How to Set Up Accessibility Features on Your Smartphone and Computer

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by

Jeremiah Jennings
in

Your smartphone and computer are powerful accessibility tools—if you know how to configure them properly. Most modern devices include extensive built-in features designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing users, but many people don’t realise these features exist or how to activate them. This comprehensive guide walks you through setting up accessibility features on both iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android smartphones, as well as Windows and Mac computers, ensuring you get the most out of your technology.

Why Built-In Accessibility Matters

Before diving into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why built-in accessibility features are so valuable:

No Extra Cost: Unlike third-party apps or external devices, built-in features are free and already on your device.

System-Wide Integration: Built-in features work across all your apps and functions, not just in specific apps.

Regular Updates: Accessibility features improve with each operating system update, often adding new capabilities.

Reliable Performance: Native features are optimised for your device and generally perform better than third-party alternatives.

Privacy: Using built-in features means you’re not sharing your data with third-party app developers.

Setting Up Your iPhone or iPad

Apple has long been a leader in accessibility, and iOS devices offer comprehensive features for deaf and hard of hearing users. Here’s how to access and configure them.

Accessing Accessibility Settings

All hearing-related accessibility features are found in one place:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Accessibility
  3. Scroll to the Hearing section

This is your hub for all hearing accessibility features. Let’s explore each major feature.

Live Captions (iOS 16 and later)

Live Captions provide real-time captions for any audio on your device, including phone calls, FaceTime calls, videos, and audio messages.

To enable Live Captions:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Captions
  2. Toggle Live Captions on
  3. Customise appearance by tapping Appearance to adjust text size, colour, and style

Pro Tips:

  • Live Captions work offline, but online mode provides better accuracy
  • Caption position can be adjusted by dragging the caption box
  • Your primary language must be set to certain English variants for this feature to work

Sound Recognition

Sound Recognition alerts you to important environmental sounds through visual and vibration notifications.

To enable Sound Recognition:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition
  2. Toggle Sound Recognition on
  3. Read the information about how it works and tap Continue
  4. Select which sounds you want your iPhone to recognise:
    • Fire alarm
    • Siren
    • Smoke alarm
    • Baby crying
    • Dog barking
    • Doorbell
    • Knock
    • Water running
    • Shouting
    • Appliances (kettle, microwave, etc.)

Important Notes:

  • Don’t rely solely on Sound Recognition for critical safety alarms—use it as a supplement to visual alert systems
  • Sound Recognition requires iPhone 14 or later for best performance
  • The feature uses on-device processing, so your privacy is protected

LED Flash for Alerts

Your iPhone’s camera flash can blink when notifications arrive or when your phone rings.

To enable LED Flash:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual
  2. Toggle LED Flash for Alerts on
  3. Choose Flash on Silent if you only want flash alerts when your phone is on silent mode

Visual Voicemail and Transcripts

Visual voicemail shows voicemail messages as text without requiring you to listen to audio recordings.

To set up:

  1. Open the Phone app
  2. Tap Voicemail at the bottom
  3. Your carrier must support visual voicemail (most Australian carriers do)
  4. Voicemail transcripts appear automatically for supported messages

Contact your mobile carrier (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, etc.) if visual voicemail isn’t working.

FaceTime and Video Calling

FaceTime is excellent for Auslan communication. Optimise it:

Video Quality:

  • Use Wi-Fi when possible for best quality
  • Position yourself in good lighting
  • Hold phone in landscape for wider signing space
  • Use a tripod or stand for stable video

RTT (Real-Time Text) for Phone Calls

RTT allows you to type messages during a phone call that appear instantly to the other person—like texting but within the call itself.

To enable RTT:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > RTT
  2. Toggle Software RTT/TTY on
  3. Toggle Send Immediately on for instant character transmission

During a call, tap the RTT button to open the text interface.

Note: Both parties need RTT enabled for this to work, and not all carriers support it. Check with your Australian mobile provider.

Mono Audio

If you have better hearing in one ear, Mono Audio combines left and right stereo channels into a single channel that plays in both ears.

To enable:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual
  2. Toggle Mono Audio on
  3. Adjust the L/R balance slider to favour your better ear

Made for iPhone (MFi) Hearing Devices

If you have compatible hearing aids or cochlear implants, you can pair them directly with your iPhone.

To pair hearing devices:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Devices
  2. Turn your hearing aids on and place them close to your iPhone
  3. When they appear, tap them to pair
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions

Once paired, you can:

  • Stream phone calls and audio directly to your hearing devices
  • Adjust volume and settings
  • Use Live Listen to turn your iPhone into a remote microphone

Headphone Accommodations

This feature lets you customise audio settings to your specific hearing needs.

To set up:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations
  2. Toggle Headphone Accommodations on
  3. Choose your configuration:
    • Transparency Mode: Makes voices clearer in ambient noise
    • Balanced Tone: Adjusts frequencies for more balanced sound
    • Custom Audio Setup: Takes a hearing test and customises settings based on your results

You can also import audiogram data from the Health app if you have your hearing test results.

