How to Use Your Smartphone to Counteract Vision Loss (2024): iPhone, Android, Apps

If it hasn't popped up connected your Android device, download the Reading mode instrumentality from the Play Store. Go to Settings > Accessibility and pat Reading Mode and past Allow to crook it on. When you privation to usage it, simply pat the onscreen accessibility button. You tin customize however it looks via the cogwheel icon astatine the bottommost left, deed the play fastener to person it work aloud, and summation oregon alteration substance size by tapping the icon astatine the bottommost right.

For a akin enactment connected the iPhone, unfastened a web nonfiction you privation to work successful Safari and pat the AA icon astatine the bottommost left, past prime Show Reader. (Unfortunately, not each website supports Reader mode, truthful if the enactment is grayed out, the website you are connected apt doesn't.) If you pat AA again, you tin alteration the inheritance color, font, and substance size. You tin besides pat Website Settings and toggle connected Use Reader Automatically for the website you’re visiting.

How to Magnify oregon Zoom

Even aft customizing your display, determination whitethorn beryllium times erstwhile you privation to magnify thing connected the screen. Thankfully, determination are built-in options to bash conscionable that. On the iPhone, spell to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom to configure antithetic magnification settings for substance and different contented connected your iPhone screen. With Android phones, spell to Settings > Accessibility and pat Magnification to crook connected the shortcut. You tin take full-screen magnification (including zooming successful temporarily), partial-screen magnification, and magnifying substance arsenic you type.

What if you privation to zoom successful connected objects oregon signs astir you? The built-in camera app connected your telephone tin zoom in, but the clarity of the close-up volition beryllium connected the prime of your phone’s camera. You tin pinch to zoom, and zoom levels look arsenic numbers (like 2X) astatine the bottommost of the camera view. If you property and clasp connected the zoom level, you get pop-up controls showing the afloat scope of zoom options. But immoderate question portion zoomed successful tin marque it hard to work oregon analyse details.

You tin besides usage the Magnifier app connected each iPhone. Swipe down connected the location surface and hunt for it, find it successful the Utilities folder successful your App Library, oregon download it from the App Store. Point it astatine immoderate you privation to spot and zoom successful utilizing the slider. Tap the cog astatine the bottommost left, take Settings to determine which controls you privation to include, and prime filters to marque things much readable. We volition sermon the useful Detection Mode and immoderate of the different features of the Magnifier app successful the “How to Identify Objects” conception below.

There's nary built-in equivalent connected Android, but Android telephone owners tin take from respective fashionable magnifier apps successful the Play Store, specified arsenic Magnifier + Flashlight.

How to Get Audio Descriptions

Screen readers picture what is connected your instrumentality surface and archer you astir alerts and notifications.

The Android surface scholar is called TalkBack, and it tin beryllium turned connected via Accessibility > TalkBack > Use TalkBack. You tin besides say, “Hey Google, crook connected TalkBack” oregon usage the measurement cardinal shortcut (press and clasp some measurement keys for 3 seconds). With TalkBack on, you tin interaction the surface and resistance your digit astir to research arsenic TalkBack announces icons, buttons, and different items. You simply double-tap to select. To customize things similar the verbosity, language, and feedback volume, pat the surface with 3 fingers oregon swipe down and past close successful 1 changeable (gesture enactment depends connected your instrumentality and Android version) and prime TalkBack Settings. You tin besides turn connected the virtual braille keyboard successful these settings, arsenic Google beefed up out-of-the-box enactment for braille displays successful TalkBack with the Android 13 update.

Select-to-Speak is different Android diagnostic that mightiness beryllium of interest. It provides audio descriptions of items connected your screen, similar substance oregon images, and enables you to constituent your camera astatine pictures oregon substance to perceive them work oregon described aloud successful definite languages. Turn it connected via Settings > Accessibility > Select-to-Speak. Once activated, you tin entree it with a two-finger swipe up (three-finger swipe if TalkBack is on). Tap an point oregon pat and resistance to prime aggregate items and pat Play to perceive them described.

Apple’s surface scholar is called VoiceOver, and you tin find it successful Settings > Accessibility, wherever you tin acceptable your preferred speaking rate, prime voices for speech, acceptable up braille output, and configure galore different aspects of the VoiceOver feature. Tap VoiceOver Recognition to person images, immoderate is onscreen successful apps, and adjacent substance recovered successful images described to you.

If VoiceOver is much than you need, see going to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content, wherever you volition find 3 perchance useful options. Toggle connected Speak Selection to person a Speak fastener popular up erstwhile you prime text. Toggle connected Speak Screen to perceive the contented of the surface erstwhile you swipe down from the apical with 2 fingers. Tap Typing Feedback and you tin take to person characters, words, autocorrections, and much spoken aloud arsenic you type.

For audio descriptions of video contented connected an iPhone, spell to Settings > Accessibility and crook connected Audio Descriptions. On an Android phone, it’s Settings > Accessibility > Audio Description.

How to Use Voice Commands

You tin usage dependable commands to power your phone. On iPhone, spell to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control and pat Set Up Voice Control to tally done your options and configure dependable controls. On Android devices, spell to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Access and toggle it on. If you don’t spot the option, you whitethorn request to download the Voice Access app.

You tin besides dictate substance connected Android phones oregon iPhones by tapping the microphone icon whenever the keyboard pops up.