“I feel more capable”: vernacular smartphone affordances among illiterate adults in rural China

Purpose Despite significant progress in global literacy campaigns, millions of adults remain illiterate, particularly in rural areas. With the ubiquity of smartphones, illiterate and semi-literate populations are increasingly engaging with digital technologies. This study examines the vernacular affordances these users generate in everyday smartphone use and investigates how such affordances shape their cognitive, emotional, and social experiences. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on participatory observation and semi-structured interviews with 17 illiterate and semi-literate individuals in a rural village in Shanxi Province, China. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis guided by the framework of vernacular affordances. Findings The analysis identifies three vernacular affordance characteristics—from hidden to perceptible, accidental, and incomplete—and explains how they are realized through three pathways: intergenerational digital support (“digital back-feeding”), symbol–meaning matching, and practice through repetition. These pathways help transform initially opaque smartphone functions into perceptible ones, while also producing affordances that remain unstable or only partially realized. Despite these limitations, smartphone use enhanced informal learning, micro-literacy development, emotional intimacy, and social participation. Originality/value The study advances affordance theory by contextualizing vernacular affordances in a rural, low-literacy environment and by demonstrating their unstable, fragmented, and culturally embedded nature. It also shows that the classification of affordances integrates both theoretical insights and empirically derived characteristics. In practice, the findings highlight the importance of intergenerational digital mentorship, culturally sensitive interface design, and policies that promote not only access but also meaningful digital inclusion.