Accessibility
Facebook is committed to creating a great experience for all people. Learn about the features and technologies that help people with disabilities, such as vision loss and deafness, get the most out of Facebook.
For more information, visit our Accessibility Facebook Page and follow @fbaccess on Twitter.
Navigation Assistant
Navigation assistant is a tool for people who rely on screen readers or keyboard shortcuts to get around Facebook. If you use a screen reader, navigation assistant is always the first element on the page, even when it can't be seen visually.
To open navigation assistant, press alt + / from any part of Facebook. You can also press tab to move focus from your browser toolbar to the webpage.
Moving around in navigation assistant
Navigation assistant is a menubar that contains 3 menus: Sections of this page, Other pages on Facebook and Accessibility Help.
- To move between the menus in the menubar, use the left and right arrow keys.
- To open a menu, press enter or return.
- To move within a menu, use the up and down arrow keys. You can also use letter keys to jump to the next menu item that starts with that letter.
Using Sections of this page
The Sections of this page menu lists the landmark regions that are on the current page. All pages on Facebook are divided into large sections called landmark regions. Most pages on Facebook include a main content region. For example, if you’re on your profile, the main content region includes your timeline. If a page on Facebook contains a main content region, it'll be listed as the first item under Sections of this page.
Some examples of other regions you may find under Sections of this page are Search Facebook, Navigate Facebook and Create a post.
To move your keyboard focus to one of the sections in the menu, press enter or return.
Using Other pages on Facebook
The Other pages on Facebook menu lists pages outside of your home page and News Feed. Some examples of pages you may find under this menu are Profile, Notifications and Settings.
To move your keyboard focus to one of the pages in the menu, press enter or return.
Using Accessibility Help
Accessibility Help lists accessibility resources on Facebook. These include information about keyboard shortcuts on Facebook, self-serve resources for accessibility features on Facebook, a form to submit feedback about accessibility on Facebook and updates from the Facebook Accessibility team.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Facebook has shortcuts (access keys) for people who rely on their keyboards to navigate. Different web browsers (example: Firefox, Internet Explorer) may have different keyboard shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts only work if you aren't in a text box. If you have an issue while using keyboard shortcuts, please let us know.
Action Shortcuts
Some shortcuts help you do things such as like, comment or share something on Facebook. These shortcuts only use one keyboard key.
- J and K - Scroll between News Feed stories.
- enter/return - See more of the selected story.
- P - Post a new status.
- L - Like or unlike the selected story.
- C - Comment on the selected story.
- S - Share the selected story.
- O - Open an attachment from the selected story.
- / - Search.
- Q - Search chat contacts.
- ? - Open a list of these keyboard shortcuts while in News Feed.
We also have shortcuts that help you navigate to different parts of Facebook, such as your timeline, notifications or settings. These shortcuts use key combinations that are specific to each web browser (example: Firefox, Internet Explorer) and a number key. Key Combinations for Web Browsers lists the combination of keys for different web browsers, and Navigation Shortcuts lists the number keys for each part of Facebook.
To use a navigation shortcut, replace # from the combinations below with the number key for where you want to go. For example, if you're using Safari for Mac and want to see your notifications, press control + option + 5.
Key Combinations for Web Browsers
- Internet Explorer for PC: Alt + #, then Enter.
- Firefox for PC: Shift + Alt + #.
- Safari for Mac:control + option + #.
- Firefox for Mac:control + option + #.
- Chrome for Mac:control + option + #.
- Chrome for PC: Alt + #.
Navigation Shortcuts
- 0 - Help.
- 1 - Home.
- 2 - Timeline.
- 3 - Friends.
- 5 – Notifications.
- 6 – Settings.
- 7 - Activity Log.
- 8 - About.
- 9 - Terms.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts with Screen Readers
Most common screen readers (example: VoiceOver, JAWS) support Facebook's keyboard shortcuts automatically.
