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Assistive Touch

Use AssistiveTouch on iPhone

AssistiveTouch is a handy feature on the iPhone that makes it easier to use the device, especially if you have difficulty touching the screen or pressing buttons. This feature allows you to perform various actions on your iPhone without needing to use an accessory such as a mouse. However, if you find it helpful, you can still use a compatible accessory like a mouse or joystick to control your iPhone with AssistiveTouch.

The AssistiveTouch menu can be opened with a simple tap (or the equivalent action with your accessory), and it provides access to a variety of functions. These include:

  • Home Screen: This takes you to the main screen on your iPhone.
  • Double-tap: This allows you to perform a double-tap action, which can be useful for activating certain features.
  • Multifinger gestures: These allow you to perform gestures that would typically require multiple fingers.
  • Scroll gestures: This enables you to scroll up and down on the screen.
  • Siri: This activates Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, which can help you perform various tasks.
  • Control Center, notifications, Lock Screen, and App Switcher: These provide quick access to various aspects of your iPhone, such as the Control Center, which contains frequently used settings, and the App Switcher, which displays recently used apps.
  • Volume adjustment: This allows you to adjust the volume on your iPhone.
  • Shake: This enables you to shake your iPhone, which can be useful for certain actions or games.
  • Screenshot: This allows you to take a screenshot of your iPhone screen.
  • 3D Touch (on supported models): This allows you to use Apple’s pressure-sensitive technology to perform various actions.
  • Apple Pay: This allows you to use Apple’s mobile payment system to make purchases.
  • Emergency SOS: This is a feature that can be used in case of an emergency to quickly call for help.
  • Speak screen: This reads the content on the screen aloud.
  • Dwell settings: This allows you to adjust the time it takes for the cursor to stop moving and highlight an item.
  • Restart: This restarts your iPhone.

In conclusion, AssistiveTouch is a useful feature for those who have trouble using their iPhone, providing a simplified way to perform common actions on the device.

Setting up AssistiveTouch on iPhone

There are two ways to enable AssistiveTouch on your iPhone: using Siri or navigating through the settings.

Using Siri:
  • Say “Turn on AssistiveTouch” or “Turn off AssistiveTouch” to enable or disable the feature respectively.
Using Settings:
  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch.
  • Turn on the AssistiveTouch switch.

Customizing AssistiveTouch

  • Customize Top Level Menu: You can change the actions performed by the icons in the menu by clicking on the icon and selecting Remove (-) or Add (+). Up to eight icons can be added to the menu.
  • Single-Tap, Double-Tap, Long Press, or 3D Touch: Assign custom actions to the menu button. Note that 3D Touch is only available on certain iPhone models.
  • Create New Gesture: Add your preferred gestures to the menu.
  • Idle Opacity: Adjust the opacity of the menu button when not in use.
  • Confirm with AssistiveTouch: On an iPhone with Face ID, you can confirm payments using Face ID instead of double-clicking the side button.
  • Tip: Triple-click the side button (on an iPhone with Face ID) or the home button (on an iPhone with a home button) to quickly turn AssistiveTouch on and off.

Adding a pointer device

You can connect Bluetooth or USB assistive devices, such as trackpads, joysticks, or mouse devices to your iPhone. Here’s how:

  • Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch.
  • Turn on AssistiveTouch.
  • Under Pointer Devices, select the following options to customize your pointer device:
    • Devices: Pair or unpair devices and customize buttons.
    • Mouse Keys: Control the AssistiveTouch pointer using the keyboard number pad.
    • Pointer Style: Adjust the size, color, and auto-hide settings of the pointer.
    • Show Onscreen Keyboard: Display the onscreen keyboard.
    • Always Show Menu: Show the AssistiveTouch menu when a pointer device is connected.
    • Tracking speed: Adjust the speed of the pointer.
    • Drag Lock: Enable dragging.
    • Zoom Pan: Set the zoom to Continuous, Centered, or Edges.

