WORK IN PROGRESS

Note: 02 October 2024: The information for TalkBack on Android may be incorrect, incomplete and/or contradictory Until noted otherwise, do not rely upon it!

How HTML elements are supported by screen readers

Typical support patterns of HTML elements by screen readers:

Identification of an element by role as the user moves through the content.
Announcement of the text content of an element.
Announcement of the start and end of an element.
Change in voice as the content of an element is announced.
Announcement of an elements accessible name and/or description
Announcement of states and properties.
Emission of a beep or other sound when an element with a particular state or property receives virtua focus.
Instructions on how to operate interactive elements such as form controls.
Navigation of elements by keyboard and “quick access” lists of a particular elements, list items are linked to each instance of an element on the page.

Note: The combination of patterns supported varies from element to element and support for a particular element varies between screen reader software.

Support legend

means we have found this feature to be implemented interoperably (across multiple browsers)
means we have found that this feature is not implemented
means the element has no expected semantics.
means we are unsure whether this feature is supported, this may be due to lack of testing or lack of clarity around what 'support' of this feature is supposed to convey to the user.

TalkBack on Android HTML Support Table

TakBack on Android (2024) HTML Support - ~~Chrome Version 129.0.6668.90 (Official Build) (64-bit)~~
Element	Test Case	Represents	AURAL UI	Interaction	Notes
`<a>`	Hyperlink	Link with an `href`	Announces "link" + link text	Swipe left/right, double-tap to activate	Recognizes visited/unvisited state of links.
`<abbr>`	Abbreviation	Abbreviated term	Reads abbreviation and title attribute	No special interaction	Expands abbreviation if `title` is present.
`<address>`	Address information	Contact information	Reads text as normal	No special interaction	Treated as regular text; no special emphasis.
`<area>`	Image map area	Clickable area within an image map	Announces "link" + `alt` text	Swipe left/right to navigate, double-tap	Recognizes `alt` text for accessibility.
`<article>`	Article	Self-contained composition	Announces "article"	Swipe left/right, or use local context menu	Recognized as a landmark.
`<aside>`	Sidebar	Tangentially related content	Announces "complementary"	Swipe left/right, or use local context menu	Recognized as a complementary region.
`<audio>`	Audio player	Audio content with controls	Announces "audio" or "play button"	Double-tap to play/pause	Accessible buttons available; reads controls.
`<b>`	Bold text	Important or emphasized text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No specific emphasis conveyed.
`<base>`	Document base URL	Base URL for relative links	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Ignored by TalkBack; used for browser handling.
`<bdi>`	Bi-directional isolation	Isolates a span of text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No semantic effect conveyed by TalkBack.
`<bdo>`	Bi-directional override	Overrides the current text direction	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No special aural feedback.
`<blockquote>`	Block quote	Quoted block content	Announces "blockquote"	Swipe left/right to navigate	Recognizes the blockquote start and end.
`<body>`	Document body	Main content of the page	Reads content	No special interaction	No unique aural feedback; treated as the main document.
`<br>`	Line break	Line break within text	Announces "line break"	No special interaction	Treated as a natural pause or break in reading.
`<button>`	Button	Clickable button control	Announces "button" + label	Double-tap to activate	Recognizes state (pressed/unpressed) and label.
`<canvas>`	Drawing canvas	Scriptable bitmap canvas	Announces "graphic" if `aria-label` provided	Swipe left/right to navigate	Accessible fallback content read if provided.
`<caption>`	Table caption	Title for a table	Announces as part of the table	Swipe left/right to navigate table content	Recognized when navigating within a table.
`<cite>`	Citation	Reference to a creative work	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No specific emphasis given.
`<code>`	Code snippet	Inline code or programming syntax	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No unique inflection for code snippets.
`<col>`	Table column	Defines column properties	No aural indication	Not directly interactive	Structure conveyed through table headers.
`<colgroup>`	Group of columns	Groups multiple columns in a table	No aural indication	Not directly interactive	Contributes to table structure but not directly read.
