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On Wednesday, TikTok announced accessibility features in a bid to expand its horizons. The company announced it would broaden its suite of accessibility tools by rolling out ALT text for photos. This will serve as a high-contrast mode and equally support device-level bold text preferences.
TikTok Expands Tools with ALT Text for Photos
TikTok released support for ALT text for photos a few weeks ago. This will allow creators to describe photos through audio descriptions, helping users with screen readers understand the visual content. Furthermore, the company is testing AI-generated ALT text to describe photos out loud automatically. According to the company, this will happen when creators don’t add alt text manually.
The company says the TikTok accessibility features will make TikTok more accessible for people with visual impairments. Meanwhile, the move comes as Instagram has been using AI for ALT text since 2018.
Users can switch to the new high-contrast mode with the “colour contrast” option. This will be in the app’s accessibility section. When users do so, it will boost the foreground colour of text, icons, and user interface elements. Additionally, the TikTok accessibility features will make TikTok more usable for people with low vision or sensitivity to low contrast.
TikTok Accessibility Features Align with Device Preferences
Moving forward, users can now enable in-app bold text on TikTok. TikTok now also adheres to a user’s device’s bold text setting. By implication, the video-dancing app will automatically display all in-app text in bold when activated. In addition to the users’ convenience, the TikTok accessibility feature will enhance readability for users who prefer or rely on bolder fonts.
The company says, “We know that when people feel seen, heard, and supported, they’re empowered to share their stories. They also create and connect with others in meaningful ways.” Consequently, the company has pledged to build products that serve everyone continuously. The post reads: “We see accessibility not just as a responsibility, but as an opportunity to innovate and foster a more inclusive platform for our global community.”
These new TikTok accessibility features join TikTok’s existing suite of accessibility tools. These include features like auto-generated captions for video content, dark mode, text-to-speech, and the ability to adjust text size across the app. The app also has search options, purportedly disrupting Google’s chances. It should also be noted that Perplexity AI moved to have a merger agreement with TikTok to create a more robust terrain for AI leverage.