Get started with Accessibility Scanner

When you design and develop an Android app, Accessibility Scanner can help you improve your app for users.

Accessibility Scanner scans your screen and provides suggestions to improve the accessibility of your app, based on:

• Content labels
• Touch target size
• Clickable items
• Text and image contrast

Important: Accessibility Scanner isn't a replacement for manual testing and doesn't guarantee the accessibility of the app.

Step 1: Install & turn on Accessibility Scanner

Accessibility Scanner is available for phones and tablets with Android 6.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

1. Download Accessibility Scanner from Google Play.
2. Open Accessibility Scanner .
3. In your device's Settings app, follow the prompts to turn on Accessibility Scanner.
4. Tap Accessibility Accessibility Scanner Use service.
   • To turn off Accessibility Scanner: Return to Settings Accessibility Accessibility Scanner.

Step 2: Scan your app

You can scan a snapshot of your app or a series of screens as you interact with your app.

Scan a recording

You can scan a workflow or task within your app. With this option, Accessibility Scanner records and analyzes the elements on your screen as you use and navigate through your app.

Important: The recording includes a series of screenshots, and doesn’t include video or audio. The recording stays on your device and is never shared with Google.

To scan a recording:

1. Open your app.
2. Tap the Accessibility Scanner button .
3. Tap Record .
4. Use your app.
   • If you go to another app, the recording pauses until you return.

To stop a recording:

1. From the top of your screen, swipe down to open your notifications. Or, open another app.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner is recording.
3. Tap Stop .

Scan a snapshot

To scan a single screen of your app:

1. Open your app.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner .
3. Tap Snapshot .

Review the results of a scan

After you scan a recording or snapshot, Accessibility Scanner displays one or more screenshots of your app. Within a screenshot, results of the scan are outlined in orange rectangles.

• To view details: Tap the outlined area. If a screen has multiple results, tap Next .
• To view a complete list of results from all the screenshots: Tap List View by screen or View by category.
• To share results: Tap Share .

If you scanned a recording or have more than one screenshot:

• To navigate between screenshots: In the carousel at the top, tap a screenshot. Or, tap Next .
• To view a grid with all the screenshots: Tap Library .

Tip: If a resource name is too long to fit on your screen, touch and hold the resource name to marquee it.

Scan secure windows

If your app has a window that's declared "secure" (using WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE) Accessibility Scanner can't capture an image of the screen or check color contrast. For these windows, after it scans your app, Accessibility Scanner shows a black screen. However, you can still read the scan results for other opportunities.

Change contrast & touch target size thresholds

You can change the thresholds that Scanner uses for contrast ratio and touch target size.

1. On your device, go to the Apps section.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner Settings .
3. View or change your settings:
   • Text contrast ratio: Set a new minimum for text color contrast.
   • Image contrast ratio: Set a new minimum for image color contrast.
   • Touch target size: Set a new minimum for touch target size.

Edit contrast ratio results

Scanner uses foreground and background colors to decide the contrast ratio. You can change the foreground or background colors.

1. On your device, go to the Apps section.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner .
3. Tap a scan that has a color contrast suggestion Edit colors.
4. Below the screenshot, tap Foreground or Background.
5. To change the foreground or background color:
   • Drag the selection frame to a different area of the screenshot.
   • At the bottom, tap one of the suggested colors.
6. Tap Apply.

Tip: To move the selection frame, tap the arrows on the side. Or, to make larger adjustments, touch and hold the arrows.

Share your scan results

You can share your results with other people, like teammates.

To share your results now:

1. Complete a scan.
2. Tap Share .
3. Choose how to share your results.

Tip: To share results for an individual item, tap Share while viewing the item.

To share your results later:

1. On your device, go to the Apps section.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner .
3. Tap the scan Share .
4. Choose how to share your results.

Manage past scans

Rename a scan

1. On your device, go to the Apps section.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner .
3. Tap a scan More Rename title.
4. Create a title.
5. Tap Rename.

Add a description

1. On your device, go to the Apps section.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner .
3. Tap a scan More Edit description.
4. Add a description.
5. Tap Save.

Delete a scan

1. On your device, go to the Apps section.
2. Tap Accessibility Scanner .
3. Tap a scan More Delete scan Delete.

Get help or send feedback

To get help or send feedback about Accessibility Scanner, in the app, tap Help and feedback.