← BeFree

Accessibility

Last updated May 9, 2026

BeFree is built for people who think out loud — including people who use assistive technology to do it. This page describes how BeFree supports accessibility today, what we're working on, and how to reach us if something doesn't work.

Our Commitment

We target WCAG 2.1 Level AA as a baseline. We don't always hit it on the first build of a feature, but every release tightens the gap, and we treat accessibility regressions as bugs — not nice-to-haves.

What's Built In

Voice-first capture

• BeFree's primary input is your voice. You can capture an entire brain dump without typing, tapping a small target, or remembering a tap-and-hold gesture.
• The mic button is a single, large, persistent target on every primary screen.
• Speech-to-text runs on-device. Your voice never leaves your phone.
• Capture also works through Hey Siri ("Hey Siri, BeFree…") with no need to open the app.

Screen reader support (VoiceOver)

• Every interactive element has a labelled role and accessible name.
• Card and sheet titles are announced as headings.
• Status changes (capture starting, AI thinking, item created) are announced through ARIA-style live regions.

Dynamic Type

• BeFree respects the system Text Size preference, including the larger accessibility sizes.
• Layouts are tested at the largest accessibility size — no clipped labels, no overlapping rows.

Reduce Motion

• BeFree respects the system Reduce Motion preference. The mascot's idle animation, page transitions, and entrance fades are toned down or removed when Reduce Motion is on.
• The brain-dump "thinking" indicator does not flash; it fades.

Color and Contrast

• Light and dark modes are first-class. Both meet 4.5:1 contrast for body text and 3:1 for large text against their respective backgrounds.
• We don't use color alone to convey meaning — every status uses an icon plus a label.

Reduced Cognitive Load

• One mic. One sheet. No streaks, no badges, no engagement loops. The app is designed to let you walk away.
• Confirmations name where the AI put your item ("Milk's on Groceries.") so you don't have to hunt for it after a dump.

Lock-screen and widget capture

• Capture from the lock screen via the BeFree mic widget — no need to unlock, find the app, and tap a target.
• Widget tap-to-mark-done on iOS 17+ lets you complete a task without opening the app.

What We Use

• Apple Speech framework for on-device speech recognition.
• iOS native components wherever possible so VoiceOver, Switch Control, Voice Control, and Full Keyboard Access work the way you expect.
• System Text Size and Reduce Motion are read directly from iOS settings — no separate in-app toggle to forget.

Known Gaps

We're honest about what isn't done:

• iPad layout is not optimized for iPad in v1; we ship iPhone-only.
• Voice Control on iOS works for basic commands ("tap mic", "tap submit") but isn't fully tuned — some custom gestures don't have a verbal name yet.
• Older devices (iPhone 8, SE 1st gen) may experience reduced animation framerates. Reduce Motion is the recommended workaround.
• We don't yet ship a high-contrast theme beyond what dark mode provides.

These are tracked. If you depend on one of them, email us — we will prioritize what real users need.

Reporting an Accessibility Issue

If you find something that doesn't work for you, email support@heybefree.app with:

• The device and iOS version you're using.
• The assistive technology in use (VoiceOver, Switch Control, etc.).
• A short description of what you tried to do and what happened instead.

We aim to respond within 3 business days and prioritize accessibility fixes ahead of feature work.

Designing With Us

If you're an accessibility researcher, neurodivergent advocate, or assistive-technology user who'd like to test pre-release builds, email support@heybefree.app with the subject "Accessibility tester" and we will get you a TestFlight invite.