Accessibility - physical and motor
AssistiveTouch
Most people call this an on screen button that replaces hardware buttons.
A floating on screen button gives you access to gestures and hardware button functions that would otherwise need a physical press or a multi finger gesture.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 13 and later
- Settings
- Accessibility
- Touch
- AssistiveTouch
What it does
The menu can replace the side button, volume buttons, the Home gesture, screenshots, and multi finger gestures. You can customise single tap, double tap and long press, and create custom gestures.
What changes
When it is on
A floating button appears and can be dragged around the screen.
When it is off
The button disappears.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Works around a broken button.
- Replaces gestures that need several fingers.
- Can trigger any shortcut.
Good reasons to turn it off
- The button covers part of the screen.
- It can get in the way of games and full screen video.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Off.
Questions people actually ask
- How do I turn off my iPhone if the side button is broken?
- Turn on AssistiveTouch, then use its menu to reach Device and the lock screen function.
If it is not working
- Set Idle Opacity low so the button becomes almost invisible until touched.
- Custom Actions let you assign different functions to tap, double tap and long press.
- It can also control a paired Apple Watch or a pointing device.