How to Set Up Dwell Control on iPhone

Dwell Control allows your iPhone to perform an action when you hold the cursor still on a screen element or an area of the screen. Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn on Dwell Control.

  2. Adjust the following settings to your preference:

  • Fallback Action: Reverts the dwell action to the selected fallback action after performing an operation.
  • Movement Tolerance: Adjusts the distance the cursor can move while dwelling on an item.
  • Hot Corners: Lets you perform a selected action when the cursor dwells in a corner of the screen.
  • Time needed to initiate a dwell action: Click on Remove (-) or Add(+).
  1. Move the Assistive Touch menu button: Drag the menu button to a new location on the screen.

Using AssistiveTouch

  1. To use AssistiveTouch, click on the menu button, then select an action or gesture.
  2. For multi-finger gestures:
  • Pinch: Click on Custom, then select Pinch. You can relocate the pinch circle and perform a pinch gesture by touching and dragging the circles in or out.
  • Multifinger swipe or drag: Go to Device > More > Gestures, then click on the number of digits needed for the gesture. Swipe or drag in the direction required to perform the gesture.

Customizing Gestures

  1. To create custom gestures, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > Create New Gesture.
  2. To perform a gesture:
  • Touch-and-hold: Touch and hold your finger in one spot until the recording progress bar reaches halfway, then lift your finger.
  • Two-finger rotation: Rotate two fingers around a point between them. (Can be done with a single finger or stylus by creating each arc separately.)
  1. Tap Save to name the gesture, then click on the AssistiveTouch menu button, select Custom, and choose the gesture to use.

Reachability

Reachability allows you to lower the top half of the iPhone screen for easy one-handed reach.

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch, and turn on Reachability.
  2. To lower the top half of the screen:
  • On iPhone with Face ID: Swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen.
  • On iPhone with a Home button: Lightly double-tap the Home button.

Haptic Touch

You can adjust the pressure needed to activate 3D Touch or the speed of Haptic Touch on your device.

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Tap 3D & Haptic Touch.
  2. For 3D Touch: Turn on the feature and use the slider to select a sensitivity level.
  3. For Haptic Touch: Choose a touch duration speed, then test your setting by clicking on the image.

Adjusting Touch Responsiveness on iPhone

If you have issues with hand tremors, fine motor control, or dexterity, you can modify how your iPhone responds to touch-based gestures like tapping, swiping, and touch-and-hold. You can adjust the speed of touch recognition and even ignore multiple touches if desired. Additionally, you can prevent the iPhone from waking up with a touch and turn off Shake to Undo if you accidentally shake the device.

Touch Accommodations

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Touch Accommodations
  2. Turn on Touch Accommodations.
  3. Configure the following options as desired:
    a. Hold Duration: Adjust the duration of a touch to be recognized. (default: 0.10 seconds)
    b. Swipe Gestures: Increase the movement required to initiate a swipe gesture.
    c. Ignore Repeat: Treat multiple touches as a single touch and adjust the time between them.
    d. Touch Location: Choose whether the initial or final touch location will be registered.

Touch-and-hold Gestures

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
  2. Choose Haptic Touch or 3D & Haptic Touch (depending on your phone model).
  3. Set touch duration to be Fast or Slow.
  4. For iPhones with 3D touch, set the pressure required for touch-and-hold to Light, Medium, or Firm.

Turning off Tap to Wake

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
  2. Turn off Tap to Wake.

Turning off Shake to Undo

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
  2. Turn off Shake to Undo.

Vibration Customization

  1. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics to set vibration options for specific alerts.
  2. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch to turn off all vibrations (note: this will also turn off emergency alerts).

Call Audio Routing

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing.
  2. Choose an audio destination (iPhone speaker, Bluetooth headset, hearing devices).
  3. Turn on Auto-Answer Calls and set the duration before the call is answered.

Back Tap

  1. This feature is available on iPhone 8 and later.
  2. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
  3. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap and pair with an action.
  4. Double-tap or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to perform the selected action.
  5. To turn off, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and select None.
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