Use the person’s preferred combination of larger text, contrast, magnification and spoken feedback, then test real tasks rather than assuming “bigger” is always better.
Start with display changes
- Text size and bold text
- Display zoom or screen size
- High contrast and colour filters
- Brighter but comfortable screen
- Large, clear home-screen icons
Add accessibility tools as needed
- Magnifier
- VoiceOver or TalkBack
- Speak Screen or Select to Speak
- Voice control or assistant
- Camera-based text recognition
Keep emergency access usable
Set up emergency contacts and medical information. Confirm that the emergency screen, call keypad and important contacts remain readable after display changes.
Practise daily tasks
Test unlocking, answering a call, reading a message, finding transport information and charging the phone. Record the chosen settings so they can be restored after an update or reset.
Consider professional assessment
Sudden or changing vision problems need medical attention. For persistent impairment, specialist accessibility organisations or low-vision services can help choose settings and hardware beyond basic enlargement.
Test the complete task, not just the text-size slider
Larger text can cause labels to wrap or buttons to disappear in some apps. Adjust display, contrast, magnification and voice features, then test the person’s real banking, transport and communication tasks.
- Increase text and display size gradually and check important screens.
- Configure magnification or screen reading only with guided practice.
- Reduce visual clutter and make critical contacts easy to identify.
- Check camera-based magnifier, torch and emergency information access.
Let the user complete several tasks without prompts. Their speed, confidence and errors are better measures than whether the settings page looks simpler to the helper.
Official sources
Facts checked: 26 July 2026. Menu paths, safety features, account procedures and network support can change. Recheck the current instructions for the exact device, software version, account and mobile provider before acting.
