For differently-abled people, the “Accessibility” suite in iOS devices has been no less than a boon. The ability to use the iPhone through voice-over, have the device read articles, recognize sounds, or perform certain actions with just a touch is something that truly empowers the differently-abled. Another equally important but lesser-known Accessibility feature on iPhones is called Switch Control. If you are wondering what is ‘Switch Control’ and how to use it on your iPhone and iPad, here is an in-depth guide so you can get the most out of this nifty feature.
Switch Control comes with a wide range of features and offers full-on customization so that you can fine-tune all the pivotal aspects. Before getting into the customization aspect, let’s first get the basics out of the way!
- What is Switch Control in iPhone and iPad?
- How to Enable Switch Control on iPhone and iPad
- How to Add a New Switch
- How to Remove a Switch from Switch Control
- How to Create a New Recipe
- How to Change Scanning Style
- How to Customize Switch Control Timing
- How to Customize Switch Control Tap Behavior
- How to Customize Focused Item After Tap
- How to Customize Keyboard for Switch Control
- How to Adjust Switch Stabilisation for Switch Control
- How to Customize Gliding Cursor for Switch Control
- How to Use Head Tracking
- How to Enable/Disable Sound Effects
- How to Adjust Switch Control Speech
- How to Customize Switch Control Menu Items
- How to Enable/Disable Group Items
- How to Enable/Disable Large Cursor
- How to Customize Switch Control Cursor Color
- How to Create New Switch Control Gestures
- Enable/Disable Side Button Confirmation
What is Switch Control in iPhone and iPad?
Switch Control is designed to let you control your iPhone and iPad using a single or multiple switches. To be more precise, it changes the gestures used to control your iOS / iPadOS device.
Notably, Switch Control also supports point scanning and custom gestures. It lets you fine-tune the timing, hold duration, and customize the menu for a more personalized experience.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Next, select Switch Control.
How to Add a New Switch
Switch Control lets you add multiple types of switches that you can use to control your device. Make sure to assign one switch to the Select item action so that Switch Control can function correctly.
- Camera: Select it to use Switch Control by moving your head to the left or right. After selecting Left / Right Head Movement, you get the option to choose the desired switch action, which could be either be scanner or system-related.
If you no longer want to use a certain switch, you can easily delete it from Switch Control.
- Open the Settings app on your iOS or iPadOS device and go to “Accessibility -> Switch Control.”
How to Create a New Recipe
Interestingly, you can also create a new recipe, a set of complex actions, that you can temporarily assign to switches. Recipes come in handy in performing various tasks like triggering controls in games and even turning pages in the Books app. Moreover, you can also record several gestures as part of a recipe.
Based on your convenience, you can fine-tune the scanning style which lets you tweak how you move through items on your screen. Though Auto Scanning is the default, you can go for manual scanning if you wish to have better control.
- Auto Scanning: It lets you move focus automatically after a specified duration.
- Manual Scanning: It requires a switch to move focus and a second switch to activate items.
- Single Switch Step Scanning: It also requires a switch to be engaged to move focus. Do note that if you take no action within a specified duration, the item with focus is triggered automatically.
How to Customize Switch Control Timing
On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings app -> Accessibility -> Switch Control.
Loops: It allows you to hide the cursor after each item on the screen has been visited a certain number of times.
For a more personalized experience, you can also fine-tune the tap behavior
- Now, select the Tap Behavior option.
Keep in mind that the ‘Always Tap’ feature applies to the Item Mode only. Notably, the Always Tap behavior will revert to default in Guiding Cursor and Head Tracking modes.
How to Customize Focused Item After Tap
- First Item: Select it to have Switch Control scan the first item.
- Current Item: Choose it to have Switch Control scan the current item.
How to Customize Keyboard for Switch Control
Switch stabilization allows you to adjust both the hold duration and ignore repeat for improved accessibility control.
Now, scroll down to Switch Stabilisation. Next, you can choose to customize the hold duration and ignore repeat.
Now, scroll down to the ‘Point Scanning’ section and choose Gliding Cursor.
How to Use Head Tracking
Using the camera of your iPhone and iPad, the ‘Head Tracking’ feature follows your head’s movement to control a pointer on the screen. Besides, it also tracks your facial expressions to perform actions.
Bear in mind that you can use Head Tracking only on the iPhone/iPad with a front-facing TrueDepth camera. The TrueDepth camera is available on iPhone X and later, and 12-inch iPad Pro (3rd and 4th-gen) and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st and 2nd-gen).
- Smile: It lets you choose an action to perform when you smile showing your teeth.
- Open Mouth: It allows you to choose an action to perform when you open your mouth.
- Stick Out Tongue: It enables you to select an action to perform when you stick out your tongue while lips are closed.
- Raise Eyebrow: It allows you to choose an action to perform when you raise your eyebrows.
Fine-Tune Head Tracking Mode
Using tracking mode, you can customize how the pointer moves.
How to Enable/ Disable Sound Effects
Switch Control also offers neat sound effects that you can enable or disable as per your needs.
- Now, turn on/off the switch right next to Sound Effects.
Switch Control provides the desired flexibility to adjust speech as well. For instance, you can choose a preferred voice and even fine-tune the speaking rate.
Another feature worth taking note of is the ability to customize the menu items. It lets you tweak not only gestures, settings but also media controls so that you can stay in complete control while performing various actions.
- Now, scroll down and choose Menu Items.
Switch Control also lets you group items for faster navigation. However, you can choose to enable/disable it on your own terms.
Though the large cursor looks better and makes navigation a bit more convenient, you can disable it if you don’t find it helpful.
- Now, scroll down to the ‘Visual’ section and turn off the ‘Large Cursor’ toggle.
Probably the coolest thing about Switch Control is the ability to customize the cursor color. So, if you want the cursor to look pleasing to the eyes (or if you are colorblind), choose the desired color for it.
Gestures make it simpler to perform specific tasks. So, never fail to create handy gestures that can let you get work done faster.
- Now, scroll down and choose Saved Gestures.
You can use Switch Control to confirm payments with Face ID, or any time double-clicking the side button is required to verify the purchase.
That’s pretty much it! As I said above, Switch Control is a pretty handy Accessibility feature designed for folks with limited mobility. The best part about this feature is the wide range of customization options. Thus, you can tweak all the essential aspects in line with your needs. Besides, it also lets you customize the appearance of menu items and the cursor, which might come in handy for some.
