ContentDescriptionNonDecorative [rule] v0.1.0

TalkBack reads contentDescription aloud when focusing an image or icon. Every non-decorative visual that conveys information OR is the only label for an action must have a non-empty contentDescription. Purely decorative visuals (a divider flourish, a background pattern) must pass contentDescription = null so TalkBack skips them and does not read meaningless 'image' announcements. The choice is binary and required: passing the default "" (empty string) is a bug.

Checks

• Image(painter, contentDescription = "User avatar for $userName") for informational images.
• Image(painter, contentDescription = null) for decorative-only visuals.
• IconButton(onClick = { ... }) { Icon(Icons.Default.Delete, contentDescription = "Delete item") } — the icon is the action label, so it MUST be described.
• When an icon sits NEXT TO a Text label (e.g. a labelled button), the icon is decorative — contentDescription = null — so TalkBack does not announce the same word twice.
• Descriptions are user-facing strings from a localised resource (stringResource(R.string.delete_item)), not hard-coded English.

Label

Non-decorative images/icons get a contentDescription; decorative ones get null

ContentDescriptionNonDecorative [rule] v0.1.0

TalkBack reads contentDescription aloud when focusing an image or icon. Every non-decorative visual that conveys information OR is the only label for an action must have a non-empty contentDescription. Purely decorative visuals (a divider flourish, a background pattern) must pass contentDescription = null so TalkBack skips them and does not read meaningless 'image' announcements. The choice is binary and required: passing the default "" (empty string) is a bug.

Checks

• Image(painter, contentDescription = "User avatar for $userName") for informational images.
• Image(painter, contentDescription = null) for decorative-only visuals.
• IconButton(onClick = { ... }) { Icon(Icons.Default.Delete, contentDescription = "Delete item") } — the icon is the action label, so it MUST be described.
• When an icon sits NEXT TO a Text label (e.g. a labelled button), the icon is decorative — contentDescription = null — so TalkBack does not announce the same word twice.
• Descriptions are user-facing strings from a localised resource (stringResource(R.string.delete_item)), not hard-coded English.

Label

Non-decorative images/icons get a contentDescription; decorative ones get null

Label

Non-decorative images/icons get a contentDescription; decorative ones get null