If you're using JAWS 16.0.2136 or higher, you first need to turn on Allow Web Application Reserved Keystrokes in the JAWS Settings Center or Quick Settings.
To turn on shortcuts for JAWS:
- Use Insert + F2.
- Select Run Settings Center.
- Search for "web app."
- Check the box next to Allow Web Applications Reserved Keystrokes. Make sure that you edit the default file.
You can use Facebook's keyboard shortcuts with the following screen readers:
- JAWS (Version 16+): Go to Settings Center or Quick Settings, and turn on Allow Web Application Reserved Keystrokes.
- Window-Eyes (Version 9.2+): Turn on Web Application Mode.
- VoiceOver (Any Version): Facebook's keyboard shortcuts will automatically work with VoiceOver.
There are many third-party screen readers available. Learn which screen readers you can use with Facebook.
No. You can't turn off Facebook's keyboard shortcuts.
You can improve the performance of your keyboard shortcuts by upgrading your web browsers and operating systems. Keyboard shortcuts only work if you aren't in an edit input field.
Screen Readers and Assistive Technology
If you're experiencing a problem using assistive software or hardware on Facebook, use this form to let us know. Please include as much information as possible to help us understand the problem. You may have to be logged in to Facebook to use the form.
If you're experiencing issues with Facebook that aren't related to assistive technology, learn how to report a problem with Facebook.
Computer
If you're on a computer running MacOS, try using Apple's built-in screen reader VoiceOver.
If you're using OS X El Capitan and you're not hearing anything when using VoiceOver with Google Chrome, try switching to another browser (example: Safari).
If you're on a Windows computer, try using:
Mobile Device
If you're on a mobile phone or tablet, try using:
If you're having issues using Facebook with a screen reader, let us know.
If you're having trouble posting comments while using Dragon to navigate Facebook, we recommend these troubleshooting tips:
- Turn off Dragon's browser extensions. Learn more about Dragon's browser extensions for PC and Apple computers.
- Use Internet Explorer to access Facebook on your computer.
If you still have issues with assistive software or hardware on Facebook, use this form to let us know.
Some of our security checkpoints can be difficult to pass using assistive technology. If you add a mobile number to your Facebook account, you'll have another way to verify your account if you need to pass any of these checkpoints. Keep in mind that these checkpoints may require internet access.
You can add a mobile number from your mobile settings.
Learn how to control who can see your contact information on your profile.
VoiceOver is Apple's built-in screen reader.
Apple Computer
To turn VoiceOver on or off on your Apple computer:
- Go to System Preferences.
- Click Accessibility.
- Select VoiceOver from the left-side menu.
- Click to check the box next to Enable VoiceOver. You may need to confirm that you want to turn VoiceOver on.
Learn more about VoiceOver at Apple Accessibility.
If dates are being read as numbers (example: 2014 as "two, zero, one, four" instead of "two-thousand fourteen") by VoiceOver on your computer, try changing your verbosity setting.
To change the verbosity setting:
- Press VO (command + option or caps lock) + V on your keyboard to access settings.
- Press N to jump to the numbers settings.
- Select Word, and then press Return to save.
Draw the letter "Z" with two fingers to dismiss a pop-up menu while using VoiceOver with Facebook on your iPhone or iPad.
Automatic alternative (alt) text uses text, face and object recognition technology to create a description of an image for the blind and vision-loss community. Learn how to edit the alt text for images.
To hear the automatic alt text for an image, open Facebook with a screen reader and focus on the image. If objects are identified, you may hear a list of items the image may contain or a description written by the person who uploaded the image. If you think the alt text of an image violates our Community Standards, you can report the image.
Languages automatic alt text supports
Automatic alt text is supported in the following languages:
- Arabic
- Bengali
- Burmese
- Chinese
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Gujarati
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Kannada
- Korean
- Malay
- Malayalam
- Marathi
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish
- Swahili
- Swedish
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Thai
- Turkish
- Urdu
- Vietnamese
Automatic alt text on mbasic.facebook.com
If you're using Facebook on mbasic.facebook.com, you'll need to switch data usage to More to use automatic alt text:
- Tap Settings and Privacy at the bottom of the page.
