Assistive technology guide, Voice Access on Android testing steps

We’ll take you step by step through how to test a component or feature using your voice; with Voice Access, the speech recognition software on Android. Test with the latest version available.

How to turn Voice Access on / off

Voice Access for Android comes already installed on some devices.

1. To check if you have Voice Access already installed, go to 'Settings', within the 'Accessibility' menu you should see Voice Access.
2. If you can't see Voice Access, go to the Google Play store and download 'Voice Access' by Google. When the download is complete you will be prompted to open and set up Voice Access, follow the set up steps.
3. To turn Voice Access on or off, go to 'Settings', then within the 'Accessibility' menu look for 'Voice Access', here you can turn Voice Access on or off. If you downloaded Voice Access you may instead find this within 'Downloaded services' or 'Installed services' within the 'Accessibility' menu.
4. When Voice Access is on, a voice icon will be displayed in the status bar at the top of the screen.
5. Once on, to use voice commands you need to tell Voice Access to listen. You can toggle listening on or off, from any screen or web page, at any time. In notifications, under Voice Access, look for 'Tap to start' to toggle listening on, or 'Tap to pause' to toggle listening off. When Voice Access is listening, a listening icon will be displayed at the top of the screen. If you can't see the icon, try saying a command to help you locate it, such as 'Scroll down'. If you still can't see the listening icon, go to the home screen and tap the 'Voice Access' icon, then try again to locate the listening icon.
6. When Voice Access is on and listening, you can speak commands just like you would perform an action by touch. For example, you can say 'Swipe down' or 'Swipe up' to scroll a web page.
7. If using Voice Access for the first time, follow the tutorial. To do the tutorial again, you can say 'Open tutorial'.
8. To see a list of voice commands, say 'Help'. There are many Voice Access commands that you can use, though only a few are needed to perform the testing steps, all of which are explained below.
9. If you find Voice Access is having difficulty understanding your voice commands, try speaking slower and as clearly as possible. Also make sure there is no background noise, to reduce this, you could use headphones with a microphone.

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Testing in a foreign language

When testing with assistive technology it's important to test with content in a language that you can understand and with a language that is supported by the assistive technology. For further information see the assistive technology testing in a foreign language guide.

You can speak Voice Access commands in English, Spanish, German, Italian, or French.

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Testing steps

We’ll take you step by step through how to test a component or feature. Following the same steps every time, ensures that everyone is testing using the same methods and using the most common techniques. The steps also enable anyone, in any role, to use Voice Access for the first time.

To become more familiar and proficient using assistive technology, resist the temptation to cheat, always try to navigate like a user would.

As you go, make notes of any bugs you find.

Step 1 - Turn Voice Access on

To turn Voice Access on, go to 'Settings', then within the 'Accessibility' menu look for 'Voice Access', here you can turn Voice Access on. When Voice Access is on, a voice icon will be displayed in the status bar at the top of the screen.

Step 2 - Open Chrome

Open Chrome, this is the most used browser by Voice Access users.

Note: While Voice Access may work with other browsers, you may encounter bugs which aren’t present in Chrome; the default Voice Access browser.

Step 3 - Go to the testing url

Navigate to or type in the testing url.

Step 4 - Toggle listening on

To use voice commands tell Voice Access to listen. In notifications, under Voice Access, look for 'Tap to start' to toggle listening on. When Voice Access is listening, a listening icon will be displayed at the top of the screen.

Step 5 - Get in position to start testing

First check Voice Access is working ok by saying 'Swipe up', the web page should scroll down. Next, get in position to start testing by saying 'Swipe up' or 'Swipe down' until you can see the start of the component you're going to test.

Step 6 - Activate all actionable elements

You are now ready to start testing.

