Google Home app accessibility for Android phones and tablets
The Google Home app for Android works with the following
accessibility features to make it easier to use your Android device with
your Chromecast or Chromecast Audio if you have physical impairments:
- TalkBack is a pre-installed screen reader service
provided by Google that you can use if you have visual impairments. It
uses spoken feedback to describe the results of actions, such as opening
an app, and events, such as notifications.
- Magnification Gestures is an accessibility
feature that temporarily magnifies what’s on your screen or uses
magnification mode to easily zoom and pan your screen. Large text
increases the text size on your device. (If you have low vision.)
- BrailleBack is an add-on accessibility service
that helps blind users make use of braille devices. It works together
with the TalkBack app to give a combined braille and speech experience.
This app lets you connect a supported refreshable braille display to
your device via Bluetooth. Screen content appears on the braille
display, and you can navigate and interact with your device using the
keys on the display. You can also input text using the braille keyboard.
- Tap & hold delay is an accessibility feature
for those with motor impairments. With choices ranging from short,
medium, to long touch and hold delay option, it gives you sufficient
time to navigate the features of an app.
- Switch Access is an accessibility feature that
helps you control your devices by allowing you to focus on and select
clickable items. This is possible due to configurable key combinations.
- Captions is a feature that makes content
meaningful if you have hearing disabilities. Turning on this
accessibility feature turns on closed captioning. Closed captioning is
normal-sized written content in white text on a black screen for every
audible sound on the screen.
- Large text is an accessibility feature that
allows you to more easily read text if you have poor vision or reading
disabilities, due to the increased size of the written text on the
screen.
- High contrast text (experimental) is a new
accessibility feature that contrasts the color of the text to its
background and produces an effect that makes reading easier. The typical
contrast produced is white text against a darker background.
- Power button ends call is for those who prefer to use a physical button to end calls.
- Auto-rotate screen allows the screen to rotate freely for your convenience. Turning it off locks the screen and prevents it from rotating.
- Speak password is a feature that you turn on only when absolutely necessary. Note: Keeping this feature “on” all the time may be a security risk.
- Text-to-speech is an accessibility feature that
uses Google’s text-to-speech engine to convert text to speech. This
allows you to use the phone and apps easily if you have visual
disabilities.
All the above features are performing better than ever in the Google Home app because of the following upgrades:
- High-relevance labels for images and controls
- Talkback’s left-right swipe reaches all actionable controls and content
- Chromecast Audio setup instructions available in both audio and visual media
- User’s input error identified and described in text
- Great contrast between text/images and background
- Set up Chromecast device without sound, except in the case of Chromecast Audio
- Set up device with high contrast mode and screen magnification enabled
- Set up device with screen reader on, except for Chromecast
- Touched target size large enough for precision-challenged users
- All functionalities and content usable even at 200% magnification
- Users able to undo mistakes
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Google Home app accessibility for Android phones and tablets
The Google Home app for Android works with the following accessibility features to make it easier to use your Android device with your Chromecast or Chromecast Audio if you have physical impairments: TalkBack is a pre-installed screen reader service ...
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