How to Add Alternative Text to Images on Facebook

You can provide image descriptions for images in your Facebook 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

1. Select “Photo/Video.”
2. Select the photo(s) you want to attach to the post.
3. When the photos are attached, click “Edit on the thumbnails."
4. Click “Alternative Text” in the menu.
5. Click “Custom Alt Text” instead of keeping the default generated text.
6. Click “Save.”

If you want to edit the alt text of an image in a post after posting, follow the instructions below.

1. Click the photo to open it.
2. Click options in the top right.
3. Click “Change Alt Text.”
4. Click on Type Alternative Text or change the alternative text in the text field.
5. If you want to use the default generated text, you can click “Clear.”
6. Click “Save.”

Mobile (iOS)

1. Tap on the image that you want to add alt text to.
2. Tap “Options”
3. Tap “Edit Alt Text”
4. Tap “Override Alt Text” if you don’t want to keep the default generated description.
5. Tap the text field and enter the alt text you want to apply.
6. Tap “Save.”

Mobile (Android)

1. Tap on the image that you want to add alt text to.
2. Tap “Options”
3. Tap “Edit Alt Text”
4. Tap “Override Alt Text” if you don’t want to keep the default generated description.
5. Tap the text field and enter the alt text you want to apply.
6. Tap “Save”