Originally part of the Android Accessibility Suite, Google made Switch Access a standalone app on the Play Store last week.
This app/service allows you to “operate your Android device using one or more switches or a keyboard instead of the touchscreen”. Switch Access highlights items on the screen until you select them.
- linear scan: Move between items one by one.
- row and column scan: Scan one line at a time. After selecting a row, move items within that list.
- point scan: select a specific horizontal and vertical position using the movement line,[選択]Press
- Group selection: Assigns switches to different color groups. All items on the screen are assigned a color. Press the switch corresponding to the color around the desired item. Narrow down the size of the group until you select it.
When an element is selected, a menu is displayed with available operations such as select, scroll, copy and paste.
Broader device control is also enabled by a top menu (status bar next to the physical camera) that lets you open notifications, navigate to the home screen, and change the volume.
Input can be received in a variety of physical ways, such as volume buttons, keyboard, or dedicated buttons via USB or Bluetooth. Camera switching is another option for users to look left/right/up, open mouth, smile, raise eyebrows. There is an option to “Customize the sensitivity and duration of each gesture to suit your needs”.
Perhaps Switch Access will be separated from the Android accessibility suite, allowing for faster and dedicated updates. Version 1.13.0.495213089 is the latest release on Friday. Google has not yet provided instructions for upgrading from previous accessibility suites.
Preferences are still accessible from the System Settings app > Accessibility > Switch Access. However, it now appears in the “Downloaded Apps” section of the menu, alongside Action Blocks.
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