TikTok Introduces AI-Generated Alt Text and Bold Text Support to Improve Accessibility
Looking for how TikTok is using AI to enhance accessibility? The platform now automatically generates AI-powered alt text for photos, increasing support for screen readers and improving usability for people with visual impairments. Alongside this, TikTok has rolled out bold text rendering and a high-contrast mode, making it easier to read content and navigate the app, especially for users with low vision or contrast sensitivity. These updates are part of a broader push to make TikTok more inclusive—especially for creators and users relying on assistive technologies.
TikTok’s latest accessibility update includes automated AI-generated alt text for still images—addressing a long-standing gap where many photos had no descriptive metadata. Previously, creators had to manually add descriptions. Now, when they don’t, TikTok fills the gap by auto-generating alt text using artificial intelligence. This means users who depend on screen readers are more likely to encounter images with useful context, even if it's not perfect. Creators can still customize or override these descriptions post-upload, preserving editorial control.
By applying AI-generated descriptions platform-wide, TikTok ensures more visual content is accessible, boosting engagement and usability without requiring additional work from every user. It’s a move aligned with web accessibility best practices and legal compliance, such as WCAG standards and ADA-related expectations.
Beyond alt text, TikTok is introducing enhanced visual settings tailored for people with vision impairments. The app now honors device-level bold text settings, meaning any text marked bold on your smartphone will also appear bold in TikTok. This uniform bold styling helps those with reduced visual acuity distinguish words more clearly.
Additionally, a new color contrast toggle enhances the brightness and separation of foreground UI elements—like text and icons—from the background. High contrast UIs are a known best practice for accessibility optimization, making TikTok friendlier to people with low contrast sensitivity, macular degeneration, or general vision decline.
All these features are now live and accessible via TikTok’s redesigned accessibility settings page. On mobile, open your profile and tap the three-line menu. On desktop, navigate via the left-hand taskbar. Whether you're on iOS or Android, the options to enable high contrast, view or edit AI-generated alt text, and ensure bold text rendering are just a few taps away.
These features not only enhance accessibility—they also support user retention and engagement. For creators and advertisers, this translates to broader reach, stronger community inclusivity, and improved search engine rankings, thanks to structured content and better metadata visibility.
From a business perspective, TikTok’s new AI accessibility tools aren’t just about ethics—they're strategic SEO enhancements. AI-generated alt text helps make content more discoverable on search engines by enriching photo metadata. It boosts performance in visually driven categories like fashion, travel, and food—topics where rich imagery plays a central role.
TikTok's shift toward AI-generated accessibility tools represents a future-forward approach to universal design—one that benefits all users, including those with disabilities. By automating alt text creation and expanding display options for readability, TikTok strengthens both user experience and content discoverability.
For creators looking to maximize reach, and for brands optimizing for performance, embracing these tools is no longer optional—it’s essential.
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