Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (2024)

iOS 18

iOS 17

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iPhone User Guide

Welcome
- Setup basics
- Make your iPhone your own
- Take great photos and videos
- Keep in touch with friends and family
- Share features with your family
- Use iPhone for your daily routines
- Expert advice from Apple Support
What’s new in iOS 18
- Turn on and set up iPhone
- Wake, unlock, and lock
- Set up cellular service
- Use Dual SIM
- Connect to the internet
- Find settings
- Set up mail, contacts, and calendar accounts
- Learn the meaning of the status icons
- Read and bookmark the user guide
- - Learn basic gestures
  - Learn gestures for iPhone models with Face ID
- Adjust the volume
- Silence iPhone
- Multitask with Picture in Picture
- Access features from the Lock Screen
- Use the Dynamic Island
- Perform quick actions
- Search on iPhone
- Get information about your iPhone
- View or change cellular data settings
- Travel with iPhone
- Change sounds and vibrations
- Use and customize the Action button
- Create a custom Lock Screen
- Change the wallpaper
- Adjust the screen brightness and color balance
- Keep the iPhone display on longer
- Use StandBy
- Customize the text size and zoom setting
- Change the name of your iPhone
- Change the date and time
- Change the language and region
- Use and customize Control Center
- Change your default web browser or email app
- Rotate your iPhone screen
- Customize sharing options
- Add or change keyboards
- Add emoji, Memoji, and stickers
- Take a screenshot
- Take a screen recording
- - Write and draw in documents
  - Add text, shapes, stickers, and more
- Fill out forms, sign documents, and create signatures
- Interact with content in a photo or video
- Identify objects in your photos and videos
- Lift a subject from the photo background
- Use the Camera Control
- Use the Camera Control to open another app
- Adjust the shutter volume
- Adjust HDR camera settings
- Record videos
- Take spatial photos and record spatial videos for Apple Vision Pro
- Change sound recording options on iPhone 16 models
- Record ProRes videos
- Record videos in Cinematic mode
- Change video recording settings
- Save camera settings
- Customize the Main and Fusion camera lens
- Change advanced camera settings
- View, share, and print photos
- Use Live Text
- Scan a QR code
- - Get apps
  - Use App Clips
  - Update apps
  - View or cancel subscriptions
  - Manage purchases, settings, and restrictions
  - Install and manage fonts
- - Buy books and audiobooks
  - Read books
  - Annotate books
  - Access books on other Apple devices
  - Listen to audiobooks
  - Set reading goals
  - Organize books
  - Read PDFs
- - Use the basic calculator
  - Use the scientific calculator
  - Solve math with Math Notes
  - Work with graphs in Math Notes
  - Convert units or currency
  - See previous calculations
- - Create and edit events in Calendar
  - Send invitations
  - Reply to invitations
  - Change how you view events
  - Search for events
  - Change Calendar settings
  - Schedule or display events in a different time zone
  - Keep track of events
  - Use multiple calendars
  - Use reminders
  - Use the Holidays calendar
  - Share iCloud calendars
- - See the world clock
  - Set an alarm
  - Change your wake up alarm
  - Use the stopwatch
  - Set timers
- Compass
- - Add and use contact information
  - Edit contacts
  - Add your contact info
  - Add or remove accounts
  - Use NameDrop on iPhone to share your contact info
  - Use contacts from the Phone app
  - Merge or hide duplicate contacts
  - Sync contacts across devices
  - Import contacts
  - Export contacts
- - Get started with FaceTime
  - - Make FaceTime calls
    - Receive FaceTime calls
  - Create a FaceTime link
  - Take a Live Photo
  - Turn on Live Captions in a FaceTime call
  - Use other apps during a call
  - Make a Group FaceTime call
  - View participants in a grid
  - Use SharePlay to watch, listen, and play together
  - Share your screen in a FaceTime call
  - Request or give remote control in a FaceTime call
  - Collaborate on a document in FaceTime
  - Use video conferencing features
  - Hand off a FaceTime call to another Apple device
  - Change the FaceTime video settings
  - Change the FaceTime audio settings
  - Change your appearance
  - Leave a call or switch to Messages
  - Block and silence FaceTime calls from unknown callers
  - Report a call as spam
- - Modify files and folders
  - Find files and folders
  - Organize files and folders
  - Send files from the Files app
  - Set up iCloud Drive
  - Share files and folders in iCloud Drive
  - Transfer files from iPhone to a storage device, a server, or the cloud
- - Adjust map settings
  - Turn off Find My
- - Get started with Fitness
  - See your activity summary
  - Adjust your Activity ring goals
  - Sync a third-party workout app
  - Change fitness notifications
  - Share your activity
- - Get started with Freeform
  - Create a Freeform board
  - Draw or handwrite
  - Solve handwritten math problems
  - Add text in sticky notes, shapes, and text boxes
  - Add shapes, lines, and arrows
  - Add diagrams
  - Add photos, videos, and other files
  - Apply consistent styles
  - Position items on a board
  - Navigate and present scenes
  - Send a copy or PDF
  - Print a board
  - Share boards and collaborate
  - Search Freeform boards
  - Delete and recover boards
  - Change Freeform settings
- - Get started with Health
  - Fill out your Health Details
  - - Download health records
    - View health records
