Accessibility Hint

Severity	Serious
Accessibility Principle	Understandable
Affected users	Visual
Success criterion	4.1.2

An accessibility hint gives screen reader users extra context about what will happen when they interact with an element — useful when the label alone does not fully explain the action or its effect.

For example, a button labelled "Like" might not tell a screen reader user what gets liked. Adding a hint — "Likes the song" — fills in that gap:

<Pressable
  accessibilityLabel="Like"
  accessibilityHint="Likes the song"
  onPress={onPress}
>
  <Text>Like</Text>
</Pressable>

Expectations

Assistive Technology: Screen Reader

• When: The user focuses the component
  • Then: The Screen Reader reads the label and role first, then the hint

VoiceOver	Talkback
Like, button, double tap to activate, Likes the song	Like, button, double tap to activate, Likes the song	Good

---

Assistive Technology: Voice Control

• When: The user pronounces the label
  • Then: The Voice Control software recognizes the label
    • And:
      The Voice Control software executes the action — the hint is not announced and does not affect command recognition

When to use the Accessibility Hint

Add a hint when:

• The label alone doesn't explain what the action does (e.g., "Delete" without saying what gets deleted)
• The outcome may be surprising or irreversible
• The element behaves differently from the standard gesture (e.g., a long press opens a menu instead of triggering the primary action)

danger

The hint field is optional. Only add one when the label is not self-explanatory. Overloading a screen reader user with redundant information makes navigation harder, not easier.

Best Practices

Keep hints short and specific

A hint should add information that the label doesn't already carry. Avoid restating the label or describing obvious interactions.

❌ Redundant:

accessibilityLabel="Submit"
accessibilityHint="Submits the form"

✅ Adds value:

accessibilityLabel="Submit"
accessibilityHint="Sends your order and charges your saved card"

Don't duplicate the label

If the hint would say the same thing as the label, omit it.

Use plain language

Write as if explaining to someone who cannot see the screen. Avoid technical jargon.

// Avoid
accessibilityHint="Dispatches the DELETE_ITEM action"

// Prefer
accessibilityHint="Removes this item from your list"