You Can Make Your Giant IPhone Easier to Use With Just One Hand.
iPhones are huge these days. With the exception of minis (which Apple no longer makes), most iPhones are difficult to use properly with one hand, and some even with two. If you’ve recently upgraded to a larger iPhone and are struggling to adapt to its size, there are a few steps you can take to make your new phone more comfortable to use.
Change the way you hold your iPhone
Smaller iPhones are much better suited for one-handed use than their larger counterparts. If you’re used to holding your iPhone with one hand, the sad fact is that you’ll probably have more fun with your phone if you switch to a two-handed grip for more tasks. However, if you can’t break the habit of working with one hand, here’s what you can try next.
Use Siri more often
Instead of trying to stretch your fingers for every task on your iPhone, delegate some of them to Siri. Using Siri can be frustrating, but it’s fine for basic tasks like setting reminders, playing music, or setting alarms. You can even end calls with an assistant or share what’s currently on your screen . Using the speakerphone whenever possible is an easy way to adapt to the larger iPhone.
Make your typing easier
Your iPhone keyboard has two features that make typing easier. For longer messages, try using Dictation to say what you want to type. Click the microphone icon in the lower right corner below the keyboard. In iOS 16, you can quickly switch between talking and typing without turning off dictation, so you can make changes if your phone misunderstands you.
If you want to type with one hand, use the one-handed keyboard on your iPhone. When the keyboard is open, press and hold the globe icon in the bottom left corner and select keyboard left or right, which will move the keyboard to the appropriate side of the screen.
Rearrange apps on the home screen
When I upgraded to a larger iPhone, I quickly realized that the app layout on my home screen was nearly unusable on a large display. If you are in a similar situation, you should also change the order of the apps on your iPhone. On larger iPhones, your most used apps should be either in the dock or at the bottom of the screen, making it easy to access even when using iPhone with one hand. If you want to get the most out of your home screen, place large widgets at the top of the screen so apps are at the bottom.
Make it easier to access the top of the screen
Accessibility is one of the best features for larger iPhones. With it, you can pull down the top half of the screen in one swipe, giving you quick access to the Control Center, Action Center, and apps and items at the top of the screen.
You can turn it on by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and turning on Accessibility . Now swipe down the bottom edge of the display to lower the screen.
Try Shortcuts for Specific Actions
Large iPhones make it difficult to perform common tasks like taking screenshots, turning off your phone, or changing the volume. Hardware buttons are harder to press, especially for people with small hands. You can make this easier by using a couple of shortcuts built into iOS. One of them is AssistiveTouch, a virtual home button that lives on your screen and gives you access to many different actions such as opening the Control Center, activating Siri, taking a screenshot, and many more. You can enable AssistiveTouch by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touchscreen > AssistiveTouch . On the same settings page, you can select Customize Top Level Menu and tap on various icons to change the shortcuts available through the virtual Home button.
Alternatively, you can use the iPhone’s Back Tap feature to set up similar shortcuts. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Tap > Back Press and set up actions for double and triple tap. Now you can double-tap or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to perform your customized actions.
Use display scaling
Finally, consider using Display Zoom to enlarge the icons on your iPhone home screen, making them easier to access. To adjust this, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Scale and select Enlarge Text .
[ Macrumors ]