How to setup an iPhone 8 plus for a disabled person?

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brsm1990 Author

Level 2

250 points

How to setup an iPhone 8 plus for a disabled person?

I want to simplify the interface as much as possible. I want to make the icons larger, the text larger and if at all possible hide as many options as possible. Maybe parental control of some kind is helpful here?

I just want a few apps to appear on the home screen and for everything to be as large as possible. I know it used to be possible to zoom the home screen and make less icons appear per screen but I can't figure out how to do it either on iOS 12 or 13.

I don't want the "zoom" where you have to tap to activate, I want the home screen to be "permanently zoomed".

I could only find Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text - I want this and this will give supporting apps bigger text but it isn't changing the home screen.

Any other advice setting up an iPhone for someone with dementia that's easily confused but needs to use the phone for making and receiving calls (pretty much only this purpose) would be appreciated.

I choose iPhone 8 plus because it's the last phone with the home button and I don't want to confuse this person with a new way to "log in" to the phone.... hope that was the right choice.

iPhone 8 Plus

Posted on Sep 22, 2019 1:20 AM

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Answer 1

Alancito

Level 7

30,108 points

Sep 22, 2019 2:12 AM in response to brsm1990

brsm ~ See if this page of the iPhone User Guide is what you're looking for:

Magnify the iPhone screen with Display Zoom

There's also these Apple pages:

iPhone and iPad Accessibility Support

iPhone – Vision

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Answer 2

Alancito

Level 7

30,108 points

Sep 22, 2019 2:53 AM in response to brsm1990

brsm1990 wrote: "Any other advice setting up an iPhone for someone with dementia that's easily confused but needs to use the phone for making and receiving calls..."

Consider using Apple's free Shortcuts app to set up multiple icons on the Home screen for initiating phone calls to different people. Besides tapping a person's icon, the call can also be initiated via Siri:

Shortcuts User Guide

Run shortcuts from the Home screen

...For iOS 13, the Shortcuts app is already built in, and for iOS 12 it can be downloaded from the App Store HERE.

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Answer 3

brsm1990 Author

Level 2

250 points

Sep 22, 2019 6:09 AM in response to Community User

Elitegate wrote:

Yeah you can't increase the text font on your home screen, it will only increase for supported apps.

You can't make the default home screen larger anymore with bigger icons? You used to be able to.

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Answer 4

Sep 22, 2019 2:48 AM in response to brsm1990

Yeah you can't increase the text font on your home screen, it will only increase for supported apps.

Also, delete every pre-installed app you can. You can't delete everything, but most of the stock apps (You said that only the phone app is required). Maybe move the phone app down into the dock.

See: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208094 (Delete built-in Apple apps on your iOS 12 or later device).

Those apps you can delete and restore them from the App Store if you want.

You can disable other stock apps like FaceTime or Camera using Screen Time. Enable Screen Time in Settings, and select "Restrictions" --> Enabled Apps.

Maybe also remove the passcode from the device (or use Touch ID), so the person doesn't have to remember a passcode.

I would also choose a plain black wallpaper (there is one under Settings --> Wallpaper) and definitely check out all the options you have under Settings --> Accessibility. You can also disable some animation and motion settings.

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Answer 5

Sep 22, 2019 6:59 AM in response to brsm1990

You can still make use of the zoom feature. You can't increase the font size underneath the App Icons.

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How to setup an iPhone 8 plus for a disabled person?

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