Best Practices for Mobile App Accessibility

Chosen theme: Best Practices for Mobile App Accessibility. Build experiences that everyone can use with confidence and delight. Explore practical tips, real-world stories, and simple checklists you can apply today. If this topic resonates, subscribe for future accessibility deep-dives and share your favorite practice with us.

Perceivable on Small Screens

Ensure content can be perceived regardless of vision or device conditions. Provide descriptive text for icons, scalable typography with user settings, and clear hierarchy. Avoid text embedded in images. Test outdoors in bright light and in dark rooms to mirror real scenarios.

Operable Without Precision

Design for touch, keyboard, voice control, and switch access. Make tap targets comfortably large and spaced. Avoid time-limited gestures. Provide alternatives to complex multi-finger gestures. Try navigating your app using only Voice Control or Switch Control to reveal friction quickly.

Understandable, Robust, and Consistent

Use plain language, predictable patterns, and clear feedback. Keep navigation consistent. Support system settings like larger text and reduced motion. Structure views semantically so assistive technologies can interpret roles, states, and relationships reliably across updates and devices.

Screen Readers: VoiceOver, TalkBack, and Beyond

Every interactive element needs an accessible name that matches its visible purpose. Add concise labels and context-rich hints. Replace vague “Button” with specific actions like “Save draft.” Keep announcements short, accurate, and consistent with what users see on screen.

Touch Targets, Gestures, and Ergonomic Navigation

Adopt platform-recommended minimum sizes and add generous padding to hit areas. Leave sufficient spacing to avoid accidental taps. Prioritize frequently used actions in easy-to-reach zones. Validate with one-handed use on larger devices to avoid strain and mis-taps.

Touch Targets, Gestures, and Ergonomic Navigation

Provide visible buttons for actions hidden behind swipes or long-presses. Include undo options instead of destructive swipe-only behavior. Teach gestures gently with contextual tips, then step aside. Users should never be blocked if they cannot perform a proprietary gesture.

Forms, Errors, and Guidance That Reduce Friction

Use persistent labels rather than placeholder-only text. Pair labels with concise helper text and examples. Associate labels explicitly with inputs for screen readers. For complex inputs like dates, provide accessible pickers and explain formats to reduce confusion.

Forms, Errors, and Guidance That Reduce Friction

Show errors near the relevant field and announce them via assistive tech. Use plain language and offer next steps. Preserve user input. Provide inline validation that updates politely as users correct mistakes, avoiding jarring focus jumps and repeated alerts.

Captions and Transcripts by Default

Provide accurate, synchronized captions for all spoken content. Include speaker identification and essential sounds. Offer downloadable transcripts for offline reading and translation. Make caption toggles easy to discover, and remember user preferences across sessions.

Describe What Cannot Be Heard

For critical visuals, include audio descriptions or on-screen alternatives. Summarize charts and animations with concise text. Where bandwidth is limited, provide a lightweight descriptive mode so users can still grasp meaning without heavy media playback.

Testing, Tooling, and Real-World Feedback Loops

Run regular sessions with VoiceOver and TalkBack users. In one pilot, a commuter named Maya uncovered a hidden focus trap in our transit app within minutes. Her feedback inspired a redesign that improved speed for everyone, not just screen reader users.