How do I Use Assistive Access on iPhone

What to know 

• Assistive Access is an accessibility function that’s designed for individuals with cognitive disabilities to make use of an iPhone by stripping away pointless options from iOS and changing them with a less complicated interface that’s simple to work together with. 
• Available on iOS 17 or newer variations, Assistive Access might be configured with restricted apps, contacts, and in-app choices in order that the one who’s going to make use of the iPhone isn’t overwhelmed with extreme choices, images, or animations. 
• You can allow and arrange Assistive Access on an iPhone by going to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access > Set Up Assistive Access and following the on-screen directions to set it up as you need.
• At any time throughout Assistive Access, you possibly can return to the common iOS interface by triple-pressing the Side button and deciding on Exit Assistive Access. 

What is Assistive Access on iPhone?

Apple affords the “Assistive Access” function on iPhones to assist customers with cognitive disabilities. When activated, it simplifies the iOS consumer interface, changing intricate gestures with user-friendly buttons and simple actions. This decreased interface ensures that the same old quantity of images, texts, and animations doesn’t bombard customers.

With Assistive Access on, customers can select a house display screen with both giant grid icons or rows of apps with textual content for clearer app identification. Apps show easier interfaces with larger choices, omitting pointless content material. For instance, the Photos app presents giant thumbnails in two columns, whereas the Messages app might be set solely to point out an emoji keyboard. The Camera app on this mode solely captures photos, eliminating doubtlessly complicated options.

How do I arrange and activate Assistive Access on iPhone

Requirements:

While enabling the Assistive Access function is fairly simple, there are some things it’s best to notice or arrange earlier than you activate the function on an iPhone. 

• Ensure that your iPhone is working iOS 17 or a more recent model. 
• Make certain the iPhone has been paired with all of the wi-fi networks it’s supposed to hook up with. 
• Set up Face ID for the one who’s going to make use of this iPhone. 
• Alternatively, arrange a numeric device passcode with both 4 or six digits. Passwords might be prevented as they might get too complicated for the involved particular person. You can keep away from including a passcode if the particular person you’re organising the iPhone for will not be snug with it. 
• Ensure that every one the apps that the particular person could require have already been put in earlier than turning on Assistive Access. 
• If you’re organising the iPhone for an individual with cognitive disabilities, be sure you have saved the contact numbers and e mail addresses of solely vital individuals. Avoid including contact info of individuals whom they might not typically talk with. 

Guide:

Once you’ve arrange the iPhone for the one who will likely be using Assistive Access, now you can allow this function on the device. For that, open the Settings app on the iPhone. 

Inside Settings, scroll down and choose Accessibility. 

On the Accessibility display screen, faucet on Assistive Access underneath “General”. 

On the subsequent display screen, faucet on Set Up Assistive Access. 

You’ll now see the Set Up Assistive Access display screen. Here, faucet on Continue to begin the setup course of. 

On the subsequent display screen, Apple will inform whom this iPhone is related to by exhibiting you the title and e mail deal with that was used to arrange the iPhone.

It’s really helpful that Assistive Access is about up with the Apple ID of the one who’s going to make use of it. So, if the prevailing Apple ID belongs to you however you’re setting it up for another person, you possibly can faucet on Change Apple ID on the backside and observe the on-screen instruction so as to add one other Apple account on the iPhone. If the Apple ID that reveals up on the display screen is appropriate, you possibly can faucet on Continue as a substitute. 

In the subsequent step, you’ll be requested to decide on an look model to your residence display screen and you’ll select both Rows or Grid. Rows reveals an inventory of accessible apps with elevated textual content dimension whereas Grid will present your apps with large-sized app icons in 2 columns. Once you’ve chosen your most well-liked look model, faucet on Continue on the backside. 

You’ll now arrive on the Select Apps display screen. Here, you’ll see a choose few apps listed underneath “Optimized for Assistive Access” and because the label says, these apps will likely be configured to work with Assistive Access. For now, we will additionally add the next apps to the Assistive Access residence display screen – Calls, Camera, Messages, and Photos. To add any of those apps, faucet on the inexperienced Plus icon on the left-hand facet of the specified app. 

