How to Add Accessibility Features to the iPhone & iPad Control Center (iOS 13 & iPadOS)

By Leanne Hays Updated 03/28/2023

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With iOS 13 and iPadOS, Apple offers more accessibility settings than ever before. Beginning with iOS 11, iPhone and iPad users could customize their devices' Control Centers to include the apps they use the most. For those with mobility issues, the deaf and hearing impaired, and the blind and visually impaired, Apple's accessibility features are a great choice to add to the Control Center. There are many settings to choose from, including RTT/TTY phone call access, an LED flash rather than an audible alarm for alerts, assistive touch, braille, a magnifying glass, and much more. Let's get started learning how to add Accessibility Shortcuts to the Control Center on your iPhone and iPad so you can have the features, tools, and settings you need at your disposal.

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If you'd like to learn how to make your headphones and AirPods louder and more clear, we've written about how to turn on and customize Headphone Accessibility settings. For more great, free Apple device tutorials, check out our Tip of the Day.

How to Customize the Control Center on the iPhone & iPad

Open the Settings app.
Tap Control Center.

Tap Customize Controls.
To add a control, tap the green + sign. To remove a control, tap the red - sign, and then tap Remove.

Here you can see I've added the Accessibility Shortcuts to my Control Center.

How to Activate iPhone & iPad Accessibility Features from the Control Center

First, open the Control Center:
On the iPhone X and later, swipe down from the upper-right corner of your screen to open the Control Center.
On earlier versions of the iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the display.
On iPads with a Home button, double-click the Home button.
On iPads with no Home button, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the display.
Tap the Accessibility Shortcuts icon.

Now you'll need to enable Accessibility features. Tap Open Settings to Enable Accessibility Shortcuts.
Tap the Accessibility Shortcut you want to include in the Control Center; in this example, I've chosen Zoom. You'll see the shortcuts you chose the next time you open Accessibility Shortcuts from the Control Center.

Tap the name of the Accessibility Shortcut to use it.

Let me know in the comments which Accessibility Features you added to your iPhone's Control Center, and which ones are your favorites! If you use the zoom feature on your Apple Watch, keep in mind that some users find that their Apple Watch screen zooms in by itself.

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Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays has over a dozen years of experience writing for online publications. As a Feature Writer for iPhone Life, she has authored hundreds of how-to, Apple news, and gear review articles, as well as a comprehensive Photos App guide. Leanne holds degrees in education and science and loves troubleshooting and repair. This combination makes her a perfect fit as manager of our Ask an Expert service, which helps iPhone Life Insiders with Apple hardware and software issues.
In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.

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