Switch Access

Use your device's camera or switches for hands-free control.

Control your phone or tablet effortlessly using switches or your device's front camera. This allows for selection, scrolling, text entry, and more, providing hands-free accessibility.

Switch Access lets you interact with your Android device using one or more switches instead of the touchscreen. This is beneficial if direct touchscreen interaction is challenging.

Getting Started:

1. Open your device's Settings app.
2. Tap Accessibility > Switch Access.

Setting up a Switch:

Switch Access systematically highlights screen items until a selection is made. Choose from various switch types:

Physical Switches:

• USB or Bluetooth switches (buttons, keyboards)
• On-device switches (volume buttons)

Camera Switches:

• Facial gestures: open mouth, smile, raise eyebrows
• Head movements: look left, right, or up

Scanning Your Device:

After setting up a switch, you can interact with the screen using several scanning methods:

• Linear scanning: Sequential item selection.
• Row-column scanning: Row-by-row selection, then item selection within the chosen row.
• Point scanning: Use moving lines to pinpoint a location, then select.
• Group selection: Assign switches to colors. Items are color-coded; selecting a switch narrows down choices based on color grouping.

Using the Menus:

Once an item is selected, a menu appears offering actions like select, scroll, copy, paste, and more. A top-level menu provides additional controls such as opening notifications, accessing the home screen, and adjusting volume.

Camera Switch Navigation:

Use Camera Switches and facial gestures for hands-free navigation and app selection. Customize gesture sensitivity and duration for personalized control.

Recording Shortcuts:

Record and assign touch gestures (pinch, zoom, scroll, swipe, double-tap, etc.) to switches or menu options. Automate complex actions with a single switch press (e.g., a gesture to turn two ebook pages).

Permissions Note:

This app, as an accessibility service, observes actions, retrieves window content, and monitors typed text.