---
title: Horizontal text
framework: accessibility
role: collectionGroup
role_heading: API Collection
path: accessibility/horizontal-text
---

# Horizontal text

Lay out vertical text horizontally in your app when people turn on the Prefer Horizontal Text setting.

## Overview

Overview People use the Prefer Horizontal Text setting to specify a preference for laying out text horizontally in languages that support vertical text. By default, the setting is off, which allows languages that support vertical text to lay out text vertically. A person can turn on the setting to indicate that they prefer a horizontal text layout where possible. In your app, handle changes to the Prefer Horizontal Text setting to create an enjoyable experience for people who choose to opt in to a horizontal text layout. Register for the notification prefersHorizontalTextLayoutDidChangeNotification to respond to changes in this setting: import Accessibility

NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self,     selector: #selector(prefersHorizontalTextChanged),     name: NSNotification.Name.prefersHorizontalTextLayoutDidChangeNotification,     object: nil) When the Prefer Horizontal Text setting changes, perform changes to your UI to update how you lay out text: @objc  func prefersHorizontalTextChanged(_ notification: Notification) {     if AccessibilitySettings.prefersHorizontalTextLayout {         // The setting is on. Use a horizontal layout for text where possible.     } else {         // The setting is off. Use a vertical layout for languages that support vertical text.     } } Check the value of the Prefer Horizontal Text setting at any time by using prefersHorizontalTextLayout.

## Topics

### Horizontal text

- [prefersHorizontalTextLayout](accessibility/accessibilitysettings/prefershorizontaltextlayout.md)
- [prefersHorizontalTextLayoutDidChangeNotification](accessibility/accessibilitysettings/prefershorizontaltextlayoutdidchangenotification.md)

## See Also

### Supporting vision accessibility features

- [VoiceOver](accessibility/voiceover.md)
- [Flashing lights](mediaaccessibility/flashing-lights.md)
- [Audio graphs](accessibility/audio-graphs.md)
- [Braille displays](accessibility/braille-displays.md)
- [Animated images](accessibility/animated-images.md)
- [WWDC21 Challenge: Large Text Challenge](accessibility/wwdc21_challenge_large_text_challenge.md)