Twitter brought the alt text feature earlier this year. This allows people to add alt text- written descriptions- to the images that they upload. With that, people who are blind or hard of seeing can actually have the descriptions of images read with screen reading applications. When you’re posting a picture to the platform using your browser, you’re given the option to add the alt text. You’ll need to click on the edit button on the image and the go to the tab named ALT. When you tap on that, you’ll have up to 1,000 characters to describe what’s going on in the picture. Using the mobile app, you’ll see the ALT button on the picture preview.
Twitter is adding in alt text reminders
Alt text is great, but not many people are utilizing the feature. Because of this, Twitter is bringing alt text reminders to the platform. When you’re posting an image, and you forget to add the alt text, you’ll see splash screen pop up letting you know that you haven’t added the text yet. It’s just a gentle nudge so you don’t forget. From that point, you’ll be able to add the text.
If this sounds like something that would get annoying to you, don’t worry. This is a feature that you’ll have to opt in to when it launches. You’ll have to opt in using by going to your account settings and enabling the feature. Twitter says that enabling this feature is a priority, so you can expect it to land soon.
