Investigating the accessibility of popular mobile Android apps: a prevalence, category, and language study

Accessibility in mobile applications is crucial for ensuring that all users, including those with disabilities, can effectively interact with technology. Despite advancements in smartphone integration, significant accessibility challenges remain. This study investigates the accessibility of popular mobile Android apps, examining the prevalence of accessibility issues, categorizing the types of errors, and evaluating the impact of language on accessibility. We evaluated eight widely used apps using the Accessibility Scanner tool and executed them across three languages: Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Results indicate that most accessibility issues are related to touch target size (1145) and contrast (594). Furthermore, the execution language affects accessibility, with spanish presenting the highest number of errors (828). This study underscores the importance of integrating accessibility best practices in app development and suggests areas for future research to improve mobile app accessibility.