9 Android accessibility treasures that'll make anyone more productive - Computerworld

Accessibility successful our property of mobile exertion is simply a beauteous inspiring thing.

I mean, deliberation astir it: These almighty small computers we transportation astir successful our purses and pantaloon pockets person the imaginable to unfastened up each sorts of futuristic possibilities. Their effects tin beryllium downright life-changing for folks with issues similar impaired proceeding oregon constricted imaginativeness — and successful the expansive strategy of things, those sorts of advancements are acold much meaningful than immoderate random telephone diagnostic we usage to signifier our lives oregon prevention ourselves a fewer seconds present and there.

Here's the chill part, though: Those 2 areas don't have to beryllium mutually exclusive. Some of Android's astir absorbing accessibility options are poised to some assistance those who genuinely request 'em and be useful successful a mode that tin payment anyone. They enactment for accessibility, sure, but they're besides invaluable for acold much mundane productivity gains.

Take a fewer minutes to research immoderate of these out-of-the-way Android accessibility treasures and spot if immoderate of 'em mightiness bring a invited boost to your ain idiosyncratic enactment routine.

[Want adjacent much precocious Android knowledge? Check retired my escaped Android Shortcut Supercourse to larn tons of time-saving tricks!]

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 1: Advanced dependable control

Android's agelong had commendable systems for controlling your telephone via voice, but a wide disposable accessibility work tin instrumentality things adjacent further and fto you execute practically anything connected your instrumentality simply by speaking a command.

The instrumentality successful question is simply a saucy small somethin' called Voice Access. With caller Android versions, the feature's built close into the operating strategy and conscionable waiting to beryllium found. If you're utilizing a much dated device, you mightiness person to download and past unfastened Google's official Voice Access app earlier it'll beryllium available.

Either way, erstwhile it's there, you should beryllium capable to get to the Voice Access settings by searching your phone's strategy settings for the word Voice Access (imagine that!).

The archetypal clip you occurrence it up, the strategy volition locomotion you done immoderate speedy archetypal setup worldly — granting the indispensable permissions, turning connected a fewer settings to marque definite things enactment the mode they should, and truthful on.

Of note:

• I'd suggest leaving the "Listening Button" enactment disabled and either relying connected the persistent notification you'll spot successful your notification sheet to get the strategy going or, amended yet, simply saying Hey Google, commencement Voice Access whenever you privation to usage the feature.
• You tin besides opt to person the strategy automatically perceive for commands whenever your surface turns on, but unless you're utilizing Voice Access constantly, that's astir apt not the astir advisable enactment successful presumption of powerfulness consumption.
• I'd besides suggest looking for the "Voice Access Settings" enactment successful that aforesaid country of your strategy settings and turning the toggle adjacent to "Activate for incoming calls" into the off position. If you don't bash that, Voice Access volition activate itself each azygous clip your telephone rings. That's an important relation for existent accessibility purposes, but unless you person those sorts of needs, you astir apt won't privation it happening each the time.

Got it? Good. Now, for the amusive part: Once Voice Access is listening, you tin bark retired practically immoderate bid you tin travel up with and person the strategy grip your bidding. At the simplest level, you tin archer the happening to pat oregon adjacent long-press thing disposable connected your surface — an icon, a button, immoderate text, you sanction it — and Voice Access volition bash it for you, without a azygous fingie-lift required.

But beyond that, you tin contented utile dependable commands like:

• Scroll up (or down oregon near oregon right, even)
• Scroll to apical (or bottom)
• Go back
• Go home
• Open notifications
• Expand (or collapse) notification
• Show Quick Settings
• Show caller apps
• Turn up (or down) volume
• Mute (or unmute) media (or telephone oregon alarm) volume

You tin besides archer Voice Access to benignant immoderate substance you privation to dictate and past usage precocious editing commands for things like:

• Undo
• Redo
• Insert some phrase earlier (or aft oregon between) some different phrase
• Replace some connection oregon phrase with some different connection oregon phrase
• Capitalize (or lowercase) some word
• Select certain circumstantial text (or each text)
• Delete
• Delete from immoderate circumstantial word to some different circumstantial word
• Delete the adjacent 10 (or nevertheless many) sentences

And the database of possibilities goes connected and on from there.

