Smartphones can do an incredible number of things, but that doesn’t always make them easy to use.

Perhaps the writing is too small. Maybe you keep tapping the wrong app. You might struggle to hear the phone ringing, find the screen difficult to see, or simply feel there is too much happening on it.

The good news is that you may not need a new phone.

Both iPhones and Android phones include settings that can make them easier to see, hear, control and understand.

In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll show you 12 simple changes worth trying.

You don’t need to change everything. Start with the problem that bothers you most.

Older adult using accessibility settings to make a smartphone easier to use

Quick Answer: How Can I Make My Phone Easasier to Use?

If your smartphone feels difficult to use, start with these changes:

🔠 Increase the text size
🔲 Make icons and screen items larger
🔆 Adjust the screen brightness
🔍 Use screen magnification or zoom
🔊 Increase the ringtone and call volume
📳 Turn on vibration
💬 Use captions where available
🎤 Try voice typing
🗣️ Use Siri or Google Assistant
🏠 Simplify your Home Screen
⭐ Make important contacts easier to find
🆘 Set up emergency features

Even changing two or three of these settings can make a smartphone much more comfortable to use.

1. Make the Text Bigger

This is one of the easiest and most useful changes you can make.

Increasing the text size can make:

Messages easier to read
Menus clearer
Contact names easier to see
Settings easier to understand
Some websites and apps more comfortable to use

On an iPhone

Look under:

Settings → Display & Brightness → Text Size

For additional options, look under:

Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size

On many Android phones

Look under something similar to:

Settings → Display → Font size

The exact wording varies between manufacturers and Android versions.

💡 Simple Tech Guide Tip: Increase the text gradually. If you make it extremely large, some information may no longer fit comfortably on the screen.

👉 Related guide: How to Make Text Bigger on a Smartphone

2. Make Icons and Screen Items Bigger

Perhaps the writing is fine, but the buttons and app icons are too small.

You may be able to make items on your screen appear larger or change the Home Screen layout so fewer apps appear at once.

This can make it easier to:

Find the app you want
Tap the correct icon
Recognise apps
Navigate around the phone

Another simple trick is to remove apps you rarely use from your main Home Screen.

You don’t necessarily have to uninstall them — just keep your first screen clear and simple.

👉 Related guide: How to Make Icons and Apps Bigger on Your Phone

3. Adjust the Screen Brightness

If your phone screen is difficult to see, check the brightness before assuming there’s something wrong with the display.

A screen that is too dark can be particularly difficult to see outdoors or in a brightly lit room.

Look for the brightness slider in your phone’s quick settings or display settings.

Try moving it until the screen feels comfortable.

However, don’t automatically set it to maximum brightness all the time. A very bright screen can be uncomfortable in a dark room and can use more battery power.

Many smartphones can also adjust brightness automatically according to the surrounding light.

4. Use Screen Zoom or Magnification

If increasing the text size isn’t enough, your phone may have a magnification or zoom accessibility feature.

This lets you enlarge part of the screen when you need to inspect something more closely.

It can be particularly useful for:

Small writing
Photographs
Maps
Buttons
Information inside apps

The exact controls differ between phones, so look under your phone’s Accessibility settings for words such as:

Magnification, Zoom or Visibility enhancements.

Don’t worry if the feature feels strange at first. Try it when you’re not in a hurry so you can learn how to turn it on and off comfortably.

Comparison showing a smartphone before and after making text and icons easier to see

5. Make Your Phone Ring Louder

Missing calls because you can’t hear your ringtone is frustrating.

Check your phone’s ringtone and notification volume, rather than simply increasing the volume while watching a video.

Phones often have different volume controls for:

Calls
Ringtones
Notifications
Alarms
Music and videos

Choose a ringtone that is clear and distinctive rather than one that blends into background noise.

💡 Simple Tech Guide Tip: Ask someone to call your phone from another room. That’s an easy way to test whether the ringtone is loud and distinctive enough.

6. Turn On Vibration as Well as Sound

If you sometimes don’t hear your phone, vibration can provide another useful alert.

You may be able to have your phone:

Ring + Vibrate

rather than relying on sound alone.