- Tap Personal Information.
- Tap Edit next to Data Usage.
- Tap More.
- Tap Save.
If you have any problems with automatic alt text, use this form to let us know.
Automatic alt text uses object recognition technology to provide a visual description of a photo for the blind and vision-loss community. You can replace this text to provide a better description of a photo. Keep in mind that this description will only be read if someone is using a screen reader to access Facebook.
To see and edit alt text for a photo before you post it:
- Click Photo/Video at the top of your News Feed.
- Select the photo you want to add.
- Hover over the photo and click
Edit.
- The automatically generated text will be shown on the left side of your photo. Click Override generated alt text to edit it.
- Write your alt text in the box. To change back to the automatically generated text, click Clear.
- To save your alt text, click Save in the bottom left.
To change the alt text of a photo after you've posted it:
- Click the photo to open it.
- Click
in the top right and select Change Alt Text.
- Click Override generated alt text or change the alt text in the text box. You can also click Clear to change your edited alt text back to the automatically generated text.
- Click Save.
Closed Captions and Media
This is about adding captions to a video you upload to your profile. You can also add captions to videos you upload to your Page.
You can add captions to a video to make it accessible to a broader audience using the SubRip (.srt) file format. If you’re just getting started, learn about naming conventions for .srt files and common .srt formatting issues.
To add captions to your video:
- Click Photo/Video at the top of your timeline or News Feed.
- Choose a video from your computer, then click Post.
- We'll notify you when your video is ready to view. Click the notification or the gray date and time at the top of the post on your News Feed or timeline.
- Click
in the top right and select Edit video.
- Click Choose File below Upload SRT files and select a .srt file from your computer.
- Click Save.
To add captions in other languages, repeat steps 4–6 for each additional language you want to add.
To remove captions from a video you've uploaded:
- Click your video to expand it.
- Click
- Next to Captions click the X next to the file you want to remove.
- Click Save.
You can add captions to your Page's video to make it accessible to a broader audience. You can automatically generate captions and edit them, write them yourself or you can upload a SubRip (.srt) file.
To add captions to your Page's video:
- From your News Feed, click
Pages in the left menu.
- Go to your Page.
- Click Photo/Video at the top of your Page's timeline, then select a video from your computer.
- Once your video has uploaded, click Subtitles & Captions(CC) in the column on the right.
- Once your video has finished uploading, select whether you'd like to auto-generate captions, write them yourself or upload a SubRip (.srt) file.
- Click Next, then click Publish.
If you choose to upload a .srt file, make sure that your caption files are correctly named and formatted before you upload them.
To add captions to an existing video on your Page, find the post on your Page's timeline, click 
in the top-right corner, select Edit Post and follow the steps above.
in the top-right corner, select Edit Post and follow the steps above.Note: People who watch your Page's video with sound turned off will automatically see captions. People who watch your video with sound turned on will need to turn on captions to see them. The language people see captions in is determined by their preferred language.
The naming convention for SubRip (.srt) files is:
filename.[language code]_[country code].srt
Language and country codes are case sensitive. Language needs to be in lower case and country needs to be in upper case. For example, a United States English file would look like: filename.en_US.srt.
Listed below are valid language and country code combinations. Learn how to use a .srt file to add captions to your video or your Page's video.
