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Set up accessibility features

Who is this article for?
Account owners or team members with the account and settings permission to configure hardware settings. Set permissions in the Square Dashboard.

About accessibility

Accessibility tools help accommodate customers who can benefit from additional visual or audio assistance during order placement and checkout. These tools can adjust the contrast and size of the text on the screen for visual assistance, and read aloud verbal instructions for audio assistance.

You can enable magnification to enlarge a selected portion of Square Terminal and Square Handheld, or the main display on your Square Register, allowing you to zoom in and out with ease.

You can also adjust your accessibility settings to have personally identifiable information (PII) read aloud or not read aloud. Personally identifiable information (PII) is any data that, when used alone or with other relevant data, could be used to identify a specific person. PII includes the customer’s name, email address, home address and phone number.

Before you begin 

You have two options for setting up your device to play aloud audio of what is shown on-screen:

  • Turn on TalkBack from Square Terminal, Square Handheld, Square Register or an Android device.

  • Turn on VoiceOver from an iOS device or Square Stand.

Both TalkBack and VoiceOver work with a connected Square Reader (1st and 2nd generation).

To turn magnification on, you need access to your Square Terminal, Square Handheld or Square Register.

From an Android device, you can also adjust your accessibility settings to have customer information read aloud on Square Point of Sale.

Turn on TalkBack

You can turn TalkBack on from your Square Terminal, Square Handheld, Square Register or Android device.

From Square Terminal, Square Handheld or Square Register

  1. Turn on your Square Terminal, Square Handheld or Square Register.
  2. If you are signed out, you can tap Change Settings > Accessibility. If you are signed in, tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Accessibility.
  3. Toggle TalkBack ON.

TalkBack is automatically enabled on the Square Terminal, Square Handheld and on the customer display for Square Register when headphones are inserted into the audio jack. Square Handheld comes with a USB-C audio jack adapter for headphones.

From an Android device

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
  2. Tap Accessibility > TalkBack.
  3. Toggle TalkBack ON.
  4. You can also turn on TalkBack by asking Google Assistant.

The steps to turn on TalkBack may vary depending on your Android device and version. You can also turn on TalkBack by asking Google Assistant. TalkBack features, services and options are managed by Android directly.

Turn on VoiceOver

You can turn on VoiceOver on an iOS device:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.

  2. Tap Accessibility > VoiceOver.

  3. Toggle VoiceOver ON.

VoiceOver changes the gestures you use to control your iOS device. When VoiceOver is on, you must use VoiceOver gestures to operate your iOS device.

Turn on magnification

 You can turn on magnification from your Square Terminal, Square Handheld or Square Register:

  1. Open the Point of Sale app on your Square Terminal, Square Handheld or Square Register.

  2. If you are signed out, you can tap Change Settings > Accessibility. If you are signed in, tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Accessibility.

  3. Toggle Magnification ON.

Once you’ve enabled magnification on your Square Terminal, Square Handheld or Square Register:

  • Triple-tap the main display screen with one finger to enlarge that area of the display. This is the only magnification level available and cannot be adjusted.

  • Using a two-finger touch, press, hold and drag two fingertips around the screen to pan around the display.

  • Triple-tap to stop magnification and revert to a normal display experience.

The magnification feature does not enlarge the font on the main display or customer screen of Square Register.

Have customer information read aloud by your Point of Sale app

On Android devices, you can adjust your accessibility settings to have customer information read aloud on your Point of Sale app.

  1. Open the Point of Sale app on your Android device.

  2. Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Accessibility.

  3. Toggle Allow accessibility tools to read customer info ON.

  4. Review the customers’ privacy notification and tap Accept.

When Allow accessibility tools to read customer info is turned on, you’re responsible for complying with applicable privacy laws, like using a headset to prevent others from overhearing. Square Terminal and Square Register’s customer display feature audio jacks for headphones. Square Handheld comes with a USB-C to audio jack adapter for headphones.

TalkBack and VoiceOver support

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