The fastest way to make mobile games more accessible is to combine your phone’s own accessibility settings with the game’s settings. On iPhone, look in Settings, then Accessibility. On Android, look in Settings, then Accessibility. You’ll find larger text, color filters, reduced motion, mono audio, and alternative controls like Switch Control and Voice Control. Then check the game for subtitles, a colorblind mode, adjustable difficulty and remappable controls. On the App Store, Accessibility Nutrition Labels now tell you some of this before you download.
Check a game before you download it #
Apple’s App Store has added Accessibility Nutrition Labels to app pages. Developers can mark which of nine features their app supports:
- VoiceOver
- Voice Control
- Larger Text
- Dark Interface
- Differentiate Without Color Alone
- Sufficient Contrast
- Reduced Motion
- Captions
- Audio Descriptions
A developer can only claim a feature if you can complete the app’s common tasks with it. The labels are voluntary for now, and Apple says they’ll become required over time. So a game with no label hasn’t necessarily failed, it just hasn’t reported yet. Google Play doesn’t have an equivalent label, so on Android the store description, the screenshots and the reviews are your best guide. Search reviews for words like “colorblind,” “subtitles” or “one hand.”
Settings that help with vision #
On iPhone (Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size):
- Larger Text and Bold Text make menus easier to read, though only in games that support Apple’s text sizing, and many don’t.
- Color Filters help with red-green or blue-yellow color blindness across the whole screen, including games that have no colorblind mode of their own.
- Increase Contrast and Reduce White Point make bright, busy screens easier on the eyes.
- Zoom magnifies part of the screen, which works well for reading small text in slower games.
On Android (Settings, Accessibility):
- Display size and text makes text and on-screen elements bigger.
- Color correction adjusts colors for different types of color blindness.
- High contrast text and Magnification help with small, low-contrast text.
Screen readers, VoiceOver on iPhone and TalkBack on Android, work in menus but rarely in the action part of a game. A few games are designed to be played by sound, but most aren’t, so a Nutrition Label that lists VoiceOver is worth looking for if you rely on it.
Settings that help with motion sensitivity #
Reduce Motion on iPhone (Accessibility, Motion) and Remove animations on Android tone down system animations. Games are free to ignore these settings, and many do, so look for in-game options too. The ones that matter most are screen shake, flashing effects and camera sway. If a game makes you feel unwell, stop, and check its settings or the store label for motion options before trying again.
Settings that help with hearing #
- Mono Audio (iPhone: Accessibility, Audio & Visual; Android: Accessibility, Audio) combines left and right channels, so you don’t miss sounds that play in one ear.
- Captions and subtitles. Turn on subtitles in the game’s own settings. Apple’s Captions label on the App Store tells you if a game supports them.
- Haptics. Vibration can stand in for sound cues. Check that the game’s vibration setting is on.
Settings that help with controls #
Touchscreen games can be hard with limited hand movement, tremor or fatigue. The main options:
- Switch Control (iPhone) and Switch Access (Android) let you control the phone with one or more switches, or with head movements tracked by the camera.
- AssistiveTouch (iPhone) and the Accessibility Menu (Android) put common actions on a floating on-screen button.
- Voice Control lets you tap and swipe by speaking, which works for slower, turn-based games.
- Touch Accommodations (iPhone: Accessibility, Touch) can require a longer press or ignore repeated touches. That helps with tremor, but it can interfere with fast tapping games, so test it.
- Game controllers. iPhones, iPads and Android phones support Bluetooth controllers, including Xbox and PlayStation controllers, in games that allow them. Many players find a controller easier than a touchscreen.
Our guide to one-handed mobile games goes deeper into Switch Control and AssistiveTouch for tap games.
Settings that help with focus and memory #
- Guided Access (iPhone: Accessibility, Guided Access) locks the phone to one app and can disable parts of the screen. It’s useful for kids and for anyone who gets pulled out of a game by accidental taps.
- Assistive Access on iPhone gives you a simplified home screen with large buttons and fewer choices.
- Focus modes on both platforms silence notifications while you play.
In games, look for a pause button that works anywhere, clear goals on screen, and no timers pushing you. Our list of mobile games without energy systems or timers is a good place to start, and easy mobile games for beginners sorts gentle games by play style.
A checklist for any game #
| Feature | Why it matters | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Subtitles and captions | You don’t miss spoken information | Game settings, App Store Captions label |
| Colorblind mode | Colors aren’t the only way to tell things apart | Game settings, Differentiate Without Color label |
| Adjustable text size | Menus and instructions stay readable | Game settings, Larger Text label |
| Motion and flash options | Reduces discomfort and eye strain | Game settings, Reduced Motion label |
| Pause anywhere | You can stop without losing progress | Try it in the first minute |
| Controller support | An alternative to the touchscreen | Store listing, game settings |
| Separate volume sliders | You can keep sound effects and drop the music | Game settings |
| Vibration toggle | Haptics help some players and bother others | Game settings |
How accessible is Flappy Kittens? #
Flappy Kittens (Flappy Cat on Google Play) is a one-tap game, which helps in several ways. You tap anywhere on the screen, so you don’t need to hit a small button, and there’s nothing to read during a run. A tap made a split second too early still counts, the gaps start wide and only tighten as your score climbs, and a pause button sits on screen during every run. The game also pauses by itself when you leave the app. In settings you’ll find separate sliders for music and sound effects and a switch for vibration.
Here are its limits. It’s a fast timing game, so it’s hard to play with slow switch scanning. It uses screen shake and flashes on crashes and big moments, and there’s currently no setting to turn those off. As a visual game, it can’t be played with a screen reader. It’s portrait-only, and it also runs on iPad if you’d like a larger screen. Our tablet vs phone for gaming guide covers when a bigger screen helps.
Frequently asked questions #
What accessibility features should a mobile game have? #
At minimum: subtitles, a colorblind mode or shapes that don’t rely on color, adjustable text size, a way to reduce motion and flashing, a pause that works anywhere, and separate volume controls. Controller support and remappable controls help a lot of players too.
Can I use a controller for iPhone games? #
Yes. iPhones and iPads work with Bluetooth controllers, including Xbox and PlayStation models, but only in games that support them. The App Store listing usually mentions controller support.
Does Reduce Motion work in games? #
Sometimes. It changes system animations and apps that respect it, but many games ignore it. Look for the game’s own options for screen shake or effects, and check the App Store’s Reduced Motion label where it’s provided.
How do I stop games from flashing? #
Look in the game’s settings for options like “screen flash,” “effects” or “photosensitivity.” Your phone’s Reduce Motion setting helps in some games. If a game has no such option and flashing bothers you, it’s safest to skip it.