There are going to be instances whenever you’ve solely obtained one hand free to make use of your cellphone. It’s possible you’ll be strolling the canine, carrying groceries, hanging on to a subway pole, otherwise you simply don’t have one other hand obtainable. However with nearly each trendy cellphone sporting a display screen at the least six inches nook to nook, utilizing one hand to work your cellphone may very well be a troublesome balancing act.
Fortunately, each Android and iOS telephones include built-in options to make one-handed cellphone use much less difficult. There are additionally some useful choices inside particular person apps you may flip to.
Strategies for Android telephones
One-handed mode
Android has a devoted one-handed mode that allows you to shrink any app right down to the underside half of the display screen to make it simpler to achieve. The way in which to allow that mode may be barely completely different, relying on the producer.
- From Settings on a Pixel cellphone (or most different Android telephones), go to System > Gestures > One-handed mode and allow the toggle change.
- From Settings on a Samsung Galaxy cellphone, faucet Superior options > One-handed mode and allow the toggle change.
Both manner, you may then merely swipe down on the display screen to tug the highest half of an app into attain. Be sure you swipe down near the underside of the display screen, as in any other case, you’ll merely refresh the display screen in no matter app you’re in. Faucet wherever above the app to return to a full-screen view.
Allow a one-handed keyboard
No matter app you’re in, you can also make positive Android’s default Gboard keyboard is less complicated to get to for one set of fingers and a thumb. With the keyboard on display screen:
- Faucet the four-box icon above the keyboard to the left.
- Select One-handed from the pop-up menu.
The keyboard then pushes up towards one aspect of the display screen. Faucet the arrow button to change it to the opposite aspect or the broaden button (4 arrows) to return to regular. (You don’t get this on the default Samsung keyboard on Galaxy telephones, however you may at all times set up Gboard on any Android cellphone.)
Make homescreen apps simpler to entry
It helps if the app shortcuts you depend on most frequently are down in the direction of the underside of your house display screen, fairly than up on the prime. You may arrange this manually, however on Pixel telephones you may also have a row of your most-used apps pop right down to the underside.
- Open Settings then faucet Apps > Default apps.
- Faucet the gear icon subsequent to Pixel Launcher.
- Faucet Recommendations and allow Recommendations on House display screen.
Make looking simpler
In case you’ve obtained a Samsung cellphone and you employ the Samsung Web Browser, you may transfer the net tackle and search bar right down to the underside of the display screen as properly. (Weirdly sufficient, Chrome for Android doesn’t presently allow you to do that, although Chrome for iOS does — go determine.)
- Faucet the hamburger menu (backside proper) then Settings.
- Select Structure and menus.
- Allow Present toolbar at backside and Present tackle bar at backside.
(Observe: Some Android telephones is not going to have the Present toolbar at backside characteristic listed.)
You will discover the identical possibility inside Firefox for Android: faucet the three dots (prime proper), then Settings > Customise and select Backside for the toolbar.
Strategies for iPhones
If iOS is your cellular platform of alternative, you are able to do most of the identical tips as you may on Android.
One-handed mode
The one-handed mode that covers the entire of iOS is named Reachability. You will discover it from Settings in your iPhone:
- Faucet Accessibility > Contact.
- Activate the Reachability toggle change.
A downward swipe towards the underside of the display screen will then shrink down no matter app or system menu you might have on display screen, making it simpler to get at with one hand. Faucet the arrow on the prime of the window to return to regular.
One-handed keyboard
The iOS keyboard has a one-handed mode as properly. With the keyboard on display screen:
- Lengthy -press on the icon within the decrease left nook (it’ll present a globe or emoji image, relying on the keyboards you’ve obtained put in).
- Faucet on the left or proper keyboard structure to pin the keyboard to that aspect.
You should use the white arrow that fills the house left by the keyboard to return to the traditional structure once more.
Make looking simpler
As talked about above, Chrome for iOS allows you to transfer the tackle and search bar right down to the underside of the display screen:
- Faucet the three dots (backside proper).
- Select Settings.
- Faucet Tackle bar, then (on the prime of the display screen) Backside.
That is the structure Safari for iOS makes use of by default. If it’s been modified for no matter motive, you may reset it through Safari in iOS Settings, underneath the Tabs heading.