Looking for guidance regarding SC 1.4.4, Resize Text, on mobile native apps

[mra11yx]

I've been trying to find guidance on SC 1.4.4 (Resize Text) and native apps on iOS and Android.
Both Android OS and iOS support font scaling and display scaling to various degrees. iOS calls the display scaling feature "Display Zoom"; Android calls it "Display Size." (Of note -- I'm not referring to magnification functionality. Also, the display zoom functionality, from what I've seen, is not specifically advertised within the OS as being geared toward a specific group of users with disabilities. Both platforms allow access to it from the general Display settings pane.)
When testing against SC 1.4.4 for native apps, should the display size/zoom feature be taken into consideration? For example, if an app's text can only be resized up to 170% using the OS's font resize setting (let's say the app does not support the OS's largest font sizes, like "huge" and "enormous"), but 200% can be reached by also enabling the display zoom/size feature, would this be a failure?

Copying @mraccess77 and @haltersweb here.

[patrickhlauke]

Interpretation of this will likely vary. For my own part, I've been slightly lenient in my assessments of 1.4.4 against native apps on mobile, checking primarily that it does react to the OS' text/zoom settings, but not checking if it indeed goes all the way to 200% - but noting if only "important content" parts of the app adapt (as is the case sometimes even in Apple's/Google's own default apps), if there are parts that don't adapt / subjectively don't scale enough, etc.

[mra11yx]

Thanks @patrickhlauke! For what it's worth: From what I've been able to gather (i.e., from taking screenshots on two different devices, and measuring the horizontal and vertical sizing of letters on at different sizes on each one), it's possible to scale text to 200%, but you have to set the absolute largest font size (at least on Android). And like you said, in some cases even the default apps don't scale. Samsung's (Android 8) settings app respects all font sizes, for instance, but LG's (Android 7) doesn't.

[mraccess77]

Some buttons like tab bar buttons likely can't scale past a certain amount without pushing some of the buttons off-screen and requiring horizontal scrolling. So from a practical standpoint I agree with @patrickhlauke. Some large headings might be too big if they enlarged to 200%. Areas that can wrap I would generally expect them to wrap with the maximum setting of text size. However, even Apple's own apps truncate text in table views like settings. As an iOS user it has been my experience that not all content scales the same with the dynamic text setting and Apple has changed and broken the large text functionality slightly over versions as well.

[mra11yx]

Cool. Thanks again @patrickhlauke @mraccess77 !

[carrythebanner]

Since different text styles don't scale equally, I've been using the setting which is closest to 200% for body text. On iOS, that's "AX2" — i.e. turn up text size all the way, enable "Larger Accessibility Sizes," then turn it up 2 more notches.

According to Apple's documentation, body text is 17 pt at the Default setting and 33 pt at AX2. That's 195% larger, which is reasonably close to 200%.

On Android, I've been turning up both Font Size and Display Size to their "Largest" settings. This scales primary content about 150–167%. I haven't found any options which can zoom a full 200% on stock Android. I've mostly tested with Google-produced Pixel devices, but this may vary by device maker.

[mraccess77]

Here is the Apple page that lists the sizes as the different font size levels https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/ios/visual-design/typography/

[mbgower]

@mraccess77 on a relevant tangent, can you or anyone else in the thread comment on the appropriateness of the technique suggested here for mobile web support for dynamic text?

[jha11y]

@mbgower the recommendation comes directly from Apple https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2017/245/. (See page 48 of the PDF of their slides: https://devstreaming-cdn.apple.com/videos/wwdc/2017/245ti8oovkx1hl5005/245/245_building_apps_with_dynamic_type.pdf?dl=1)

[jha11y]

Also iOS "Display Zoom" is not available in iOS v12.0 and above (check on iPhone X and iPad mini 4 running iOS 12.1.4)

[carrythebanner]

Display Zoom is still available in iOS 12 on some devices, such as iPhone 6/7/8 and 6/7/8 Plus. For whatever reason, it's always been limited to certain devices.

[jha11y]

@carrythebanner interesting. I had a coworker check on and iPhone SE with iOS 12 and it wasn't available. so it seems to be a very specific set of devices. Got to love Apple's choices

[jha11y]

@carrythebanner interesting. I had a coworker check on and iPhone SE with iOS 12 and it wasn't available. so it seems to be a very specific set of devices. Got to love Apple's choices. https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/magnify-the-screen-iphd6804774e/ios official support: iPhone Xs Max, iPhone Xr, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus & iPhone 6

[mbgower]

let's say the app does not support the OS's largest font sizes, like "huge" and "enormous")

So, with this information on dynamic type added into the conversation, is the iOS "larger Accessibility Sizes" considered "assistive technology" as per 1.4.4 Resize Text (and so discounted), or could one argue that if I author a site (or app) to fully allow dynamic type resizing, I have met 1.4.4?

[patrickhlauke]

I would argue that allowing any kind of resizing based on the OS sizing options passes 1.4.4. To me, it's conceptually akin to situations where a browser would not allow a full 200% resize...we wouldn't blame the author for that limitation.