Language and country codes
- af_ZA (Afrikaans)
- ar_AR (Arabic)
- ay_BO (Aymara)
- az_AZ (Azerbaijani)
- be_BY (Belarusian)
- bg_BG (Bulgarian)
- bn_IN (Bengali)
- bs_BA (Bosnian)
- ca_ES (Catalan)
- ck_US (Cherokee)
- cs_CZ (Czech)
- cx_PH (Cebuano)
- cy_GB (Welsh)
- da_DK (Danish)
- de_DE (German)
- el_GR (Greek)
- en_GB (English - UK)
- en_IN (English - India)
- en_US (English - US)
- eo_EO (Esperanto)
- es_CL (Spanish - Chile)
- es_CO (Spanish - Colombia)
- es_ES (Spanish - Spain)
- es_LA (Spanish)
- es_MX (Spanish - Mexico)
- es_VE (Spanish - Venezuela)
- et_EE (Estonian)
- eu_ES (Basque)
- fa_IR (Persian)
- fi_FI (Finnish)
- fo_FO (Faroese)
- fr_CA (French - Canada)
- fr_FR (French - France)
- fy_NL (Frisian)
- ga_IE (Irish)
- gl_ES (Galician)
- gn_PY (Guarani)
- gu_IN (Gujarati)
- gx_GR (Classical Greek)
- he_IL (Hebrew)
- hi_IN (Hindi)
- hr_HR (Croatian)
- hu_HU (Hungarian)
- hy_AM (Armenian)
- id_ID (Indonesian)
- is_IS (Icelandic)
- it_IT (Italian)
- ja_JP (Japanese)
- jv_ID (Javanese)
- ka_GE (Georgian)
- kk_KZ (Kazakh)
- km_KH (Khmer)
- kn_IN (Kannada)
- ko_KR (Korean)
- ku_TR (Kurdish)
- la_VA (Latin)
- li_NL (Limburgish)
- lt_LT (Lithuanian)
- lv_LV (Latvian)
- mg_MG (Malagasy)
- mk_MK (Macedonian)
- ml_IN (Malayalam)
- mn_MN (Mongolian)
- mr_IN (Marathi)
- ms_MY (Malay)
- mt_MT (Maltese)
- nb_NO (Norwegian - Bokmal)
- ne_NP (Nepali)
- nl_BE (Dutch - Belgium)
- nl_NL (Dutch)
- nn_NO (Norwegian - Nynorsk)
- pa_IN (Punjabi)
- pl_PL (Polish)
- ps_AF (Pashto)
- pt_BR (Portuguese - Brazil)
- pt_PT (Portuguese - Portugal)
- qu_PE (Quechua)
- rm_CH (Romansh)
- ro_RO (Romanian)
- ru_RU (Russian)
- sa_IN (Sanskrit)
- se_NO (Northern Sami)
- sk_SK (Slovak)
- sl_SI (Slovenian)
- so_SO (Somali)
- sq_AL (Albanian)
- sr_RS (Serbian)
- sv_SE (Swedish)
- sw_KE (Swahili)
- sy_SY (Syriac)
- ta_IN (Tamil)
- te_IN (Telugu)
- tg_TJ (Tajik)
- th_TH (Thai)
- tl_PH (Filipino)
- tr_TR (Turkish)
- tt_RU (Tatar)
- uk_UA (Ukrainian)
- ur_PK (Urdu)
- uz_UZ (Uzbek)
- vi_VN (Vietnamese)
- xh_ZA (Xhosa)
- yi_DE (Yiddish)
- zh_CN (Simplified Chinese - China)
- zh_HK (Traditional Chinese - Hong Kong)
- zh_TW (Traditional Chinese - Taiwan)
- zu_ZA (Zulu)
You can change your video autoplay settings at any time.
To stop videos from playing automatically on your computer:
- Click
in the top right of Facebook.
- Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.
- Click Videos in the left menu.
- Click the dropdown menu next to Auto-Play Videos and select Off.
To help us improve the way you see videos on Facebook, you can give feedback on videos playing automatically in your News Feed.
Computer
You can adjust what video captions look like in your video settings.
- Click Edit next to Captions Display.
- Click next to each option to adjust your settings for:
- Background Color: the color of the caption's background.
- Background Opacity: how transparent the caption's background is.
- Text Color: the color of the caption's text.
- Text Size: how big the caption's text is.
- Check the caption preview to see how your caption will look.
- Click Save Changes.