This can be particularly helpful when your phone is in a pocket or sitting on a table beside you.

Check the Sounds, Sounds & Haptics or Vibration section of your settings.

7. Use Captions When Available

Captions display spoken words as text on the screen.

You may already use captions when watching television, but they can also be available on smartphones in certain apps and accessibility features.

They can be helpful when:

Watching videos
Listening in a noisy room
You don’t want the volume turned up
Speech is difficult to hear clearly

Look for a CC or Captions button when watching videos.

Some smartphones also provide more advanced captioning features through their Accessibility settings.

Availability varies by phone, language and app.

8. Try Voice Typing Instead of the Keyboard

Typing on a small touchscreen can be difficult.

Fortunately, you don’t always need to type.

Most modern smartphones allow you to speak and have the phone turn your words into text.

When the keyboard appears, look for a small microphone 🎤 symbol.

Tap it and speak clearly.

For example, you could say:

“Hi Sarah, I’ll see you tomorrow at eleven.”

Your phone can turn those spoken words into a message.

Always read the text before sending it, because voice typing can occasionally misunderstand words or names.

This can be particularly useful if using a small keyboard is uncomfortable.

9. Ask Your Phone to Do Things for You

Your phone’s voice assistant can reduce how much tapping and searching you need to do.

Depending on your device, you may be able to ask Siri, Google Assistant or another built-in assistant to do things such as:

Call someone
Set an alarm
Set a timer
Check the weather
Open an app
Create a reminder
Get directions

For example:

“Set an alarm for 8 o’clock tomorrow morning.”

or:

“Call David.”

You don’t need to learn dozens of commands.

Start with one useful task and practise it.

10. Simplify Your Home Screen

This is one of our favourite changes because it costs nothing and can transform how a phone feels.

A Home Screen containing dozens of apps can be confusing.

Instead, keep your most important apps on the first screen.

For example:

📞 Phone
💬 Messages
📷 Camera
🟢 WhatsApp
📧 Email
🌐 Internet
🗺️ Maps

Move games, rarely used apps and other clutter onto later screens or into folders.

Your phone hasn’t become less powerful.

You’ve simply made the important things easier to find.

11. Make Important People Easier to Find

You shouldn’t have to scroll through a long list of contacts every time you want to call someone important.

Depending on your phone and apps, you may be able to add frequently contacted people to Favourites or keep their contact details somewhere easier to reach.

Good people to consider include:

Partner
Son or daughter
Close friend
Carer
Neighbour
Other important contacts

Also make sure names are saved clearly.

“David – Son” may be more useful than simply “David”, particularly if you have several contacts with the same first name.

12. Set Up Emergency Features

Modern smartphones can include useful emergency and safety features.

Depending on your phone, these may include:

Emergency SOS
Emergency contacts
Medical information
Location sharing
Calling emergency services
Alerting chosen contacts

These features vary considerably between phones, so don’t assume they work the same way on every device.

Look under Safety, Emergency, Medical ID, Emergency SOS or Accessibility in your phone settings.

If you’re helping a parent or relative set up a new phone, this is one area worth checking together.

Important: Smartphone emergency features can be useful, but they shouldn’t be relied upon as the only way of obtaining emergency assistance.

Six accessibility settings that can make a smartphone easier to use

Where Are the Accessibility Settings on My Phone?

Most modern smartphones have a dedicated Accessibility section.

On iPhone

Try:

Settings → Accessibility

You’ll find options covering areas such as:

Vision
Physical and motor controls
Hearing
Speech

Don’t feel that these settings are only for people with a diagnosed disability.

If a setting makes your phone more comfortable or easier to use, it’s there for you to use.

On Android

Open:

Settings → Accessibility

The precise layout varies between Samsung, Google Pixel and other Android manufacturers.

Samsung phones may divide accessibility features into areas such as:

Visibility enhancements
Hearing enhancements
Interaction and dexterity
Advanced settings

You don’t need to understand every option.

Concentrate on the one problem you’re trying to solve.

Which Settings Should I Change First?

