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Let's Talk AAC: "AAC apps for other devices (non-iOS)?"

NWACS

Let’s Talk AAC: “AAC apps for other devices (non-iOS)?”

Welcome back to Let's Talk AAC - a series of questions and topics for discussion. NWACS will occasionally post a question or topic along with some related information. We hope that you will join in the conversation by adding your experiences, resources, related research, etc. in comments so that we can all learn and benefit from each other's knowledge and experience.

UPDATED 10/13/24. This post is for informational purposes only. It is not exhaustive and inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement.

*iOS = an operating system used for mobile devices manufactured by Apple Inc.

Like it or not, the reality is there are many more options of AAC apps for iPad (and other iOS devices). More importantly, there are more communication apps for iOS devices that include large customizable vocabularies and large libraries of picture symbols allowing the flexibility to customize the app for the needs of the communicator. This is important because you need access to lots of words in order to create any sentence you want, sometimes called “spontaneous novel utterance generation” (or SNUG). However, there are many situations in which an iPad (or other iOS device) is not an available option. A question we hear often is:

What AAC apps are available on Android (or other non-iOS device)?

Remember: regardless of whether you are looking for an AAC app for iOS or a non-iOS device, generally speaking you get what you pay for. That is not to say that you might not find a good-fit inexpensive AAC app to meet the communicator's needs in some situations, but be aware of what you are getting (and not getting).

Also worth mentioning: there are now several companies offering iPad + AAC app options for purchase as “dedicated devices” through third party funding sources (like insurance). Want to explore this option? Check out these companies from our curated AAC/AT Companies list:

Or if the individual has waiver funds through the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), it is worth checking with their case manager to see if getting an iPad with AAC app could be funded with waiver funds.

Back to “AAC apps for Android”! Here is a list of AAC apps for non-iOS devices to explore (note: many state they have support for several languages).

The following companies from our curated AAC/AT Companies list offer AAC app options for non-iOS devices:

Here are some other AAC apps for non-iOS devices to explore:

Also check out this list of Android Apps for Complex Communication Support Needs from Call Scotland. And Angela from OMazing Kids AAC Consulting has a blog post on AAC Apps for Chromebook.

Do you have a favorite AAC app available for non-iOS devices that we missed? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below!