`<data>`	Machine-readable data	Data and its human-readable equivalent	Reads element content	No special interaction	Treated as normal text.
`<datalist>`	Combo box suggestions	Provides options for an input field	Announces "combo box"	Double-tap to select	Offers accessible suggestions when typing.
`<dd>`	Definition description	Content of a term's description	Reads element content	Swipe left/right to navigate	Properly linked to `dt`.
`<del>`	Deleted text	Marked as deleted	Announces "deleted" before reading content	No special interaction	Uses distinct tone for deleted content.
`<details>`	Disclosure widget	Expandable/collapsible content	Announces "expandable" or "collapsed"	Double-tap to expand/collapse	Recognizes the expanded/collapsed state.
`<dfn>`	Defining term	Indicates a defining instance of a term	Reads element content	No special interaction	No additional semantics conveyed by TalkBack.
`<dialog>`	Dialog box	Modal dialog	Announces "dialog"	Focus moves to dialog on open	Recognizes and traps focus within dialog.
`<div>`	Generic container	Generic block container	Reads element content	No special interaction	Treated according to ARIA roles/attributes.
`<dl>`	Definition list	List of term-definition pairs	Announces "list with X items"	Swipe left/right to navigate	Recognizes the list structure.
`<dt>`	Definition term	Term in a definition list	Reads element content	Part of list navigation	Associated with following `dd`.
`<em>`	Emphasis	Emphasized text	Reads with slight emphasis	No special interaction	Uses intonation to convey emphasis.
`<embed>`	Embedded content	Embeds external resources	Announces "embedded object"	Swipe left/right to navigate	Behavior depends on the type of embedded content.
`<fieldset>`	Form controls grouping	Groups related form controls	Announces "group" and reads legend	Swipe left/right to navigate controls	Recognizes fieldset and legend association.
`<figcaption>`	Figure caption	Caption for a figure element	Reads caption text	No special interaction	Recognized as part of the figure.
`<figure>`	Figure	Self-contained content	Announces "figure"	Swipe left/right to navigate	Properly treated as a grouped item.
`<footer>`	Footer	Page or section footer	Announces "footer"	Rotor to landmarks or swipe left/right	Recognized as a landmark region.
`<form>`	Form	Collects user input	Announces "form"	Swipe left/right to navigate controls	Recognizes form controls and fieldsets.
`<h1>` to `<h6>`	Section headings	Headings with levels 1 to 6	Announces "heading level X"	Rotor to headings, swipe to navigate	Properly identifies heading level and content.
`<header>`	Header	Header section	Announces "header"	Rotor to landmarks	Identified as a landmark region.
`<hr>`	Thematic break	Horizontal rule or separator	Announces "separator"	Swipe left/right to navigate	Treated as a separator line.
`<html>`	Root element	Main HTML element	No aural indication	No special interaction	Not directly read; root of the document.
`<iframe>`	Inline frame	Nested browsing context	Announces "frame"	Swipe left/right to navigate	Recognizes the frame's title if available.
`<img>`	Image	Embedded image	Announces "image" + `alt` text	Double-tap to activate or swipe to navigate	Reads `alt` or "image" if missing.
`<input type="button">`	Button	Clickable button	Announces "button" + label	Double-tap to activate	Recognizes the label of the button.
`<input type="checkbox">`	Checkbox	Check/uncheck control	Announces "checkbox, checked/unchecked"	Double-tap to toggle state	Identifies the label and checked/unchecked state.
`<input type="color">`	Color picker	Color selection control	Announces "color picker"	Double-tap to open the color picker	Allows selecting colors from the palette.
`<input type="date">`	Date input	Date selection control	Announces "date picker"	Double-tap to open and set values	Provides a date-specific input interface.
`<input type="datetime-local">`	Local date and time	Local date and time picker	Announces "date and time picker"	Double-tap to open, swipe to adjust values	Combines date and time selection.
`<input type="email">`	Email input	Email address entry	Announces "email field"	Text entry interaction	Provides an email-specific keyboard.
`<input type="file">`	File upload	File selection/upload control	Announces "file upload"	Double-tap to choose file	Allows file browsing and selection.
`<input type="hidden">`	Hidden input	Non-visible input	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Used for form data; ignored by TalkBack.
`<input type="image">`	Image button	Submit button with an image	Announces "image button" + `alt` text	Double-tap to activate	Acts as a regular button but with an image.
`<input type="month">`	Month input	Month/year input	Announces "month picker"	Double-tap to adjust values	Provides a month/year selection interface.
