MacMost Now 621: Useful iOS 5 Accessibility Features

iOS 5 for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad has a great set of accessibility features that can be useful for just about anyone. You can zoom in on the screen, change the font size for some apps, have your iPhone speak text on web pages and in documents, use multi-touch gestures with just one finger, and even set custom vibration sequences.

Comments: 9 Responses to “MacMost Now 621: Useful iOS 5 Accessibility Features”

    Whatchamacallit
    13 years ago

    I was dying for the “Pinch” option for zooming. I’m so happy! I am disabbled and I use my iPod 3g with my headstylus.

    peter farrell
    13 years ago

    followed your accessibility instructions to the letter,now my iPhone won't work can you help reset does nothing can't use phone only voice over is on
    peter

      13 years ago

      Just turn off Assistive Touch. You'll probably have to tap around quite a bit if you are not used to using your iPhone in that way.

    chris caldwell
    13 years ago

    This is a very helpful site. I just got the Iphone 4s, and called Apple yesterday to try and get some help. I couldn't believe that the support person had no idea of how to set up Paypal or a GPS app. They kept telling me Paypal is not supported on the new operating system. I explained that I've used paypal for years with iTunes and how would I be able to purchase apps. He just kept repeating that it wasn't supported. I googled and found 600,000 hits on this topic. A window pops up when trying to purchase an app that says "Paypal not supported on this device. Please go to your computer, log in to itunes and verify your payment method." So I did. Apparently, there was an issue with a previous transaction being declined on iTunes. I simply re-entered my Paypal info as method of payment. Hit save, went to my iPhone, and bingo it worked. The point is, that apple tech support claimed that the new operating system didn't support Paypal. That was wrong.

    So now, can anyone help me to understand how to mark and delete all emails simultaneously? I cannot find a solution. I use hotmail, and there are a 150 emails unread that I don't care to read. I can't believe that I would have to select each email separately. Makes me miss my droid already.

    Finally, I subscribe to audible and listen to audio books. On the droid, you just click the app, buy a book, and it starts playing. On the iphone, I kept getting a pop up that I needed WIFI in order to download the book. I've never had this on the droid, as long as I was in an area that I could get cell signal (sprint), I could listen to my book. Is there a setting that allows me to listen without being near a WIFI hotspot?

    Thank you,
    Chris

      13 years ago

      Hopefully deleting 150 emails isn't something you need to do every day. So in that case I would simply log on to the Hotmail web site and do it there.
      Are you using the Audible app to listen to audio books? I do. But I have to admit that I don't think I've tried download one while away from my wifi. I'm always home when purchasing my next book.
      If you are not using the Audible app, but are using iTunes instead, I would switch to the Audible app. Not only is it awesome, but it may help you get around this restriction.

        chris caldwell
        13 years ago

        Hello,
        Thank you for the response. I am using the Audible app. That's what seems odd. On the droid, as long as I could make a phone call, I was able to listen. Seems that there was a setting on the old phone that allowed me to use the Sprint mobile network or WIFI. It would switch to WIFI when near a hotspot, but otherwise I could download as long as I could make a call.

        Regarding the 150 emails, I probably have 2000 that I've not read. Most are junk, etc. When I set up the email on the iphone yesterday, it immediately displays the unread emails. I'll try deleting directly from hotmail, but not sure if that simultaneously removes them from my phone, too?

        Thank you,
        Chris

          13 years ago

          It should, but I'm not sure as I'm not a hotmail user. Not a fan either (Hotmail users seem to have a lot of trouble). I'm not sure how that kind of account works, whether it is a cloud account (IMAP) or old-fashioned account (POP). If it is like POP, then you are in for trouble as you'll need to delete them all individually. Or, delete the account from your iPhone, then delete the message fro the server. Then re-establish the account with your iPhone.

    Beverly Bender
    13 years ago

    Thank you, Gary, for your help. The icon is the Assistive Touch which I, unbeknowst to me, activated. But now I can tell my husband how to get one for his iPad. You've been very helpful.

    Marisa
    12 years ago

    Thanks Gary. This was useful. We can't figure out the Create New Gesture and Favourites, and haven't found a more fulsome explanation anywhere.

Comments Closed.