Tech

Now you can use your iPhone hands-free

Now you can use your iPhone hands-free

You can pay your credit card bill, browse social media and read recipes on your iPhone without ever touching the screen.

The feature, called Voice Control, is one of the iPhone's accessibility tools, and while Siri can perform many tasks hands-free, there are ways Voice Control can go even further.

Apple has paid a lot of attention in recent years to accessibility, which could make its phones easier to use by millions of people who are blind or hard of hearing, for example.

There is a feature that counts the different apps on the screen, and then to select the app you want, or part of the screen, say the corresponding number out loud. By saying 'Show Numbers' after Voice Control is activated, you'll see every clickable dot on the screen. By saying the corresponding number, you can start hands-free clicking.

Automatic movement

There are several commands built into the iPhone. For example, you can move in any direction by simply saying 'Move' or 'Slide', followed by specifying 'up', 'down', 'right' or 'left'.

However, the controls aren't perfect and sometimes the instructions can fail, leaving you stranded. However, they often work properly.

Various uses

One reason why Voice Control is a useful feature is that it is customizable, allowing users to tailor the commands to their needs.

For example, you can make a custom voice that automatically types your password. That way, if you're unable to use Face ID, you can unlock your phone again without having to tap the numbers manually.

Now you can use your iPhone hands-free

How to activate voice control

Go to Settings.

Scroll down to Accessibility.

Select Voice Control.

Press the top right dot to turn it green.

It is recommended to read the voice control guide, which is just below the green dot. This will give you a solid foundation and for anything you're still curious about, you can press 'Commands' and read manually.

RESTRICTIONS

To send messages it is somewhat more difficult to use the voice controller, as sometimes you get the words wrong. It is recommended to use your hands here.