Magnification accessibility options/apps

[Coop4c]

Hello,my name is marcus. I amvisually impaired but not completely blind. I recently purchased a droid x, switching from the iphone 3gs. I love the phone overall, and believe it is miles ahead of the iphone in everyway except accessibility. I understand that the android operating system has come a long way in this area, but quite frankly their attempts at zoom fall short of the mark although I have done research and on a phone such as the nexus one it has a similar magnification functionality as the iphone with pinch to zoom no matter what screen or app is currently open. Here's my questions to the community.

Is there any plans currently for google to add a full screen version of zoom within the defualt android operating system?

Are there any apps currently available that give me that functionality that are not text to speech, I am visually impaired, I am not blind.

Are there any apps that can make text larger on homescreen, email, etc?

After reading countless forum posts the general answer is it is an accessibility issue that doesn't make any sense to me. If one android phone is capable of full screen zoom, and the others are not. I do not mind having to root my phone in order to do this. Any help you can give me on this would be appreciated.

 

[derpudel]

The X has an accessibility feature that offers a magnifying window for enlarging whatever is on screen. Go to Settings>Accessibility and check off the Accessibility mode, then the Zoom mode. See if that helps and is what you are looking for.

 

[Coop4c]

I've tried that, and it's not exactly what I'm looking for. I want something that magnifies the whole screen like the zoom feature for the iphone.

 

[dhkirschman]

Android Accessibility

I could not agree more with this post. I too have low vision. I don't want my phone to read to me. I want to read myself. The magnifier is a HUGE pain and almost worthless as anyone who really needs it could testify to.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Google did not incorporate a tap-zoom feature as part of the OS. I know that it can be done in certain applications, but on the iPhone, it can be done anywhere. VERY poor.

My wife has a Droid X with a HUGE screen, but the darn fonts are still too small. We have shown it around and found that rougly half of the people we showd it to had trouble reading the icon labels on the home screen. Granted, it wsa an over 40 crowd.

I REALLY DO NOT want to buy an iPhone. The OS is boring, plain, and hasn't changed much in four years. The Android is so much nicer. Unfortunately I may have no choice.

 

[scswanberg]

Re: Android Accessibility

I see no posts since 2010 so I am seeking an update on zoom for Galaxy SIII. Font size increase is great for Text Messages, and does appear to apply to the SUBJECT of an EMail .... but I do not see any mechanism in Galaxy S3 to increase the BODY Of an EMail. Neither by applying an increased Font size (which does not appear to change the appearance of an EMail body) nor is there apparently an ability to pinch/zoom the screen to read the EMail body with magnification.

Except for this one feature (which can be done on an IPHone with pinch/zoom) I would prefer the Galaxy ... but unless there is a feature that neither I nor the ATT sales rep can find (or install with an App) I may be forced to go with Apple.

Any input from Android experts on EMail text body magnifaction?

 

[hmk9r23]

Re: Android Accessibility

I have had the Verizon Galaxy SIII now for a week, trying it out and comparing it to the iPhone 5. My contract is up, and I was drawn to the Galaxy's big screen over the iPhone 5's current screen size. I like the Galaxy SIII and it's robust feature set, but the lack of a global Zoom function is very much missed, and missed, to a lesser extent, is the triple click inverse-color-switch feature of iOS. The Androis inverse-color switch is ok, but not as easy to use as the iPhone's.
Sorry to say, but I may have to go back to iPhone's, just because of Android's complete lack of Global Zooming. This oversight is strange and disappointing.

 

[chuck928]

Yes, I have a Galaxy SIII and I am very disappointed about not having a zoom feature. I am stuck with it now for two years unless I want to pay for a full retail price of an iphone, NOT! So, I hear that Google is or will be sued by Apple if Google decides to go with a pinch to zoom feature on their Android systems. Part of me really believes that it is against the ADA regulations that people with low vision do not have access to the platform. Just like any other accessible measures that need to be taken in the public domain, I believe it is the same thing, in that, I should have the same ability to enter the Android platform as anyone else. With the use of reasonable accomodations, a pinch to zoom feature should be manditory. I wish I knew a way to get this done. Any thoughts on this???

 

[Aurelian Radu]

Google has just released Android 4.2 which has a magnification feature:
Android - What's New
Unfortunately, it will take months before Galaxy S3 or Note II will receive the 4.2 update.

I haven't seen it demoed and I don't know how well it works, but I hope it will be similar to the zoom function in iOS.

I am now using a Galaxy Note II and I take screenshots using the S-Pen. The screenshots stay on screen untill you save or dismiss them and the best part is that you can zoom in and pan using two fingers. It's not iOS zoom but it works.