When you add an app from this part, a brand new display screen will pop up prompting you to configure settings and options for the chosen app. For instance, if you add the Calls app from the above record to the Assistive Access residence display screen, you’ll have choices to select from whom you possibly can obtain calls on this iPhone (everybody or solely chosen contacts), who are you able to make calls to (by including contacts to this record), and toggle dialer, keypad and speaker to your calls. Once you’re carried out organising an app’s settings, you possibly can faucet on Continue on the backside of the display screen to verify these settings. 

You can repeat the above step to arrange different Optimized apps from the record above. Here’s a preview of what you possibly can configure with the Camera, Messages, and Photos apps. 

When you add apps to Assistive Access, they’ll seem underneath the “Selected Apps” part on the Select Apps display screen. 

You also can browse different apps that aren’t optimized for Assistive Access by swiping downwards to the “More Apps” part on the Select Apps display screen. In this part, you’ll see an inventory of all of the apps which can be put in on the iPhone. To add them to the Assistive Access residence display screen, faucet on the inexperienced Plus icon on the left-hand facet of the specified app.

Similar to the way you configured the optimized apps beforehand, including a few of the apps from the “More Apps” record will present extra screens from the place you possibly can configure the app’s settings. Unlike the configured apps, including any app from the “More Apps” record will solely can help you handle permissions for the chosen app however received’t present you choices to handle the app’s contents.

Let’s say you wish to add the Gmail app to your “Selected Apps” record. When you select an app, iOS will now immediate you with totally different permission prompts that you could be or could not enable for the chosen app. Depending on the app you select, you’ll be prompted to grant the app permissions like entry to Contacts, Face ID, Motion & Fitness, Photos, Camera, and Microphone. You can both select Allow or Don’t Allow on these prompts based mostly on what sort of entry you wish to give to this app. After making your selection, you possibly can faucet on Continue to get to the subsequent immediate till the chosen app is added to your apps record. 

You can add as many apps as you wish to see in your Assistive Access residence display screen however for the reason that purpose right here is to maintain the interface more easy, we recommend you solely add actually needed apps. Once you’re happy with the apps you’ve added to the “Selected Apps” part, you possibly can faucet on Continue on the backside to proceed to the subsequent step. 

When you try this, you’ll get to the Using Assistive Access display screen. Here, Apple will clarify a bunch of how about how iOS works otherwise with Assistive Access enabled. Once you’ve learn by these particulars and have defined it to the one who could also be using Assistive Access, you possibly can faucet on Continue on the backside to proceed. 

On the subsequent display screen, iOS will inform you whether or not or not Face ID and device passcode have been arrange on the iPhone. If they’ve been configured correctly, you possibly can faucet on Continue on the backside to proceed or you possibly can choose Change Security Settings to alter the Face ID and device passcode for the device. 

You’ll now arrive on the Set Assistive Access Passcode display screen the place you possibly can enter a 4-digit passcode to enter and exit Assistive Access on the iPhone. This passcode might be totally different from the device passcode you’ll have already set on the iPhone but when the one who’s supposed to make use of Assistive Access could discover it troublesome, you possibly can keep the identical passcode for the device in addition to Assistive Access. 

On the subsequent display screen, you’ll have to re-enter the passcode you typed on the final display screen. 

iOS will now immediate you to arrange a Recovery Apple ID for if you or this particular person could neglect the Assistive Access passcode. If you wish to add a recovery Apple ID, you possibly can faucet on Set Recovery Apple ID or you possibly can faucet on Not Now to keep away from this step fully. 

iOS will now clarify the way you’re imagined to exit Assistive Access as soon as it’s enabled. You can do it by triple-pressing the Side button, typing the Assistive Access passcode, and deciding on Exit Assistive Access. Once you’ve understood the way it works, you possibly can faucet on Continue on the backside to proceed. 

You will now see the “Assistive Access is ready to use” display screen. You can both faucet on Start Using Assistive Access to allow this mode right away or faucet on Enter Later when you want to flip it on at another time.  

How do I take advantage of your iPhone with Assistive Access

With Assistive Access now configured in your iPhone, you can begin using it by enabling it from the Accessibility shortcuts after which using the iPhone on Assertive Access mode.  