Accessibility Shortcut

The Accessibility Shortcut lets you quickly access your most-used features.

To set up:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut
  2. Select which features you want available in the shortcut
  3. Triple-click the side button (or home button on older iPhones) to access your shortcuts

Setting Up Your Android Smartphone

Android devices vary by manufacturer, but most modern Android phones (running Android 10 or later) include similar accessibility features. We’ll focus on the standard Android implementation found on Google Pixel phones and Samsung Galaxy devices.

Accessing Accessibility Settings

On most Android devices:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Accessibility
  3. Look for Hearing enhancements or Hearing section

On Samsung devices:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Accessibility
  3. Tap Hearing enhancements

Live Transcribe

Live Transcribe is one of Android’s flagship accessibility features, providing real-time speech-to-text transcription.

To enable Live Transcribe:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Transcribe
  2. Toggle Use service on
  3. Accept the permissions
  4. Add the Live Transcribe shortcut to your accessibility menu

To use Live Transcribe:

  • Tap the accessibility button (usually at the bottom of the screen)
  • Select Live Transcribe
  • The app opens and begins transcribing immediately

Customisation options:

  • Text size: Adjust in the app settings
  • Language: Choose from 80+ languages
  • Vibrate on sound: Get haptic feedback when sound is detected
  • Vibrate on specific names: Set up alerts when certain names are mentioned

Live Caption

Live Caption adds captions to any media with audio—videos, podcasts, phone calls, even Instagram stories.

To enable Live Caption:

On Google Pixel and most Android devices:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption (or Hearing Enhancements > Live Caption on Samsung)
  2. Toggle Live Caption on
  3. Customise settings:
    • Caption appearance: Adjust size, colour, and transparency
    • Hide profanity: Filter out offensive words
    • Sound labels: Show indicators for sounds like laughter or music

Quick access:

Once enabled, Live Caption can be activated by pressing both volume buttons simultaneously. A floating caption box appears, which you can drag anywhere on screen.

Note: On Pixel 6 and newer, you can type responses during calls that are read aloud to your caller—find this under Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption > Type Responses During Calls.

Sound Notifications

Sound Notifications detect important sounds and alert you through your phone and connected smartwatch.

To enable Sound Notifications:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Notifications
  2. Toggle Use service on
  3. Grant necessary permissions
  4. Select which sounds to detect:
    • Baby sounds
    • Smoke and fire alarms
    • Water sounds
    • Beeping appliances
    • Dog barking
    • Doorbell and knocking

Advanced features:

  • Save sound event history: Keep a record of detected sounds
  • Push notifications: Choose which detected sounds send notifications
  • Smartwatch integration: Receive alerts on compatible Wear OS smartwatches

Sound Amplifier

Sound Amplifier enhances audio from your environment through your headphones or earbuds.

To enable Sound Amplifier:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Amplifier
  2. Toggle Use service on
  3. Connect headphones or earbuds
  4. Add Sound Amplifier to your accessibility shortcuts

To use:

  • Open Sound Amplifier from the accessibility menu
  • Use your phone’s microphone to pick up sounds
  • Adjust:
    • Boost: Overall volume increase
    • Noise reduction: Filter background noise
    • Left/right balance: Adjust volume for each ear independently

Sound Amplifier is excellent for amplifying conversations in noisy environments or enhancing TV audio.

Flash Notification

Make your phone’s camera flash blink for incoming calls and notifications.

To enable:

On most Android devices:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Enhancements
  2. Toggle Flash notification on

On Samsung:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing enhancements
  2. Tap Flash notification
  3. Toggle on for Camera flash and/or Screen flash

Mono Audio

Combine stereo channels into a single mono channel for use with one ear or when using a single earbud.

To enable:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Enhancements
  2. Toggle Mono audio on
  3. Adjust the left/right audio balance if available

Real-Time Text (RTT)

RTT allows instant text communication during phone calls.

To enable RTT:

  1. Open the Phone app
  2. Tap the three-dot menu
  3. Go to Settings > Accessibility
  4. Toggle Real-time text (RTT) on

During a call, tap the RTT button to type messages that appear instantly to the other person.

Note: RTT availability depends on your carrier. Check with your Australian mobile provider (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone) for support.

Hearing Aid Compatibility

Android supports Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA), allowing direct streaming from Android devices to compatible hearing aids.

To connect hearing aids:

  1. Turn on your hearing aids
  2. Go to Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device
  3. Select your hearing aids when they appear
  4. Follow pairing instructions

Once connected, you’ll find additional settings under Settings > Accessibility > Hearing aids or Hearing devices.

Accessibility Shortcut

The Accessibility Menu provides quick access to your most-used features.

