What if your smartphone could make your day easier, your tasks smoother, and your world more inclusive, without having to download a single app?
One of the most powerful accessibility tools in the world might be in your pocket right now.
You may know that smartphones like iPhones and Android devices provide accessibility features for users with disabilities. But did you know that accessibility features can help everyone?
In fact, many of the best features on smart devices, including the idea of personal assistants like Siri and Alexa, started life as assistive features for people with disabilities, including communication and sensory challenges. These devices provide critical support for people with communication disabilities without the need to purchase high-tech apps and programs.
But people who don’t identify as disabled can also use these tools to make their life easier and achieve tasks they didn’t know were possible. The best part? Most people don’t realize they have these supportive tools at their fingertips.
Curious what your phone can really do? Let’s explore some life-changing features hiding in plain sight.
In this guide, Ability Central rounds up the 10 most useful accessibility features built into iPhones and Androids. These features can help people with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities, and other smartphone users looking for shortcuts or extra help. We cover information like:
Hands-free smartphone controls
Built-in screen readers and video descriptions
Your phone as a magnifying glass, label reader, or announcer
Color contrast and transparency settings
Customized text, motion, and vibration settings
Assistive touch with joystick integration
Real-time, customizable captioning
Sound alerts, visual alerts, and sound recognition
Text commands, real-time text (RTT) and teletypewriter (TTY) services
Reduced sensory stimuli and distractions
Bonus: iPhone Assistive Access and the Android Accessibility Suite
How to find accessibility settings on iPhone and Android
Before we dive in, you should know where to look for these built-in features.
Most iPhone accessibility features can be found in your Accessibility Settings. Tap “Settings,” then “Accessibility” to access the basic features for low vision, hearing loss, mobility control, and cognitive accessibility.
On Android, tap “Settings,” then “Accessibility,” then “Accessibility Menu.” You can create an Accessibility Menu shortcut on your home screen to get to this section more easily.
Now, let’s talk about the good stuff.
Hands-free smartphone controls
Smartphone voice control gets most of its mileage from drivers. Pitching questions to Siri or Google Assistant without taking your hands off the wheel is a great perk, but there’s even more utility in smartphone voice control for people with disabilities.
The iPhone’s Voice Control and VoiceOver features, along with Android’s Google Assistant, allow you to use your phone without needing to scroll through menus. Users can say commands like, “Open Instagram,” “Take screenshot,” or “Send a text to Mom.” You can also program unique gestures to make your phone perform certain tasks. For Android users, download the Voice Access app for more customization options.
In 2024, Apple plans to launch a new hands-free functionality for iPhones and tablets: eye tracking. Through the front-facing camera, users can focus their eyes on different parts of the screen to swipe, use apps, give commands, and more. Android does not currently offer this feature, but there are many downloadable eye tracking apps on the Google Play Store.
Built-in screen readers and video descriptions
The iPhone’s Spoken Content feature makes your phone read text out loud, whether that’s a message you type out to a friend, a highlighted social media post, or everything on your screen.
This feature is called TalkBack on most Android devices, but some have it listed as Voice Assistant. You can also turn on TalkBack by holding both volume control buttons for three seconds.
You can also control the speed of these readers. If, like many blind users, you can process audio descriptions extra fast, then just turn up the speed to 1.5x or even 2x. If you want more time, slow it down.
### Your phone as a magnifying glass, label reader, or announcer
Your phone’s camera can do so much more than take pictures. On iPhones, the built-in [Magnifier]() app lets you zoom in on things that are too small or too far away to see. Newer models, like the Pro versions of iPhones 12-15, also include a Detection Mode that can read text aloud, announce if there are people or obstacles in your camera view, and more.
Android doesn’t have a feature like this yet, but it’s being considered for future updates.
Color contrast and transparency settings
Navigating to “Settings,” then “Accessibility,” then “Display & Text Size” on an iPhone allows you to change color contrast settings like inverting colors, turning on color filters, and reducing transparency. You can also use the “Differentiate Without Color” setting or “On/Off Labels” to change the appearance of color-coded settings, like switching “on-off” features to “1-0” (instead of green and red, for example).
On Android devices, you’ll find these feature under “Settings,” then “Accessibility,” then “Display size and text,” including high-contrast modes. Under “Settings,” then “Accessibility,” then “Visibility enhancements,” you’ll find additional settings like large display, highlighted buttons, or high contrast fonts.
Customized text, motion, and vibration settings
For people with cognitive disabilities, low vision, or sensory sensitivities, certain performance features on smartphones (like vibrations, flashing lights, complex animations, or videos that start playing automatically) can be overwhelming.
Luckily, under “Accessibility,” then “Motion,” iPhones allow you to reduce motion, stop vibrations, keep videos from starting without a manual cue, and turn off the celebration animations that pop up in some iMessage conversations. (This is also useful if you need your phone to stay truly silent at the movies, or if your grandma can’t stop sending you “Congratulations!” fireworks.)
While iPhone requires that you turn off each option manually, Android offers a single button that can toggle all animation and motion options off at once. (You can also pick and choose which features to enable.) You’ll find these settings under “Color and motion” in your Accessibility settings on devices running Android 13 or higher.
