Accessibility features of major operating systems

There is alignment between mobile operating system accessibility features and WCAG 2.0 principles. Mobile platforms often go beyond these guidelines to address broader device-usage scenarios. As such, there are smartphone-specific accessibility guidelines provided by the operating system developers that leverage the WCAG 2.0 principles.

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Both Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) have established accessibility guidelines and best practices to ensure that their mobile operating systems are accessible. These guidelines offer recommendations for app developers.

Accessibility features across iOS and Android support different types of disabilities.

Apple encourages app developers to adhere to accessibility guidelines, contributing to a more consistent experience. Android’s open-source nature has led to diverse devices and user interfaces, providing users with options to choose devices that align with their preferences. While the core functionalities are comparable, users may find variations in feature availability or performance based on individual needs and preferences. Ultimately, the ‘better’ choice depends on the user’s familiarity, comfort, and specific requirements. Users may find that certain features or aspects of one operating system better suit their needs.

Some of the basic accessibility features offered by Android (see table 13) and iOS (see table 14) accessibility suites are highlighted below. Specific features may differ from device to device and operating system version or require that you enable accessibility shortcuts in the device and/or download additional apps. The table in the Product Catalogue Annex provides a sample comparative of accessibility features of both operating systems across a range of smartphone-specific accessibility requirements, with a table comparing operating systems available in Appendix E.

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Table 13: Sample of Android accessibility suite

Category Android feature Description
Screen Reader TalkBack Uses audio feedback and vibration to help users who have vision impairments interact with their devices.
Braille keyboard Supports Unified English Braille and enables users to enter 6-dot Braille on the screen.
Select to Speak Provides users with spoken feedback when manually selected to be read aloud.
Display changes Display size Users have the option to change the font size and display size.
Magnification Helps users temporarily magnify or zoom the screen when required.
Color and contrast Android offers alternative views for users with low vision and those who are color blind.
Interaction controls Lookout Google app that uses the camera to help users with vision impairment obtain information related to their surroundings.
Voice access Users can control their Android device using spoken commands with this feature.
Switch access Allows users to interact with their devices without using the touchscreen.
Audio and text Live caption Provide automatic captioning for content viewed on a mobile device that does not require wi-fi or a mobile network. On Pixel phones, this is also available for calls.
Live transcribe Provides users who are deaf or hard of hearing the ability to turn their phone into a live transcription service. Can interpret sounds and words in over 70 languages.
Sound notifications Keeps users informed about the sounds in their homes. Allows users to connect sounds in their homes, such as fire alarms and doorbells, to automatic notifications on their screens.
Real-time text With RTT, users can make use of text during a phone call for more effective communication.
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Table 14: Sample of iOS accessibility suite

Category iOS Feature Description
Vision VoiceOver Describes what is happening on the screen and helps users navigate content from battery level to text blocks.
VoiceOver + Braille Allows users to connect Bluetooth Braille devices for VoiceOver output.
Speak screen Even with VoiceOver off, users can have messages, emails, Safari, and almost any other text read aloud.
Magnifier Operates like a digital magnifying glass to help users increase the size of any physical object using their camera.
Mobility Voice Control Navigate their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac using only voice commands and interact with any iOS apps. Voice control requires iOS 13 or later.
Switch Control Users can control their iOS device with just a single tap using a range of adaptive switch hardware.
AssistiveTouch This feature lets users adapt their touchscreen to suit specific physical needs. If tap or pinch or another gesture doesn’t work, users may swap it with a customized gesture.
Touch Accommodations Users can adjust the response of their screen to touch with this feature on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.
Hearing Sound Recognition This feature uses on-device intelligence to recognize and inform users when a specific sound is detected.
Headphone accommodations Users can customize their listening experience while watching a movie, listening to music, or speaking to someone by adjusting sound frequencies according to their specific needs
Live Listen This assistive audio feature allows users to have clearer conversations in loud places by turning iPad and iPhone into a remote microphone that transmits sound back to Made for iPhone hearing aids.
Made for iPhone Hearing Aids Made for iPhone hearing aids connect directly into Apple's iOS and provide users the ability to stream audio from their phone, to answer phone calls, and to communicate with others by using iPad and iPhone microphones to improve sound quality.
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Table 15: Mapping of Android and iOS accessibility features

Feature iOS (iPhone/iPad) Android Accessibility type(s)
Screen Reader VoiceOver TalkBack Vision
Magnification Magnifier Magnification Gestures Vision
Switch Control Switch Control Switch Access Motor
Voice Assistant Siri Google Assistant (Voice Access) Cognitive, Motor
Speech-to-Text Dictation Google Keyboard with Voice Typing Hearing, Cognitive
Captioning and Subtitles Closed Captions Live Transcribe Hearing
Voice Commands Voice Control Voice Access Motor
Sound Amplification Sound Recognition Sound Amplifier Hearing
Hearing Aid Compatibility MFi Hearing Devices Support Compatibility with Hearing Aid Streaming Hearing
Customizable Text Size Dynamic text Font Size and Display Size settings Vision
Color Inversion Smart Invert Colours Color Inversion Vision
Mono Audio Mono Audio Mono Audio Hearing
Guided Access Guided Access Screen Pinning (similar functionality) Cognitive, Motor
Closed System for Sensory Issues Guided Access None specified, but third-party apps exist Cognitive, Sensory
Live Transcribe Not inbuilt, third- party apps available Live Transcribe Hearing

In the absence of a harmonized international standard, it is challenging to evaluate the utility and comprehensiveness of guidelines developed by OS developers, as well as many third-party app developers. For a comprehensive understanding of accessibility compliance, the creation of additional evaluation based on platform-specific guidelines and standards is recommended.

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