Synapptic

Free or paid:

• Paid with one-time purchase

Accessibility and User Comments:

Of all the accessibility tools available for Android, there is one that stands out well, in my opinion. This software is known as Synapptic.

You may have known about Synapptic because of the hype surrounding their smartwatches, but beyond smartwatches, they supply phones and tablets with specialized software that makes these devices easier to use. Lastly, they allow you to install that same software on your own Android device. This software isn't yet another screen reader, per se. Unlike conventional screen readers that have you perform various gestures, all you have to do is find what you're looking for using a one-finger drag. When you have found what you're looking for, you simply lift your finger to activate it. In addition, the software comes with accessible interfaces for emailing, adding events to your calendar, listening to music stored on your device, browsing the web, and many others.

Synapptic is a paid app. Since they’re based in the UK, the price is £249, which equates to about $356 for those purchasing in the US. In addition, you may try before you buy via their 15-day free trial.

Synapptic has features that accommodate blind and low vision users. For instance, for low vision users, you can customize how zoomed in you want the screen to be. For those who are blind, text-to-speech is used at all times unless you either exit out of Synapptic or you're brought to a typical Android screen that requires the use of your screen reader of choice or Synapptic's "Reader" app, installed separately.

The interface is predictable on every screen you encounter. On the top left corner is the "Cancel and go back" button, which takes you back one screen. On the upper right is usually a "Help" button, which brings up context-sensitive help for the screen you're on. The right-hand corner may have additional buttons present depending on what you're doing. For instance, if you are typing an email, there is a button on the upper right-hand corner to enable/disable dictation-related features. Near the top and very bottom of the screen are previous and next page buttons, used to scroll through on-screen menus and text. When adjusting things like what time you want an alarm to go off, the buttons are located in the same area. Finally, when you are doing things like typing text or adding a new event, the lower left corner usually has a "Next" or "Save" button. Once you familiarize yourself with the location of these buttons, you might find that you're able to use your device a lot more efficiently.

One thing I like about the Synapptic software is the calendar feature. When checking upcoming events I've added, once my finger is on a date that has an event, the app will announce how many events are on that day, as well as the details I entered about the event like the title and time. Synapptic also has built-in apps for listening to music stored on your device, as well as internet radio. In regards to internet radio, I like how easy it is to find what I want to listen to. When using features like the "YouTube" feature, I like that I can simply tap anywhere on the screen to pause the video. Once I do this, I can use the left side of the screen to rewind and the right side to fast forward. No matter where I am in the Synapptic interface, all buttons are large enough for me to find, unlike traditional apps where sometimes buttons or touch points are so small they're almost difficult to locate.

Before you grab the 15-day trial or buy the software, I must mention a few things that may be annoying for some. For instance, when you use the Synapptic Music Player app, trying to go to the previous or next track using controls on earbuds or speakers simply does not work — you'll have to use the on-screen controls. Another issue is when adding a new calendar event: you cannot completely customize all the details, especially for recurring events like "every other week." A workaround is to sync Synapptic with your Google account and edit those details in your calendar app of choice.

Synapptic also recommends downloading their "Synapptic Reader" app from the Google Play Store. It works alongside Synapptic and activates whenever you're on a screen outside of the app (e.g., Android permission dialogs). It's basically a fork of TalkBack but without the TalkBack menu or common gestures like back, home, or recent apps — which might be frustrating for advanced TalkBack users. If that’s you, you may want to skip installing it.

Overall, Synapptic is a great piece of software. It simplifies how you use your device and is made for those who are blind or have low vision. While it has a few quirks, it is something many users may enjoy using daily. If this interests you, visit synapptic.com to learn more.