Android's screen magnifier can't zoom the keyboard, but a fix is finally on the way
TL;DR Android is updating its screen magnifier to finally allow users to zoom in on the on-screen keyboard, addressing a major accessibility limitation.
A new 'magnify keyboard' toggle enables the full-screen magnifier to enlarge the keyboard and navigation bar, which were previously fixed in size.
Contributed by an Amazon engineer, the feature is now live in the Android Canary channel and is expected to arrive in a future update for Pixel phones.
The Android operating system is used by billions of people, many of whom face challenges interacting with their phones. For those with visual impairments, reading or inputting text can be a struggle, which is why Android offers accessibility features like text sizing and screen magnification. However, Android's current screen magnifier doesn't zoom into the keyboard, making it difficult to see emojis or individual letters while typing. Thankfully, the latest Android Canary release addresses this limitation.
Android's built-in screen magnification tool can enlarge either the entire screen or just a portion of it. In the full-screen mode, you can pinch with two fingers to zoom and swipe to pan. Previously, no matter how much you zoomed, the keyboard and navigation bar remained fixed in size because Android didn't support zooming in on layers above the app. For example, here's a screenshot of me zooming into Chrome with the keyboard open on a Pixel running the latest Android 16 beta:
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Zooming in to Chrome using the screen magnifier in Android 16 QPR1
With the new Android Canary release, zooming in on the keyboard and navigation bar is now possible. This is enabled by a new 'magnify keyboard' setting under Settings > Accessibility > Magnification, which lets you 'zoom into the keyboard to see emojis and letters when using full-screen magnification.'
Screen magnification options in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2
Screen magnification options in July Android Canary build
Although this setting was off by default in my testing, enabling it allowed the screen magnifier to zoom in on both the keyboard and the navigation bar.
Since this feature is now active in the Android Canary release, we expect it to arrive in a future Android update for Pixel devices, though the exact timing is uncertain. Android Canary builds are on a separate release track from the public beta builds, so features appearing in Canary aren't guaranteed to be in the upcoming quarterly platform release. For context, this feature is not yet live in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, the latest public beta, even though its underlying code is present.
Interestingly, an Amazon engineer contributed this feature to Android last year. Due to Google's recent changes to its Android OS development process, we didn't know the contribution was accepted until now. This shows that third-party developers can still contribute to Android, but there may be a delay before their features are integrated and publicly visible.
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I've hailed several rides myself in San Francisco and, as off-putting as it can seem at first (especially to see a steering wheel turn by itself), I quickly adjusted, and it soon felt like an ordinary ride. That's not to say there hasn't been pushback as Waymo rolls out to more cities. The company's vehicles have been involved in a handful of high-profile collisions, including one with a bicyclist in San Francisco and another with a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. (Waymo recalled and updated its software to address the issue.) Waymo's Safety Impact report notes that over the course of 71 million autonomous miles driven through March 2025, its Waymo Driver technology had 88% fewer crashes leading to serious injuries or worse and 78% fewer injury-causing crashes, compared with "an average human driver over the same distance in our operating cities." It also reported significantly fewer crashes with injuries to pedestrians (93%), cyclists (81%) and motorcyclists (86%). As Waymo continues to expand and develop its self-driving tech, here's how and where to summon the robotaxi if you happen to be in one of the few cities where the company currently operates its fleet. Now Playing: Testing Waymo's Safe Exit Feature in a Self-Driving Taxi 05:29 Hailing a ride in Phoenix Phoenix was the first city to open up fully autonomous Waymo rides to the public, in 2020. To hail a ride, download the Waymo One app on iOS or Android. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also use the Uber app to summon one of Waymo's vehicles in Phoenix. When you request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric ride, you'll have the choice to confirm a Waymo ride, if you're matched. In addition to hailing a ride, you may also have your Uber Eats meal delivered by an autonomous car. When placing an order in the Phoenix area, you might get a note that "autonomous vehicles may deliver your order." 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