WCAG2Mobile explained: what the new W3C draft means for mobile accessibility

The Mobile Accessibility Task Force (MATF) of the W3C has published a First Draft Note titled “Guidance on Applying WCAG 2.2 to Mobile Applications (WCAG2Mobile)” on 6 May 2025. This draft provides practical, mobile-specific guidance for interpreting WCAG 2.2 in the context of mobile applications, including native mobile apps, mobile web apps and hybrid apps using web components inside native mobile apps.

Although the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were originally created for the web, for a long time they have also served as the standard reference for mobile accessibility. WCAG is used in legislation and policy frameworks around the world - including the EN 301 549 standard in Europe, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and Sections 504 and 508 in the United States.

However, the mobile context differs from the web context in several important ways:

  • Unlike websites, which expose their structure through HTML, mobile apps run in closed ecosystems where the source code is typically not openly available. This makes accessibility evaluation more complex and platform-dependent.

  • Assistive technology support varies between mobile platforms, requiring platform-specific knowledge and interpretation of the requirements.

  • Terminology in mobile development does not always align directly with web terminology.

  • The screen size and the way users interact with mobile devices differ significantly from desktop environments.

Without specific guidance, applying web-centric WCAG guidelines to mobile often leads to confusion and gaps in interpretation. WCAG2Mobile aims to close that gap.

What WCAG2Mobile includes

  • Clarification of terminology and glossary updates

    The draft introduces new terms - such as navigational mechanisms - and refines existing definitions to reflect mobile-specific behavior and patterns.

  • Criterion-by-criterion guidance

    WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA success criteria are addressed individually, with specific notes on how they apply to mobile applications.

Limitations

WCAG2Mobile is not a new standard and does not introduce any changes to WCAG itself. It builds on the existing WCAG 2.2 guidelines, but purely as informative guidance - not as a requirement.

The document does not include techniques or code examples for implementation. It also does not define how mobile apps should conform to WCAG. Instead, it helps teams interpret existing success criteria in a mobile context.

What is next?

This is a first First Public Working Draft, meaning that the document is not yet finished, and will change based on feedback from the public. If you would like to follow or contribute, you can do so in the MATF GitHub repository, which is open for public comment.

Abra’s contribution

Abra is one of the key contributors to the MATF. Jan Jaap de Groot joined as an Invited Expert in April 2022 and has served as a group facilitator since January 2024. Tanya van Workum joined in late 2024, contributing her expertise in app accessibility auditing.

Together with the group - which includes some of the best mobile accessibility experts worldwide - we are sharing our knowledge and helping shape accessibility standards for mobile applications.

Abra's vision on mobile accessibility

At Abra, we believe that real progress comes from combining smart automation with in-depth accessibility knowledge. That is why we created an ecosystem that supports the full accessibility workflow. It helps you test, collaborate, and solve issues efficiently. If you want to see how it works, watch a short video about Abra ecosystem.

The core of our system is a growing set of accessibility rules developed by Abra. Based on our expertise, we created 92 Abra rules specifically for mobile app testing. These rules reflect our interpretation of WCAG in a mobile context and form the foundation of our testing approach. An overview of the rules is summarised in the Practical guide to mobile accessibility testing.

New to mobile accessibility?

Follow our free introduction course: Kick-off on Abra Academy.

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