Using iPhone Reachability To Reach the Top Of the Screen

Using an iPhone X model with one hand can be tough as the top of the screen is too far away to reach the top of the screen. However, with a simple gesture you can bring the top of the screen down halfway. This works on any iPhone X model and also works with any iPhone Plus model, but using the Home button instead of a gesture.

Video Transcript: One of the problems with using an iPhone with a larger screen like the entire new lineup of the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and the iPhone XR is that sometimes it's hard to reach the top of the screen. If you're holding the phone with one hand and you've got your thumb basically over the left or right side then you can't really reach the top of the screen.  So how do you deal with that?
Well, there's a feature on your iPhone that will let you reach the top of the screen. It's called Reachability. If you have it turned on and you're using one of the iPhone X models you use it by simply swiping down from the very bottom of the screen. So you put your finger almost like where the Dock icons are down there and just swipe down to the bottom. So a very small swipe down. This brings the top half of the screen down to the bottom. You can do that and then hit a button or you can swipe in the opposite direction. So a little swipe up from the very bottom of the screen to bring it back up.
Here's how it looks when I do it so you can actually see what I'm doing with my thumb. You can see a small swipe down or a small swipe up and that's how you get it to work. So to make sure this feature is on you go into Settings. In Settings look for General. Then go to Accessibility and then look for Reachability. It's a switch that you turn On or Off. So you turn it On or Off. There's a little bit of instruction there at the bottom.
Now if you're using an iPhone Plus model, either the 6 plus, 7 plus, or 8 plus, then you also have the same problem because the screen is very large there. But this works in a different way because you have a Home button. The way that you use it for one of the plus models is you touch the Home button twice. This is different than actually pressing the Home button. Pressing the Home button gives a little bit of force. You're actually pressing it like a physical button even though it's not. Touching is just barely touching with your thumb the button twice. Just two quick touches and then it will work. Then two quick touches to undo it so Reachability goes away. It takes a little bit of practice because you're used to actually pressing the Home button. So you're probably hitting it too hard when you initially try.
So there's two different ways to do it depending upon whether or not you have the Home button or not. But Reachability is definitely something that comes in handy in all sorts of situations where you're just holding your iPhone normally in one hand. 
Actually it also works for the iPhone 6, 7, and 8. Not the Plus models but the regular models. It, of course, is a much easier screen to reach the top but if you do need to use it you can still just touch twice on the Home button and it will bring the top of the screen down.

Comments: 4 Responses to “Using iPhone Reachability To Reach the Top Of the Screen”

Jane Taylor

5 years ago

Hi! I'm on an iPhone 6s at 12.1.2, and this worked for me as well! The double tap (not press) the home button, I mean. Thank you so very much!

Howard Brazee

I want to turn this feature off. I keep accidentally bringing the top of the screen down on my 6 plus. I don't want this to happen.

Gary Rosenzweig

Howard: I show you the switch in the video.

Christy

Who knew. The number of things you are able to share with your followers amazes me.
Thank you once again for solving a problem that's well, it's been a problem!
Happy Holidays, Gary.

Comments Closed.

Using iPhone Reachability To Reach the Top Of the Screen

Comments: 4 Responses to “Using iPhone Reachability To Reach the Top Of the Screen”

Welcome to MacMost

Free Weekly Newsletter

MacMost Online Courses

Keyboard Shortcuts PDF

Connect with MacMost

MacMost Sections

Popular Tutorials

Information