  - Monitor your walking steadiness
  - - Track your medications
    - Learn more about your medications
  - - Log your state of mind
    - Take a mental health assessment
  - - Check your headphone audio levels
    - Use audiogram data
  - Register as an organ donor
  - Back up your Health data
- - Intro to Home
  - Upgrade to the new Home architecture
  - Set up accessories
  - Control accessories
  - Control your home using Siri
  - Use Grid Forecast to plan your energy usage
  - View Electricity Usage and Rates
  - Set up HomePod
  - Control your home remotely
  - Create and use scenes
  - Use automations
  - Set up security cameras
  - Use Face Recognition
  - Unlock your door with a home key
  - Configure a router
  - Invite others to control accessories
  - Add more homes
- - Get music, movies, and TV shows
  - Get ringtones
  - Manage purchases and settings
- - Get started with Journal
  - Write in your journal
  - Add formatting, photos, and more
  - Journal for your wellbeing
  - Build a journaling habit
  - View and search journal entries
  - Print and export entries
  - Change Journal settings
- - Use iPhone like a magnifying glass
  - Customize controls
- - - Add and remove email accounts
    - Set up a custom email domain
  - Check your email
  - Set email notifications
  - Search for email
  - Organize email in mailboxes
  - - Flag or block emails
    - Filter emails
  - - Use Hide My Email
    - Use Mail Privacy Protection
  - Change Mail settings
  - Delete and recover emails
  - Add a Mail widget to your Home Screen
  - Print emails
- - View maps
  - Explore 3D maps
  - Get traffic and weather info
  - Book rides
  - Estimate travel time and ETA
  - Download offline maps
  - Look around places
  - Take Flyover tours
  - Clear location history
  - Delete recent directions
  - Choose a default travel mode and units
  - Report an issue with Maps
- - Measure dimensions
  - View and save measurements
  - Measure a person’s height
  - Use the level
- - Set up Messages
  - About iMessage
  - Send and reply to messages
  - Text via satellite
  - Send later
  - Unsend and edit messages
  - Keep track of messages
  - Search
  - Forward and share messages
  - Group conversations
  - Share screens
  - Collaborate on projects
  - Use iMessage apps
  - Take and edit photos or videos
  - Share photos, links, and more
  - Send stickers
  - Create and send Memoji
  - React with Tapbacks
  - Style and animate messages
  - Draw and handwrite messages
  - Send and save GIFs
  - Request, send, and receive payments
  - Send and receive audio messages
  - Share your location
  - Turn read receipts on or off
  - Change notifications
  - Block, filter, and report messages
  - Delete messages and attachments
  - Recover deleted messages
- - Get music
- - Get started with News
  - Use News widgets
  - See news stories chosen just for you
  - Read and share stories
  - Follow your favorite teams with My Sports
  - Listen to Apple News Today
  - Search for stories in News
  - Save stories in News
  - Clear your reading history in News
  - Subscribe to individual news channels
- - Get started with Notes
  - Create and format notes
  - Use Quick Notes
  - Add drawings and handwriting
  - Enter formulas and equations
  - Add photos, video, and more
  - Record and transcribe audio
  - Scan text and documents
  - Work with PDFs
  - Add links
  - Search notes
  - Organize in folders
  - Organize with tags
  - Use Smart Folders
  - Share and collaborate
  - Export or print notes
  - Lock notes
  - Add or remove accounts
  - Change the Notes view
  - Change Notes settings
- - Use passwords
  - Find your password for a website or app
  - Change the password for a website or app
  - Remove a password
  - Recover a deleted password
  - Create a password for a website or app
  - Use passkeys to sign in to apps and websites
  - Sign in with Apple
  - Share passwords
  - Automatically fill in strong passwords
  - Change weak or compromised passwords
  - View your passwords and related information
  - Find and share your Wi-Fi password
  - Share passwords securely with AirDrop
  - Make your passwords available on all your devices
  - Automatically fill in verification codes
  - Automatically fill in SMS passcodes
  - Sign in with fewer CAPTCHA challenges
  - Use two-factor authentication
  - Use security keys
- - Make a call
  - Change your Phone settings
  - View and delete the call history
  - Answer or decline incoming calls
  - While on a call
  - Have a conference or three-way call on iPhone
  - Set up voicemail
  - Check voicemail
  - Change voicemail greeting and settings
  - Select ringtones and vibrations
  - Make calls using Wi-Fi
  - Set up call forwarding
  - Set up call waiting
  - Block or avoid unwanted calls
- - Get started with Photos
  - View photos and videos
  - See photo and video information
  - Customize the Photos app
  - Filter and sort the photo library
  - Back up and sync your photos with iCloud
  - Delete or hide photos and videos
  - Search for photos and videos
  - Get wallpaper suggestions
  - Make stickers from your photos
  - Duplicate and copy photos and videos
  - Merge duplicate photos and videos
  - Import and export photos and videos
  - Print photos
- - Find podcasts
  - Listen to podcasts
  - View podcast transcripts
  - Follow your favorite podcasts
  - Use the Podcasts widget
  - Organize your podcast library
  - Download, save, remove, and share podcasts
  - Subscribe to podcasts
  - Listen to subscriber-only content
  - Change download settings
- - Get started with Reminders
