Technology

Can’t hear or see well? IPhone settings to make hearing, seeing easier

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

Can’t hear or see well? IPhone settings to make hearing, seeing easier

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Technology is integral to our everyday lives, and for individuals who require assistance with vision or hearing, smartphones like the iPhone can be incredibly beneficial. We’ve compiled useful tips for those with vision challenges or who could use enhanced hearing support.

Before we dive in, if you’re an Android user, find out how to increase the font size on your Android here and learn how to unlock clearer sound here.

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Woman navigating vision feature on iPhone (Apple) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How the iPhone 14 and 15 can improve your reading experience with accessibility features

If you are looking for a phone that has features specifically designed to help those with poor eyesight, you may want to consider using the accessibility features available on both the iPhone 14 and Apple’s latest iPhone 15 hardware. Both phones offer features such as adjusting the text size, color intensity, and tint to make reading easier, using VoiceOver to navigate by listening and performing gestures and using Magnifier to zoom in on objects near you.

Make text easier to read on your iPhone

Here are some simple ways to make your iPhone more accessible for those of you with low vision or blindness. Here is how to increase and bold text.

On your iPhone, go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click Display & Text Size
Enable Bold Text and Larger Text to make the on-screen text more readable

Steps to make Bold Text and Larger Text on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

When you click on Larger Text, you will want to toggle on Larger Accessibility Sizes to access even bigger font sizes. This will affect the text size in apps that support Dynamic Type
You are able to adjust the text size slider at the bottom of the screen to make the text larger or smaller

Step to adjust text size on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to increase the contrast on your iPhone

On your iPhone, go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click Display & Text Size
Turn on Increase Contrast to enhance visibility and make screen elements easier to distinguish.

Steps to increase the contrast on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: NEVER MISS A CALL AGAIN, EVEN WHEN YOUR PHONE’S IN ANOTHER ROOM

Zoom in on the iPhone screen

Many apps let you adjust the size of specific items on the screen. For instance, you can use two fingers to make things bigger or smaller in Photos or Safari. You can also use the Zoom feature to enlarge the whole screen or just a portion of it. You can choose between Full Screen Zoom and Window Zoom modes. Here’s how to set up Zoom to make content more accessible for those of you with low vision.

Go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click Zoom
Toggle on Zoom
Double-tap three fingers to zoom
Drag three fingers to move around the screen
Double-tap three fingers and drag to change zoom
Double-tap three fingers to zoom
Drag three fingers to move around the screen
Double-tap three fingers and drag to change zoom

Steps to zoom in on the iPhone screen (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

On the same screen, you can also adjust any of the following:

Follow Focus: Track your selections, the text insertion point, and your typing
Smart Typing: Switch to Window Zoom when a keyboard appears
Keyboard Shortcuts: Control Zoom using shortcuts on an external keyboard
Zoom Controller: Turn the controller on, set controller actions, and adjust the color and opacity
Zoom Region: Choose Full-Screen Zoom or Window Zoom
Zoom Filter: Choose None, Inverted, Grayscale, Grayscale Inverted, or Low Light
Maximum Zoom Level: Drag the slider to adjust the level

Zoom-in accessibility features on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Turn on Magnifier on iPhone

This feature helps you zoom in on small text or objects, making them more accessible.

You can open the Magnifier app either by using Siri and saying something like “Siri, Open Magnifier” or by tapping on the app itself, which looks like a magnifying glass with a plus inside it. Also, on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can assign the Action button to open Magnifier.
To adjust the zoom, drag the slider left or right.

How to turn on Magnifier app on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You can also use the Magnifier app to point and speak. All you have to do is just point your iPhone at anything and let it speak what it sees. Click here to find out more about that amazing feature.

Turn on VoiceOver on iPhone

VoiceOver is a screen reader that lets you use your iPhone with voice feedback. It tells you what’s on your screen, such as the battery level, the caller ID, and the app you’re using. You can change the voice speed and tone to your liking. When you touch the screen or drag your finger over it, VoiceOver speaks the name of the item your finger is on, including icons and text. Here’s how to set up VoiceOver on your iPhone. It’s important to note that VoiceOver changes the gestures you use to control your iPhone. When VoiceOver is on, you must use VoiceOver gestures to operate the iPhone. Here’s how to set it up.

