What built-in settings on your smartphone could make it so much easier to use?

Why do so many people put up with a phone that feels harder than it should be?

Most people assume that if their phone is difficult to use — the text is too small, calls are hard to hear, or they keep accidentally tapping the wrong thing — that’s just how it is. Either they need a bigger phone, or their eyesight is getting worse, or technology simply isn’t for them.

None of that is true. Every modern smartphone sold in the UK comes with a range of accessibility settings designed precisely for people who find the default setup uncomfortable. The problem is that nobody tells you they’re there. Phone manufacturers bury them inside settings menus, and the staff in phone shops rarely mention them.

A 2026 survey by AARP found that 9 in 10 adults aged 50 and over now own a smartphone — but many use only a fraction of what the device can do, struggling with tasks that a simple setting change could fix in minutes.

How can you make the text bigger and easier to read?

This is the most common complaint — and the easiest fix. Both iPhone and Android let you increase text size across the entire phone, so everything from your messages to your emails to your browser displays in larger, clearer letters.

On iPhone: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Larger Text. Turn on “Larger Accessibility Sizes” and drag the slider to your preferred size. While you’re there, switching on Bold Text makes everything noticeably crisper and easier to scan.

On Android: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display Size and Text (the exact wording varies by manufacturer — look for “Font size” or “Text size”). Drag the slider and you’ll see an instant preview on screen before you confirm.

You can also increase the overall display size — not just text but icons, menus and buttons — using Display Size on Android, or Zoom on iPhone under Settings → Accessibility → Zoom.

What can you do if the screen is too bright or tiring on your eyes?

Bright white screens are particularly hard on eyes that are older or sensitive to light. Most phones now have a Night Shift (iPhone) or Night Light (Android) mode that shifts the screen to warmer tones in the evening, which many people find far easier on tired eyes.

On iPhone, go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Night Shift. You can schedule it to switch on automatically at sunset — so you don’t need to remember. On Android, look for Night Light or Blue Light Filter under Display settings.

If you find white backgrounds dazzling, Dark Mode — available on both iPhone and Android — switches the whole phone to a dark grey or black background with light text. Many people over 55 find this dramatically more comfortable, especially in low light or in bed. Try it: you can switch straight back if you don’t like it.

Can your phone help if you find it hard to hear calls or notifications?

Yes — and often more than you might expect. If the speaker feels too quiet even at full volume, a few settings changes can make a real difference:

• Flash alerts — if you miss calls because you don’t hear the ringtone, you can set your phone’s camera flash to blink as a visual alert. On iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Visual → LED Flash for Alerts. On Android: Settings → Accessibility → Hearing Enhancements → Flash Notification.
• Phone noise cancellation — on iPhone, go to Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Visual and turn on Phone Noise Cancellation. This filters background noise during calls, making the other person easier to hear.
• Hearing aid pairing — if you wear modern hearing aids, there’s a very good chance your phone can stream calls and audio directly into them via Bluetooth, giving you crystal-clear sound with no feedback or interference. iPhone has a specific “Made for iPhone” standard that many major brands — including Phonak, ReSound, Oticon and Starkey — now support. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Hearing Devices to pair them. On Android, search “Hearing aids” in your Settings app.

What if arthritis or unsteady hands make tapping and typing a struggle?

This is more common than most people let on, and the solutions built into your phone are genuinely effective.

Voice control is the single most transformative option if your hands are the problem. You can tell your phone to open apps, send messages, make calls, set reminders and search the internet — all by speaking. On iPhone this is called Voice Control (Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control). On Android it’s called Voice Access, available free from the Play Store and then enabled under Settings → Accessibility.

You can also adjust how the touchscreen responds to your touch:

• Touch accommodation / hold duration — sets a short delay before the screen registers a tap, so accidentally brushing the screen doesn’t trigger anything. On iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Touch Accommodations.
• Ignore repeated touches — useful if a single intended tap sometimes registers as two or three in a row.
• Wider keyboard — simply turning the phone sideways (landscape) often gives you a much bigger keyboard to type on. Both iPhones and Android phones support this in most apps.

Where do you start — and does it matter whether you have an iPhone or an Android?

The good news is that both types of phone have excellent accessibility features. You’re not missing out whichever you have. The settings are in slightly different places, but the features themselves are broadly comparable.

The simplest starting point: open Settings on your phone and type “Accessibility” into the search bar at the top. This takes you straight to a dedicated menu, usually grouped into Vision, Hearing, and Interaction or Motor sections. You don’t need to read through everything — just find the section that applies to you and start there.

If you’d like hands-on help, both Age UK and AbilityNet offer free one-to-one support where a volunteer will go through the settings on your specific phone with you. AbilityNet’s free helpline is 0800 048 7642 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). You don’t need to be technical — that’s exactly what they’re there for.