Your caption settings will only apply to videos you watch on a desktop computer.
iOS
You can adjust what video captions look like in your device settings.
- Go to your device's home screen.
- Tap
Settings.
- Tap Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Style.
- Tap to select or create a new style.
Keep in mind that not all videos on Facebook have captions. Learn how to add captions to a video you've added.
Computer
You can adjust your video settings to always show captions, when available.
- Click
- Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.
- Scroll down and click Videos in the left column.
- Click Off
next to Always Show Captions.
- Select On to turn on captions for Facebook videos, when available.
Your caption settings will only apply to videos you watch on a computer.
iOS
- Go to your device's home screen.
- Tap
- Tap Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning.
- Tap next to Closed Captions + SDH to turn on captions for videos, when available.
Keep in mind that not all videos on Facebook have captions. Learn how to add captions to a video you've added.
Text Size and Contrast
Short text posts may appear larger than any device preferences you've set.
If you're using Facebook on a computer, use the built-in zooming feature on your browser (example: Safari) to make Facebook appear larger on your screen. This will zoom in on the entire page, not just text.
- Hold down ctrl (PC) or command (Mac) on your keyboard.
- Press + to zoom in or - to zoom out.
Computer
If you're using an Apple computer:
- Open System Preferences.
- Click Accessibility.
- Click Display.
- Click to check the box next to Invert Colors.
If you're using a Windows device, you can change the contrast settings under the Ease of Access settings.
Mobile Phone
To adjust the text contrast of Facebook on an iOS device:
- Go to your device's home screen and tap Settings.
- Tap General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast.
- Tap next to Reduce Transparency or Darken Colors to increase contrast on your device.
To adjust the text contrast of Facebook on an Android device:
- Go to your device's home screen and tap Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Vision.
- Tap next to High Contrast Fonts to turn it on or off.
Messenger
To open conversation settings in the Messenger app for iOS using VoiceOver:
- Turn on VoiceOver.
- Open Messenger.
- Tap a conversation to select it.
- Swipe up or down to select one of the following actions:
- Activate: Opens the conversation.
- Mute: Stops all notifications for this conversation.
- Delete: Deletes the conversation.
- More: Opens the more options menu, which includes the following: Ignore Messages, Block, Leave Group, Mark as Spam, Archive and Mark as Unread.
- Double tap to select an action.
Messenger.com Heading Structure
Messenger.com includes the following headings to make navigation with a screen reader easier:
- H2 Heading (1 of 2): A heading with the text Conversation List that marks the start of your list of conversations.
- H2 Heading (2 of 2): A heading containing the names of the people in the current conversation or the title of the conversation if you've named it. It marks the start of the main content.
- H3 Heading: A heading in the main content with the text Messages. It marks the start of the messages that are shown for the current conversation.
- H4 Heading: Headings in the message region containing a date or timestamp. Each one marks the start of a block of messages in the current conversation that began at the specified date or time.
- H5 Heading: Headings in the message region containing the name of a participant. Each one marks the start of a block of messages in the current conversation from the specified person.
Messenger.com ARIA Landmarks
Messenger.com includes the following landmarks to make navigation with a screen reader easier:
- Banner Navigation: The banner at the top of the page, which includes access to settings, a link for starting a new conversation and search.
- Conversations Navigation: The left side of the page, which includes a list of all of your conversations. Activating a link to a conversation in this list will display it in the main content.
- Main Navigation: The main content, which includes information, past messages and the message composer for the currently displayed conversation.
To start a new conversation in Messenger.com using a screen reader:
- Activate New Message, button in the banner section.
- To add recipients, focus on Type the name of a person or group and enter a person or group. Use the arrow keys to select an option, and press the enter key to add the recipient.
- Focus on the Type a message field at the bottom and enter the text that you want to send.
- Press the enter key to begin your conversation.
- To review your message, navigate to the appropriate heading structure.
To respond to a message in Messenger.com using a screen reader:
- Navigate to the conversations list on the left.
