Hey Reader,! 👋

😖 The issue

One of my favorite things about Apple’s iPhone is the number of customizable settings.

I use my phone countless times a day and having flexibility over how I use it makes for a better experience.

Here are 3 underrated features that can help us read text and see items on the display a little easier.

Heck, these are useful even if you DON’T have aging eyes! 👀

☝️ Adjust the Text Size

Sometimes, it’s helpful to bump up the text size across the board.

Give it a try

To change the text size...

1. Open the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Scroll down to the ‘Display & Brightness’ category.
3. Select the option for ‘Text Size’ and move the slider left or right to adjust the size of text.

As you move the slider, you can see a preview of what the new text size will be. All changes save automatically.

Here's a quick video showing how it's done (0:27).

✨ Use Bold Text

Even though you can adjust the text size independently, there’s also an option to make all app's text bold.

Using bold text means all the text characters use thicker lines that are easier to see and read.

Give it a try

To use bold text...

1. Open the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Scroll down to the ‘Display & Brightness’ category.
3. Tap the toggle button ‘ON’ for 'Bold Text'.

Feel free to toggle it on and off a few times to see the changes in real time with the sample text on the page.

Here's a quick video showing how it's done (0:25).

🔎 Toggle ON Display Zoom

This option lets you choose between the “default” view and a ‘Larger Text’ option.

As you can guess, the ‘Larger Text’ option makes the text on the display larger (duh 😉).

It also makes other elements larger like button sizes and menu options.

In a nutshell, it makes everything on the display a little larger and easier to see.

Give it a try

1. Open the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Scroll down to the ‘Display & Brightness’ category.
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap on the ‘Display Zoom’ option.

You’ll see two animations, each showing a sample of how the display will look with that option selected.

To change the setting to ‘Larger Text’, tap it from the two options and then tap ‘Done’ in the upper right.

You’ll see a prompt to restart your iPhone to enable the ‘Zoomed’ option.

Here's a quick video showing how it's done (0:37).

✨ One more thing

As with most changes and tweaks to device settings, they can take some time to get used to them. Give it a week and then check in and see how the changes are settling in with how you use your iPhone.

Remember, start making small adjustments and fine-tune them as necessary.

Share this tutorial to someone who will appreciate making it easier to read on their iPhone.

Until next time, see ya! 👋