Accessibility Shortcut lets you quickly switch between a range of iPhone accessibility features without scrolling through settings. It works with Assistive Touch, Color Filters, Magnifier, and more.
You can set up an Accessibility shortcut for a single feature or for multiple options, then triple-click the Side button on iPhones that use Face ID or iPads that have a Home button to activate them.
Double-Tap or Triple-Tap
When you tap twice or triple on the back of your iPhone, you can set an action to launch iOS system functions such as opening Notification Center, taking a screenshot, switching to App Switcher, and accessing accessibility features like AssistiveTouch. In addition, you can assign shortcuts from Shortcuts to this gesture and trigger them whenever you tap the back of your device.
This is a cool way to quickly access any feature on your device with just two taps or three taps. It works with any shortcuts that you create in the Shortcuts app and works from any screen on your iPhone, including third-party apps.
To turn on double and triple taps, head to Settings and select Touch and Back Tap. From the Back Tap menu, you can enable functions for each number of taps: Double Tap or Triple Tap (Figure B).
For each function, you’ll see a blue check mark to indicate that it can be enabled with Back Tap. In addition, you can also tap the plus sign to add additional functions that Back Tap can trigger for each number of taps.
While there are tons of ways to customize the Back Tap actions, it’s best to start with a couple of pre-defined options, such as opening Notification Center or taking a screenshot. Once you have a few of these presets set, you can begin assigning your own custom shortcuts to the back tap.
Using the back tap is also a great way to bypass the Lock Screen and go directly to your Home screen, which has been a pain for many users since Apple introduced Face ID and added an extra step to unlocking your phone. This can be especially handy if you often forget to swipe up before picking up your iPhone, or if you prefer to stay in one place while using it.
Go to Settings
Using Accessibility Shortcuts to quickly turn on or off accessibility features is a great way to save time and make your iPhone more useful. The shortcut works on all iPhone models that have a Home button, and also works on devices that use Face ID (such as iPads).
There are several options to set up an Accessibility Shortcut. First, you need to enable Accessibility Shortcuts on your device. This can be done in the Settings app or by launching Control Center and tapping Accessibility Shortcuts.
Next, you’ll need to choose which features to include in your Accessibility Shortcuts. Tap on any feature that you want to add, and it will be added to the list of shortcuts. You can then reorder your shortcuts by dragging and dropping the bars to the right of each feature.
For example, if you’re a visual user, you can add the ability to use the screen magnifier and color filters to your Accessibility Shortcuts. These are great for reducing text size and increasing contrast to make reading more enjoyable.
You can also turn on background sounds, which mask noise from your surroundings to help you concentrate or relax. It’s a great feature for people who work in noisy environments or live in places with lots of ambient sound.
Another useful shortcut is the Reduce White Point option, which dims the screen when it’s dark or when the ambient light level is too high. This is a great option for those with vision disabilities, as it makes the screen much easier to view.
Finally, there’s the Hearing control, which can switch the audio balance to your custom preference. This can be handy when you’re adjusting the volume of music or voice-overs.
The third Accessibility shortcut I have to tell you about is Guided Access, which helps you lock down certain parts of your screen so that someone else can’t open it without knowing a passcode or drawing a circle around the area they wish to access. This is a really cool way to protect your device and keep your personal information safe.
Tap Shortcuts
If you have an iPhone or iPad that has a Home button or a Side button (iPhone and iPad models that work with Face ID) you can use the Accessibility Shortcut function to enable and toggle a variety of iOS accessibility features with just three clicks. Whether you need help with motor disabilities or want to make screen brightness more comfortable for those with visual impairments, this shortcut can save you a lot of time and frustration.
To set up an accessibility shortcut on your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app and tap Accessibility. Then, under the Physical and Motor category, tap on Touch.
From there, scroll to the bottom and select Back Tap.
On the Back Tap setting, you can set up two types of shortcuts: a double-tap that triggers a single action or a triple-tap that triggers a different one. To set up either type of shortcut, you’ll need to select an action, which could be one of your existing system shortcuts, an Accessibility feature, a Scroll Gesture, or a custom Shortcut that you created in the Shortcuts app.
You can also set up the Guided Access function with an accessibility shortcut, which keeps you in one app while reducing motion so your hands won’t be moving too much. It’s a great way to keep track of your most important apps without having to move your hand too far away from the screen or your keyboard.
Another option is to set up Background Sounds with an accessibility shortcut, which plays a soothing noise to help you focus on a task. If you have an iPhone with an in-screen keyboard, this option is especially useful.
The Accessibility Shortcut function also makes it easier to activate features like AssistiveTouch, Background Sounds, Invert, Color Filters, Nearby device control, Magnifier, Smart Invert, VoiceOver, Speak Screen, and Zoom. You can even set up the Accessibility Shortcut to launch your favorite apps when you triple-click the Side button on devices that have a Home button or on Face ID-enabled devices.
In addition to setting up Back Tap, you can also use your triple-click Accessibility shortcuts to activate shortcuts you’ve created inside the Shortcuts app. It’s a powerful way to automate your iPhone or iPad and make your everyday use as simple as possible.
Tap Accessibility Shortcut
There are a lot of accessibility features on iOS devices that make them easier to use for people with hearing and vision impairments. For example, you can change the colors in the display or turn on a white noise sound to help you focus on what you’re doing.
One of the best things about these accessibility tools is that you can set them up as shortcuts on your iPhone and iPad, which makes it easy to access them from anywhere on the device. For example, you can set up a triple-click shortcut that will allow you to turn on VoiceOver, Zoom and Guided Access instantly without having to go to Settings.
You can also customize the shortcuts that you set up by adjusting the click speed required to enable the options. This can be done in Settings -> Accessibility -> Side Button / Home Button or by launching Control Center on your device and tapping the entry for Accessibility Shortcuts.
Another option that you can set up is AssistiveTouch, which allows you to quickly access a range of common hardware buttons and gesture controls with single taps. This is useful for users who have motor disabilities, but it can also be used by those who just want a quick way to access a single accessibility option like Reduce White Point, which dims the screen below standard low brightness levels.
In iOS 15, Apple introduced three new accessibility shortcuts that you may want to take advantage of. First, you can add Live Captions to the Accessibility Shortcuts menu.
The feature is very simple to use, and works on all iOS devices. Once you’ve added Live Captions to your Accessibility Shortcuts, you can triple-click the Side button (Touch ID devices) or Home button (Face ID devices) to view the captions for what’s on your screen.
You can also set up Guided Access, which allows you to limit where on the screen you can go by triple-clicking the Side or Home button. This is useful for people who need help maintaining their attention on a task or for people who are studying and want to avoid accidentally leaving the app they’re in.