  - Set reminders
  - Make a grocery list
  - Add details
  - Complete and remove items
  - Edit and organize a list
  - Search your lists
  - Organize multiple lists
  - Tag items
  - Use Smart Lists
  - Share and collaborate
  - Print a list
  - Work with templates
  - Add or remove accounts
  - Change Reminders settings
- - Browse the web
  - Search for websites
  - See highlights
  - Customize your Safari settings
  - Change the layout
  - Create multiple Safari profiles
  - Use Siri to listen to a webpage
  - Bookmark a website
  - Save pages to a Reading List
  - Find links shared with you
  - Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF
  - Automatically fill in forms
  - Get extensions
  - Clear your cache and cookies
  - Enable cookies
- Shortcuts
- - Check stocks
  - Manage multiple watchlists
  - Read or listen to business news
  - Add earnings reports to your calendar
  - Use a Stocks widget
- Tips
- - Translate text, voice, and conversations
  - Translate text in apps
  - Translate with the camera view
- - Subscribe to Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass, or a channel
  - Find shows, movies, and more
  - Personalize the Home tab
  - Buy, rent, or pre-order items
  - Stream content and control playback
  - Manage your library
  - Add your TV provider
  - Change the settings
- - Make a recording
  - View a transcription
  - Play it back
  - Edit or delete a recording
  - Keep recordings up to date
  - Organize recordings
  - Search for or rename a recording
  - Share a recording
  - Duplicate a recording
- - About Apple Wallet
  - Set up Apple Pay
  - Use Apple Pay for contactless payments
  - Use Apple Pay in apps and on the web
  - Apple Cash
  - Apple Card
  - Passes, loyalty cards, tickets, and more
  - Apple Account
  - Organize your Wallet
  - Remove payment cards
  - Change Wallet & Apple Pay settings
- - Check the weather
  - Check the weather in other locations
  - View weather maps
  - Manage weather notifications
  - Use Weather widgets
  - Learn the weather icons
- Use Siri
- Find out what Siri can do
- Tell Siri about yourself
- Have Siri announce calls and notifications
- Add Siri Shortcuts
- About Siri Suggestions
- Use Siri in your car
- Change Siri settings
- Contact emergency services
- Use Emergency SOS via satellite
- Request Roadside Assistance via satellite
- Set up and view your Medical ID
- Use Check In
- Manage Crash Detection
- Reset privacy and security settings in an emergency
- Set up Family Sharing
- Add Family Sharing members
- Remove Family Sharing members
- Share subscriptions
- Share purchases
- Share locations with family and locate lost devices
- Set up Apple Cash Family and Apple Card Family
- Set up parental controls
- Set up a child’s device
- Get started with Screen Time
- Protect your vision health with Screen Distance
- Set up Screen Time
- Set communication and safety limits and block nudity
- Set up Screen Time for a family member
- Charging cable
- Power adapters
- MagSafe chargers and battery packs
- Qi-certified wireless chargers
- - Use AirPods
  - Use EarPods
- Apple Watch
- - Wirelessly stream videos and photos to Apple TV or a smart TV
  - Connect to a display with a cable
- HomePod and other wireless speakers
- External storage devices
- Connect Bluetooth accessories
- Play audio from your iPhone on a Bluetooth accessory
- Printers
- Work across devices using Continuity
- Use your iPhone from your Mac
- Receive iPhone Notifications on your Mac
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video and audio from your iPhone
- Allow phone calls and text messages on your iPad and Mac
- Share your internet connection with Personal Hotspot
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Insert sketches, photos, and scans on Mac
- Start SharePlay instantly
- Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable
- Intro to CarPlay
- Connect to CarPlay
- Use Siri
- Use your vehicle’s built-in controls
- Get turn-by-turn directions
- Report traffic incidents
- Change the map view
- Make phone calls
- Play music
- View your calendar
- Send and receive text messages
- Announce incoming text messages
- Play podcasts
- Play audiobooks
- Listen to news stories
- Control your home
- Use other apps with CarPlay
- Rearrange icons on CarPlay Home
- Change settings in CarPlay
- Get started with accessibility features
- Use accessibility features during setup
- Change Siri accessibility settings
- Quickly turn accessibility features on or off
- - Overview of cognitive accessibility features
  - Lock iPhone to one app
- Control what you share
- Turn on Lock Screen features
- Keep your Apple Account secure
- Create and manage Hide My Email addresses
- Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay
- Use a private network address
- Use Advanced Data Protection
- Use Lockdown Mode
- Use Stolen Device Protection
- Receive warnings about sensitive content
- Use Contact Key Verification
- Turn iPhone on or off
- Force restart iPhone
- Update iOS
- Back up iPhone
- Reset iPhone settings
- Erase iPhone
- Restore all content from a backup
- Restore purchased and deleted items
- Sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone
- Install or remove configuration profiles
- Important safety information
- Important handling information
- Find more resources for software and service
- FCC compliance statement
- ISED Canada compliance statement
- Ultra Wideband information
- Class 1 Laser information
- Apple and the environment
- Disposal and recycling information
- Unauthorized modification of iOS
Copyright