- Locate the conversation and activate its link, which will move focus to the Type a message field.
- Focus on the Type a message field at the bottom.
- Your screen reader may announce the content of the last message in the conversation and who sent it.
- Windows screen readers may announce the description with their commands for reading the field name and contents.
- VoiceOver users can access the description by pressing ctrl-option-shift-h on the keyboard.
- Enter the text that you want to send and press the enter key to send it.
- To review your message, navigate to the appropriate heading structure.
News Feed
News Feed Heading Structure
Your News Feed has headings that you can navigate with screen readers:
- Home is an h1 heading.
- News Feed is an h2 heading and marks the beginning of your News Feed stories.
- Friend requests, messages and notifications are h3 headings that appear when you click one of the icons.
- The chat sidebar is an h4 heading, as are the subheadings for favorites, groups, friends, apps and other popular features.
- Individual stories in News Feed have h5 headings.
- Ads have h6 headings.
News Feed ARIA Landmarks
ARIA document landmarks are used to represent the major parts of News Feed. Besides the main, banner, search and content info landmarks, other navigational landmarks have appropriate labels. For example, the bookmarks menu in the left column is marked as a navigational landmark with an appropriate heading.
You can change your account settings, privacy settings and visit the Help Center from menu options in the banner landmark region.
Check your messages, friend requests and notifications by using the buttons in the banner landmark region on any page.
To like, comment on or share a post using a screen reader:
Facebook for computer (www.facebook.com)
- From News Feed, move your screen reader focus to the desired post's Like, Comment or Share option.
- Press the enter (return) key to select an option.
Facebook for iOS using VoiceOver rotor
- From News Feed, swipe right or left (or tap) using 1 finger to move VoiceOver focus to the desired post.
- Double tap using 1 finger to select the post.
- Swipe up or down using 1 finger to until you hear the option that you want: “like”, “comment” or “share.” If you don't hear these options, make sure your VoiceOver rotor is set to Actions. Rotate 2 fingers on your screen as if you're turning a dial to access the VoiceOver rotor. Keep turning until you get to Actions, and then lift your fingers to choose this option.
- Double tap using 1 finger to select the option.
Facebook for iOS using VoiceOver
- From News Feed, swipe left or right (or tap) using 1 finger to move VoiceOver focus to the desired post.
- Double tap using 1 finger to select the post.
- Swipe left or right using 1 finger to move focus to Like, Comment or Share.
- Double tap using 1 finger to select an option.
Facebook for iOS using VoiceOver with action sheets
- From News Feed, swipe right or left (or tap) using 1 finger to move VoiceOver focus to the desired post.
- Double tap using 2 fingers to open the action menu.
- Swipe left or right using 1 finger to select one of the following options: Like, Comment or Share.
- Double tap an option using 1 finger to select it.
Facebook for Android using TalkBack or Voice Assistant
- From News Feed, swipe right or left (or tap) using 1 finger to move the focus to the desired post's options: Like, Comment or Share.
- Double tap an option using 1 finger to select it.
To react to a post using a screen reader:
Facebook for computer (www.facebook.com)
- From News Feed, move your screen reader focus to the post's Like, Comment or Share option.
- Press enter or return on your keyboard.
- React: To choose a reaction, use the right and left arrows on your keyboard.
- Comment: Type your comment, then press enter or return on your keyboard.
- Share: Select where you want to share the post from the menu, then press enter or return on your keyboard.
To get your iOS phone or tablet to read the contents of News Feed without using VoiceOver, turn on Speak Selection or Speak Screen:
To turn on Speak Selection or Speak Screen:
- Go to your home screen and tap
- Tap Accessibility > Spoken Content.
- Tap to turn on Speak Selection or Speak Screen.
To use Speak Selection, go to your News Feed, tap and hold a post using 1 finger, and then select Speak.
To use Speak Screen, go to your News Feed and swipe down using 2 fingers at the top of your screen.
Learn more about VoiceOver at Apple Accessibility.
