Test with Switch Access
Testing with Switch Access is essential because, under the hood, it does not use the same APIs as a physical keyboard, so testing with a keyboard only might not reveal all accessibility problems.
Switch Access is a service that lets a user use their phone with one or more switches. Usually, when two switches are in use, one is used for navigating forward, and the other is used for completing actions. See the video in the Setup section for a demo.
Setup
If you prefer a video, here's one about Switch Access and setting it up. It's also embedded next:
Physical Switch or Keyboard
If you have a physical switch device or you want to use your physical keyboard keys for switch access, you can connect them either via Bluetooth or USB cable, depending on the device.
Android's Physical Buttons
Another option is to use Android's physical buttons. Android Developer documentation provides instructions for this: Testing - Switch Access
Using Camera and Facial Gestures
The third option is to use your camera and facial gestures with Switch Access - for example, opening your mouth and raising your eyebrows.
Google has extensive documentation (with a video) about how to set up camera switches: Use Camera Switches.
Testing
The testing strategy for switch access is similar to the keyboard: The user should be able to complete every action using only switches. It is enough to test with one type of switches.
Some questions to consider when testing:
- Is the navigation order logical? Does focus move logically from one interactive (i.e, focusable) element to another?
- Does the focus move only to interactive elements?