The phone symbol that appears on your iPhone at the top of the screen indicates that a feature called TTY is enabled on the device. Use these steps to add or remove the phone symbol on an iPhone.
- Open the Settings app.
- Choose the Accessibility option.
- Scroll down and select the RTT option.
- Enable or disable the options on this menu as needed.
Our article continues below with additional information and pictures for each of these steps.
The status bar at the top of your iPhone screen can display a number of different icons.
Some of these icons are easy to decipher, and have obvious connotations. But others can be a little more difficult to identify, especially if they have just appeared.
One such symbol that you might see on your iPhone looks like a phone. Specifically, it looks like a phone handset with a few squares beneath it.
This symbol means that TTY is enabled on the device. This is a feature that helps individuals who are hard of hearing to make phone calls.
Our guide below will show you how to enable or disable TTY on an iPhone.
How to Turn On or Turn Off TTY on an iPhone
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 11 in iOS 13.6.1. Note that newer iPhone models with the notch at the top of the screen may not display the TTY phone symbol even when it’s activated.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.

Step 2: Select the Accessibility option.

Step 3: Scroll down and touch the RTT option.

Step 4: Tap the button next to each option that you would like to enable or disable.

Additional reading
- How to turn off the passcode on an iPhone 11
- How to turn off email notifications on an iPhone 11
- How to find an iPhone’s IP address
- How to change the WiFi password on an iPhone
- How to turn off flash on an iPhone
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop and more.