Android already has some features for Braille typing, but Google is taking that one (important) step further with Android 13. As suggested on I/O, Android 13 will start offering “out-of-the-box” support for braille displays via the platform’s Talkback screen reader. You don’t need to download the BrailleBack app to use physical input instead of the virtual keyboard.
You can access Talkback’s “many” features, whether it’s navigating the interface or shortcuts for common tasks like sending text messages. New keyboard shortcuts target Braille displays, such as jumping to the next line in a document or copying text.
Braille display support will come first in the next Android 13 beta, “in a few weeks”. The move will help people with blindness use their phones without using voice commands, and could make smartphones much more viable for people with deafblindness who cannot rely on audio signals.
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