How to activate Reachability on iPhone XS and XR

One of the strengths of iPhone has always been that it can be used with one hand. Up to iPhone 5s (and its successor iPhone SE), the small size has always allowed easy use. With the presentation of the iPhone 6 and 6s Plus, the first smartphone of Cupertino with 4.7″ and 5.5″ display, Apple has decided to introduce a new technology to allow people to continue using the device with one hand. Thanks to Reachability (or Accessibility ), by double-tapping the Home button (no need to press but only touch the Touch ID sensor), the iPhone screen is lowered to halfway, allowing users to reach Higher points on the screen using one hand. You activate Reachability on iPhone XS and XR, that is also on iPhone that do not have the Home button with a display of at least 4.7 “(from iPhone 6 onwards).

If you have recently purchased a new iPhone without a Home button (iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max or iPhone XR), you must know that the Reachability function is present but not active by default. In the transition to the new iPhone model, I immediately felt the lack of this feature. Reading the Apple documentation I discovered that on the new iPhone models the function is present even if slightly hidden. If you have also purchased an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max or another model without a Home button, in this guide I will show you how to enable Reachability and how to use this feature.

Index

How to activate Reachability on iPhone XS and XR

Enabling the Reachability function on an iPhone without a Home key is very simple. Here are the steps to be done.

  • Unlock your iPhone and go to  Settings.
  • Scroll down the list and select the item General.
  • Now access the Accessibility section.
  • Search Accessibility and enable this entry.

Done, now you can start using  Reachability on your iPhone XS or any other iPhone model without a physical key. Are you wondering how to do it? Very simple. Simply drag the little cleat at the bottom of your iPhone screen down.

You will see the graphic interface of your device lower to cover only half of the screen, so as to facilitate the pressure of the elements placed at the top of the display. Reachability can be used on any screen. For example, if you are on the home page, just slide your finger down from the dock. Also in the control center and in the notification center you can use this feature to quickly access your favorite toggles or the latest notifications.

This is the most appropriate solution to use your iPhone with one hand, but there are also other functions that make it easier to use the device with one hand, such as accessing the Notification Center easily.

Quickly access the Notification Center

Assuming that the accessibility feature ( Reachability ) is activated, just place your finger on the empty top and simply scroll down to access the Notification Center.

Disable Reachability on iPhone XS and XR

If you do not want this feature on iPhone, you can deactivate it easily. Follow these simple steps and you can disable Reachability with the reverse procedure of the initial one for activation. Some users do not use the Accessibility feature due to incompatibilities with apps or for other reasons, so they prefer to disable it.

  • Open the Settings app → touch General.
  • Tap Accessibility.
  • Turn off the switch next to Reachability.

This is practically everything! Now you know how to use this interesting feature on the new iPhone, activating it when you find it useful and deactivating it when it is no longer needed.

If you bought an iPhone XS Max, you could appreciate the style and the manageability of this device, even if its dimensions are not really reduced. By eliminating the frames of the screen, Apple has done a formidable job to increase the screen size without adding clutter or compromise the usability of XS Max. Even more I think that iPhone XS Max is suitable for most people for the convenience of Screen size and Reachability function helps a lot in handling this device with one hand.

Personally, I am very impressed with the sliding gesture introduced by Apple on the new iPhone. Big multitasking has improved. But even iOS 12 has introduced some interesting news. For example, it introduced a function that controls the use of the iPhone. The maniacal use of the smartphone and similar devices, can be unmasked by controlling the time we spend, more or less aware, on the phone, using various applications.

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