If after adding an image to a tweet you have seen that a button appears with the characters + ALT or Edit and you do not know what it is for, calm down. We will explain what it is and why it might be a good idea from now on to add that description to the images published on Twitter . Surely there are those who appreciate those extra seconds that it takes you to do it.
ALT Text, what does this Twitter option mean
It has been a long time since Twitter integrated the possibility of adding an alternative text (Alt Text) . This is nothing more than an additional text description of the content of the image you are posting. And yes, you may be wondering why if you are already viewing the image. Well, it is not something for you, it is for all those other users who suffer from vision loss problems.
The accessibility options on the different platforms and operating systems are not for users who do not suffer from any type of disability but for those who do. And they are very important, because thanks to the advances of recent years, they have allowed practically anyone to enjoy technology in a normal way.
For example, thanks to voice commands, users with paralysis can navigate and select different interface elements of an operating system or application. Or thanks to those audio descriptions , a person with a vision loss problem can access published content anywhere.
In the latter case is where this feature comes in that you can take advantage of to make it easier for these users to access your content and not miss anything. For example, when you post a photo next to the classic “Having a bad time” text, it’s not the same to add a description to the image that says something like sitting in a chair by the pool and not including anything. Because without that context the phrase could be understood as that, like you are really having a hard time for something that he does not see.
Anyway, beyond irrelevant examples beyond a possible friendship or relationship that unites you, the attractiveness of this is that if you publish or disclose content for educational purposes on social networks in general and on Twitter in particular, you will allow it to reach much more people . Without forgetting that you will be improving its experience of use in a remarkable way.
How to add ALT Text to Twitter images
When adding alternative text to the images you share on Twitter, you will have two options: use the web version of the platform or the native applications. According to one or the other you will find slight changes. So let’s see how to do it in both cases, but first, what does Twitter understand as a description for images or alternative text:
Alternative text is a description you can create for your photos to make them accessible to more people, such as those with vision loss. Good descriptions are concise, but present the content of the photos accurately and appropriately enough so that their context is understood.
Now that you know that the idea is to offer a concise and accurate description, let’s start with the web version of Twitter. When you open your browser and type twitter.com, when you click on the icon to create a new tweet and add an image, you will see that a button appears that says Edit .
Hit that Edit button and a popup will appear where there is a tab called ALT . Click on it and at the bottom you can add the description you think appropriate. Once done, hit save and you are ready to finish writing the text of your tweet and publish or schedule.
In the case of native applications (for iOS and Android) the process is slightly different. When you create a new tweet and add an image the icon that you will see on the screen and that you will have to touch puts + ALT . When you do, you will go directly to a text box where you can enter the image description. Do it and then click Done for the changes to be saved. Now you can finish composing your tweet with text, links or other elements.
As you can see, the process is always very simple and it will only steal a few more seconds. For publications with little importance, it may not be the same, but if they are delicate topics or of general interest, it is true that there will always be users who appreciate these added descriptions. Incidentally, as it happens on the web, these descriptions can also help when it comes to locating content, positioning your publications against others when search engines index information.