`<input type="number">`	Number input	Numeric entry	Announces "number field"	Double-tap to enter/edit	Provides a numeric keyboard.
`<input type="password">`	Password input	Secure text entry	Announces "password field"	Text entry interaction	Input is masked as entered.
`<input type="radio">`	Radio button	Radio button option	Announces "radio button, checked/unchecked"	Double-tap to select	Recognizes the radio button's group.
`<input type="range">`	Range slider	Range input using a slider	Announces "slider" + current value	Swipe left/right to adjust	Allows setting a value within a defined range.
`<input type="reset">`	Reset button	Resets form fields	Announces "reset button"	Double-tap to activate	Resets all form inputs to default values.
`<input type="search">`	Search input	Search query entry	Announces "search field"	Text entry interaction	Provides a search-specific keyboard.
`<input type="submit">`	Submit button	Form submission button	Announces "submit button"	Double-tap to activate	Submits form data to the server.
`<input type="tel">`	Telephone input	Telephone number entry	Announces "phone number field"	Text entry interaction	Provides a telephone-specific keypad.
`<input type="text">`	Text input	Single-line text entry	Announces "text field"	Text entry interaction	Standard text input field.
`<input type="time">`	Time input	Time picker	Announces "time picker"	Double-tap to adjust	Allows selecting hours and minutes.
`<input type="url">`	URL input	URL entry field	Announces "URL field"	Text entry interaction	Provides a URL-specific keyboard.
`<input type="week">`	Week input	Week number input	Announces "week picker"	Double-tap to adjust values	Allows selecting a week within a year.
`<ins>`	Inserted text	Recently added text	Announces "insertion"	No special interaction	Uses distinct tone for inserted content.
`<kbd>`	Keyboard input	User keyboard input representation	Reads element content	No special interaction	No unique aural treatment.
`<label>`	Label for form input	Descriptive label for input	Announces label when focusing on input	Swipe to focus on associated input	Provides context for form controls.
`<legend>`	Fieldset legend	Caption for a fieldset	Announces as part of fieldset	No special interaction	Provides context to grouped form controls.
`<li>`	List item	Item in an ordered/unordered list	Announces "list item" + position	Swipe to navigate	Recognizes item count and position.
`<link>`	External resource link	Link to external resources	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Generally ignored by TalkBack.
`<main>`	Main content	Main content area	Announces "main"	Rotor to 'landmarks' or swipe to navigate	Recognized as a landmark region.
`<map>`	Image map	Collection of areas within an image	No direct aural indication	Interaction via associated `<area>` elements	Recognizes linked areas in the map.
`<mark>`	Highlighted text	Highlighted or relevant text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No unique emphasis conveyed.
`<meta>`	Metadata	Metadata about the HTML document	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Used for SEO and browser handling.
`<meter>`	Scalar measurement	Visual gauge or meter	Announces "meter" + value	Swipe to interact	Announces the current value.
`<nav>`	Navigation section	Navigation links	Announces "navigation"	Rotor to 'landmarks' or swipe to navigate	Recognized as a navigation landmark.
`<noscript>`	Alternative content for JS	Content for non-JS enabled browsers	Reads element content	No special interaction	Displayed if JavaScript is disabled.
`<object>`	Embedded object	Generic embedded object	Announces "object"	Swipe left/right to interact	Behavior depends on the embedded content type.
`<ol>`	Ordered list	Numbered list of items	Announces "ordered list" + number of items	Swipe to navigate	Recognizes list structure and item count.
`<optgroup>`	Option group	Grouping of options in a dropdown	Announces "group" label	Swipe to navigate options	Recognizes option groups within a select menu.
`<option>`	Select option	Selectable option in a dropdown	Announces option text	Swipe to select	Recognizes the selected state.
`<output>`	Calculation result	Result of a calculation	Reads the output value	No special interaction	Announces dynamically updated content.
`<p>`	Paragraph	Block of text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	Treated as regular paragraph text.
`<picture>`	Responsive image container	Responsive image	Announces selected image	Swipe to navigate	Reads the most appropriate image source.
`<pre>`	Preformatted text	Text with preserved whitespace	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	Retains formatting, including line breaks.
`<progress>`	Progress bar	Progress indicator	Announces "progress bar" + value	Swipe to interact	Announces the current progress value.
