How to Add Alternate Text to images on X (formerly Twitter)

You can provide image descriptions for images in your X posts on the web, iOS, and Android. Image descriptions are useful for people with visual impairments, especially those who rely on screen reader software such as NVDA, JAWS, and Narrator on Windows, VoiceOver on all Apple operating systems, and Talk Back on Android.

The key to good image descriptions is to be short, concise, and descriptive. Examples might include:

• “A man walking down the street with their German Shepherd guide dog. The person is wearing a charcoal button-down shirt and khaki pants.”
• “An office cubicle with beige walls, a large brown L-shaped desk, 2 monitors, and a small computer tower”
• “A table with an arrangement of food items for an office gathering, including soups, various cakes, candies, pasta dishes, and turkey.”

Below are the steps to achieve this.

Desktop (Web)

Single Image

1. Attach an image to your X post.
2. Click “Add Description”
3. Enter the description into the text box that appears.
4. When finished, click “Save.”
5. When your post is complete, click “Post.”

Multiple Images

1. Attach images to your X post.
2. Click “Add Description”
3. Use the arrow buttons that appear at the top of the dialog to select which image you want to apply a description to and enter the description into the text box that appears for each image.
4. When you’re finished, click “Save.”
5. When your post is complete, click “Post.”

Mobile (iOS)

Single Image

1. Attach an image to your post

2. Tap the “+ALT” button on the image.

   1. For VoiceOver users, the button’s title is “Add a description to this photo”.
   2. VoiceOver users can also find the image thumbnail, switch to the “Actions” rotor by performing the relevant gesture, and flick through the options until you find “Add a description to this photo.” If you don’t know how to use the VoiceOver rotor, please read this Apple support article.

3. In the text box that appears, enter the description for the image.

4. Tap “Done”

5. Tap “Post”

Multiple Images

1. Attach images to your post

2. Tap the “+ALT” button on the image you want to add a description to

   1. For VoiceOver users, the button’s title is “Add a description to this photo”.
   2. For Voice Over users, you can also use an accessibility action with the same title as the button by flicking your finger up or down using the “Actions” rotor when the Voice Over cursor is focused on the image in the post compose screen.

3. In the text box that appears, enter the description for the image.

4. Tap “Done.”

5. Repeat for each image you have attached to the post

6. Tap “Post.”

Mobile (Android)

Single Image

1. Attach an image to your post
2. Tap the “+ALT” button on the image.
3. In the text box that appears, enter the description for the image.
4. Tap “Done.”
5. Tap “Post.”

Multiple Images

1. Attach images to your post
2. Tap the “+ALT” button on the image you want to add a description to
3. In the text box that appears, enter the description for the image.
4. Tap “Done.”
5. Repeat for each image you have attached to the post
6. Tap “Post.”