Go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click VoiceOver
Then toggle it ON
A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm your decision. Click OK

Steps to turn on Voiceover on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You can also use Siri to turn on this feature by saying something like “Siri, Turn on VoiceOver.”
Siri knows when VoiceOver is on and often reads more information back to you than appears on the screen. You can also use VoiceOver to read what Siri shows on the screen.

Listen to articles on your iPhone with Speak Screen

This is a feature that lets you have any text on your screen spoken aloud by Siri. Here’s how to enable it.

Go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click Spoken Content
Then toggle ON Speak Screen
Now you can use Siri to hear your iPhone speak the screen you want to listen to by going to the page you want it to read and saying something like: “Siri, Speak screen.”

Steps to turn on Speak Screen on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Enhancing accessibility for hearing impairments

Here are some 7 tips and features to enhance the accessibility of your iPhone for hearing impairments, such as using hearing aids, Live Listen, visual alerts, RTT calls, FaceTime, video subtitles, headphone accommodation, and hearing aid apps.

Individuals using sign language (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: 8 GREAT IPHONE ACCESSIBILITY TIPS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

1) Made for iPhone hearing aids: These are devices that are designed to work seamlessly with your iPhone. They can stream audio from your iOS device directly to your hearing aids and let you adjust the volume and settings of your hearing aids from your device. You can also use your iOS device as a microphone to pick up sounds around you and send them to your hearing aids. To check compatibility with your Apple devices or for how to use them click here.

2) Live Listen: Turn your iPhone into a remote microphone that streams sound to your hearing aids or AirPods using Live Listen. This can be useful in situations where you want to hear someone more clearly, such as in a noisy environment or when they are far away from you.

To use Live Listen, follow these steps:

Make sure your hearing aids or AirPods are paired and connected to your iPhone.
Go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click Hearing Devices or AirPods and turn on Live Listen.
Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open the Control Center.
Tap the ear icon, then click Live Listen.
Place your iPhone in front of the person you want to hear and adjust the volume as needed on your iPhone.

MORE: 8 INCREDIBLY USEFUL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH AIRPODS

3) Visual alerts: Enable visual alerts on your iPhone by having the LED flash blink when you receive notifications. To enable visual alerts on your iPhone, you need to follow these steps:

Go to Settings
Tap on Accessibility
Tap on Audio/Visual under the Hearing section.
Turn on the switch for LED Flash for Alerts.
You can also turn on the switch for Flash on Silent Mode if you want the LED flash to blink even when your phone is on silent mode, or you can toggle on Flash While Unlocked.

Steps to turn on Visual Alerts on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Now, whenever you receive a notification, such as a call, message, or email, your iPhone’s LED flash will blink to alert you.

4) RTT calls: Real-time text (RTT) calls offer instant message transmission, useful for those with hearing impairments. The Real-time text (RTT) feature allows people with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate in real-time with text during a phone call. RTT calls are aided by real-time text, which is transmitted instantly and in real-time as it is typed, usually without clicking the send button. To use RTT, you can turn on the RTT feature in your phone’s settings.

Go to Settings
Tap Accessibility
Click RTT/TTY
Toggle on Software RTT/TTY

Steps to turn on RTT calls on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

If you want to see the text messages on the call screen, turn on Show Notifications. If you want to see them in the Phone app, turn off Show Notifications.
To make an RTT call, tap the RTT button when you dial a number or receive a call. You can also add RTT to your favorites or contacts by tapping the + button and choosing RTT.
To send a text message during an RTT call, type your message and tap return. You can also use dictation or Siri to enter text. To read a text message, look at the call screen or the Phone app. You can also use VoiceOver or Speak Screen to read the text aloud.

Once enabled, you can place a call with RTT or switch from voice to RTT during a call. During an RTT call, the text that you enter appears to the other person in real-time, unlike with chat messaging. RTT calls use call minutes, just like a voice call. It’s important to note that RTT is not available when roaming abroad.

