How to Turn Off RTT on iPhone

This accessibility feature can be easily turned off if you don't need it

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on September 15, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute

Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA-certified technologist with more than 10 years of experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.

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What to Know

  • Open Settings > Accessibility > RTT/TTY, and tap the RTT/TTY toggle. If necessary, also tap the Hardware TTY toggle. 
  • RTT/TTY doesn’t require any additional hardware on iPhone, but it is carrier-dependent.

This article explains how to turn off RTT on an iPhone, including an explanation of what RTT is and why you might need to use it.

How to Remove RTT From iPhone

Real-time text (RTT) is an iPhone accessibility feature that you can’t remove but, if you don't need it, you can turn it off. The feature is enabled in your iPhone’s accessibility settings.

Here’s how to turn off RTT on an iPhone:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Scroll down, and tap Accessibility.

  3. Scroll down, and tap RTT/TTY.

    iPhone with Settings, Accessibility, and RTT highlighted

  4. Tap the Software RTT/TTY toggle to disable it.

  5. If necessary, tap the Hardware TTY toggle to disable it as well.

  6. RTT and TTY are now disabled on your iPhone.

    iPhone settings with Software RTT and Hardware RTT toggles off

    To enable RTT/TTY again in the future, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > RTT/TTY, and tap the RTT/TTY toggle to turn it back on.

What Is RTT/TTY on iPhones?

RTT is an accessibility feature that lets you place and receive phone calls on your iPhone using text instead of voice. It’s capable of transcribing both voice to text and text to voice, and it looks a lot like a text message on your end when you use the feature. The text of calls made using RTT/TTY is also archived and available to search and read after the call is over.

When you place a call with RTT turned on, you have the option to place an RTT/TTY call instead of a regular voice call. If your carrier supports it, placing a call in this manner allows you to enter text into a message field during the call, and the system then reads that text to the person you called. Their replies are automatically transcribed to text and appear on the screen where you can read and reply.

RTT/TTY doesn’t require any additional hardware on iPhones, but you can attach a physical teletypewriter device if you have one.

Who Is RTT For?

Since RTT/TTY is a standard feature on iPhones and doesn’t need any additional hardware or accessories, it’s available to everyone. However, this feature is specifically designed for iPhone users who are deaf, hard of hearing, have difficulty speaking, or who can’t speak at all. These users would typically need to place and receive calls using a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or teletypewriter (TTY) to place calls, or rely on text-based methods of communication like SMS.

FAQ
  • How do I turn off accessibility shortcuts on iPhone?

    If you've created an accessibility shortcut on your iPhone and want to disable it, go to Settings > Accessibility. Scroll down to General and select Accessibility Shortcut. Tap the checkmark next to any accessibility shortcut to turn it off.

  • How do I turn on an accessibility shortcut on iPhone?

    To enable an accessibility shortcut on iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility. Scroll down to General and select Accessibility Shortcut. Tap an assistive function you want to enable, and then triple-click the side button to turn on that accessibility feature.

  • How do I turn off zoom accessibility on iPhone?

    To turn off the zoom accessibility option, go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom. Tap the slider next to Zoom to turn off the feature.

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