How to enable one-handed mode on your smartphone: A step-by-step guide

One-handed mode on iOS only works for the keyboard, use the Reachability feature to use other features with one hand

Tech Desk - Jul 21, 2024

An undated image of a person using a phone. — Unsplash

Are you tired of struggling to use your smartphone while on the go, constantly juggling your device and risking drops or accidents? One-handed mode is a convenient feature that allows you to adjust your screen layout and keyboard to make it easier to use your phone with just one hand.

If you are also looking for ways to enable this feature on your iOS or Android device then follow the step-by-step guide given below.

How to use One-Handed mode on iOS

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility.
Scroll down and tap on Touch.
Tap on One-Handed Typing.
Select Left or Right to choose which side of the screen you want the keyboard to be on.
Tap Done to save your changes.

Note: One-handed mode on iOS only works for the keyboard. To use other features with one hand, you can use the Reachability feature:

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility.
Scroll down and tap on Reachability.
Toggle Reachability on.
Double-touch the Home button (or swipe down on the Home bar on iPhone X and later) to bring the top of the screen down to the middle.

How to enable one-handed mode on Android

Go to Settings > Advanced features (or System on some devices).
Scroll down and tap on One-handed mode (or One-handed operation on some devices).
Toggle One-handed mode on.
Choose from the following options of Gesture and Button.
Automatic: Automatically enable one-handed mode when you're holding the phone with one hand.
Adjust the Screen size and Position to your liking.

Note: The exact steps may vary depending on your Android device and version.