Google will begin beta testing a feature for Android 13 in the coming weeks that will make it easier for users with braille displays to get up and running. On Thursday, Google announced that the next Android 13 beta will have “out-of-the-box support” for braille displays in a blog post. To touch-read on-screen text and type in braille, braille displays are utilized to create pin patterns. The display enables deafblind persons to use smartphones and blind people to use phones without the assistance of screen readers or voice commands.
On Android, braille display support was already accessible through Google’s screen reader Talkback, but you won’t have to download another app to use it. Users using Braille displays will have access to the same features as before, such as navigating the screen with the display’s buttons, making a phone call, writing an email, or sending a text message. Additionally, Google is developing new Talkback shortcuts to making using braille displays on Android easier. The new shortcuts will make scrolling quicker by skipping to the next character, word, or line, editing documents by jumping to the end, and selecting, copying, and pasting text easier.
