How to Make Your iPhone Easier to See and Hear

Written by The Golden Age Team

If you have ever thought, "I can barely read this thing," you are not alone. The good news is that your iPhone has settings built in to help. You do not need to buy anything. Here are the ones we set up most often.

*Menu names can change a little with each iPhone update. If something does not look exactly like this, the Settings search bar at the top of Settings will help you find it.*

1. Make the text bigger

Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then Text Size. Drag the slider to the right until the words are comfortable to read.

Want it even bigger? Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Display & Text Size, then Larger Text, and turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes.

While you are there, turn on Bold Text. It makes letters thicker and much easier to see.

2. Make everything on the screen bigger

Display Zoom makes icons and buttons larger, not just text. Go to Settings, then Display & Brightness, then Display Zoom, and choose Larger Text. Your phone will restart the screen to apply it.

3. Use your iPhone as a magnifier

The Magnifier app turns your camera into a magnifying glass, which is great for menus, pill bottles, and small print. Search for "Magnifier" by swiping down on your home screen.

4. Make calls and alerts louder

Press the volume up button on the side during a call.
Go to Settings, then Sounds & Haptics, and slide Ringtone and Alert Volume all the way up.
Pick a ringtone that is easy for you to hear. Lower, steady tones are often easier than high chirps.

5. Connect your hearing aids

Many hearing aids can connect straight to an iPhone, so calls and sound go right to your ears. Look under Settings, then Accessibility, then Hearing Devices. Your audiologist can tell you if your model works this way.

6. Turn on Live Captions

On recent iPhones, Live Captions shows the words of calls and videos on screen. You will find it under Settings, then Accessibility.

7. Quiet the junk

Constant buzzing makes a phone harder to use. Turn on Silence Unknown Callers under Settings, then Phone, to send unknown numbers straight to voicemail. Then turn off notifications for apps you do not use under Settings, then Notifications.

A note for adult children

If you are setting this up for a parent, do it together and let them choose the text size. What looks huge to you may be just right for them.

Want us to set it up for you?

We set up these settings on visits all the time, and we show you how to change them yourself. We come to homes in 20 cities across the Denver metro, from Greeley in the north to Castle Rock in the south.

Request a Visit or call or text (303) 276-7623.