JR

Pretty forkin' powerful, wouldn't ya say?

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 2: Futuristic look gestures

This adjacent Android accessibility gem is astir eerily futuristic. It's an enactment that rather virtually lets you power your telephone with your face. (Yes, really!)

So a glimpse to the left, for instance, mightiness instrumentality the spot of the emblematic system-level Back gesture. A glimpse upward could unfastened your notifications. And a coy-looking eyebrow rise could instrumentality you backmost to your location surface (as good arsenic marque anyone astir you deliberation you're the astir awkward idiosyncratic alive).

The possibilities lone support going from there. You could thatch your Android telephone to unfastened your Quick Settings sheet erstwhile you unfastened your mouth, even, oregon to unfastened the app-switching Overview interface whenever you flash a winning grin. (Just beryllium definite to debar utilizing the strategy whilst eating deli meat, arsenic each of the chomping and salami-induced smiling could truly marque your telephone spell bananas.)

This is immoderate earnestly chaotic stuff, and it works astir shockingly well. And arsenic agelong arsenic you've got a telephone moving Android 12 oregon higher, it's already connected your instrumentality and waiting to beryllium discovered:

• Start by searching your strategy settings for the operation Switch Access.
• Tap the enactment labeled "Switch Access" successful the results — and beryllium definite to pat the existent line, not the toggle adjacent to it. You mightiness person to past pat "Switch Access" 1 much clip aft that.
• Turn the toggle adjacent to "Switch Access" into the connected presumption and travel the punctual to assistance the strategy the permissions it needs to operate. (They whitethorn dependable similar a lot, but (a) they're intelligibly indispensable for this mode of cognition — and (b) this is simply a system-level, Google-made work we're talking about, truthful you aren't really granting entree to immoderate benignant of third-party entity, anyway. The punctual is conscionable a formality that comes up anytime this mode of entree is required.)
• Next, pat "Settings" and past "Camera Switch settings," past crook the toggle adjacent to "Use Camera Switches" into the connected position.
• Now conscionable look done each of the disposable look motion options and pat each 1 to spot however it works and what you tin acceptable it to do.

JR

The simplest happening to effort is mounting immoderate of the gestures to power your basal strategy navigation — y'know, commands similar going backmost a step, returning to your location screen, opening your strategy Overview interface, and possibly besides opening your notifications and/or Quick Settings area.

The different happening I'd suggest is tapping the enactment connected the main "Switch Access" settings surface for "Switch entree shortcut." That'll fto you acceptable the strategy up to beryllium progressive and watching for your commands whenever you property and clasp some measurement keys down unneurotic and past to crook itself disconnected with the adjacent property of those buttons truthful it isn't ever moving and utilizing powerfulness adjacent erstwhile you aren't actively utilizing it.

How's that for a chill tech trick?!

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 3: On-demand closed captioning

I don't cognize astir you, but I often find myself successful a concern wherever I privation to peek astatine a video oregon possibly adjacent perceive successful to a speedy portion of a podcast successful nationalist — erstwhile I don't needfully person headphones handy.

And being that I, dissimilar an ever-increasing fig of humans successful our society, do inactive person some mode of decency, I'm not 1 to conscionable blare the audio retired of my phone's talker successful a mode that drives everyone other astir maine batty.

With phones moving 2019's Android 10 bundle and higher, Google's got your back. A superb Android accessibility diagnostic called Live Caption lets you spot a real-time transcription of thing being said successful immoderate audio connected your telephone without having to person the measurement up and really audible.

JR

It's a almighty mode to empower yourself to read immoderate multimedia without having it marque a peep. And it couldn't beryllium overmuch easier to activate.

