By Lydia | Last Updated
Reachability is a feature designed to make it easier for users to interact with their iPhones using one hand, especially on larger models. This accessibility feature brings the top of the screen down, allowing users to reach UI elements that are otherwise difficult to access.
If you're looking to enable and use Reachability on your iPhone, this guide will provide you with a detailed, step-by-step explanation to make your iPhone experience a lot more comfortable.
Apple Reachability is a feature on iPhones designed to make it easier to use the device with one hand, especially for those with larger screens.
It’s available since iOS 8, and it in only works in the vertical direction. When enabled, it temporarily shifts the interface down so that items at the top of the screen become more accessible. This can be particularly useful for reaching controls or content without having to stretch your thumb.
To use Reachability in iPhone, you first need to ensure that it is enabled on your iPhone. Here’s how you can activate it:
Step 1: Start by locating the "Settings" app on your iPhone’s home screen and tap to open it.
Step 2: Navigate to Reachability Settings:
For iOS 12 and older devices: Go to General > Accessibility, then you can find Reachability option here.
For iOS 13 and later versions: Scroll down and tap on "Accessibility". Under the "Physical and Motor" section, tap on "Touch". Locate the "Reachability" option.
Step 3: Toggle the "Reachability" option switch to the ON position. When enabled, Reachability will be active and ready for use.
Tips: To turn off "Reachability", just toggle off the switch beside Reachability.
As for older iPhones with physical Home button, just double-tap (not press) the Home button, this is very quick and easy.
For iPhones without Home button, you should open an app first to avoid activate "Siri search suggestions". Then swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen on iPhones.
When Reachability is activated, the screen shifts down, bringing the top content into the lower half screen to display on iPhone.
Then you can easily open the iOS Control center and Notification Center just pull down screen on iPhone from this smaller iPhone screen. It will back to full-screen.
You can simply tap the upper blank screen or press the Home button (on older models) or swipe up from the bottom to quickly back to the nomal iPhone screen view.
Reachability is particularly helpful for managing your iPhone with one hand, making it more convenient to navigate and interact with the screen.
If you’re having trouble with Reachability, consider the following troubleshooting steps:
1. Check if Reachability is Enabled: Ensure that Reachability is turned on by revisiting the "Settings" > "Accessibility" > "Touch" and confirming that the Reachability toggle is switched on.
2. Restart Your iPhone: Sometimes a simple restart can resolve minor issues. Power off your iPhone and then turn it back on to see if Reachability starts functioning properly.
3. Update Your iPhone: Ensure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. Go to "Settings" > "General" > "Software Update" to check for updates.
4. Reset All Settings: If Reachability still doesn’t work, you can try resetting all settings. Go to "Settings" > "General" > "Reset" > "Reset All Settings". Note that this will reset all personalized settings, but it won’t delete your data.
1. Reachability can be used in conjunction with other accessibility features such as on Screen Zoom Controller and VoiceOver to enhance overall usability.
For example, you can enable Zoom by going to "Settings" > "Accessibility" > "Zoom" to help with text readability while using Reachability.
2. To quickly reach top of iPhone Contacts or Photos, tap the time display at the top of the screen twice. Your iPhone will instantly jump to the first photo or contact. To go to the bottom of the Photos album, just tap the album icon.
Enabling and using Reachability on your iPhone is a simple yet powerful way to improve one-handed operation and overall accessibility.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily activate Reachability and make your iPhone experience more convenient, especially if you use a larger device.
