How to audit a mobile app for accessibility (without a specialist)
Mobile audits aren't web audits with smaller buttons. Here's how to run a credible first-pass on iOS and Android using the tools already on your device.
Most teams know how to run an automated scan on their website. Mobile is a different muscle. The tooling is more limited, the platform conventions matter more, and the same WCAG criteria apply through different APIs (UIAccessibility on iOS, AccessibilityNodeInfo on Android).
Here's the workflow we run before a formal mobile audit. Anyone on a product team can do it in under 90 minutes per platform.
1. Turn on the screen reader
iOS: Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver. Triple-click the side button to toggle. Android: Settings → Accessibility → TalkBack. Learn the swipe gestures — left/right to move, double-tap to activate. You'll be slow at first; that's the point.
What to listen for
- Every interactive element announces a meaningful label, role, and state
- Order makes sense top to bottom
- Modals and sheets trap focus while open and release it on dismiss
- Custom controls don't announce as "button button button" or just "image"
2. Crank up the text size
iOS: Settings → Display & Brightness → Text Size, plus Larger Accessibility Sizes. Android: Settings → Display → Font size. Bump to the largest setting and re-walk every screen. Anything cut off, overlapping, or stuck behind a button is a bug.
3. Test contrast and color reliance
- Use the platform's Color Filters or Grayscale to verify nothing is conveyed by color alone (errors, status, required fields).
- Spot-check contrast on key surfaces with a contrast checker on screenshots.
- Increase Contrast (iOS) or High Contrast Text (Android) shouldn't break your UI.
4. Test with the keyboard / switch control
Pair a Bluetooth keyboard. On iOS, enable Full Keyboard Access. Tab through every screen. Every interactive element must be reachable, have a visible focus indicator, and be operable with Enter/Space. Switch Control is the harder version of the same test for users who can't use a touchscreen at all.
5. Run the platform scanners
- iOS: Xcode → Open Developer Tool → Accessibility Inspector. Run an Audit on each screen.
- Android: Accessibility Scanner app from the Play Store, or the lint check in Android Studio.
What this won't catch
Custom-drawn UI (canvas, OpenGL, RN/Flutter custom renderers), AR/VR experiences, and complex gesture recognizers all need hands-on auditor time. If your app leans on those, get a specialist before launch.