5) Video subtitles: Video content with closed captions (CC) or subtitles also works well on both the iPhone 14 & 15 for those who are deaf and or hard of hearing (SDH). Here’s how to set it up on your iPhone.

Go to Settings
Tap on Accessibility
Tap on Subtitles & Captioning under the Hearing section.
Turn on the switch for Closed Captions + SDH.
You can also customize the appearance of the subtitles by tapping on Style and choosing from the presets or creating your own.

Steps to turn on Visual Subtitles on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

To watch video content with subtitles, make sure the video has a CC icon on the corner. Tap on the icon and select the language of the subtitles you want to see.

6) Headphone accommodation: Customize headphone audio settings to amplify soft sounds and adjust frequencies for your hearing needs. To make the most of this feature, you may want to consider downloading the TruHearing App.

TruHearing App: The TruHearing App is a free app available on the Apple App Store that allows you to manage TruHearing brand hearing aids only. You can use the app to stay in touch with your hearing care professional, even when you can’t visit in person. The app lets you tailor your personal preferences right on your smartphone. The app also lets you easily contact your hearing care professional via text message, voice call, or video call.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Technology has the power to break down barriers and create a more inclusive world for individuals with vision and hearing impairments. Fortunately, the iPhone 14 and 15 offer a range of accessibility features, from text adjustments to voice feedback and real-time text calls, making them valuable tools for improving the digital experience for those of you with visual and hearing difficulties. We hope these tips and features empower you to navigate and interact with your iPhone more effectively so it enhances your overall quality of life.

What accessibility features are most important to you? Are there any that you would like to see added in the future? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

The Game Awards 2025: all the news and announcements

Published

7 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

The Game Awards 2025: all the news and announcements

The Game Awards are back once again to showcase a metric ton of commercials, provide the gaming public with their monthly dose of Muppets, and validate gamers’ opinions on which title should be named the Game of the Year. I don’t wanna say it’s a foregone conclusion what this year’s GOTY will be — Silksong may surprise us — but it’s pretty obvious that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the frontrunner and for good reason. It’s netted 12 nominations, the most out of this year’s contenders, including all five craft awards (Direction, Art, Music and Score, Narrative, and Audio Design).

On the announcements side, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Games are planning something related to the Tomb Raider series. Keighley also probably had plans to reveal big news about Resident Evil: Requiem, but unfortunately it got spoiled early thanks to some leaked key art on the PlayStation Store. Here’s all the news, announcements, and trailers from The Game Awards 2025.

Technology

Malicious browser extensions hit 4.3M users

Published

8 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Malicious browser extensions hit 4.3M users

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A long-running malware campaign quietly evolved over several years and turned trusted Chrome and Edge extensions into spyware. A detailed report from Koi Security reveals that the ShadyPanda operation affected 4.3 million users who downloaded extensions later updated with hidden malicious code.

These extensions began as simple wallpaper or productivity tools that looked harmless. Years later, silent updates added surveillance functions that most users could not detect.

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THIS CHROME VPN EXTENSION SECRETLY SPIES ON YOU

Malicious extensions spread through trusted browsers and quietly collected user data for years. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How the ShadyPanda campaign unfolded

The operation included 20 malicious Chrome extensions and 125 on the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store. Many first appeared in 2018 with no obvious warning signs. Five years later, the extensions began receiving staged updates that changed their behavior.

Koi Security found that these updates rolled out through each browser’s trusted auto-update system. Users did not need to click anything. No phishing. No fake alerts. Just quiet version bumps that slowly turned safe extensions into powerful tracking tools.

NEW EMAIL SCAM USES HIDDEN CHARACTERS TO SLIP PAST FILTERS

WeTab functions as a sophisticated surveillance platform disguised as a productivity tool. (Koi)

What the extensions were doing behind the scenes

Once activated, the extensions injected tracking code into real links to earn revenue from user purchases. They also hijacked searches, redirected queries and logged data for sale and manipulation. ShadyPanda gathered an unusually broad range of personal information, including browsing history, search terms, cookies, keystrokes, fingerprint data, local storage, and even mouse movement coordinates. As the extensions gained credibility in the stores, the attackers pushed a backdoor update that allowed hourly remote code execution. That gave them full browser control, letting them monitor websites visited and exfiltrate persistent identifiers.

