Customize your device’s accessibility functions
Android Accessibility Suite is a free-to-use utility from Google LLC that allows you to customize your device’s setting so you can easily make use of your device hands-free or with the use of a switch device. This tool can be especially useful for users that require aid due to visual impairments or low vision.
Android Accessibility Suite features a collection of accessibility services that allow you to enable a more user-friendly way to access the text-to-speech function. This unique tool also presents a large menu that you can access at any time while browning various sites or apps.
What can it do?
Unlike your typical applications, Android Accessibility Suite can be directly accessed once downloaded through your device’s settings. You’ll have to grant a few special permissions in order to make use of all its functions. However, once you’ve enabled them, you’re good to go. Users can then begin setting up the available services and rely on the short instructions provided in case they run into any issues.
One of the most notable features is the TalkBack function, which allows users to control their devices even without looking at their screens. This allows you to navigate your phone by simply using gestures. It even grants you an on-screen Braille keyboard and spoken feedback. Users can also set up the Select to Speak function that automatically reads out text by clicking on what they want to read.
However, a persistent bug that occurs is the inability to stop the Select to Speak feature, especially when you only want a short part of a particularly long passage to be read out loud. As previously mentioned, users can also access a large on-screen accessibility menu that allows them to control their device’s volume, power, and lock without having to use their device’s buttons.
Making devices more accessible for everyone
While there are some bugs that keep the Select to Speak function from stopping, Android Accessibility Suite is still an incredibly powerful tool with an admirable premise that allows various users to easily control and navigate their devices. With easy-to-access menus and the ability to use gestures instead of your phone’s buttons, this tool offers great alternatives for users who struggle with visual and motor impairments.
