Android Accessibility Suite

Google Talkback is an app that was developed by the internet powerhouse Google in order to better serve users who have trouble seeing and reading their Android devices due to severe issues with their vision. The concept behind this app is a simple one: If the user cannot see his or her phone or tablet, then make the device talk instead.

The first step to benefiting from the Google Talkback app is to download it onto any Android smartphone or tablet. Then, you must enter the device's accessibility menu and activate the app. Activating the app will open up a world of possibilities. Google Talkback offers mean features and functions that you can choose between in order to improve your experience operating a mobile device.

A great example of these features is the option that makes the phone or tablet verbally describe every item you touch on the screen. The simple action of hovering your finger over a particular icon or picture will initiate the audible narration to help explain what you are looking at. This is one feature that is obviously beneficial to anyone who deals with poor vision in a highly technological world.

While Google Talkback can be incredibly helpful for many Android users, there are some negatives to installing the app. Some users have reported that they cannot turn off or uninstall the app once it is on the phone and functioning. Other have noted that there are bugs in the app that can cause certain features to not work properly.

Pros:

• Helps users with vision issues operate their Android devices more easily.
• Turns visual cues into verbal cues for better understanding.

Cons:

• Users have reported problems with uninstalling or turning off the app.
• Bugs can cause issues with the function of the app.

TalkBack 13:

• Support for braille displays

• Automatic descriptions for unlabelled icons