Enter Assistive Access mode

If you hadn’t used the Start Using Assistive Access choice in the course of the setup, you’ll should manually activate Assistive Access on the iPhone. Now there are two methods to enter Assistive Mode as soon as it has been enabled.

From Settings app

The easiest (however not the quickest) approach to enter Assistive Access is through the use of iOS settings. To do that, open the Settings app on the iPhone. 

Inside Settings, scroll down and choose Accessibility. 

On the Accessibility display screen, scroll right down to the underside and faucet on Assistive Access underneath “General”. 

On the subsequent display screen, faucet on Start Assistive Access. 

When you try this, iOS will ask you to enter the Assistive Access passcode on the display screen.

As quickly as you enter this passcode, the display screen will go black and skim the “Entering Assistive Access” message. Within seconds, you’ll see the Assistive Access residence display screen on the iPhone, and from there you can begin using it. 

From Accessibility Shortcuts

If you don’t want to go to the Accessibility display screen on the Settings app each time you wish to activate Assistive Access on the iPhone, there’s a neater approach to flip it on – by including Assistive Access to your Accessibility Shortcuts. This entails a fast setup course of which when carried out might help you allow Assistive Access with simply the press of the Side button. 

To add Assistive Access to an iPhone’s Accessibility Shortcuts, open the Settings app. Inside Settings, go to Accessibility. 

On the Accessibility display screen, scroll right down to the underside and faucet on Accessibility Shortcut. 

Here, faucet on the Assistive Access choice to see a tick mark seem on its left-hand facet underneath the “Triple-Click the Side Button For” part. You have efficiently arrange Assistive Access to work with Accessibility Shortcuts. 

To activate Assistive Access, triple-press the Side Button in your iPhone. From the overflow menu that seems, faucet on Assistive Access. 

When you try this, iOS will ask you to enter the Assistive Access passcode on the display screen.

As quickly as you enter this passcode, the display screen will go black and skim the “Entering Assistive Access” message. Within seconds, you’ll see the Assistive Access residence display screen on the iPhone, and from there you can begin using it. 

Unlock your cellphone

When Assistive Access is enabled, your iPhone can nonetheless be unlocked using Face ID or your device passcode. To unlock the iPhone, faucet anyplace on the display screen or press the Side button as soon as. When the display screen wakes up, you’ll be greeted by the clock beneath a lock. This lock icon will swap to an unlocked icon if you carry the iPhone in entrance of your face. 

When the iPhone detects your face, you possibly can go to the Assistive Access residence display screen by tapping on the Open button on the backside. This button may also be interacted with in case your iPhone fails to unlock using Face ID. 

When you faucet on Open with out unlocking the iPhone with Face ID, you’ll be requested to enter your device passcode on the display screen. After getting into the passcode, you’ll be immediately taken to the Assistive Access residence display screen. 

Interacting with apps

When you unlock your iPhone on Assistive Access, you’ll both see a grid of large-sized apps or rows of apps with giant texts you added to this mode. You can open any app by tapping on its icon. 

Calls

For instance, we opened the Calls app which is the Assistive Access model of the Phone app on iOS. The Calls app will then load your chosen contacts with their contact images in bigger thumbnails. To name a contact from this display screen, merely faucet on the contact you want to name. 

On the subsequent display screen, you will notice a bigger preview of the contact image together with a Call button on the prime. To make a name to this particular person, faucet on Call. 

You also can make calls by dialing the cellphone numbers of contacts you didn’t add to the Calls app throughout setup. For this, faucet on the Phone Number part on the prime of the Calls display screen. 

The app will now present a big keypad on the display screen that can assist you dial a cellphone quantity manually. Once you enter the cellphone quantity, faucet on the Call button above the keypad to make the decision. 

When you obtain calls inside Assistive Access, you will notice a large-size button to Answer and Don’t Answer the calls on the display screen. 

Camera

Similarly, if you open the Camera app inside Assistive Access, you will notice all of the digital camera choices you activated for Assistive Access throughout setup. As we will see right here, solely the Photo and Photo Selfie choices are seen on the display screen since didn’t allow the Video choices for Assistive Access. 

To seize photos or movies, faucet on the specified choice on the display screen relying on which digital camera you wish to use. For instance, Photo and Video buttons will activate the back digital camera whereas Photo Selfie and Video Selfie choices will use the iPhone’s entrance digital camera. 