`<q>`	Inline quotation	Short inline quotation	Announces quotation marks	No special interaction	Recognizes start/end of quotes.
`<rp>`	Ruby fallback parentheses	Ruby text fallback	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	Displayed if ruby text not supported.
`<rt>`	Ruby annotation text	Ruby pronunciation guide	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	Reads inline with the main text.
`<ruby>`	Ruby annotation container	Container for ruby text annotations	Reads the ruby text annotations	No special interaction	Provides pronunciation guidance inline.
`<s>`	Strikethrough text	Text with a line through it	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No unique indication for strikethrough.
`<samp>`	Sample output	Sample output from a program	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No specific treatment beyond reading.
`<script>`	JavaScript	Embedded or external JavaScript	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Executes without screen reader feedback.
`<section>`	Section	Thematic grouping of content	Announces "region"	Rotor to 'landmarks'	Recognized as a landmark if labeled.
`<select>`	Select dropdown	Dropdown menu	Announces "popup button"	Double-tap to open, swipe to select	Reads all available options.
`<small>`	Fine print	Less important text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No special emphasis applied.
`<source>`	Media source	Source for media elements	No direct aural feedback	Not interactive	Used within `<audio>` and `<video>`.
`<span>`	Inline container	Generic inline container	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	Treated as part of the text flow.
`<strong>`	Strong emphasis	Important text	Reads with strong emphasis	No special interaction	Uses a more assertive voice inflection.
`<style>`	CSS styles	Embedded stylesheets	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Applies CSS styles; ignored by screen reader.
`<sub>`	Subscript text	Subscript text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No unique indication of subscript.
`<summary>`	Disclosure summary	Summary for `<details>`	Announces "summary"	Double-tap to expand/collapse	Acts as a trigger for the `<details>` element.
`<sup>`	Superscript text	Superscript text	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No unique indication of superscript.
`<svg>`	Scalable Vector Graphics	Vector graphics	Announces "graphic" if labeled	Swipe to navigate	Reads accessible labels, if provided.
`<table>`	Data table	Tabular data	Announces "table with X rows and Y columns"	Swipe to navigate cells	Provides structured navigation through rows/columns.
`<tbody>`	Table body	Table content container	Included in table navigation	No special interaction	Recognized as part of table structure.
`<td>`	Table data cell	Cell within a table row	Reads cell content	Included in table navigation	Properly linked to headers where applicable.
`<template>`	Template container	Client-side template content	No aural feedback	Not interactive	Hidden unless instantiated by JavaScript.
`<textarea>`	Multi-line text input	Editable multi-line text area	Announces "text area"	Text entry interaction	Allows multiple lines of input.
`<tfoot>`	Table footer	Footer section of a table	Included in table navigation	No special interaction	Recognized as part of table structure.
`<th>`	Table header cell	Header cell within a table	Announces "column header" or "row header"	Included in table navigation	Recognizes association with data cells.
`<thead>`	Table header	Header section of a table	Included in table navigation	No special interaction	Recognized as part of table structure.
`<time>`	Time	Date/time representation	Reads element content	No special interaction	Displays human-readable time/date.
`<title>`	Document title	Title of the document	Announces when the page loads	Not interactive	Read when the page/tab gains focus.
`<tr>`	Table row	Row within a table	Included in table navigation	No special interaction	Reads content within each cell of the row.
`<track>`	Media track	Subtitles, captions, or descriptions	Announces track type when enabled	Swipe to activate/deactivate	Used with `<audio>` and `<video>` elements.
`<u>`	Underlined text	Text with underline styling	Reads content as normal text	No special interaction	No unique aural distinction for underline.
`<ul>`	Unordered list	Bullet list	Announces "list with X items"	Swipe to navigate list items	Recognizes and reads list structure.
`<var>`	Variable	Variable or argument in text/code	Reads element content	No special interaction	No unique treatment beyond normal text.
`<video>`	Video player	Embedded video with controls	Announces "video"	Double-tap to play/pause	Provides full media controls.
`<wbr>`	Word break opportunity	Suggests a line break opportunity	No direct aural feedback	No special interaction	Breaks are handled visually via CSS/layout.