If you’re not sure where to begin, use this simple table:

If you struggle with…	Try this first
Small writing	Increase text size
Small buttons	Increase display size
Finding apps	Simplify Home Screen
Seeing details	Magnification/Zoom
Hearing calls	Increase call volume
Missing incoming calls	Louder ringtone + vibration
Hearing videos	Captions
Using the keyboard	Voice typing
Navigating menus	Voice assistant
Finding family contacts	Favourites
Emergency access	Emergency SOS/contacts

You don’t need to activate every accessibility setting.

The best settings are simply the ones that solve a problem for you.

Should I Buy a Special Phone for Older Adults?

Not necessarily.

Before replacing your smartphone, try adjusting the one you already own.

Making the text bigger, simplifying the Home Screen and changing the sound settings can make a surprisingly large difference.

However, if you continue to struggle, some phones are specifically designed around simpler controls, clearer displays and assistance features.

👉 Related guide: Which Smartphones Are Easiest for Older Adults to Use?

That guide explains the differences between mainstream iPhones, Samsung/Android devices and simpler specialist smartphones.

What If My Parent Struggles With Their Smartphone?

If you’re setting up a phone for a parent, grandparent or another family member, resist the temptation to configure everything the way you like it.

Instead, ask what they find difficult.

Is it:

“I can’t read the writing.”

“I can’t hear it ringing.”

“I keep pressing the wrong thing.”

“I can’t find WhatsApp.”

Those are four different problems requiring four different solutions.

A good setup might include:

Larger text
Fewer Home Screen icons
A louder ringtone
Important contacts in Favourites
Unnecessary notifications switched off
Emergency contacts configured
Only essential apps prominently displayed

Then let the person practise using the phone themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make my smartphone easier to use?

Start by increasing the text size, simplifying the Home Screen and adjusting the ringtone and call volume. You can then explore your phone’s Accessibility settings for additional features such as magnification, captions and voice controls.

Can I make everything bigger on my phone?

You can usually increase text size and make various screen elements larger, although the exact options depend on your phone. Look under Display and Accessibility in Settings.

Are accessibility settings only for disabled people?

No. Accessibility features can be useful for anyone who finds part of their smartphone difficult to see, hear or control.

Can I make an iPhone simpler for an older person?

Yes. You can increase text and display sizes, simplify the Home Screen and use Apple’s accessibility features. Some iPhones also support Assistive Access, which provides a simplified interface for people who benefit from a more focused experience.

Can Samsung phones be made easier to use?

Yes. Samsung Galaxy phones include accessibility features covering visibility, hearing, interaction and other areas. You can also make the Home Screen easier to navigate by adjusting its layout and removing unnecessary shortcuts.

Can I use my voice instead of typing?

Yes. Both iPhones and Android phones support voice dictation. Look for the microphone symbol on the on-screen keyboard.

You May Also Find These Guides Helpful

🔠 How to Make Text Bigger on a Smartphone
Step-by-step help if writing on your phone is difficult to read.

🔲 How to Make Icons and Apps Bigger on Your Phone
Make your Home Screen clearer and easier to navigate.

📱 Which Smartphones Are Easiest for Older Adults to Use?
What to consider if you’re choosing a simpler smartphone.

🔔 Why Am I Not Getting Notifications on My Phone?
Simple fixes when alerts aren’t appearing.

📶 Why Is My Wi-Fi Connected but There’s No Internet?
Step-by-step help when your phone is connected but won’t go online.

❤️ Accessibility & Health Technology
Explore more Simple Tech Guide articles about making everyday technology easier to see, hear and use.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to adapt yourself to your smartphone.

Your smartphone can often be adapted to suit you.

If the writing is too small, make it bigger.

If the phone isn’t loud enough, change the sound settings.

If the Home Screen is confusing, simplify it.

If typing is difficult, try using your voice.

And if you’re worried about emergencies, explore the safety features already built into your device.

Start with one problem at a time.

Once that problem is solved, move on to the next.

A few small changes can turn a frustrating smartphone into a much more comfortable and useful everyday tool.

How to Make Your Phone Easier to See, Hear and Use: 12 Simple Settings