The accessibility functions that all mobile devices include can be of great help in the interaction we have with the terminal in case of vision, hearing or both. However, the different accessibility options that they offer us today are so many and so useful that any type of user can use them for their own benefit. For this reason, both Google and the manufacturers themselves in their customization layers, such as Huawei with EMUI, are improving and adding options to accessibility over time.
Therefore, we will see the different accessibility options and functions that we can activate on our Huawei mobile, in which we have the EMUI 11 customization layer . Likewise, we will show you the function of the Chinese manufacturer that allows us to integrate a direct access to Accessibility, from the software buttons of our terminal, that is, with a single touch we can access many of the most used options in a pop-up menu .
Accessibility in EMUI 11
How to use TalkBack
TalkBack is the screen reader that has been designed for visually impaired users . So once it is enabled, the device will be able to automatically read the content pressed, selected and enabled so that it can be used even if we cannot see the screen clearly. To activate it we will have to follow the following steps:
- We will access Settings > Accessibility features > Accessibility and click on TalkBack and then OK to enable it.
- When we activate this function for the first time, we will have to follow the instructions that appear on the screen to learn how to use it in the simplest way.
In case you have accidentally skipped these instructions, don’t worry, because we can access them by going to More settings > TalkBack Tutorial . In addition, it will also leave us the option to customize it on the screen if we enter More settings. On the other hand, if we want to deactivate this accessibility function we must press and hold the volume up and down buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds.
How to convert text to speech
The TTS, or also known as text-to-speech service, will allow the device to read aloud the content of a screen when using a screen reading application such as TalkBack. To activate it we will have to enter Accessibility and click on Text to speech . After this, the following options will appear:
- Select your preferred TTS engine.
- Adjust the speed of the voice.
- Adjust the pitch of the voice.
Select to speak
The Select to speak function will make the device read aloud the content that we have selected on the screen of our mobile device. Although this is only available when using three-key navigation. To do this, we will have to enter Accessibility, press Select to speak and enable it by pressing OK. And that’s not all, because we can also enable Read text in images if we access More settings.
Color correction to customize screen color
Color correction will help visually impaired people to see the content on the screen more easily. If you want to enable it, just go to Settings > Accessibility features > Accessibility > Color correction and activate it. Then, we will have to select the Correction Mode that best suits our needs.
How to use magnification gestures
With this function we can use enlargement gestures in order to enlarge the screen when we want to read something that escapes our sight. First we must go to Accessibility > Extension , press Extension and then enable this function.
To be able to use this function, it will be enough to press the screen of our Huawei three times consecutively. It will also give us the following two options:
- Once the screen is enlarged, spread two or more fingers on it to enlarge it even more. And if you want to make it smaller, you will have to put two or more fingers on the screen.
- Drag two or more fingers on the screen to see other parts of the panel.
How to enable Color Inversion
The color inversion, as its name suggests, will allow us to invert the color of the text and the background of our Huawei mobile device. Once Color Inversion is enabled, the device will show us the text in white and the background in black. To activate it, we will have to go to Accessibility and enable the Invert colors function.
Enable quick access to Accessibility
To be able to access it, you will have to enter Settings > Accessibility Features > Accessibility , and then, we will touch on Direct Access to Accessibility. When activating this option we will see a message that will tell us how to activate the function. That is, to be able to use it we will have to hold down the volume up and down buttons for three seconds so that the Accessibility Menu appears.
One-hand mode
It is already common for terminals to have large screens, so with this accessibility function in EMUI we can go to a miniscreen view to be able to use our mobile device with one hand. To activate or deactivate the one-handed mode or the miniscreen view, we will have to enter Settings> Accessibility functions> One-handed mode.
The movements and gestures on Huawei
With these control movements and gestures we will be able to activate or carry out different functions with our Huawei mobile. In addition, the main idea of these control movements is that the different actions that we continuously do, such as hanging up a call, are easier to carry out in this way. The most important ones we find are the following:
- Flip the mobile to silence it : if we activate it, we can silence incoming calls, timers and alarms just by turning the phone over.
- Lift function : by enabling the lift of the Smartphone, we can both lower the volume of incoming calls, the timer or the alarms, and activate the device.
- Bringing it closer to the ear: the third movement that we can add to the Huawei mobile is to bring it closer to the ear. This will allow us to automatically answer calls, make them, use the smart speaker or activate the bluetooth headphones.
- Knuckle strike: when you strike with the knuckle, we must drag it to the side to enable the split screen to use two apps at the same time.
- Double knuckle stroke : with this function we will be able to take a screenshot as an alternative to pressing the lock button and Huawei phones.
- Knuckle strike and drawing : with this option we can capture a specific part of the mobile panel.
Other accessibility features in EMUI 11
Apart from the options that we find in EMUI 11 , we can also highlight the following accessibility functions that we have in Huawei phones:
- Smart Cover : Smart Cover mode works on the basis of the Hall effect sensor, which will determine if the book cover we use is closed by detecting the magnetic field of the cover magnet.
- Prevention of involuntary actions : this function will prevent us from pressing the screen by mistake while carrying the mobile in our pocket or bag.
- Gloves mode : if we activate this functionality we can use our mobile device with gloves
- Scheduled On / Off : using this function we can program our terminal to turn on or off at the time we want to save energy.
