There is a whole section of your phone's settings you have probably never opened.
It is called Accessibility, and the name puts almost everyone off.
Most people assume it is only for those with disabilities.
It is where some of the most useful features are kept.
Six of them are worth turning on this week.
What can I turn on today?
Magnifier turns your camera into a magnifying glass with a torch built in.
Tiny ingredient lists, medicine labels, the fine print on a contract.
Add it to your Control Centre or quick settings.
Larger, bolder text raises the size and weight everywhere.
Not in one app, but all of them.
Your eyes will thank you at night.
Live Captions adds real-time subtitles to any video, voice note or call.
Real-time means it writes out the words as they are spoken.
Perfect on a loud local train, or for anyone hard of hearing.
Which ones make the phone feel better to use?
Reduce Motion turns off the bouncy animations when apps open and close.
The whole phone feels faster and calmer.
It also helps if motion makes you queasy.
Speak Screen reads articles, emails or messages aloud to you.
On iPhone this is Spoken Content, on Android it is Select to Speak.
Use it while you cook, while you walk, or to rest your eyes.
Colour filters shift the screen to warmer tones, gentler on tired eyes.
There are options for colour-blindness in the same place.
Why do so few people find these?
Because of the label on the door.
We read "Accessibility", decide it is not for us, and never look inside.
But a magnifying glass is useful to everybody.
So are subtitles in a noisy place.
These are not special settings.
They are good ones, behind a name that makes people walk past.
Open the section, try two of them, and keep whatever helps.
That is the entire trick.
If one does not suit you, switch it off in the same place.
Nothing here is permanent, and nothing here costs anything.
Things to Remember
- Add Magnifier to your Control Centre or quick settings today.
- Turn on larger, bolder text if you catch yourself squinting.
- Try Live Captions next time you watch something in a noisy place.
- Use Speak Screen to have long articles read to you.
- Open the Accessibility section yourself and try two settings this week.