iPhone comes with built-in tools designed to help you hear better—or stay connected without hearing a sound.

To explore accessibility features for hearing, go to Settings > Accessibility, then scroll down to the Hearing section.

Use alternatives to sound

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (2)

Get real-time captions of spoken audio

With Live Captions, get a transcription of the audio from any app and from live conversations around you.

Get live captions of spoken audio

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (3)

Customize subtitles and captions

Change how subtitles look. Or instead of standard subtitles, use closed captions and SDH when available.

Display subtitles and captions

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (4)

Blink the iPhone light for notifications

If you can’t hear your alerts, get notified visually.

Flash the iPhone indicator light for notifications

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (5)

Get notified about sounds around you

With Sound Recognition, have iPhone listen for sounds—such as a doorbell or siren—and alert you when it recognizes them.

Recognize sounds

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (6)

Feel the music

Experience music as taps, textures, and refined vibrations that are synchronized with a song’s audio.

Play music as vibrations and other haptics

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (7)

Type to Siri

Type your Siri requests instead of speaking them.

Change Siri accessibility settings

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (8)

Make Real-Time Text (RTT) calls

Type to communicate on a phone call. The person you’re talking to sees your message as you type it.

Set up and use RTT and TTY

You can also get transcriptions of audio messages, HomePod intercom messages, and podcasts.

Use hearing devices and make audio adjustments

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (9)

Hearing devices

Pair Made for iPhone (MFi) hearing aids or sound processors with iPhone and adjust their settings.

Use hearing devices

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (10)

Live Listen

Stream sound from the iPhone microphone to your MFi hearing devices or AirPods.

Use iPhone as a remote microphone with Live Listen

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (11)

Audio balance

Play stereo audio as mono, adjust left-right stereo balance, and more.

Adjust audio settings

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (12)

AirPods

Set accessibility options for AirPods and other Apple headphones paired with your iPhone.

Adjust the accessibility settings for AirPods

Accessibility features for hearing on iPhone (13)

Background sounds

Have your iPhone play ambient sounds—such as ocean waves or rain—to help you focus or rest.

Play background sounds

You can also have Siri announce notifications and calls on your MFi hearing devices.

Tip: Control your go-to accessibility features and settings with the click of a button or from Control Center. See Quickly open features with Accessibility Shortcut.