Use Zoom And Large Text Options To Help See Stuff On The Screen [iOS Tips]

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Zoom

Another accessibility option built right into iOS is Zoom. Like VoiceOver, it was originally created to help those with a visual impairment access their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Zoom is made for those who need things magnified on the screen, and it can be pretty darn helpful for those of us who may not have a specific visual disability.

Some apps zoom in within the app itself, like Maps, Safari, or Google Earth. That doesn’t help if you need the buttons and iOS controls magnified, or the text in apps like Mail, right?

Here’s how to set things up with Zoom.

Tap into your Settings app, and hit General. Scroll down to the Accessibility options. When you tap there, you’ll see the option for Zoom, and Large Text. Tap Zoom, and then toggle it to ON with the switch. Your screen will zoom in to the default setting, and you may not know where on the screen you are, depending on that zoom factor. Never fear, since you can drag around the screen with three fingers to orient yourself.

To reset the zoom back to the regular, 100% normal screen magnification, double tap with three fingers. To zoom back in to the last zoom setting, double tap with three fingers again.

To change the zoom setting, double tap on the screen with three fingers, but instead of letting go after the second tap, drag your three fingers up to zoom in or down to zoom out. Remember, you can always double tap with three fingers to zoom back out to the normal, non-zoomed level.

Large Text

Now hit the back arrow to go to the main Accessibility page. Tap on Large Text this time, and tap on the font size you’d like Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Messages, and Notes to appear in. That way, when you’re using those apps, you won’t need to squint to see the tiny text that passes for typical thereabouts.

Hopefully, you’ll now be able to see things on your smaller screen more easily, whether you have a visual impairment that requires it, or your eyes are just aging, or both.

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