What is Reachability on iPhone? How to use?

The demand for entertainment and working on smartphones is increasing, making the size of the smartphones constantly increasing in the past few years. Today, a smartphone with a 6.5- or even 7-inch screen - the size that used to be only a tablet - is not uncommon.

One-handed operation on such large devices is obviously not easy, especially for those with small hands.

Realizing this problem, starting with iPhone 6 and later models, Apple has integrated a useful feature called Reachability on the device. So what's this feature interesting about? Let's find out right now.

What is Reachability on iPhone? How to use? Picture 1 Phone 6 opens the door to larger iPhone generation

What is Reachability mode?

This is basically a mode that makes it easier for iPhone users to manipulate the phone when using one hand by interfering with and changing various aspects of the system UI.

Since the launch of the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, Apple has consistently released significantly larger iPhone models. Many people call these phones 'phablets' (a combination of phones (smartphones) and tablets (tablets), because they looked unusually large at the time.

Due to the large size of the iPhone 6 Plus, most people cannot reach every part of the screen with their thumbs when holding the device with one hand. For this reason, Apple decided to build a new feature in iOS called 'Reachability', which helps to lower the interface of the screen using a simple software trick that helps people use easier to operate. Here's how to enable and use this feature.

How to enable Reachability mode on iPhone

To use 'Reachability', you'll need an iPhone 6 or later.

First, open the 'Settings' app on your iPhone, then tap on 'Accessibility'.

What is Reachability on iPhone? How to use? Picture 2

In the Accessibility section, you continue to click on 'Touch'.

What is Reachability on iPhone? How to use? Picture 3

In the 'Touch' settings, tap the switch next to the 'Reachability' option to set it to 'On' (green).

What is Reachability on iPhone? How to use? Picture 4

Now that the Reachability feature is enabled, exit Settings.

How to use the Reachability mode

First, you'll need to do a few taps to access this one-handed reachability mode.

With iPhone models that do not have a home button, you simply swipe down to the correct position of the bar at the bottom of the screen (as opposed to swiping down to return to the home screen). In other words, just tap the bar at the bottom of the screen (or the area just above it) and swipe down.

On an iPhone with a home button, just double tap the home button.

When the one-handed mode is successfully activated, the entire display area is moved down to a position only about one-third of the length of the screen.

Now you can hold your phone with one hand and easily operate any area of ​​the screen.

What is Reachability on iPhone? How to use? Picture 5

If you want the screen to return to normal, tap the up arrow located at the top edge of the display area.

Kareem Winters

Update 15 February 2021