[Trainer-Talk] Answers to My Android Questions

[David Goldfield]

 From the Vicug list, Ana G. provides well-written answers to my Android 
questions. For those who are interested, here is a copy of her post.

Here are answers to your questions:

At work, I now have the opportunity to use a Nexus 9 tablet. ...

Q. I was actually pleased that I was able to set up the tablet by 
getting it on our Wifi network as well as logging on with my Google 
account using Talkback, with very little Android experience. I have 
downloaded Marshmallow 6.0.1. However, in the Google Play store, is it 
necessary/required that I supply credit card info in my settings in 
order to download free app updates? I skipped this step during setup but 
wonder now if it's necessary to add this info.

A. No, you don't need to provide credit or debit card info for your Play 
Store account until you actually need to pay for something. For phones, 
some apps and/or carriers, allow you to charge the purchase to your 
phone bill. System updates are free.

Q. When I first activated Talkback, it offered to start its interactive 
tutorial but I got sidetracked with another project and now I can't 
figure out how to reactivate it.

A. you can go through the explore by touch tutorial at any time by going 
into Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack >Settings > Launch Explore by 
Touch tutorial.

Q. I really liked the fact that the keyboard defaulted to what iOS calls 
touch typing mode, where you slide around the keyboard and, when you get 
to the correct letter, lifting your finger enters that character; that 
was wonderful. However, while the network password provided me with the 
word "dot" when entering a letter, the field for the Google password 
provided no spoken feedback at all, initially causing me to wonder 
whether I was typing anything or not. Why did this happen? Incidentally, 
I really like that the "symbols" button displays a row of numbers, along 
with commonly used symbols.

A. Lift to type is Android's only typing mode, the one used by Google's 
keyboard and by almost every other keyboard on the Play Store. For the 
double-tap method that is iOS default, you need to install a different 
keyboard (e.g., Hub and Blind Accessibility Keyboard).

About passwords, Android's default is more secure than iOS'. By default, 
you need to plug earphones into your Android device to hear the names of 
characters as you explore the screen. In Lollipop and earlier, you could 
plug anything, even a speaker, into the headphone jack, but in 
marshmallow, it has to be earphones.

You can change this behavior by adjusting settings in two different 
places. One is in Settings > Accessibility; it's called Show passwords. 
The other one is in Settings > Display; I don't remember the exact 
wording, but it also says something about passwords. The one in 
Accessibility is the key item. It allows you to hear the keys on the 
keyboard and read your password by touching the edit field.

Q. When the touch keyboard appears, it is on the opposite side of the 
tablet, making it necessary for me to reorient the tablet in order to 
type. Is this a bug or by design and what are the reasons for this? Can 
this behavior be changed?

A. Hmm, can't help you with this. The largest device I've owned is a 
Nexus 7 tablet, and the keyboard appeared in the lower half of the 
screen, same as on my phone, assuming porttrait orientation.

You may want to experiment with orientation. By default orientation 
changes whenever you turn the tablet. You can lock it to portrait. It's 
possible that you may be able to lock it to landscape, but I don't 
remember as my tablet is in its death throws.

Q. While typing, what's the quickest way to review, by characters and 
words, what you've entered?

A. While typing, you can press the volume keys to review by characters, 
or you can swipe over the area of the edit field.

To change navigation level, go into the local context menu, a right 
angle made by drawing a vertical line up followed by a horizontal to the 
right. then choose your navigation level of choice.

If you don't like this gesture, you can go into Settings > Accessibility 
 > TalkBack > Settings > Manage Gestures to change it. A lot of people 
reassign change navigation level to one of the duplicate one-finger 
swipe gestures (e.g., swiping down with one finger).

Q. What is the easiest way to determine which version of Talkback I'm 
using?

A. You can check your version of TalkBack from TalkBack Settings, near 
the very bottom of the list. You can also check the version number of 
any app by going into Settings > Apps, then tapping the app you want. 
The info screen displays the version number at the top and gives you 
options like Uninstall.

FYI, go to the Play Store, search for, and install all your apps--yes, 
even the ones already on your device. This insures you have the latest 
version and tells the Play Store to check for updates.

Q. I know that Ana has commented on this before but why on earth is 
double-tapping such a hit and miss affair? It seems like I sometimes 
have to perform a pretty heavy double-tap in order for the tablet to 
register my input.

A. Touching an Android is different from touching an iPhone. Android 
requires a lighter touch, faster movements, and a smaller part of the 
finger. Also, be careful not to accidentally brush the screen even on 
the edges, and don't hold your fingers close to the screen as some 
devices consider this hovering, which may mess with focus.

Q. I've been to InclusiveAndroid and I find the site helpful but I'd 
like to find some very basic Talkback tutorials for beginners. Are any 
available?

A. Google's official Android help is at
https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/?hl=en#topic=6007234

The links and app recommendations on my blog are out of date, but the 
basic info is mostly still current:
http://AccessibleAndroid.wordpress.com
I plan to update it over the summer.

Q. Is there an equivalent of VoiceOver practice mode, where I can 
perform gestures and have them identified without performing any actions?

A. No. You can revisit the Explore by Touch tutorial, and you can go 
into Manage Gestures to review them.

We're expecting a TalkBack beta soon that will improve web navigation.


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-- 
        David Goldfield,
Assistive Technology Specialist

Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info