Twitter is improving its accessibility features – but there’s more work to be done
Why is it off by default?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Accessibility is an important aspect of technology, and it’s only in the last few years that companies have taken it seriously. That’s why a new reminders feature fromTwitteris great, but also strange in how it’s being introduced to users.
Adding descriptions to images has been available on Twitter for a while. It allows someone with a visual impairment to read a small block of text explaining what the image is, from its colors to its location and more.
Seeing images onTwitteras you scroll through your feed is incredibly common. From memes to what people are currently doing, there’s a bunch that some users can miss out on.
So while this new feature will remind you towrite up a descriptionwhen you add an image to a tweet, it’s baffling that it’s arriving to users switched off.
Analysis: One step forward, one step back
The feature is currently appearing to 10% of Twitter’s overall users oniOSandAndroid, and if you’re lucky to be in this group, you can go toSettings > Accessibility, display and languages > Accessibilityand the reminder will show toward the bottom so you can switch it on.
However, this aspect feels backward. There should be a default reminder when adding an image – even just a few words to say what the image is can be enough for a lot of users with a visual disability.
If you forget to add image descriptions, turning on the reminder will be a big favor to your future self. And to everyone on Twitter. Actually, if everyone turns it on, everyone would be helping everyone.Here’s how to turn on the reminder: https://t.co/MR4KbZjrfy. (2 of 6) pic.twitter.com/J1jJBL2n8PJuly 13, 2022
In fairness,InstagramandFacebookhave the ability to add image descriptions, but there are no reminders to add them in these apps at all.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
There’s been encouraging steps from Meta and Twitter in accessibility as a whole, but reminders should be a universal feature that’s on by default, not the other way round.
Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.
After Arcane season 1 ended on a stunning cliff hanger, its creators say it was ‘always the plan’ for those characters to die in the season 2 premiere
5 must-have Android apps
How to watch Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light FREE online from anywhere
