Reaching the top of a big phone with limited reach or grip

Two separate problems tend to get lumped together. One is reach: your thumb stops short of the top of the screen. The other is grip: the phone takes effort to hold, and stretching is what makes it slip. Many people have some of both, for all sorts of reasons, and they need different fixes.

A grip does nothing about a button your thumb can't reach, and one-handed mode doesn't make the phone any easier to hold. So work out which one is getting in your way first. I'd sort out holding the phone before changing settings, because settings are easier to judge once the phone feels stable.

Things you can stick on the phone

There are three broad kinds, and the difference between them is what your hand has to do.

A ring or loop goes round one or more fingers. A folding grip, like a PopGrip, sits between two fingers. A stand holds the phone up so you aren't holding it at all. Try them in a shop if you can, because a product photo won't tell you what suits your hand.

Read the listing closely, because the names blur together. Google's Pixelsnap Ring Stand sounds like a grip, but Google says it's "designed for hands-free viewing rather than as a grip".

Next, check how it attaches. PopSockets sells adhesive bases, and separate magnetic grips made for MagSafe-compatible cases. Pixel 10 and 11 phones have Qi2 magnets built in. On anything else, check whether you'd need a magnetic case first.

Wireless charging is the annoying part. Google says to take the Ring Stand off to charge wirelessly, and PopSockets says the same of its magnetic grips. If your hands make that fiddly, plan on a charging cable, or ask someone to help you fit a grip you can leave in place.

A stand is the one to choose if holding the phone is the hard part. With the phone propped on a table you can use whichever finger reaches best, and nothing has to support the weight. It's no help on your feet, of course.

Settings that change what your finger has to do

I couldn't find a setting in Google's documentation called "larger touch targets", so don't spend time hunting for it. The closest thing is Display size: search for it in Settings and move the slider. Things on screen get bigger, and you see less at once, so you'll scroll more. The Accessibility Menu also has a Large buttons setting.

If your phone keeps treating taps as long presses, lengthen the touch and hold delay to Medium or Long. The trade-off is that deliberate long presses take longer.

This setting moves around more than most. Google's page puts it directly under Accessibility. AbilityNet's Android 15 guide finds it under Interaction controls, then Timing controls. On Galaxy phones it's under Interaction and dexterity, and Samsung's own pages disagree on whether there's a Touch settings step in between. Searching Settings for "touch and hold" is the reliable way.

Samsung adds two more on that page. Tap duration and Ignore repeated touches are both aimed at unintended taps. If that isn't your problem, leave them off.

If swipes are unreliable, try 3-button navigation. Google recommends it for people with limited dexterity or who find precise gestures hard, and the setting is under Navigation mode, usually in System or Gestures.

One small one is Time to take action, which keeps temporary messages on screen for up to two minutes. Not all apps respect it, but it helps when you need to shift your hand before you can tap.

Reaching without touching the top at all

Voice Access is the thorough option, since it can run the whole phone by speech. If you only want the odd task done, the phone's assistant is less to learn. On many phones that's now Gemini rather than Google Assistant: Google's help page says it can start with a long press of the power button or "Hey Google", though "Hey Google" isn't available in all languages and countries.

For a cursor, Galaxy phones have one in the Assistant menu. I'd try it before any third-party app. If touch isn't working for you at all, Android also offers Switch Access and Camera Switches, and Samsung has Universal switch.

When to ask an occupational therapist

This article can tell you what the settings do. It can't look at your hand or tell you what's right for it.

I'd book an occupational therapist if holding the phone hurts, if things have been getting harder over time, if you've been given limits on using your hand after an injury or surgery, or if you've tried a few things here and the phone still takes real effort. It's also worth asking before you spend much on equipment.

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists describes the work as looking at what you need to do and whether your surroundings help or hinder it, then finding ways to make those things easier. Bring the phone and any case or grip you use.

How you get one depends on where you live. In the UK, the NHS says you can get it free through the NHS or social services, by asking a GP about a referral or contacting your council, or you can pay privately. Elsewhere, your doctor or a national occupational therapy association is a sensible first call.

For help with the technology itself, the UK charity AbilityNet runs a helpline and free volunteer support for older and disabled people, and its My Computer My Way guides are free to read anywhere. Google also has a Disability Support team, linked from its help pages.

I also make a corner cursor pad called Thumb Arc, built for limited reach or grip. It's still in testing. The demo and its page will tell you if it's relevant.