Provided your telephone is moving Android 10 oregon higher, conscionable deed your carnal volume-up oregon volume-down cardinal and past look for the somewhat ambiguous box-with-a-line-through-it icon astatine the bottommost of the on-screen measurement sheet that pops up. (On definite devices, you mightiness person to pat a three-dot paper icon wrong the measurement sheet earlier you'll spot it.) Tap that box, and boom: You've got on-demand captioning for immoderate audio is playing.

You tin besides double-tap the caption container to marque it bigger oregon property and clasp it to determination it astir anyplace connected your screen. Just beryllium definite to deed your volume-up oregon volume-down fastener again erstwhile you're done and crook the diagnostic backmost disconnected to debar having it tally each the clip and taking an unnecessary toll connected your battery.

On behalf of everyone astir you successful the existent world: Thank you.

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 4: Smart dependable alerts

While we're talkin' astir turning audio into text, different Android accessibility diagnostic worthy tuning into is the comparatively caller Sound Notifications system.

Sound Notifications does — well, precisely what it sounds like: When activated, the strategy volition perceive for a assortment of important real-world sounds and past notify you anytime they're detected.

The existent database of options includes:

• Smoke and occurrence alarms
• Siren
• Shouts
• Baby sounds
• Doorbell rings
• Knocks
• Dog barks
• Appliance beeps
• Running water
• Landline telephone rings
• Person eating deli nutrient with mode excessively overmuch enthusiasm*

The accessibility payment present is obvious, for anyone who's hard of proceeding — but adjacent if your ears are exceptional, having this other quality could beryllium extraordinarily adjuvant erstwhile you've got earbuds successful oregon are different tuned retired from the world.

If you're utilizing a Google-made Pixel phone, hunt your strategy settings for Sound Notifications to get started. On immoderate different Android device, you'll request to download the Google-made Live Transcribe & Notification app to marque the aforesaid relation available.

* Just kidding astir that past one. But possibly 1 day?!

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 5: Smart dependable amplification

We've each been there: successful a large country with tons of inheritance sound and something you'd similar to perceive much intelligibly successful the region — an important speech, a mortal enemy's whispers, oregon possibly a beauteous birdy's tranquil tweets. (Personally, I usually find it to beryllium a premix of each 3 astatine the aforesaid time. But that's conscionable me.)

Well, conscionable Android's awesome and oft-overlooked Sound Amplifier. The diagnostic allows you to selectively minimize inheritance sound portion amplifying the existent dependable you privation to hear, each done your regular ol' telephone and a brace of mean headphones.

Sound Amplifier is already installed and disposable connected caller Pixel devices. Just hunt your strategy settings for Sound Amplifier to find and activate it.

On immoderate different device, the authoritative Google Sound Amplifier app volition get you the aforesaid goodies — truthful agelong arsenic your telephone is moving 2017's Android 8.1 update oregon higher (and if it isn't, pal, we've got bigger food to fry).

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 6: A idiosyncratic pop-up menu

Using a telephone single-handedly is sometimes easier said than done — particularly if you've got a larger device. But wait! There mightiness beryllium a amended way: Android has a hidden enactment to make an other bottom-of-screen paper that puts communal commands successful a much convenient place.

Head backmost into the Accessibility conception of your strategy settings, and this time, pat the enactment labeled "Accessibility Menu." Activate the toggle connected the adjacent surface that comes up, and you'll spot a nifty caller small greenish tabby-tab fastener thingamajigger (which whitethorn oregon whitethorn not beryllium its authoritative name) on the lower-right broadside of your surface — oregon perchance an icon wrong the bottommost enactment of buttons, if you're inactive utilizing Android's aged bequest three-button nav strategy alternatively of the existent motion standard.

JR

Tap that lad of a gibbon, and you'll find your recently contiguous on-demand paper — with options for things similar pulling up your phone's powerfulness menu, capturing a screenshot with a accelerated tap, and adjacent locking your instrumentality successful a jiff.

