The content on this page is subject to change as a result of new information, platform updates, and evolving technology. If the featured platform supports adding, editing, or viewing alt text, a carousel of screenshots outlining each step of the process will be available below as a visual reference. Click the cover image to open the full carousel. Key buttons and fields are outlined in red. All screenshots were captured using Google Chrome on Apple devices, so they may vary in appearance when using different browsers and devices.
For alt text instructions directly from the platform, visit the Twitter/X Help Center.
A unique accessibility setting on Twitter/X is the platform's alt text reminder. Bluesky is the only other platform with a similar feature. To turn the reminder on for Twitter/X, navigate to Settings and Privacy, choose Accessibility, Display, and Languages on the next screen, click Accessibility, and the alt text reminder will be under the Media section.
When the alt text reminder is activated on Twitter/X, a notification will pop up if a user tries to publish a post that's missing alt text. The user can then choose to add an image description to the post or publish the post without alt text.
How to add alt text on the desktop version of Twitter/X:
After alt text is added to an image, the description will appear under the image in the post composition window, and an alt text label will also be shown in the bottom left corner of the image.
Alt text can also be added to GIFs on Twitter/X when the GIF comes from the platform's built-in GIF library.
It is not currently possible to edit alt text on Twitter/X after publishing a post. If an image's alt text needs to be updated, the post will have to be deleted and created again.
There is a visible alt text badge on Twitter/X that appears in the lower left corner of images posted with alt text. It is visible to all users on the platform. When the badge is clicked, a pop up will appear with the image's full alt text inside.
How to add alt text on the mobile version of Twitter/X:
After writing an image description, the button on the image in the composition window will say ALT instead of +ALT to indicate that alt text has been added.
Alt text can also be added to GIFs on Twitter/X when the GIF comes from the platform's built-in GIF library.
It is not currently possible to edit alt text on Twitter/X after publishing a post. If an image's alt text needs to be updated, the post will have to be deleted and created again.
There is a visible alt text badge on Twitter/X that appears in the lower left corner of images posted with alt text. It is visible to all users on the platform. When the badge is clicked, a pop up will appear with the image's full alt text inside.
Unfortunately, the alt text badge does not show up on posts in the mobile app when a user is scrolling through the main feed or on a specific profile. A single post will need to be selected to see if it has an alt text badge or not.
Want to learn more about alt text on social media? Click any of the icons below to discover how to add, edit, and view alt text on other platforms.
