Unlock Your iPhone’s Potential: Discover 5 Essential Accessibility Features!

In May, Apple reiterated its commitment to accessibility by unveiling new features set to launch before year’s end. In a blog post, the company shared that the upcoming iOS 26 update, recently showcased at WWDC 2025, will introduce accessibility labels on the App Store and a braille note-taking app. These additions enhance an already comprehensive suite of features aimed at improving everyday life for people with disabilities. Let’s delve into these developments.

1. Personalized Voice

Since its release in September 2023, the Personalized Voice feature has been tailored for individuals with speech disorders. It allows users to create a synthesized voice that resembles their own by reading aloud approximately 150 sentences over about 15 minutes, Apple explains.

If you have speech difficulties, you can take breaks or spread this training phase out over several sessions, Apple notes. Once set up, Personalized Voice can speak text you type during phone calls or on FaceTime. It can also be used in certain third-party apps if you enable the option Allow App Requests.

To set up Personalized Voice, follow these steps:

• Go to the Settings app,
• Click on Accessibility,
• Select Personalized Voice,
• Tap on Create a Personal Voice,
• Follow the on-screen instructions.

To pause the recording, click on OK, then select Continue Recording to resume.

2. Voice Shortcuts

Compatible with all devices running iOS 18, the Voice Shortcuts feature enables users to initiate actions on their iPhone by saying a word, phrase, or making a sound. Particularly useful for those with speech impairments, it can be used to mute, scroll, lock the screen, or open Spotlight.

To create voice shortcuts on your iPhone, here is what to do:

• Open Settings,
• Click on Accessibility,
• Choose Voice Shortcuts,
• Tap on Set Up Voice Shortcuts, then Continue.
• Select the action to perform,
• Enter the specific phrase for the action, and repeat it three times verbally.

An orange button should appear to indicate that the feature is active and detecting voice shortcuts.

3. Eye Tracking

Since the release of iOS 18, iPhones have included an eye-tracking feature that uses the front camera. Named Eye Tracking, it creates a pointer after a quick setup, allowing users to control the device by gazing at elements. For “optimal results”, ensure your face is well-lit, unobstructed, and the iPhone “should be placed on a stable surface, about 5 meters (1.5 feet) from your face”, the company advises.

Here’s how to set up Eye Tracking on your iPhone (see image one):

• Go to Settings,
• Open Accessibility,
• Click on Eye Tracking,
• Enable Eye Tracking, then follow the movements of the pointer displayed on the screen.

4. Sound Recognition

For those with hearing impairments, Apple has developed the Sound Recognition feature, which can identify certain sounds “like a doorbell, a siren, or a baby crying”, as stated in a FAQ. Although its accuracy may vary, and it is not recommended for use in dangerous situations, it can still be beneficial daily.

To activate the Sound Recognition feature, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app,
• Select Accessibility,
• In the Hearing tab, choose Sound Recognition,
• Check Sound Recognition.

5. Assistance Access

Designed to enhance independence for individuals with cognitive disabilities, the Assistance Access feature offers a simplified interface with enlarged visual elements, highlighted apps, and easy access to certain actions, such as Take a Photo with the Camera app. It significantly simplifies navigation on the iPhone and allows communication through visual elements rather than text, Apple explains. The keyboard can also be replaced with an emoji library.

To create this simplified interface, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app,
• Click on Assistance Access at the bottom of the screen,
• Tap on Start Assistance Access, then follow the on-screen instructions. You will be asked to select the apps to highlight or arrange icons and text.