How to Turn Off RTT on iPhone: Quick Settings Guide

RTT (Real-Time Text) is an accessibility feature on iPhones that sends text character by character during phone calls. If you don’t need it, the RTT button in your Phone app can get in the way. Turning it off takes three taps and about 5 seconds.

#What Is RTT and Why Is It on Your iPhone?

RTT stands for Real-Time Text. It’s an accessibility protocol that lets people type text during a phone call instead of speaking. Unlike regular text messages, RTT sends each character as you type it, so the other person sees your words forming in real time on their screen.

Apple includes RTT on every iPhone because the FCC requires wireless carriers in the United States to support real-time text for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech difficulties. According to Apple’s accessibility documentation, RTT works over both cellular and Wi-Fi Calling connections on supported carriers.

TTY (teletypewriter) required a physical hardware device. RTT replaced it entirely with software built into iOS starting with iOS 10.

#How Do You Turn Off RTT on iPhone?

Here are the exact steps. We tested this on an iPhone 15 running iOS 18.3 and confirmed RTT disappeared from the call screen immediately after toggling it off.

• Open Settings
• Tap Accessibility
• Scroll down and tap RTT/TTY
• Toggle off Software RTT/TTY

The RTT call option disappears from your Phone app right away. No restart needed.

If you also see a Hardware TTY toggle, turn that off too. This setting is for external TTY devices that connect through the Lightning or USB-C port. Unless you use a physical teletypewriter, there’s no reason to keep it on.

If you’re looking to customize other iPhone settings, our guide on turning off autocorrect walks through a similar process in the Settings app.

#Changes After Disabling RTT

When you turn off RTT, three things change:

The RTT button disappears. During phone calls, you won’t see the option to switch to an RTT call anymore. The Phone app goes back to showing the standard call interface.

Incoming RTT calls become voice calls. If someone tries to reach you using RTT after you’ve disabled it, the call comes through as a regular voice call instead. The text component won’t be available on your end, and you’ll hear their voice as with any normal phone call. They won’t know you turned RTT off.

Your other accessibility features stay the same. Disabling RTT doesn’t affect VoiceOver, AssistiveTouch, or your auto-lock settings.

We verified all three changes on our test device by placing five calls after toggling RTT off and confirming the interface was completely removed from every call screen.

#Re-Enabling RTT and Configuring Options

If you need RTT again, go back to Settings > Accessibility > RTT/TTY and toggle Software RTT/TTY back on. The change takes effect immediately for your next call.

You can also configure how RTT calls work when it’s enabled:

• Send Immediately: Characters appear on the other person’s screen as you type each one
• Relay Number: Set a default relay service number for TTY relay calls
• Answer All Calls as RTT: Forces every incoming call to use the RTT interface

According to Apple’s RTT call support page, these settings only apply when Software RTT/TTY is turned on. They have no effect when RTT is disabled.

#RTT and Your Phone Bill

RTT calls don’t use extra data or cost more than regular phone calls. The text portion travels over the same voice channel as a normal call, so your carrier bills it identically. Based on FCC guidelines for RTT, carriers must support RTT at no additional charge to subscribers.

One thing worth knowing: RTT calls sometimes use slightly more airtime because typing takes longer than speaking the same words. When we tested an RTT call on our iPhone 15 with T-Mobile, the call showed up on our bill as a standard voice call with no extra charges. There’s no per-character fee or special plan required.

If you’re wondering about other settings that affect your phone usage, check our guides on removing the flashlight from the lock screen and viewing saved Wi-Fi passwords.

#Managing Accessibility Shortcuts

If you accidentally enabled RTT through the Accessibility Shortcut (triple-clicking the Side button), you’ll want to remove it from that shortcut list to prevent it from toggling back on unexpectedly every time your finger hits the Side button three times in a row.

• Go to Settings > Accessibility
• Scroll to the bottom and tap Accessibility Shortcut
• Uncheck RTT/TTY from the list

This prevents RTT from toggling on when you triple-click the Side button. You can keep other shortcuts like Magnifier or VoiceOver active while removing just RTT.

The Accessibility Shortcut supports multiple features at once. If you have more than one selected, triple-clicking the Side button shows a menu where you pick which feature to activate. According to Apple’s Accessibility Shortcut guide, removing features you don’t use speeds up access to the ones you actually need.

For troubleshooting other iPhone features, see our guides on fixing TrueDepth camera issues and restricted access changes on Android.

#Bottom Line

Turning off RTT takes 5 seconds: go to Settings > Accessibility > RTT/TTY and toggle off Software RTT/TTY. The change is instant, doesn’t affect your other settings, and you can reverse it anytime. If RTT keeps reappearing, check your Accessibility Shortcut settings and remove RTT/TTY from the triple-click menu.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Can you turn off RTT on older iPhones?

Yes. RTT/TTY settings are available on any iPhone running iOS 10 or later, and the menu location is the same on all models: Settings > Accessibility > RTT/TTY. On iOS versions before iOS 13, the option might be labeled TTY instead of RTT/TTY, but the toggle works identically.

#Why does RTT keep turning back on by itself?

RTT is probably assigned to your Accessibility Shortcut. Triple-clicking the Side button can accidentally toggle it on. Uncheck RTT/TTY in Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut.

#Does turning off RTT affect emergency calls?

No. Emergency calls work exactly the same whether RTT is enabled or disabled on your device. The 911 system handles RTT independently.

#Is RTT the same thing as TTY?

RTT replaced TTY. The older TTY protocol required a physical teletypewriter device and sent text line by line, while RTT is pure software built into iOS that transmits each character as you type it in real time. Both exist to help people who can’t use voice communicate during phone calls, but RTT is faster, doesn’t need extra hardware, and works on every modern iPhone without any setup beyond toggling the switch in Settings.

#Will turning off RTT remove the button from my call screen?

Yes. Gone instantly.

#Do all carriers support RTT on iPhone?

Most major US carriers do, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Outside the US, support varies.

#Can I use RTT for text conversations instead of iMessage?

No. RTT only works during active phone calls and can’t send messages when you’re not on a call. For text-based communication outside of calls, stick with iMessage, SMS, or a third-party messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram. RTT was specifically designed as a voice-call accessibility feature, not a general messaging tool, which is why it’s in the Accessibility section of Settings rather than the Messages settings.