Wired's Jeremy White Turns 1 iPhone Into a Dumb Phone With Assistive Access
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 6
Wired's Jeremy White Turns 1 iPhone Into a Dumb Phone With Assistive Access
3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 6
Summary
Assistive Access lets parents turn an iPhone into a stripped-down device for children, giving access to calls, messages and selected apps while blocking web browsing if Safari is excluded.
White used the built-in iOS accessibility feature to give his son a phone for emergencies without internet or social media access, avoiding any third-party subscription app.
Setup runs through Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access, where users choose a grid or row layout and approve each allowed app individually.
The controls extend inside apps: Messages and Calls can be limited to everyone, contacts or favorites, notifications can be customized, and Music can be restricted to preapproved playlists.
The workaround arrives before Apple's broader parental-control upgrade in iOS 27 and also fits a wider push by families and adults to create 'dumb phone' experiences on smartphones.