7 underrated Android accessibility settings that feel like secret superpowers

Android’s accessibility tools are some of the most overlooked features on any smartphone. Tucked deep in the settings menu, they help people with vision, hearing, or mobility challenges.

However, here’s the thing: They also double as incredible productivity boosters and quality-of-life upgrades for everyone.

Built-in options such as Voice Access, Magnification, and Grayscale mode go far beyond their intended purpose. They can speed up navigation, reduce screen clutter, and create shortcuts for tasks.

Yet most users rarely explore them, leaving some of Android’s most useful features untouched.

Here are seven underrated Android accessibility tools that transformed my daily phone use.

From gestures that simplify multitasking to settings that save time and energy, these features show how accessibility benefits all users, not only those who need it most.

7

Grayscale mode

Making the phone boring on purpose

The Grayscale option drains all color from the screen, leaving it in muted shades of gray. You will find it under Settings > Accessibility > Color correction.

I mapped it to my Quick Settings tile for easy toggling and turned my phone gray every evening.

After turning on Grayscale mode, the effect was almost immediate.

Instagram’s eye-popping colors and YouTube’s bright thumbnails turned into shades of gray. My wallpaper looked dull, and app icons seemed less demanding.

I was not as tempted to open social apps. Scrolling felt boring without their colorful hooks. I’d glance at my lock screen and decide I didn’t need to check X again.

I also noticed I was reaching for my phone less often. Checking notifications didn’t feel exciting anymore, which was exactly what I needed to break my doomscrolling habit.

6

Magnification

Zooming in for focus

I didn’t expect the Magnification tool to be useful for mindfulness, but it surprised me. Turning it on changed how I scrolled social media.

To activate it, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Magnification. Toggle on the magnification shortcut.

I could zoom into any part of the interface by pinching with two fingers.

Instead of scrolling through feeds aimlessly, I used magnification to zoom in on specific sections of apps, like a message in Gmail or a key bullet point in my TickTick task list.

It forced me to engage with one thing at a time, slowing down my usual frantic pace.

It was not a feature I used all day, but it reminded me to approach my phone with more intention.

5

Voice Access

A hands-free way to slow down

Voice Access allows you to control your phone with spoken commands. To use it on your device, you must download the Voice Access app from the Play Store. Turn on the feature by navigating to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Access.

Instead of tapping my way through Instagram or Slack, I can navigate by saying things like “scroll down” or “open Gmail.”

It slowed me down dramatically because saying commands aloud made me hyper-aware of what I was doing.

I use it while scrolling through Reddit, issuing commands such as “scroll up” or “open.” It made me wonder if I should open the app now or if I’m just bored.

It is not something I would use full-time, but it was surprisingly effective as a mindfulness exercise.

4

Accessibility menu

A quick shortcut for actions

The Accessibility menu adds a floating button to the screen, giving you large, simple shortcuts for actions such as taking screenshots, adjusting volume, or locking the phone.

To turn on the feature, go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Menu.

It minimized the urge to swipe around endlessly.

I admit that I don’t use this feature often, since the floating button got in the way. It is worth attempting if you want to minimize unnecessary gestures.

3

Color inversion

Breaking visual patterns

For late-night reading, I tested color inversion. You can access it from Settings > Accessibility > Color inversion.

This feature flips colors on your screen, so white becomes black, blue becomes orange, and so on.

However, the result was jarring. It disrupted my usual patterns of interaction and made social media apps look weird.

Like grayscale, it worked as a psychological cue to step back from mindless scrolling.

It wasn’t practical for everyday use because photos appeared strange, and some apps did not display correctly.

Still, as a temporary experiment, it helped me rethink how much visual appeal fuels my scrolling habits.

2

Time to take action

Choose how long you want notices to be displayed

The Time to take action setting in Android changes how long system messages, pop-ups, and alerts stay on screen before disappearing.

By extending the timeout, you get more breathing room to read and interact with temporary notifications such as Undo delete or Mark as read.

It is helpful for people who process information more slowly or for those multitasking on the go.

On the flip side, setting a shorter timeout can make your phone feel snappier.

You’ll find it under Settings > Accessibility > Time to take action.

1

Remove animations

A calmer phone interface

The Remove animations option in Android’s accessibility menu eliminates transition effects such as screen fades, app zooms, and menu slides.

While animations make the interface feel smooth, they can also slow down navigation, especially on older or budget devices.

Turning on this option creates an instant, snappy feel when opening apps, switching screens, or pulling down notifications.

It’s also a subtle battery saver since the GPU has less work to do.

For users prone to motion sickness or dizziness from on-screen movement, it doubles as a comfort feature.

To make your phone feel less flashy, navigate to Settings > Accessibility and turn on the Remove animations toggle.

Unlock your phone’s hidden potential with these built-in tools

Most users often perceive Android’s accessibility features as specialized tools, reserved for users with distinct needs.

However, as this list shows, they’re far more than that. These underrated options can make any smartphone faster, smarter, and more comfortable to use.

Whether it’s removing animations for instant responsiveness, turning on voice controls for hands-free multitasking, or fine-tuning display settings for better readability, there’s something here for everyone.

For me, the most impactful features were Grayscale and Voice Access. Both helped me break automatic habits without making the phone unusable.

While magnification and the accessibility menu helped a little with focus, they didn’t feel essential. Color inversion was too harsh for daily use.

You can adjust your phone’s accessibility settings to customize your device and suit your needs.

The best part is that all of these tools are built-in, free, and just a few taps away.