All actionable elements, such as links, buttons and form elements, should be able to be used with a voice command. Go through each actionable element in turn:

1. If the element has some visible text, say 'Tap' followed by the text you can see. For example, to activate a link with text of 'Powerful earthquake hits coast' say 'Tap Powerful earthquake hits coast' or you can just say the first few words, such as 'Tap Powerful earthquake'. If there is more than one link on screen with the same text you will now be presented with a number for each element, say the number of the element you wish to activate, such as '2'.
2. If the element has no visible text, a visual affordance for the element should provide a clue to the name of the element. For example, if the element only has an icon, such as a menu icon, try saying 'Tap menu'.
3. If you are unable to activate the element by the above methods, say 'Show numbers' or 'Show labels', you will now be presented with a number or label for each element. Say 'Tap' followed by the displayed number or label for the element, such as 'Tap 5' or 'Tap Settings'.
4. If you are still unable to activate the element, say 'Show grid', a numbered grid will now be displayed over the page. Locate the grid number where you would tap to activate the element, then say 'Tap' plus the grid number, for example 'Tap 3'. The central area of the grid square is used as the tap point, this needs to be over the element, if it is not, say the grid number, for example '3', you will then be presented with a smaller grid to select from. To hide the grid, say 'Hide grid'.
5. Go through all actionable elements in the component including those within expandable or popup content, activating each element in turn, until you reach the end of the component you're testing.

After activating a link, to go back to the component you're testing, say 'Tap back' or 'Go back'.

Actionable elements bug examples

• A link or button with no visible text does not have a visual affordance giving a clue to the name of the element
• An actionable element does not have a displayed number or label when saying the voice command 'Show numbers' or 'Show labels'
• A button that expands or shows further content cannot be activated
• An actionable element cannot be activated with a voice command
• The label of an actionable element doesn’t match the documented UX

Step 7 - Components with a scrollable or swipeable area

If the component has a horizontal scrollable area, or a horizontal swipeable area such as a carousel, ensure you can view all the content in this area.

1. Say 'Show grid', a numbered grid will now be displayed over the page.
2. Locate the grid number where you would swipe from by touch to scroll the area, then say 'Swipe right' or 'Swipe left' plus the grid number, for example 'Swipe right 3'. The central area of the grid square is used as the swipe point, this needs to be over the element, if it is not, say the grid number, for example '3', you will then be presented with a smaller grid to select from.
3. Ensure you can view all content in the scrollable / swipeable area.
4. Go through all actionable elements in the scrollable / swipeable area, activating each element in turn, until you reach the end of the scrollable / swipeable area.
5. Follow the steps above to return to the default view of the scrollable / swipeable area.

If the component has any scrollable / swipeable areas which can be navigated vertically, such as an embedded map, follow the steps above replacing 'Swipe right' or 'Swipe left' with 'Swipe up' or 'Swipe down'.

In addition, if the component has a large scrollable or swipeable area, when in view ensure that this area does not interfere with the ability to view content above or below the area. For example, if a scrollable map fills the majority of the viewport, when this is in view can you navigate to the content below this with a voice command? With the large scrollable or swipeable area in view, say 'Swipe up' and 'Swipe down' checking that you can view content above and below any such areas in the component.

Scrollable or swipeable area bug examples

• You cannot view all content in a scrollable / swipeable area with voice commands
• Actionable elements within a scrollable / swipeable area, such as links and buttons, cannot be activated with voice commands
• You cannot return to the default view of the scrollable / swipeable area with voice commands
• When a large scrollable or swipeable area is in view, you cannot view content above / below this area with voice commands

Step 8 - Components with a text field

Check any text fields can be completed and then submitted without any validation errors.

1. Say 'Show numbers' or 'Show labels', you will now be presented with a number or label for each element. Say 'Tap' followed by the displayed number or label for the text field, such as 'Tap 1' or 'Tap Email'.
2. Complete the field by saying the text you are required to enter. If you make a mistake, say 'delete all text' to start again. To see a list of commands you can say to dictate and edit text, say 'Show all commands', then say 'Text editing' to choose this category and see the commands.
3. Go through all text fields in the component, completing each in turn, before then acivating the submit button with a voice command, such as 'Tap sign in'.

Text field bug examples

• You cannot enter the required text with voice commands
• You cannot submit text entered with voice commands
• You cannot submit text entered with voice commands without getting a validation error

Step 9 - Accessibility acceptance criteria

Accessibility acceptance criteria can be used for additional manual testing steps specific to your component and documented UX, specific Voice Access commands maybe needed.

1. Read the accessibility acceptance criteria. If the accessibility acceptance criteria is missing, ask your team's business analyst for the criteria before continuing.
2. Check that any criteria that is specific to using speech recognition software is met with Voice Access on Android.

Step 10 - Document any bugs

Document any accessibility bugs found, include as much information as you can, including information on how to replicate the issue and the bug priority level.

Note, this guide takes one approach, there are other ways you could do this. Back to top