A lot of the time we now have to make use of our smartphones with two fingers—one hand to carry the cellphone and the opposite hand to faucet and swipe and press buttons. However typically utilizing each fingers is not possible. Chances are you’ll be unable to make use of a sure hand as a consequence of a incapacity, accident, or different points. Or chances are you’ll merely need the flexibleness to handle your cellphone with out tying up each fingers. Regardless of the purpose, there are methods you’ll be able to management your cellphone utilizing only one hand.

Android telephones and iPhones supply completely different choices to entry key options, navigate screens, and sort textual content with a single hand. Let’s take a look at each sorts of telephones to see how this works.

iPhone

Reachability

When utilizing your iPhone with one hand in Portrait mode, you’ll be able to activate a Reachability characteristic that lowers the highest half of the display screen so you’ll be able to extra simply entry it together with your thumb. To allow this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Contact and activate the change for Reachability.

To place this into follow on an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down on the underside fringe of the display screen. The highest half ought to then transfer down. On an iPhone with a Dwelling button, calmly double-tap it to maneuver the highest half down. To return to the common full display screen, faucet the higher half of the display screen.

One-Handed Keyboard

You’ll be able to scale back the dimensions of your keyboard and transfer it proper or left so it’s simpler to kind utilizing simply your thumb. This technique is awkward for any prolonged time frame, so that you wouldn’t need to write the good American novel this fashion. However for a fast textual content or e mail, it is an important workaround.

To do this, open any app wherein you need to enter textual content, equivalent to Mail or Messages. Press down on the globe or emoji icon within the decrease left of the display screen under the keyboard keys. The menu reveals three keyboard layouts on the backside. Faucet the left picture to maneuver your keyboard to the left. Faucet the best picture to maneuver it to the best. When completed, press the Globe icon once more and faucet the center picture, or simply faucet the arrow key subsequent to the left or proper keyboard.

Again Faucet

With the Again Faucet characteristic enabled, you’ll be able to faucet the again of your iPhone two or thrice to run completely different instructions. To show this on, go to Settings > Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet. Faucet the setting for Double Faucet and select the command motion you need to be triggered by a double faucet. Return to the earlier display screen and choose Triple Faucet. Select the exercise for triple tapping. If you need to run the related instructions, simply double or triple faucet the again of your cellphone.

AssistiveTouch

The AssistiveTouch characteristic shows a button that you just place on the display screen after which faucet to carry out completely different duties. To set this up, go to Settings > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch. Activate the change for AssistiveTouch. The button seems and could be moved to the left or proper facet of the display screen for simpler entry with one hand.

Now you can customise the button to set off particular actions based mostly on whether or not you faucet it a few times or long-press on it. Underneath Customized Actions, faucet the setting for Single-Faucet. On the subsequent display screen, choose the motion you need to set off with one faucet. Selecting Open Menu shows a High Degree Menu that you would be able to additionally customise with icons for quite a lot of instructions and options.

Return to the earlier display screen, choose Double-Faucet, and select the motion you want to run right here. Return to the prior display screen as soon as extra, choose Lengthy-Press, after which choose the related motion.

To tweak the High Degree Menu in case you selected that as an choice, faucet Customise High Degree Menu. Right here, you’ll be able to add extra icons for various instructions and swap out the present icons for different ones.

Siri

Lastly, don’t neglect that Siri is round to help you. When utilizing your cellphone with one hand, you’ll be able to set off a bunch of instructions and options by talking to the voice assistant, together with dictating and sending textual content and e mail messages. This web page from Apple covers a number of the many instructions you’ll be able to situation to Siri.

Android

The power to make use of an Android cellphone with one hand varies based mostly on the OS model and cellphone.

One-Handed Mode

With Android 12 or increased, you’ll be able to activate a one-handed mode that lowers the highest half of the display screen, much like the Reachability characteristic on an iPhone. To allow this on most Android telephones, go to Settings > System > Gestures > One-handed Mode and activate the change for Use one-handed mode. If you happen to can’t discover the setting this fashion, go to Settings and seek for that time period.

With some telephones, you’ll be able to select between activating the characteristic by swiping down the display screen on the backside or by double-tapping the Dwelling button. Sure telephones, such these from Samsung, additionally supply the one-handed choice with older variations of Android. After enabling the characteristic, activate it at any display screen to drag down the highest.

On some Android telephones, you’ll be able to as a substitute set the one-handed characteristic to show notifications and key settings. On the One-handed mode display screen in Settings, select the choice for Present notifications. Swipe down on the backside of the display screen to show settings on the high and notifications under them.

On-Display screen Button

As an alternative of swiping down on the backside of the display screen, you’ll be able to show an on-screen button to enter one-handed mode. On the One-handed mode display screen in Settings, activate the change for One-handed mode shortcut. A button then seems on the display screen, which you’ll be able to place anyplace on the left or proper facet. Then simply faucet that button to drag down the highest of the display screen or show notifications.

Keyboard

You’ll be able to shrink and transfer the keyboard on an Android cellphone to extra simply kind with one hand. The method varies based mostly on the producer and cellphone, however listed here are a few strategies.

Open a text-based app, equivalent to e mail or messaging. Faucet within the textual content discipline. Faucet the ellipsis icon on the toolbar above the keyboard keys. Faucet the icon for One handed in case you see it. The keyboard will then shift to the left or proper facet of the display screen. Faucet the left or proper arrow to shift it to the opposite facet of the display screen. Faucet the icon with the 4 arrows to reset it again to full display screen.

Some telephones, together with ones from Samsung, supply a unique technique to entry the one-handed keyboard. In a text-based app, faucet the ellipsis icon after which faucet the icon for Modes. This display screen gives three layouts: Commonplace keyboard, One-handed keyboard, and Floating keyboard. Select the one-handed keyboard and you may shift it to the best or left. With the floating keyboard, you’ll be able to transfer it across the display screen by dragging it through the horizonal line under the area bar.

Gestures

Lastly, you’ll be able to set off sure instructions and actions by means of gestures, equivalent to tapping the again of your cellphone, urgent the fingerprint sensor, and urgent the facility button. As with most Android options, what you are able to do and the way you do it differ based mostly in your mannequin cellphone and OS model. However you’ll be able to not less than overview your choices. Go to Settings > System > Gestures or Settings > Superior options > Motions and gestures.

Some telephones, equivalent to the previous few Google Pixel fashions, supply a characteristic known as Fast Faucet, much like the iPhone’s Again Faucet. Flip the change on for this characteristic in case you see it in your cellphone. You’ll be able to then set a selected motion that’s triggered whenever you faucet the again of your cellphone, equivalent to taking a screenshot, taking part in or pausing media, exhibiting notifications, or opening a selected app.

Past Fast Faucet, most telephones will present different gestures. Overview the display screen in your cellphone to search out and allow any of the next choices:

• Double-press the facility key to launch Google Assistant or the digicam.

• Double-tap the display screen to show it on or off.

• Faucet, swipe, or long-press the fingerprint sensor to view notifications or open and shut apps.

• Lengthy-press the facility button to show an influence menu.

• Press the facility button twice to open the digicam.

• Shrink the display screen by swiping from the middle to the underside left or proper nook.