What is Apple's Assistive Access feature? How to use?

Apple's Assistive Access feature, introduced with iOS 17, is designed to make iPhones and iPads easier to use for people with intellectual disabilities. It provides a simple experience that can be modified to ease the mental burden for people with such disorders.

Here's how Assistive Access works and instructions for setting it up for loved ones to enhance their iOS or iPadOS experience.

Note : iOS 17 is currently in beta, meaning you can only use Assistive Access right now if you install the iOS 17 beta on your iPhone.

What is Assistive Access and who is it for?

According to Apple, Accessive Access improves the design of the home screen and some native apps to provide "a distinct look with high-contrast buttons and large text labels." It only shows a select few apps on the home screen and gives you the option to enable the basic features you want in an app. Applications are optimized to expand into a larger interface to make it easier for people with intellectual disabilities to interact with them.

This is also especially helpful for older people, who may not be tech-savvy, as a simpler interface can be of great benefit to them. This is one of several useful accessibility features on Apple devices.

How to turn on Assistive Access

If your device is running iOS 17 or later, you can enable Assistive Access on your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access . Click Set Up Assistive Access > Continue . After enabling Assistive Access for the first time, your device will automatically begin the setup process.

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The setup process will ask you to confirm the Apple ID of the person using the device. If you're setting up the device for someone else, you can change the associated Apple ID by tapping the Change Apple ID option . Once you've set up your Apple ID, you can customize exactly how it works.

Choose an interface style for the home screen, from Grids or Rows. Then select the apps that are available when Assistive Access is on. Optimized apps provide a new user experience and follow Apple's interface guidelines. To add an app, tap the green plus icon. If the app is optimized for Assistive Access, you can also configure settings such as which contacts can message you in the Messages app or which playlists you can listen to in Apple Music.

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The Things To Know prompt will show up after customizing your settings. This gives suggestions on how to use the feature. Make sure that the device user knows all the points included.

Finally, you can enable Face ID or Touch ID for the person using the device, along with a new passcode that will be used to turn Assistive Access on or off. You can then start using the feature by pressing Enter Assistive Access Now .

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How to use Assistive Access

When Assistive Access accesses, you'll discover a whole new home screen, with large app icons and a white background for added contrast. You will also notice that only the apps you selected during setup will show up.

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Using the app in Assistive Access

To open an app, tap it. Optimized apps have redesigned user interface with large buttons and labels for improved accessibility. For example, the Apple Music app has a large album cover and simple Back , Play , Pause buttons . The Camera app has been simplified with 4 big options for Photo , Video , Video Selfie and Selfie along with a simpler Shutter button.

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Non-optimized apps, on the other hand, still work as they should, but they now have a large Back button for navigating between menus at the bottom of the screen. The aspect ratio of the application window has also been adjusted to accommodate this change, but you can still make the text size larger for individual apps.

Unlock iPhone or iPad in Assistive Access

With Assistive Access enabled, you can tap the Open button to unlock your iPhone or iPad with Face ID once Face ID recognizes your face. Touch ID works properly, so you can still unlock your device with your fingerprint. If Face ID or Touch ID doesn't recognize your biometric information, you can also enter your passcode.

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Exit Assistive Access

To change any Assistive Access settings or update your device, you need to exit Assistive Access. To do so, simply press the power button 3 times, then enter the passcode you generated during setup. You can turn Assistive Access back on in Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access .

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Jessica Tanner

Update 28 July 2023