Researchers also discovered that the extensions could launch adversary-in-the-middle attacks. This allowed credential theft, session hijacking and code injection on any website. If users opened developer tools, the extensions switched into harmless mode to avoid detection. Google removed the malicious extensions from the Chrome Web Store. We reached out to the company, and a spokesperson confirmed that none of the extensions listed are currently live on the platform.

Meanwhile, a Microsoft spokesperson told CyberGuy, “We have removed all the extensions identified as malicious on the Edge Add-on store. When we become aware of instances that violate our policies, we take appropriate action that includes, but is not limited to, the removal of prohibited content or termination of our publishing agreement.”

Most of you will not need the full technical IDs used in the ShadyPanda campaign. These indicators of compromise are primarily for security researchers and IT teams. Regular users should focus on checking your installed extensions using the steps in the guide below.

You can review the full list of affected Chrome and Edge extensions to see every ID tied to the ShadyPanda campaign by clicking here and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

How to check whether your browser contains these extension IDs

Here is an easy, step-by-step way for you to verify if any malicious extension IDs are installed.

For Google Chrome

Open Chrome.

Type chrome://extensions into the address bar.

Press Enter.

Look for each extension’s ID.

Click Details under any extension.

Scroll down to the Extension ID section.

Compare the ID with the lists above.

If you find a match, remove the extension immediately.

For Microsoft Edge

Open Edge.

Type edge://extensions into the address bar.

Press Enter.

Click Details under each extension.

Scroll to find the Extension ID.

If an ID appears in the lists, remove the extension and restart the browser.

183 MILLION EMAIL PASSWORDS LEAKED: CHECK YOURS NOW

Simple security steps can block hidden threats and help keep your browsing safer. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to protect your browser from malicious extensions

You can take a few quick actions that help lock down your browser and protect your data.

1) Remove suspicious extensions

Before removing anything, check your installed extensions against the IDs listed in the section above. Most of the malicious extensions were wallpaper or productivity tools. Three of the most mentioned are Clean Master, WeTab and Infinity V Plus. If you installed any of these or anything that looks similar, delete them now.

2) Reset your passwords

These extensions have access to sensitive data. Resetting your passwords protects you from possible misuse. A password manager makes the process easier and creates strong passwords for each account.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.

3) Use a data removal service to reduce tracking

ShadyPanda collected browsing activity, identifiers and behavioral signals that can be matched with data already held by brokers. A data removal service helps you reclaim your privacy by scanning people-search sites and broker databases to locate your exposed information and remove it. This limits how much of your digital footprint can be linked, sold or used for targeted scams.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software

An antivirus may not have caught this specific threat due to the way it operated. Still, it can block other malware, scan for spyware and flag unsafe sites. Many antivirus tools include cloud backup and VPN options to add more protection.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Limit your extensions

Each extension adds risk. Stick with known developers and search for recent reviews. If an extension asks for permissions it should not need, walk away.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

ShadyPanda ran for years without raising alarms and proved how creative attackers can be. A trusted extension can shift into spyware through a silent update, which makes it even more important to stay alert to changes in browser behavior. You protect yourself by installing fewer extensions, checking them from time to time and watching for anything that feels out of place. Small steps help lower your exposure and reduce the chances that hidden code can track what you do online.

Have you ever found an extension on your browser that you didn’t remember installing or one that started acting in strange ways? How did you handle it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alert, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

The Game Awards are losing their luster

Published

19 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

It’s Game Awards season, y’all. That special time of the year when we gather together to celebrate video games and the people who make them… by watching expensive commercials briefly punctuated by the odd awards speech or musical performance. For better or worse, The Game Awards is the biggest night on the video game event calendar. But with the way things have been going, lately it’s been more “worse” than it has been “better.”

Between host and industry hypeman Geoff Keighley’s two video game vanity projects, The Game Awards is older and ostensibly more mature than Summer Game Fest. Conceived in 2014 as a way to celebrate both the people who make and play games, the show has always been part awards ceremony, part commercial product. That idea has been executed with varying degrees of success. (Remember the Schick Hydrobot?) But for the last few years, it’s felt like the awards part was increasingly getting in the way of the commercial part.