Once you choose the specified choices, you will notice the chosen digital camera’s viewfinder to border your image/video. When the shot is able to be captured, faucet on Take Photo to seize it. 

Messages

Unlike the Calls app, the Messages app will solely present contacts you chose throughout setup. To add more contacts to ship messages to, you’ll need to exit Assistive Access and go to the Assistive Access settings on iOS to handle the contacts record. To ship a message to a contact or view your conversations with them, you possibly can faucet on their contact image from the Messages display screen. 

Here, you will notice the entire previous messages you exchanged with this particular person. To ship a message, faucet on the New Message button on the backside. 

You can now select from three choices to script your message – Keyboard, Video Selfie, and Emoji. 

Keyboard will open the default iOS keyboard on the display screen. 

Video Selfie will open the entrance digital camera viewfinder from the place you possibly can document a video message to this particular person. 

Emoji will open an Emoji drawer on the backside that’s despatched as a person message. 

Photos

The Photos app will present all the photographs out of your Camera roll in rows of two. Unlike the Photos app on common iOS, you received’t have the ability to entry different images saved on the iPhone. 

When you faucet an image from the Photos app, you will notice the chosen picture load up in fullscreen. You can not, nevertheless, zoom into a picture, edit it, or share it on different apps from Assistive Access. 

Other Apps

When you add apps to Assistive Access that aren’t configured with this mode, they’ll open to point out the default interface that you’ll have interacted with when Assistive Access isn’t energetic. You can work together with these apps as you usually would however you received’t have the ability to use the iPhone’s swipe gestures like on iOS.

Here’s what the Google Maps app seems like on Assistive Access. 

Go to residence display screen 

Unlike on iOS, Assistive Access doesn’t work with swipe gestures to change between apps or go to the house display screen. When you’re inside an app on Assistive Access, you possibly can solely return to the house display screen by tapping on the Back button on the backside as soon as or repeatedly relying on how deep you might be contained in the app’s interface. 

Check time

While iOS reveals you the time and different vital data (Wi-Fi sign, mobile sign, or battery degree) on any app you may have open on the display screen, it’s not the identical when Assistive Access is enabled. When you’re inside Assistive Access mode, the one means you possibly can examine the present time is by locking the device using the Side button after which urgent this button once more to view the lock display screen. This is as a result of you possibly can solely view the time contained in the lock display screen on Assistive Access. 

How do I handle Assistive Access settings on iPhone

You can handle the Assistive Access settings at any time even after the preliminary setup. Although iOS permits you to configure Assistive Access with and with out this mode being energetic, you’ll get more granular choices to configure when Assistive Access is inactive on the iPhone. 

When Assistive Access is energetic

When Assistive Access is already energetic on the iPhone, there are just a few settings you possibly can handle inside this mode. To entry Assistive Access settings, triple-press the Side button on the iPhone. You’ll now see the Assistive Access display screen. Here, choose Settings. 

You’ll have to enter your Assistive Access passcode. 

When you try this, your device will load the Settings web page for Assistive Access. Here, the very first thing you possibly can toggle is switching the Airplane Mode on/off underneath “Networking” to stop/enable your iPhone to hook up with wi-fi and mobile networks.

Underneath the “Networking” part, you’ll discover the “Appearance” part the place you possibly can activate/off Dark Mode for Assistive Access. 

You can then transfer the sliders on the display screen to regulate Volume, Brightness, and Text Size. 

At the underside of the Settings display screen, you possibly can faucet the Shutdown button to energy off the iPhone inside Assistive Access. 

When you try this, you’ll be prompted to verify your motion. To proceed with the Shutdown motion, faucet on OK. 

At any time, you possibly can return to the Assistive Access residence display screen by tapping on the massive Back button on the backside. 

When Assistive Access is inactive 

When Assistive Access is inactive, you possibly can handle its settings by first opening the Settings app on the iPhone. 

Inside Settings, scroll down and choose Accessibility. 

On the Accessibility display screen, scroll right down to the underside and faucet on Assistive Access. 

You will now arrive on the Assistive Access display screen from the place you possibly can handle totally different settings for Assistive Access in your device. 

