Google standalone 'Switch Access' app now available on Play Store

Google has released the standalone "Switch Access" app on the Play Store, which was originally part of the Android Accessibility Suite.

The app allows users to interact with their Android device using one or more switches or a keyboard instead of the touchscreen.

"Control your phone or tablet using switches or the front camera. You can use switches to select items, scroll, enter text and more," according to the Switch Access about page.

"Switch Access can be helpful if you can't interact directly with your device," it added.

The app scans the items on users' screens and highlights each item until they make a selection.

Users can choose from a few kinds of switches -- Physical switches and Cameras Switches.

Physical switches include -- USB or Bluetooth switches, like buttons or keyboards and on-device switches, like volume buttons, while, Camera switches include facial gestures like -- open your mouth, smile or raise your eyebrows, look left, right or up, the apps about page mentioned.

To get started with the app, users will need to open their device's Settings app and then Tap Accessibility and then Switch Access.

Meanwhile, Google announced that it is bringing new features to smartphones that have not got operating system (OS) updates in years.

The company is releasing a tool called the "Extension Software Developer Kit" (Extensive SDK), which will allow developers to use features such as Android 13's new photo picker in applications running on some Android 11 and 12 versions.

--IANS

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