Alas, poor Hydrobot, we knew him well.

Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Schick

That was felt most acutely during the 2023 Game Awards. Developers accepting statues were often drowned out by music or cut off by teleprompters asking them to “please wrap it up” after their roughly 30 seconds of allotted time. Muppets and Death Stranding director Hideo Kojima, though, had no such time limits enforced on them, with Aftermath calculating that 13 acceptance speeches could have fit inside the five minutes Kojima took to explain his game / not-game OD.

2023 was also the first full year into the now endemic video game labor crisis that saw developers laid off by the tens of thousands while studios of popular games got shut down. That crisis went by that year’s game awards with no acknowledgement, angering developers further. “I’m incredibly disappointed in Geoff Keighley for his silence on the state of the industry this year,” Monomi Park senior environment artist Dillon Sommerville told The Verge in 2023.

How to watch The Game Awards

On Thursday, December 11th at 5PM PT / 8PM ET the TGAs will be streamed on Twitch and YouTube. This year, Keighley has also signed a deal to beam the show live via Prime Video where it’ll be free to watch for Prime subscribers.

Keighley, perhaps responding to the bad optics, acknowledged the continuing labor issue in 2024. The Game Awards also introduced a new category, Game Changer, with its inaugural award going to Amir Satvat, a business development director at Tencent who created a resource to help laid-off developers find jobs.

But in the months since the 2024 awards, Keighley has once again been accused of poor treatment of the people he’s supposed to be celebrating. In 2020, The Game Awards announced a new initiative called The Future Class, designed to celebrate game makers, “who represent the bright, bold and inclusive future of video games.” Inductees are honored during the broadcast and provided with networking opportunities, mentorship programs, and other resources throughout the following year. However, there have been reports alleging that Keighley has ignored Future Class concerns and that resources from the program have been materially lacking.

In 2023, the Future Class wrote an open letter to The Game Awards and Keighley demanding recognition of the war in Gaza. This wasn’t without precedent. In 2022, the awards show acknowledged the war in Ukraine. But Keighley didn’t respond to the letter, nor has he mentioned the Future Class that much either. The Game Awards hasn’t named a Future Class in the last two years and won’t be naming anymore according to Future Class organizer Emily Weir. “At this time, we are not planning a new Future Class for this year and do not have any active programming plans for Future Class,” she said in a statement to Game Developer.

Gif of a curly haired man named Pedro Eustache playing an alto flute

Pedro Eustache, affectionately known as Flute Guy, has confirmed he will be performing at The Game Awards.

Gif: The Game Awards

Like a lot of diversity and inclusion-minded programs, Future Class got started in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. But as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become publicly verboten in the rise of the Trump Administration and the online right, many companies, including game publishers, have diminished or jettisoned their DEI programs. While there has been no explicitly stated reason for the seeming shut down of the Future Class, it seems like The Game Awards is just doing what it always does — whatever’s popular at the time.

For as much as The Game Awards has lost the veneer of respectability among some of the people whose work it’s meant to celebrate, rest assured, it ain’t going anywhere. The Game Awards broadcast nets millions of viewers with a record-breaking 154 million livestreams in 2024. That’s a lot of eyeballs that developers pay a lot of money to get in front of. And even for those who don’t buy airtime, having your game featured at all during the presentation can net a big boost in sales. After Balatro was nominated for and won multiple awards last year including best debut indie, its publisher PlayStack shouted out the awards specifically for contributing to a huge increase in players.

More generally, the awards also provide a nice focal point for the disparate online gaming communities to gather around… and bitch about. E3 is long gone, and the other big events (not also run by Keighley) are the publisher-specific direct livestreams. With everything so fractured now, yelling with your friends or colleagues about how Hades was robbed for game of the year (an event I will never get over) is fun and something TGAs are singularly suited to provide. It is not the Oscars of gaming — DICE, the BAFTAs, and the International Game Development Awards (IGDA) pretty well take care of that. But if you want popularity, production values, and Flute Guy, there’s nothing like The Game Awards — even though some of the shine is starting to wear off.

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