Accessibility Features for Seniors
1. Large Text Support
Who it helps: People with low vision or difficulty reading small text.
TapAlert respects the font size you set in your phone's system settings. If you increase the text size in Settings > Display > Font Size (Android) or Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text (iOS), all text in TapAlert will grow accordingly — buttons, labels, menus, and messages.
💡 No action needed inside the app
Just set your preferred font size in your phone settings and TapAlert will follow it automatically.
2. Screen Reader Support (TalkBack / VoiceOver)
Who it helps: People with severe vision impairment who use a screen reader.
TapAlert works natively with:
- TalkBack on Android (Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack)
- VoiceOver on iPhone (Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver)
When a screen reader is active:
- The SOS and I'm OK buttons are announced with their names and current state (enabled or disabled).
- When you start a countdown before sending an alert, the screen reader counts down the remaining seconds aloud so you always know how long you have before the alert is sent.
- After an alert is sent, the screen reader announces "Alert sent" or "Alert failed" so you know the outcome without needing to look at the screen.
3. Haptic Feedback (Phone Vibration)
Who it helps: People with hearing loss who cannot hear the countdown sound, or anyone who prefers tactile confirmation.
TapAlert uses your phone's vibration motor to give you physical feedback at key moments:
| Moment | Vibration |
|---|---|
| Countdown tick | One firm pulse per second — you can feel the countdown in your hand |
| Alert sent successfully | Three strong pulses in quick succession |
| Alert failed | Two rapid buzzes |
| Countdown cancelled | Two medium pulses — confirms you cancelled, not sent |
| No recipients configured | One long vibration (error) |
💡 No action needed
Haptic feedback works automatically as long as vibration is enabled on your phone (check your phone's silent/vibration switch).
4. Sound Alerts
Who it helps: People who need to hear when an alert is sent, including those with moderate hearing loss.
When an alert is sent, TapAlert plays a sound on your own device to confirm the alert went out. You can customize the sound in Settings > Notification Sound:
- None — no sound
- Plain Sounds — simple, clear tones (good for most users)
- Rich Sounds — fuller, more musical tones
Within each sound style, you can also adjust:
- Sound Pitch — slide left for a lower, deeper tone. Lower-pitched sounds (around 500 Hz) are easier to hear for people with age-related high-frequency hearing loss. The default is already set to a lower pitch for this reason.
- Volume — set how loud the confirmation sound plays.
5. Screen Flash and Torch Flash
Who it helps: People with hearing loss who may miss the sound, or anyone in a loud environment. Also useful when the phone is face-down or in a pocket.
When an alert is sent successfully, TapAlert produces:
- Screen flash — the entire screen lights up white three times in quick succession.
- Torch flash — the camera LED on the back of the phone flashes three times simultaneously, visible even when the screen faces down.
Both flashes run at the same time and complete in under one second.
⚠️ How to turn this off
If you have a photosensitive condition, go to Settings → Notification Sound → Flash on Alert and switch it off.
6. Swipe to Cancel the Countdown
Who it helps: Anyone who accidentally starts a countdown and needs to cancel it quickly.
When you tap the SOS button, a countdown dialog appears before the alert is sent. You can cancel it in two ways:
- Tap the Cancel button at the bottom of the dialog.
- Swipe the dialog left or right — the dialog slides with your finger and dismisses when you release it far enough.
Either way, you will feel two short vibrations confirming the alert was cancelled and nothing was sent.
7. Voice Message Composition
Who it helps: People with tremors, arthritis, or other conditions that make typing difficult.
Instead of typing a custom message before sending an alert, you can speak it. Tap the microphone icon in the message field and speak your message. The app will transcribe your words automatically. Silence for 3 seconds stops recording.
This works on the home screen message input and in the dead man's timer dialog.
8. Hold-to-Send Mode
Who it helps: People who are prone to accidentally tapping the SOS button.
By default, the SOS button requires only a single tap. If accidental presses are a concern, you can switch to Hold to Send mode:
Go to Settings → Trigger Method → Hold to Send.
In this mode, you must press and hold the button for the full hold duration before the alert is triggered, preventing accidental sends.
9. Home Screen Widget (Android)
Who it helps: Anyone who finds it difficult to unlock their phone and open the app in an emergency.
On Android, you can add a TapAlert widget to your home screen so the SOS button is always one tap away — without opening the app at all.
To add the widget: Settings → Home Screen Widget → Add Widget.