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0300 180 0028To learn more about using a mouse or trackpad with your devices, see our guide How to use a mouse or trackpad with your iPhone or iPad in iOS 26.
Short guide:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Hover Text.
- Tap the toggle switch for Hover Text to turn it on.
- Move the pointer over text to display a larger version of it. If you’re using an Apple Pencil, simply hover the tip over the text.
- If using a finger, first tap the on-screen Hover Text button. Tap the button again to regain control of your device.
Before and after
This section explains how to enable the Hover Text feature in iOS 26. This is a step-by-step guide with pictures of the screens to help.
Find the Accessibility settings
1. Tap the Settings icon on your Home screen to open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
Open the Hover Text settings
2. On the Accessibility screen, tap Hover Text.
Turn on Hover Text
3. On the next page, tap the toggle switch for Hover Text to turn it on.
How to use Hover Text
With a mouse, trackpad, or other connected pointing device.
4. Connect a pointing device, such as a mouse or trackpad, to your iPhone or iPad.
On supported iPad models, you can also use an Apple Pencil (2nd generation) as a pointing device.
5. Move the pointer over text to display a larger version of it. If you’re using an Apple Pencil, simply hover the tip over the text.
Note: If you have a keyboard connected to your device, you'll need to press and hold the Control (⌃) key whilst moving the pointer over text.
With your finger
6. You can also use Hover Text with your finger. To do this, tap the on-screen Hover Text button.
The button will become greyed-out to indicate the feature is active. While active, Hover Text will display a larger version of what is under your finger, but you won’t be able to control your device at the same time. When you’re ready to regain control, simply tap the greyed-out button again.
How to customise the settings for Hover Text
7. You can customise Hover Text settings to change how and where the enlarged text appears, making it easier to read content in a way that suits your needs. Descriptions for each setting are provided in the table below, following the Hover Text settings screenshot.
| Hover Text settings | |
| Text settings | |
| Setting | Description |
| Display Mode | By default, the Hover Text window appears at the top of the screen. To change its position, tap Display Mode and choose from the following options: Inline - The Hover Text window appears just above or below the cursor. Top - The Hover Text window appears at the top of the screen. Bottom - Hover Text window appears at the bottom of the screen. |
| Content | Choose what content you want to appear in the Hover Text window. By default, Hover Text displays a larger version of the text under the pointer. However, it can also show the colour of the item currently under the pointer, or both the text and the colour. To change this setting, tap Content, then select your preferred option. |
| Scrolling Speed | When you hover over a large block of text, the text scrolls across the Hover Text window. To adjust how quickly the text scrolls, tap Scrolling Speed and choose a faster or slower setting. |
| Font | To customise the appearance of the enlarged text, you can change the font used by Hover Text. Tap Font, then choose from the list of available fonts on the next screen. This allows you to select a typeface that best suits your reading preferences. |
| Size | To change the size of the text, tap Size. Then use the slider on the next screen to adjust it. |
| Colour settings | |
| Setting | Description |
| Text Colour | To change the text colour, tap Text Colour. Then, choose a new colour from the colour picker. |
| Background Colour | To change the background colour of the Hover Text window, tap Background Colour. Then, choose a new colour from the colour picker. |
| Border Colour | To change the colour of the Hover Text window's border, tap Border Colour. Then, choose a new colour from the colour picker. |
| Controls (for when you have a keyboard connected to your device) | |
| Setting | Description |
| Activation Modifier | If you have a keyboard connected to your device, you need to press and hold the Control (⌃) whilst moving the pointer over text to display Hover Text. To change the key required to activate Hover Text, tap Activation Modifier and select from Control (⌃), Option (Alt ⌥), and Command (⌘). |
| Activation Lock | You can lock the activation modifier key so you don’t have to keep holding it down to see Hover Text. To do this, turn on the toggle switch for Activation Lock. You can now triple-click the activation key to turn Hover Text on and use it without holding the key down. To turn off the lock, simply triple-click the activation key again. |
Return to the Home screen
8. When you are happy with your settings, you can return to the Home screen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen or by pressing the Home button on devices that have one.
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