Define the review scope before the device list
Name the app or website, journey, platform, assistive technology and standards target. W3C publishes explanations for WCAG 2.2 web criteria and separate guidance for applying them to mobile applications. Use the relevant documents with your accessibility team to choose checks. A short exploratory session and a formal conformance evaluation have different scopes and evidence requirements.
Check text, orientation and reachable controls
Enlarge text with the settings your product is expected to support, then repeat the task. Apple recommends supporting larger text and describes Dynamic Type as a system setting for apps. Review wrapping, labels, dialog content and the ability to reach the final action. Where orientation is supported, change it and check that essential instructions and controls remain usable.
Follow focus and meaning through interaction
For an agreed screen-reader check, inspect the order, names and roles encountered along the journey. Controls should communicate their purpose and state, including a selected option or expanded menu. For a keyboard path where supported, follow visible focus through dialogs and forms. WCAG guidance includes focus visibility and obscuration, as well as labels and input assistance. Confirm that the selected device setup exposes the required interaction before a session.
Include errors and alternative actions
Trigger a realistic form error and check whether the problem and correction are clear without relying only on color. Review small or crowded controls and any gesture essential to the task. Record the settings, interaction sequence and point where progress becomes difficult. Prioritize issues by the user task they block, and retest with the same assistive technology or display state after the fix.
Your testing checklist
- Name the journey, platform and review target
- Confirm assistive-technology and input-method availability
- Review text enlargement without losing essential actions
- Check control names, states and reading or focus order
- Test form errors and supported recovery actions
- Record settings and retest the exact affected path
A practical workflow
Agree the accessibility questions
Define the task, review criteria and interaction settings with your team.
Confirm the device environment
Request the platforms and assistive-technology paths you need to exercise.
Test, explain impact and retest
Capture the blocked task and settings, then verify corrections in the same environment.
Common questions
No. A scoped device check provides evidence about the scenarios tested. A formal audit needs an agreed standard, broader evaluation methods and a qualified review of the required scope.
No. Remote control, audio and input support can vary. Include the assistive technology and required interactions in your request so the available setup can be confirmed.
They can help identify some issues, but completing tasks with relevant settings and assistive technology answers additional usability questions. Combine methods according to the agreed review scope.
Technical references
Official documentation for the underlying testing concepts. Available capabilities vary by provider and setup.
Apple Human Interface Guidelines: accessibilityW3C WAI: understanding WCAG 2.2W3C WAI: applying WCAG 2.2 to mobile applications