How to Turn Off Accessibility on Android and iOS Devices

Both Android and iOS devices have accessibility features designed to support users with vision, hearing, or mobility needs. However, these features may not always be necessary for every user and can sometimes affect performance or usability for others.

This guide provides detailed instructions on disabling various accessibility options on both Android and iOS devices.

When Turning Off Accessibility Settings Enhances User Experience?

Before diving into the how-to instructions, it’s essential to understand when disabling accessibility features might be beneficial. Here are situations when you might want to turn off accessibility settings.

1. Low Battery Situations

Many accessibility features consume significant battery power, especially screen readers like TalkBack on Android or VoiceOver on iOS. These services constantly run in the background, monitoring screen activities and providing audio feedback. For users temporarily not requiring these features, disabling them can extend battery life by 15-20%, depending on usage patterns.

2. Lag or Slow Performance

Accessibility services can impact device performance, especially on older or budget smartphones with limited processing power. Screen readers, magnification features, and other accessibility tools utilize system resources that might otherwise be allocated to other applications. Turning these features off can result in smoother operation and faster app loading times.

3. Presentations or Device Sharing

When you share your phone during a presentation or let someone else use it, accessibility features can be confusing. Tools like screen magnification or gesture navigation may make the device more complicated to use for people who aren’t familiar with them.

4. Frequent Accidental Triggers

Accessibility shortcuts, while convenient for intended users, can sometimes be triggered accidentally, causing unexpected behavior. For instance, triple-clicking the home button on iOS devices might activate VoiceOver, potentially confusing users who didn’t intend to enable this feature.

5. Personalized Setup Needs

Users with temporary or situational disabilities might only need accessibility features in certain contexts. For example, someone with a temporary hand injury might use voice commands temporarily but prefer to disable them once recovered.

How to Turn Off Accessibility Mode on Android Devices?

Android’s accessibility features vary slightly depending on the device manufacturer and Android version. The following instructions apply to recent Android versions (11 and above), but the general navigation remains similar across different versions.

How to Turn Off TalkBack on Android

TalkBack is Android’s screen reader that provides spoken feedback for everything on screen. Here’s how to disable it:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device
2. Scroll down and tap on “Accessibility”
3. Find and tap on “TalkBack” (on some devices, it might be under “Screen readers”)
4. Toggle the switch to the OFF position
5. Confirm by tapping “Stop” in the dialog box that appears

Alternatively, you can quickly turn off TalkBack by:

1. Press both volume keys simultaneously for three seconds
2. You’ll hear an audio confirmation when TalkBack is disabled

How to Turn Off Vision Enhancements on Android

Vision enhancement features help low-vision users by adjusting display settings like color, text size, or magnification. Android offers several vision enhancements that can be disabled individually:

To turn off Magnification:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Magnification
2. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

To turn off Color Correction:

1. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion
2. Tap on “Color Correction”
3. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

To turn off High Contrast Text:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Text and display
2. Find “High contrast text” and toggle it OFF

How to Turn Off Hearing Enhancements on Android

Hearing enhancement features on Android allow users to improve audio clarity, enable captions, and access real-time transcription for better sound accessibility. These features can be turned off individually through the settings. Here’s how.

To disable Live Caption:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption
2. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

To turn off Sound Amplifier:

1. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Amplifier
2. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

How to Turn Off Gesture Controls on Android

Gesture control features on Android help users navigate the device using movements or switches instead of touch. These can be turned off individually through accessibility settings:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Interaction controls (or “Dexterity and interaction” on some devices)
2. Select the specific gesture feature you want to disable:
   • Tap “Voice Access” and toggle it OFF
   • Tap “Switch Access” and toggle it OFF
   • Tap “Universal switch” and toggle it OFF

How to Turn Off Accessibility Shortcut on Android

The accessibility shortcut lets users quickly launch accessibility features using hardware buttons, but it can be triggered accidentally. You can turn it off or adjust what it activates:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility shortcuts
2. Tap on “Volume key shortcut” and toggle it OFF
3. Alternatively, select “Selected features” to modify which features are activated by the shortcut

How to Turn Off Accessibility Mode on iOS Devices?

iOS devices offer comprehensive accessibility features that can be managed through the Settings app.

How to Turn Off VoiceOver on iOS

VoiceOver is the screen reader for iOS devices. To disable it:

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device
2. Tap on “Accessibility”
3. Tap on “VoiceOver”
4. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

Quick method: Ask Siri, “Turn off VoiceOver,” or triple-click the side button (or Home button on older devices) if you’ve set up Accessibility Shortcut for VoiceOver.

How to Turn Off Zoom on iOS

Zoom magnifies the entire screen. To turn it off:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom
2. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

How to Turn Off AssistiveTouch on iOS

AssistiveTouch creates a virtual button to help with device navigation:

1. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch
2. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

How to Turn Off Switch Control on iOS

Switch Control allows navigation using external switches or the device screen:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Switch Control
2. Toggle the switch to the OFF position

How to Turn Off Closed Captions on iOS

To disable closed captions and subtitles:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning
2. Toggle “Closed Captions + SDH” to the OFF position

How to Safely Disable Accessibility Features on Your Phone?

Disabling accessibility features without care can disrupt usability, especially for users who rely on them regularly. To avoid confusion, lost settings, or limited access, follow these best practices:

• Document current settings: Before disabling features, take screenshots of your current settings in case you need to restore them later.
• Test functionality: After disabling an accessibility feature, test your device to ensure it operates as expected.

• Consider temporarily disabling them: Instead of completely turning off accessibility features, use shortcuts when needed.
• Inform regular users: If the device is shared with someone who depends on accessibility features, communicate changes before making them.
• Keep shortcuts accessible: Even when disabling certain features, consider keeping accessibility shortcuts enabled for quick reactivation when needed.

Check App Behavior with and without Accessibility Settings on Real Devices

Accessibility settings can significantly change how users interact with an app. Developers and QA professionals must test their applications with these settings both enabled and disabled to ensure usability for everyone. Failing to do so can lead to broken UI layouts, inaccessible controls, or unexpected behavior for users who rely on assistive technologies.

BrowserStack gives instant access to 3,500+ real iOS and Android devices for accurate accessibility testing. You can test native features like TalkBack, VoiceOver, zoom, gestures, captions, and vision or hearing enhancements across the latest and older OS versions.

Here are some key features of BrowserStack App Accessibility.

• Screen Readers Testing: Evaluate app performance with screen readers and other assistive tools.
• Workflow Analyzer: Verify app behavior with different text sizes, color contrasts, and display settings.
• Compliance with Relevant Regulations: Ensure your app complies with accessibility regulations, including WCAG, ADA, Section 508, EAA, and more.
• Automate Tests: Integrate BrowserStack with development frameworks and automate accessibility testing with every build.
• Central Reporting Dashboard: Access detailed reports to understand and debug accessibility issues. Effortlessly search for specific reports and share them with stakeholders.

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Conclusion

Accessibility features, such as screen readers, magnification, and audio enhancements, are essential as they make smartphones usable for people with different needs. However, you might need to disable them when troubleshooting issues, saving battery, or sharing the device with someone who doesn’t rely on accessibility tools. Follow the steps mentioned in this article to enable or disable accessibility features on Android and iOS devices.

If you’re a mobile app developer, testing applications with accessibility features both enabled and disabled is crucial for creating inclusive software. BrowserStack real device cloud gives you access to 3,500+ Android and iOS devices to ensure your applications work flawlessly for all users in real user conditions.

Try BrowserStack for Free