Your mobile phone is the handiest tool you carry with you in your day-to-day. That’s why accessibility features are so vital, as they ensure we all have access to our phone’s features when we need them.
Android has traditionally done a pretty darn good job at integrating accessibility features into its platform. One of those features is RTT Calling. If you or a loved one is deaf or has difficulty hearing, or has a speech disability, RTT can be a life-changing technology.
What Is RTT Calling on Android?
RTT (Real-Time Text) Calling is a call type that lets you communicate using text instead of speech. It displays the real-time keystrokes of each person in an RTT call, so there (usually) isn’t a need for aSendbutton. When a person is finished communicating, they stop typing, similarly to how a person stops talking when they’ve finished saying their piece over the phone.
What Is RTT Calling on Android Used For?
RTT Calling is used to give people with hearing and speech disabilities the ability to have real-time conversations, non-verbally. The idea behind RTT Calling is to replace the coughs, throat clearings, and other intricacies that come with verbal human communication with real-time keystrokes that show a person’s thought process in real-time.
The sensation feels similar to a phone conversation, too. Watching someone write, edit, and settle on a message they want to deliver to the other party feels personal and, most importantly, human. This gives Android users with hearing and verbal disabilities the ability to have the texting equivalent of an intimate and personal phone conversation.
How to Enable RTT Calling on Android
If your Android phone supports RTT Calling, you can typically enable this option via theAccessibilitysection in theSettingsapp. To enable RTT Calling on a Pixel 7, for example, open theSettingsapp, tapAccessibility, and selectReal-time text (RTT).
With RTT Calling enabled, you can choose how visible you want the Real-Time Text (RTT) button to be:
How to Make an RTT Call on Android
To make an RTT call, ensure you’ve set the RTT button’s visibility toAlways visible. Open theContactsapp,Phone app, or one ofseveral third-party dialer apps on Android, and call a number. Except this time, tap theRTTbutton to transition the call into an RTT call.
If theRTTbutton does not appear, tap theMoreoption (or an equivalent) to find it.
While dialing, the other party will be invited to join the RTT call. Once joined, every keystroke will be displayed on-screen. It’s like watching a keylogger in real time. When finished with the RTT call, tap theEnd callbutton as you would in a voice call.
RTT Calling is not available while roaming.
How to Switch From a Voice Call to an RTT Call In Real-Time on Android
To switch from a voice call to an RTT call on Android (and vice-versa), be sure you’ve set the RTT button’s visibility to eitherAlways visibleorVisible during call. While on a call, either tap theRTTbutton at the bottom of the calling screen or pressMoreto find and press theRTTbutton. This will switch the call from a voice call to an RTT call.
Can You Contact the Emergency Services via RTT on Android?
Your phone can call emergency services even without a signal. So it comes as no surprise to learn that you can call 911 using RTT on Android. Just be sure you’ve previously set up RTT Calling prior to making the call. For local emergency services, please contact them directly to learn if they also support RTT Calling.
What Is RTT Calling on Android, Explained
RTT Calling—and mobile accessibility options on the whole—are communicative equalizers that help bring us all together. It makes personable, intimate conversations over the phone attainable by everyone.
If you or a loved one has hearing or verbal difficulties and owns an Android phone, introduce them to RTT Calling. It will transform how they communicate in real time over the phone!