To enable:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Menu
  2. Toggle Accessibility Menu shortcut on
  3. Choose which features appear in the menu

Access the menu by:

  • Tapping the accessibility icon (usually at the bottom of the screen), or
  • Using a gesture (swipe up with two fingers on some devices), or
  • Pressing volume buttons (on some Samsung devices)

Setting Up Your Computer

Desktop and laptop computers also offer extensive accessibility features. Here’s how to configure them on Windows and Mac.

Mac Computer Accessibility

Accessing Accessibility Settings:

  1. Click the Apple menu ()
  2. Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  3. Click Accessibility

Key Features for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Users:

Live Captions (macOS Ventura and later):

  1. Go to Accessibility > Live Captions
  2. Toggle Live Captions on
  3. Captions appear at the top of the screen for any audio playing on your Mac

Flash Screen for Alerts:

  1. Go to Accessibility > Audio
  2. Check Flash the screen when an alert sound occurs
  3. Choose between flash styles

Closed Captions:

  1. Go to Accessibility > Captions
  2. Check Prefer closed captions and SDH to enable captions on supported media
  3. Customise caption appearance with the Style dropdown

FaceTime for Sign Language:

  • FaceTime on Mac is excellent for Auslan communication
  • Ensure good lighting and position your camera at an appropriate height
  • Use portrait orientation for better signing visibility

Windows PC Accessibility

Accessing Accessibility Settings:

  1. Press Windows key
  2. Type Accessibility settings and press Enter
  3. Or go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio

Key Features:

Live Captions (Windows 11):

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions
  2. Toggle Live captions on
  3. Customise caption style, position, and appearance
  4. Or use the quick shortcut: Windows key + Ctrl + L

Sound Alerts:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio
  2. Toggle Flash my screen during audio notifications on
  3. Choose flash style: Flash the active window, title bar, or entire screen

Mono Audio:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio
  2. Toggle Mono audio on

Visual Notifications:

Windows 11 provides visual notifications for sounds, but third-party software may offer more comprehensive solutions.

Getting the Most From Your Setup

Test Everything

After enabling features, test them:

  • Have someone call you to verify flash alerts work
  • Play a video to test Live Captions
  • Set off a smoke alarm (safely) to test sound detection
  • Try FaceTime or video calls to ensure quality

Customise for Your Needs

Don’t enable every feature just because it exists. Choose what genuinely helps you and disable features you don’t use—this prevents clutter and confusion.

Update Regularly

New accessibility features are added with OS updates. Keep your devices updated to access the latest improvements:

  • iOS: Settings > General > Software Update
  • Android: Settings > System > System update
  • Mac: System Settings > General > Software Update
  • Windows: Settings > Windows Update

Explore Advanced Options

Many accessibility features have advanced settings you might miss on first glance:

  • Custom caption styles and sizes
  • Specific sound detection thresholds
  • Language preferences for transcription
  • Haptic feedback adjustments

Combine Features

Some features work brilliantly together:

  • Live Captions + Live Transcribe for comprehensive coverage
  • Sound Recognition + Flash Alerts for multiple notification types
  • Mono Audio + Hearing Aid streaming for optimal hearing aid use

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Live Captions not appearing:

  • Ensure your device language is set correctly (usually English Australia or US)
  • Check that you have a stable internet connection (for better accuracy)
  • Restart the feature or your device
  • Update to the latest OS version

Sound Recognition not detecting sounds:

  • Ensure microphone permissions are granted
  • Check that the sound is loud enough and in range
  • Verify you’ve selected the right sounds to monitor
  • Some sounds may have better detection rates than others

Hearing aids not connecting:

  • Ensure hearing aids are within range and powered on
  • Check battery levels
  • Forget and re-pair the devices
  • Contact your audiologist for hearing aid software updates
  • Verify your hearing aids support MFi (iOS) or ASHA (Android)

Poor transcription accuracy:

  • Speak clearly and at moderate pace
  • Reduce background noise
  • Ensure device microphone isn’t blocked
  • Check language settings match what’s being spoken
  • Try moving closer to the sound source

Additional Resources

For official guidance and troubleshooting, visit:

For Australia-specific support:

  • Australian Hearing: Can provide guidance on hearing technology integration
  • National Relay Service: Information about communication accessibility in Australia
  • NDIS: May fund assistive technology and training for eligible Australians

Conclusion

Your smartphone and computer are powerful accessibility tools, packed with features designed to make your life easier. From real-time captions to environmental sound detection, visual alerts to hearing aid integration, modern devices offer unprecedented support for deaf and hard of hearing users.

The key is knowing these features exist and taking the time to configure them properly. Spend an hour setting up your devices following this guide, and you’ll benefit from improved accessibility every single day.

Don’t be intimidated by the number of options—start with the features that address your most immediate needs, and explore additional capabilities as you become comfortable. Technology should work for you, and with proper setup, it will.

Your independence, safety, and communication access shouldn’t depend on expensive add-ons or specialised equipment. They’re built right into the devices you already own—you just need to activate them.