# iOS / Accessibility: Enhancing the Note and Task Addition Process with VoiceOver

**URL:** <https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067>\
**Category:** Features\
**Created:** [27 February 2025 00:00 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067 "2025-02-27T00:00:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sofquipeut](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/sofquipeut/32/24515_2.png) [@sofquipeut](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/sofquipeut)\
**Post date:** [27 February 2025 00:00 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067/1 "2025-02-27T00:00:50Z")

</div>

Suggestion for the Joplin app on iOS when using VoiceOver:

The process of adding a note or task can be confusing, particularly for first-time users. While it's something users can adapt to, it still causes unnecessary delays. Pressing the "new note" or "new task" buttons doesn't yield any result unless the "Add" button is activated first. This action opens a menu, but initially appears empty. To make the buttons work, users have to navigate back to them, which adds an unnecessary step:

- It’s unclear why these buttons are detectable by VoiceOver when the "Add" menu is not expanded. They should ideally be hidden.
- A more streamlined approach would be to keep the "new note" and "new task" buttons hidden from VoiceOver until the "Add" menu is opened. Selecting the "Add" button could then present a pop-up menu where users can simply choose between "New Note" or "New Task."

Implementing these changes would likely provide users with a more straightforward and efficient way to quickly add notes.  
Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![personalizedrefriger](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/personalizedrefriger/32/13210_2.png) [@personalizedrefriger](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/personalizedrefriger)\
**Post date:** [27 February 2025 01:04 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067/2 "2025-02-27T01:04:22Z")

</div>

Thanks for the feedback!

I'm linking to a related pull request:

> <https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/pull/11780>
>
> \# Summary
> 
> \*\*Goals\*\*:
> \- Implement a redesign of the new note menu. 
> \- Make t…he new note menu more accessible.
> 
> This pull request partially implements a redesign of the new note creation process (design by @MartaLC).
> 
> In addition to changing the appearance of the "new note" menu, this replaces the \`react-native-paper\` \`FAB.Group\` component, which \[had accessibility issues\](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/calling-visually-impaired-users-help-us-improve-accessibility/42094/12?u=personalizedrefriger).
> 
> \*\*Trying it\*\*: At the time of this writing, a version of this pull request can be accessed at \[personalizedrefrigerator.github.io/joplin/web-client/\](https://personalizedrefrigerator.github.io/joplin/web-client/).
> 
> \# Screenshot
> 
> The menu includes shortcuts to creating a new note with a photo, drawing, or file attachment, in addition to "new note" and "new to-do" buttons:
> !\[screenshot: A menu along the bottom edge of the screen with camera, attachment, drawing, new to-do, and new note actions. The new to-do and new note actions are on a second row\](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0851a314-1c42-417a-89ae-7b45498f2a61)
> 
> On a wider screen, the menu is pushed to the right edge of the screen, to minimize distance between the menu and the "+" (Add new) button that opens the menu.
> !\[screenshot: The menu, on a wider screen\](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/61711422-336b-479f-88c9-9bd114da22bb)
> 
> 
> \# To-do
> 
> \- \[\] \*\*Accessibility\*\*: Improve focus order.
> - Currently, keyboard/screen reader focus visits the "camera"/"attachment"/"drawing" quick actions before visiting the "new to-do" and "new note" buttons.
> - I'm running into issues with this. The menu is currently shown in a React Native \`Modal\`. While the menu is open, the \`Modal\` prevents accessibility/keyboard focus from reaching items not in the menu. However, it also makes auto-setting focus difficult. On Android, the \`Modal\` seems to auto-focus the first item several hundred milliseconds \*\*after\*\* the modal opens.
> \- \[x\] \*\*Accessibility\*\*: Fix screen readers read "side menu closed" then "side menu opened" when opening the edgemenu.
> \- \[\] Verify that the menu is shown in the correct place when RTL is enabled.
> \- \[x\] iOS: The menu is partially covered by the device notch when in landscape mode.
> \- \[x\] Determine how the menu should be positioned on wide screens.
> - Ideally, this would minimize the distance between the "new note" button and the "+" button that opened the menu. (Related: \[Fitts' Law\](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s\_law)).
> \- \[x\] Change the appearance of the "+" button that opens the menu to match the design.
> \- \[x\] Restyle the "new to-do" and "new note" buttons to match the design.
> \- \[x\] Fix swiping down to the left of the menu does nothing.
> - Swiping down from above the menu dismisses it. Swiping down to the left of the menu should do the same thing.
> \- \[\] Automated tests.
> \- \[\] Refactoring.

**Edit** : Note that the above pull request switches to a custom component for the new note menu.  
I'm also linking to a pull request in the library Joplin uses for the "new" menu: [pull request: Fix sub items are accessibility focusable when collapsed](https://github.com/callstack/react-native-paper/pull/4498).

I'm not sure whether the upstream will be merged in the near future, though (it's been open for a while though without a review).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sofquipeut](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/sofquipeut/32/24515_2.png) [@sofquipeut](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/sofquipeut)\
**Post date:** [27 February 2025 08:22 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067/3 "2025-02-27T08:22:18Z")

</div>

Thanks! Sorry, I've walked through all the pull request but didn't pay enough attention to this one.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![personalizedrefriger](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/personalizedrefriger/32/13210_2.png) [@personalizedrefriger](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/personalizedrefriger)\
**Post date:** [27 February 2025 23:59 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067/4 "2025-02-27T23:59:27Z")

</div>

The pull request linked above still has a few issues and it might be some time until it's ready. For now, I've created a pull request that patches `react-native-paper` (the library we use for the new note menu):

> <https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/pull/11899>
>
> \# Summary
> 
> This pull request patches \`react-native-paper\` to fix a focus issue… that has been reported a few times on the forum and Mastodon.
> 
> See also:
> \- A work-in-progress \[pull request that switches to a custom component for the new note menu\](https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/pull/11780).
> \- The \[(unmerged) upstream pull request\](https://github.com/callstack/react-native-paper/pull/4498), which describes the issue.
> 
> \> \[!NOTE\]
> \>
> \> This only applies to Android and iOS. This does not fix the issue on web. This also only fixes the focus issue. It does not label the fullscreen close button shown behind the menu items.
> 
> \# Testing plan
> 
> Android 13:
> 1. Enable TalkBack.
> 2. Open the sidemenu.
> 3. Move focus to the "Synchronize" button.
> 4. Swipe to the right.
> 5. Verify that this moves focus to the "collapsed, add new, button".
> 6. Double-tap
> 7. Verify that TalkBack reads "expanded".
> 8. Swipe left.
> 9. Verify that TalkBack moves focus to "New note, button".
> - \*\*Note\*\*: It may make more sense for "new note, button" to be \*\*after\*\* the "add new, button" in the focus order. This, however, would require a larger patch. Would it make sense to try to address that here?
> 10. Swipe left.
> 11. Verify that TalkBack moves focus to "New to-do, button".
> 12. Double-tap.
> 13. Verify that TalkBack reads "editing, add title, edit box"
> 14. Open a note in view mode.
> 15. Click the "edit" button.
> 16. Verify that this switches the note to edit mode.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/uploads/cozic/original/3X/1/c/1c948e33314e232a0927789508474d8624f4270b.png) [@system](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [23 February 2026 00:00 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/ios-accessibility-enhancing-the-note-and-task-addition-process-with-voiceover/44067/5 "2026-02-23T00:00:22Z")

</div>

Closed on 23 February 2026 00:00 UTC

This topic was automatically closed 360 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.