Are you like me? Do you find yourself squinting at your smartphone to read it? Or maybe you can't read the menu in the restaurant any more? (Ever stick the menu under the bar track lighting, or put a candle over the menu to read it? You're not alone.)

Well, the maker of your iPhone or Android phone feels your pain. There are a number of features on your phone that make it easier to read the text on the screen, or even off it! So, I took these tired old eyes and chatted with accessibility features for farsighted people with Rob Caldwell on 207. You can watch the segment below! 👇

Here are some of my notes from the show. They're focused on the iPhone because that's what I own. If you want information on the Android you can buy me one and mail it to flyte, c/o “The Rich Brooks.”

Larger Text

Under Settings > General > Accessibility > Larger Text. Turn on Larger Text and then you'll see a scroll bar that allows you to change the text as necessary. Works on many, but not all apps.

Zoom

Under Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom. Once you turn this on you can use three fingers to double-click on the screen. That will create a zoom window that you can navigate around with three fingers. Click outside the zoom window to hide it.

Speak

Under Settings > General > Accessibility > Speech. Turn on Speak Selection. Once it's on, whenever you select text, along with Cut, Copy, and Paste, you'll have a Speak option. Choose it and Siri will read to you.

Magnifier

Under Settings > General > Accessibility > Magnifier. Once this is on you can triple-click the home button and your phone turns into a magnifying glass, complete with a slider for increased magnification.

Attaching “Cheaters” to your smartphone

Under my iPhone > ThinOptics case. I hate bulky iPhone cases. However, I recently purchased a pair of ThinOptics cheaters (readers) that attach to the back of my iPhone. They're so slim I don't even notice them, but they work great. Not for long-term reading, but for that menu in the romantically-lit restaurant, they're just the ticket.

In Conclusion

It sucks getting old! I hate having to buy cheaters by the five-pack at Amazon! But, at least there are some nice features on my phone that make it easier. Any other thoughts on how to make smartphone browsing easier for farsighted people? Let me know in the comments below.