Add, take away, and handle functions

The very first thing you possibly can configure is the “Applications” part. Here, you’ll see an inventory of all of the apps you’ve set as much as be out there inside Assistive Access. To change the settings and permissions for any of those apps, choose an app from the “Applications” part. 

On the subsequent display screen, you possibly can toggle totally different choices, options, and permissions for the chosen app if out there. Apps configured with Assistive Access will present more choices to configure.

Other apps you added right here will solely can help you grant or deny particular permissions for them when Assistive Access is energetic. 

To take away or add more apps inside Assistive Access, faucet on Manage Apps underneath “Applications”. 

On the subsequent display screen, you will notice current apps underneath “Selected Apps” and apps that haven’t but been added underneath “Optimized for Assistive Access” and “More Apps”. To add an app from these sections to Assistive Access, faucet on the green-colored plus (+) button on its left-hand facet and configure the chosen app on the subsequent display screen. 

To take away an app from Assistive Access, faucet on the red-colored minus (-) icon on its left-hand facet after which faucet on Remove on the precise. 

Change apps format

Once you’ve configured the apps to be current inside Assistive Access, you possibly can return to the earlier display screen to handle this mode additional. Under the “Options” part, you possibly can swap between Rows and Grid to alter the looks of the Assistive Access residence display screen as described throughout setup. 

Change default wallpaper

By default, when Assistive Access is about up, the lock display screen reveals a black wallpaper. To set a photograph as your lock display screen wallpaper inside Assistive Access mode, faucet on Wallpaper. 

On the subsequent display screen, faucet on Choose Photo to proceed. 

Now, you possibly can choose an image out of your Photos library so as to add it as your lock display screen wallpaper inside Assistive Access mode. 

The chosen wallpaper will now be added to your Assistive Access lock display screen. A preview of it’s going to seem on the Wallpaper display screen. If you wish to take away the utilized wallpaper from the lock display screen, you are able to do that by tapping on Delete Wallpaper. 

To verify the motion, faucet on Delete Wallpaper from the immediate that seems on the backside. 

Turn on extra options

Inside the Assistive Access settings, you can too toggle a bunch of various choices to allow or disable when Assistive Access is energetic.

These embrace:

Allow Volume buttons: When enabled, you possibly can flip up or down the amount ranges using the amount button throughout Assistive Access. When disabled, urgent the Volume buttons received’t change something on the iPhone. 

Show Time on Lock Screen: By default, the one approach to see the time with Assistive Access energetic is by checking the iPhone’s lock display screen. If you disable this toggle, nevertheless, you received’t see a digital clock on the lock display screen. 

Show Battery Level on Home Screen: Assistive Access’ residence display screen solely reveals app icons and names. You can activate this toggle to moreover see the battery ranges from the house display screen. 

Show Notification Badges: When you obtain a notification on an app with Assistive Access enabled, you’ll see a “New” labeled notification badge on the app icon. To stop seeing this badge, you possibly can flip off the Show Notification Badges toggle. 

Allow Siri: If you configured Siri in the course of the Assistive Access setup, this toggle will likely be enabled. If you didn’t, you possibly can activate the Allow Siri toggle to allow the digital assistant on the device when Assistive Access is energetic. 

Change Assistive Access passcode

When you arrange Assistive Access, iOS will ask you to create a brand new passcode that will likely be essential to enter and exit Assistive Access sooner or later. You can change this passcode to one thing else from the Assistive Access settings by scrolling right down to the underside and tapping on Passcode Settings. 

On the subsequent display screen, faucet on Change Assistive Access Passcode. 

You will now should enter and re-enter your new passcode for Assistive Access within the subsequent steps. 

How do I flip off Assistive Access on iPhone

When you’re carried out using Assistive Access on an iPhone, you possibly can swap to the common iOS interface simply. For that, triple-press the Side button on the iPhone. This will immediate the Assistive Access display screen on the iPhone. To flip off Assistive Access, faucet on Exit Assistive Access from the record of choices. 

Your device will now ask you to enter the Assistive Access passcode.

When you try this, the display screen will go black and can learn the “Exiting Assistive Access” message. Within seconds, you’ll return to the common iOS interface chances are you’ll be acquainted with. 

That’s all it’s worthwhile to learn about using the Assistive Access function on the iPhone.