While the iPhone and other similar smartphones have ergonomic features that make them easy to carry, some of these larger devices can be difficult to use with just one hand.
This is especially true for handsets with huge screens, such as the iPhone 13, which practically fills the whole surface area of the device.
Fortunately, you can learn how to lower the screen on the iPhone 13 by activating a specific option in the Accessibility menu, which we will cover in our post below.
You can also check out this iPhone 13 reachability video on YouTube for additional information.
How to Lower the iPhone 13’s Screen
- Select Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Choose Touch.
- Enable Reachability.
Our explanation continues below with further information, including photographs, on how to lower the screen on an iPhone 13.
Because of the larger screens on recent iPhone models, as well as the Pro and Pro Max variants, you can see a lot more stuff on your phone screen.
This makes it simple to surf the web, watch videos, and play games.
However, most people’s hands aren’t large enough to use the smartphone comfortably with one hand, especially when using apps with crucial controls near the top of the screen.
This issue can be solved by enabling the Reachability option in the iPhone’s Accessibility menu.
Once that option is enabled, you may drag down from the bottom edge of the screen to lower the top of the screen to the middle of the screen. This greatly simplifies reaching the top of the screen.
Furthermore, after you’ve become used to this interface, it’s rather simple to shift the screen down and up as needed.
This article will show you how to enable or disable this feature on your iPhone 13 so that you can adjust the top of your screen as needed.
Related: Check out this guide, too, if you see a phone icon at the top of your screen and aren’t sure what it means.
How to Enable or Disable iPhone Reachability 13 (Guide with Pictures)
The methods in this post were completed on an iPhone 13 running iOS 15.6.1, but they will also work on many other iPhone models running many other versions of iOS.
These instructions will show you how to lower the screen on the iPhone 13 if you are having difficulty reaching the top of the screen with one hand.
Step 1: Launch the Settings application.
Step 2: Select the Accessibility menu item.
Step 3: Select Touch from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Enable Reachability by tapping the button to the right of it.
Now that you know how to lower the screen on an iPhone 13, you can toggle the Reachability setting on and off as needed.
After enabling the Reachability setting on your iPhone 13, you can lower the screen by swiping down on the bottom edge of the screen.
On older iPhone models with a Home button, you would lower the screen by double-tapping the Home button.
It’s also worth noting that you can access the Reachability option by opening the Settings app and putting “reachability” into the search area at the top of the screen.
The following section continues below with solutions to some typical inquiries concerning this option on your device.
Frequently Asked Questions About the iPhone 13 Half Screen Setting
Why does my iPhone’s screen sometimes go halfway down?
If you’ve noticed that the top of your iPhone screen has occasionally shifted closer to the center of the screen, it’s most likely due to an option called Reachability.
When that option is enabled, you can shift the top of your content to the middle of the screen by pulling down on the bottom border of the phone screen.
To access the Reachability setting, open the Settings app, select Accessibility, Touch, and then tap the button next to Reachability to toggle it on or off.
What exactly is reachability on the iPhone 13?
The iPhone 13’s Reachability function is an accessibility option that has been available since Apple began producing devices with larger screens.
Because it’s difficult for those with smaller hands to reach the top of these larger iOS devices when holding them with one hand, Reachability solves the problem by allowing you to bring the top of the screen down to the middle of the screen, where it’s easier to interact with.
How can I lower the screen on my iPhone?
After navigating to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Reachability, you can bring down your screen by swiping down on the bottom edge of the screen.
How can I prevent my iPhone’s screen from lowering?
While Reachability has many advantages if you frequently use your phone with one hand, it is rather easy to activate it accidently.
If you discover that you are frequently lowering the screen by accident, you may like to disable the option instead.
To prevent your iPhone screen from dropping, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > and switch off Reachability by touching the button next to it.
When there is no green shade surrounding the button, you know it is disabled.
How do I restore my iPhone’s screen?
If your screen has dropped unexpectedly because you weren’t aware that Reachability was enabled, or if you enabled the setting on purpose, you can restore it to its original, full-screen position by tapping the up arrow that appears above the screen content.
More Details on Using Reachability on Apple Devices
Even if you go into the iPhone settings menu and enable or disable the Reachability option to lower your iPhone’s screen as needed, you may still have issues using the Spotlight Search tool.
Both of these capabilities necessitate a swipe down on the Home screen, albeit in separate places. As a result, you may discover that you are dragging down the full display when you intended to open the search menu, or that you are opening the search menu when you intended to pull down the screen.
One solution is to focus on swiping down towards the middle of the screen to search on your new iPhone, and swiping down at the very bottom of the screen to lower the top edge.
If this becomes a major issue, you can always go to Settings, touch Accessibility, then Touch, and switch off Reachability to prevent the top half of your screen from sliding down.
If you’re having troubles with your iPhone’s battery draining too quickly, Low Power Mode may be a viable option.
Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to activate Control Center, then press on the half-filled battery icon to enable this.
This will automatically modify some of the device’s settings in an attempt to increase battery life. You can also go to Settings > Display & Brightness > and make changes there, such as enabling Dark Mode or lowering the screen brightness. A bright screen consumes a lot of battery power, so dimming it can help you save money.
As previously stated, if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch with a Home button, you must lightly double tap the Home button to bring the screen down while Reachability is enabled.
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.