Assistive touch with joystick integration
Apple’s AssistiveTouch suite of features help people who have difficulty pressing buttons or touching screens maximize their iPhone use. AssistiveTouch uses single taps, gestures, or head movements to control regular functions like making calls, opening apps, adjusting volume, or using emergency SOS. You can also control your iPhone via AssistiveTouch and a separate mobility device like a joystick.
At this time, Android does not come with assistive touch built-in, but you can find an equivalent app in the Google Play Store.
Real-time, customizable captioning
In addition to subtitles and captions in Apple TV or other video apps, Live Captions is an iPhone feature that allows you to transcribe spoken words in real time, whether they’re coming from an app (like Spotify or FaceTime) or from the world around you. This can be helpful for people with auditory disabilities, but it can also help you understand what your friends are saying in crowded environments like restaurants or concert halls. You can also customize the captions’ appearance by changing their font, size, and color.
Android offers its own Live Caption feature for phones running the Android 10 operating system and up, with customizations like hiding profanity or sound labels. Pixel phones also offer live captioning for calls. These features are available for sound content streaming from your phone, but not for audio input from people around you. The Live Transcribe app, available from the Google Play Store, introduces live captioning for conversations, calls, and more.
Sound alerts, visual alerts, and sound recognition
People who are Deaf or hard of hearing can benefit from the iPhone’s visual indicators for sound cues. For example, iPhones can [flicker their built-in flashlights](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/flash-the-indicator-light-for-notifications-iph79ced06b1/17.0/ios/17.0) when you receive a call or text. They can also [recognize sounds](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-sound-recognition-iphf2dc33312/17.0/ios/17.0) like fire alarms, doorbells, or an infant crying and send you a notification. You can even set a custom sound recognition alert by recording the sound on your iPhone, like a microwave or alarm clock going off.
Android offers similar functions through [Sound Notifications](https://blog.google/products/android/new-sound-notifications-on-android/), an app available in the Google Play Store. These features are great help not only for people with hearing loss but for anyone wearing noise-canceling headphones or hoping to work in a truly silent environment.
Text commands, real-time text (RTT), and teletypewriter (TTY) services
Apple’s TTY and RTT services improve communication for people with speech and hearing disabilities. Under “Settings,” then “Accessibility,” then “RTT/TTY,” you can turn on these services as built-in software on your phone or in tandem with an external device. In addition, Apple allows iPhone users to type commands to Siri, the built-in AI assistant, rather than speaking out loud. (This can be extremely helpful for asking those embarrassing questions you don’t want to say out loud—next trick, stopping Siri from repeating what you just typed!)
Android also offers built-in [TTY features]() that let people with communication disabilities type during calls. These can be found under “Settings,” then “Call Settings,” then “Other call settings,” and finally “Text telephone (TTY) mode.”
How to locate friends, find devices, and send “check-in” alerts
Apple’s [Find My](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/locate-a-friend-ipha24eb4a37/17.0/ios/17.0) feature (originally known as Find My Friends) allows people to share their location, view friends’ shared locations, and even track down lost devices. The Find My app comes automatically installed on new iPhones and can be controlled with Siri voice or text commands.
In addition, Apple offers a Check In feature for iPhone that allows you to tell a contact where you’re going and when you expect to get there. When you arrive at your destination or the timer expires, iPhone sends you a notification. If you end up somewhere other than your intended location, or if you don’t respond to a notification within 15 minutes, your phone notifies your chosen contact. They can view your location info, phone status (like whether it’s turned on or off), battery charge, and network signal and contact emergency services, if necessary.
Android offers similar built-in features on certain phones, but some require an extra download, like the Find My Mobile app. Google Maps, which comes automatically installed on Android devices, also offers location-sharing features. At this time, Android does not have a Check In feature.
Bonus: iPhone Assistive Access and the Android Accessibility Suite
In addition to their built-in accessibility features, both iPhone and Android offer upgraded accessibility options perfect for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who rely on caretakers and family members in daily life.
According to Apple, the iPhone’s Assistive Access mode “makes it easier for people with cognitive disabilities to use iPhone independently.” Set up by a caretaker or trusted family member, Assistive Access limits an iPhone’s functionality to certain pre-approved apps like the camera and messenger.
An iPhone in Assistive Access mode includes larger displayed items, easier navigation, and simpler uses, like typing with an emoji-only keyboard rather than needing to type words. Assistive Access also bundles the phone and FaceTime apps into a single “Calls” app, which can be customized to limit incoming and outgoing calls to specific approved contacts.
Android offers a similar feature via an app you can download from the Google Play Store called the Android Accessibility Suite. The Android Accessibility Suite includes large-format menus and simplified touch, speech, and vision functions.
Stay tuned for more smartphone accessibility features
The Ability Central Portal is your one-stop resource center for information about smart devices, communication disabilities, local nonprofits, and more. Our Device Library offers an extensive breakdown of the accessibility pros and cons of several hundred smart devices, developed regularly using data from the Global Access Reporting Initiative (GARI).
Stay tuned for more resources from the Ability Central team, and explore the Portal today for more features like our article database, event listings, and the Service Locator tool, a searchable national database of nonprofit organizations that offer support for people with communication disabilities and their families.
Additional Information
The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for legal, medical, or other professional advice. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date resources, some information may become outdated or incomplete. Always consult with your provider about personal medical concerns.
