Screen Reader (TalkBack) for Android Application

Manual accessibility testing is crucial to ensure that your mobile apps and websites are fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This guarantees that your websites are usable by people with disabilities, regardless of their device or browsing capabilities.

LambdaTest's Live Screen Reader feature empowers you to perform manual accessibility testing on real Android devices, allowing you to navigate through app elements with spoken descriptions of the UI—similar to the Google TalkBack functionality. This feature enables comprehensive accessibility testing to ensure compliance with WCAG standards.

Step 1: Navigate to Real Devices > App Testing.

Step 2: Select the app you want to test and choose a device. Once selected, click on the Start button to launch the session.

Make sure the device supports accessibility features — look for the Accessibility icon next to the device name.

Step 3: After the session starts, open the Screen Reader option from the sidebar and use the toggle to enable or disable the TalkBack functionality.

Supported Devices

Screen feature is available on below android devices only to ensure a smooth rollout. We'll expand support to more devices based on feedback and performance insights only.

Device	Android Version
Google Pixel 8 Pro	Android 14
Samsung Galaxy S23	Android 13
Google Pixel 7 Pro	Android 13
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G	Android 12
Google Pixel 6 Pro	Android 12

How to Navigate using Keyboard Shortcuts

Users accessing your mobile website on an Android device with TalkBack enabled can interact through touch gestures or by using keyboard shortcuts via a Bluetooth keyboard. Both options enable them to carry out "TalkBack actions," such as navigating between elements or having content read aloud.

These two navigation methods function similarly, performing the same actions within the UI, ensuring that your site remains fully accessible, no matter the approach. Once your website meets WCAG standards using one method, it will be compatible with the other as well.

For the Screen Reader feature on android devices , use the following keyboard shortcuts to trigger the different actions :

TalkBack Action	MacOS Keyboard Shortcut	Windows Keyboard Shortcut
Move to previous/next item	Control + Option + (Left/Right arrow)	Ctrl + Alt + (Left/Right arrow)
Activate/open element	Control + Option + Space	Ctrl + Alt + Space
Go back	Esc	Esc
Pause or resume speech	Control + Option + Z	Ctrl + Alt + Z
Read from next item	Control + Option + P	Ctrl + Alt + P
Move up the slider	Control + Option + U	Ctrl + Alt + U
Move down the slider	Control + Option + D	Ctrl + Alt + D
Go to home screen	Control + Option + H	Ctrl + Alt + H
Go to recents	Control + Option + R	Ctrl + Alt + R
Go to quick settings	Control + Option + Q	Ctrl + Alt + Q