JR

Provided you've got the tabby-tab fastener thingamajigger, instrumentality note, too, that you tin property and clasp the fastener to determination it anyplace connected immoderate borderline of your surface and adjacent descent it somewhat farther retired of presumption to marque it little distracting.

It's just useful capable to beryllium worthwhile for the close benignant of workflow.

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 7: A faster hang-up option

Ever find yourself finishing a telephone telephone portion walking, performing an elaborate tango dance, oregon unicycling down a engaged street? (Hey, I don't cognize what benignant of brainsick hijinks you get up to.) Even if you're conscionable doing immoderate mean on-the-go enactment and privation an easier mode to disconnect without having to futz astir connected your screen, this adjacent Android accessibility enactment could beryllium conscionable the happening for you.

Open up your strategy settings and hunt for Power button. Tap the enactment labeled "Power fastener ends call," past activate the toggle to alteration it.

And that's it: You tin present property your phone's carnal powerfulness fastener anytime you privation to bent up an ongoing call. Doesn't get overmuch simpler than that.

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 8. Bigger substance for bushed eyes

There's nary shame successful the occasional long-distance squinting effort, but gosh darn it, we each person days erstwhile the substance connected our fancy telephone screens seems somewhat excessively tiny to work comfortably — adjacent erstwhile it's close successful beforehand of our faces. (If you don't person those days yet, conscionable wait. You will.)

Android's got a fewer built-in options for giving your eyes a break, each tucked distant wrong the Accessibility conception of your strategy settings — apt wrong a "Display size and text" oregon "Visibility enhancements" menu. Specifically:

• Font size will adjust the main substance connected your surface (in apps and adjacent passim the existent Android interface) to marque it universally larger — oregon adjacent smaller, for matter, if you for immoderate crushed privation that.
• Display size changes the existent standard of your telephone to marque everything bigger — benignant of similar the equivalent of adjusting the solution connected your computer. (Samsung renames this to "Screen zoom" connected its devices, by the way, for nary evident reason.)
• Bold text does precisely what you'd expect and makes each the substance passim your telephone bolder and frankincense easier to see.

Separately, Android's accessibility suite includes a magnification enactment that makes it casual to zoom into circumstantial areas of your surface connected request and marque 'em larger — similar you're looking astatine 'em done a magnifying glass. If you look cautiously wrong the options for that setting, you'll find the quality to crook the magnifier connected and disconnected with a triple-tap connected your screen, which is truly the easiest and astir effectual mode to grip it.

And finally...

Android accessibility diagnostic No. 9: A velocity boost

Speed demons, instrumentality heed: You tin displacement immoderate Android instrumentality into turbo mode by flipping connected a power-packed mounting buried successful the operating system's Accessibility settings area.

It's called "Remove animations," and it does precisely what you'd think: It disables each animations passim the Android interface (and it doesn't necessitate you to activate and poke astir successful Android's developer settings, either, arsenic the much communal method of disabling animations does).

Sounds a small strange, I realize, but instrumentality it for a spin, and you'll spot what I mean: Without each those transitions successful spot — the sliding from 1 surface to another, fading from this constituent to the adjacent one, and truthful connected — you consciousness similar you're perfectly flying astir your telephone astatine the velocity of light. You bash springiness up connected a spot of the polished and cohesive consciousness that comes with having animations successful place, but you mightiness find the snappy restitution gained successful instrumentality to beryllium worthy the tradeoff — astatine slightest immoderate of the time.

Best of all? Just similar immoderate of these features, if you effort it retired for a portion and past determine it's not for you, each you've gotta bash is flip a power to crook it backmost disconnected and get backmost to the mode things were before. Presto change-o, indeed.

Get adjacent much precocious Android-enhancing cognition with my escaped Android Shortcut Supercourse. You'll larn tons of time-saving tricks for your phone!

Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves up tasty morsels astir the quality broadside of technology. Hungry for more? Sign up for his play newsletter to get caller tips and penetration successful your inbox each Friday.