Assistive Access is a new iOS 17 feature that makes the iPhone significantly easier to use — items onscreen are bigger, features are more focused, and it’s easier to navigate. It's a great option for anyone who has an iPhone, but is overwhelmed by it. It's also helpful for anyone with cognitive impairment.
Here's how to activate it:
- Make sure your phone is updated to iOS 17.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access, tap Set Up Assistive Access, then tap Continue.
- Verify your Apple ID.
- Choose the layout for apps on the Home Screen. You can choose between Grids or Rows.
- Add and customize the apps you want to be available in Assistive Access. The Phone, Camera, Messages, Music, and Photos work best.
- Verify the device passcode.
- Set the Assistive Access passcode, which needs to be entered to enter or exit Assistive Access.
- To enter Assistive Access now, tap Start Using Assistive Access, then enter the Assistive Access passcode
- To exit Assistive Access at any time, triple-click the side button (on an iPhone with Face ID) or the Home button (on other iPhone models), then enter the Assistive Access passcode.