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appendix v github mobile
Listen to Episode 32: GitHub Mobile - a conversational audio overview of this chapter. Listen before reading to preview the concepts, or after to reinforce what you learned.
Reference companion to: Chapter 05: Working with Issues | Also relevant: Chapter 10
Authoritative source: GitHub Docs: GitHub Mobile
GitHub Mobile brings issues, pull requests, notifications, and code review to your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. This appendix covers setup, VoiceOver and TalkBack usage, and the tasks best suited to mobile.
Screen reader users
- GitHub Mobile supports VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android) natively -- swipe right to move through elements, double-tap to activate
- The app uses five bottom tabs (Home, Notifications, Explore, Pull Requests, Profile) -- swipe left or right along the bottom tab bar to switch between them
- Use the VoiceOver Rotor (two-finger twist) set to Headings to jump between sections within an issue or PR description
Low vision users
- GitHub Mobile supports dynamic text sizing on both iOS and Android -- increase your system font size and the app respects it
- Dark mode is available in the app settings and follows your system preference -- use it to reduce glare on OLED screens
- The simplified diff view in Files Changed shows additions and removals as text only, without the two-column table layout used on desktop
Sighted users
- The five-tab navigation bar at the bottom of the screen (Home, Notifications, Explore, Pull Requests, Profile) is your primary way around the app
- Notification badges appear as red dots on the Notifications tab -- swipe left on individual notifications for quick actions (read, archive, unsubscribe)
- Pull request diffs use a simplified single-column view optimized for small screens -- additions appear in green, removals in red
- Installing GitHub Mobile
- Getting Around the App
- VoiceOver on iOS
- TalkBack on Android
- Working with Notifications
- Reviewing Pull Requests
- Working with Issues
- What Mobile Does Well vs. Desktop
- Common Issues and Workarounds
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| iOS (iPhone / iPad) | App Store - GitHub |
| Android | Google Play - GitHub |
After installing, sign in with your GitHub account. Enable notifications when prompted - these are essential for staying on top of PR reviews and issue activity without constantly checking the web.
GitHub Mobile is organized into five main tabs at the bottom of the screen:
| Tab | Contents |
|---|---|
| Home | Personalized feed of activity across your repositories |
| Notifications | All @mentions, review requests, issue updates |
| Explore | Discover repositories and trending projects |
| Pull Requests | PRs assigned to you, created by you, or awaiting your review |
| Profile | Your profile, repositories, stars, and settings |
Navigate between tabs with a single tap (or swipe on iOS with VoiceOver active).
- Triple-click the side button (iPhone X and later) or triple-click the Home button to toggle VoiceOver
- Or: Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver → toggle on
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Swipe right | Move to the next element |
| Swipe left | Move to the previous element |
| Double tap | Activate the focused element |
| Two-finger swipe up | Read from the top |
| Two-finger tap | Pause/resume speech |
| Three-finger swipe left/right | Move between screens |
| Scrub (two-finger Z motion) | Go back |
Open the Rotor by rotating two fingers on the screen as if turning a dial. Useful rotor settings for GitHub Mobile:
- Headings - jump between section headings on an issue or PR description
- Links - navigate to linked issues, commits, or external URLs
- Form Controls - jump to input fields when writing a comment
- Actions - available actions for the focused element (assign, label, close)
- Navigate to the comment field (swipe to it or use Rotor → Form Controls)
- Double tap to activate and open the keyboard
- Type your comment; VoiceOver announces each character
- When done, swipe to the Comment button and double tap to submit
- Settings → Accessibility → TalkBack → toggle on
- Or: hold both volume keys for three seconds (if the shortcut is enabled)
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Swipe right | Move to next element |
| Swipe left | Move to previous element |
| Double tap | Activate the focused element |
| Swipe up then down | Scroll down |
| Swipe down then up | Scroll up |
| Swipe right then left | Go back |
| Two-finger swipe down | Read from top |
Tap with three fingers (or swipe down then right) to open the TalkBack menu. From here you can:
- Change the reading granularity (character, word, line, paragraph)
- Activate reading controls
- Copy text
- Locate the comment field - TalkBack announces "Edit text, double tap to edit"
- Double tap to enter the field
- Use the on-screen keyboard or dictation to type
- Locate the Comment button and double tap to submit
GitHub Mobile's Notifications tab is one of its strongest features for AT users - it surfaces all activity in a clean, linear list that is much easier to navigate than the GitHub web notifications page.
Screen reader users
- The Notifications tab presents a linear list that is more accessible than the web version -- swipe right through items one by one to hear each notification's context
- Filter controls are accessible form elements at the top -- navigate to the filter icon, activate it, then swipe through filter options (Type, Repository, Reason)
- Swipe actions (left to archive, right to mark done) work with VoiceOver custom actions -- use the VoiceOver Actions rotor item on each notification
Low vision users
- Notifications are displayed as a vertical list with the repository name, notification type, and title on each row -- text is sized according to your system accessibility settings
- The filter panel overlays on top of the list -- look for the funnel icon in the top-right corner of the Notifications tab
- Unread notifications appear with a blue dot indicator on the left edge of each row
Sighted users
- The Notifications tab shows all activity in a chronological list -- unread items have a blue dot on the left
- Swipe left on any notification to reveal quick-action buttons: Mark as Read, Archive, and Unsubscribe
- Use the filter icon (top right) to narrow by notification type, repository, or reason (mentioned, review requested, assigned)
- Swipe left on a notification to reveal quick actions: Mark as read, Archive, Unsubscribe
- Swipe right to mark as done
- Tap a notification to open the full issue or PR
Use the filter icon at the top right to filter by:
- Type (Issues, PRs, Releases, etc.)
- Repository
- Reason (you were @mentioned, a review was requested, etc.)
With VoiceOver or TalkBack, the filter controls are accessible form elements. Open the filter panel, navigate to each option, and activate to toggle it.
Mobile is well suited for quick PR reviews - approving straightforward changes, leaving a comment, or checking CI status while away from your desk.
When you open a pull request, the screen is divided into sections:
- Description - the PR body with any images or checklists
- Commits - individual commits in this PR
- Files changed - a simplified diff view
- Checks - CI/CD status
VoiceOver and TalkBack announce these as headings. Use heading navigation (Rotor on iOS, swipe granularity on Android) to jump between sections.
- Scroll to or navigate to the Review changes button
- Double tap to open the review panel
- Choose Approve, Request changes, or Comment
- Add an optional comment in the text field
- Activate Submit review
The Files Changed tab shows a simplified diff - additions and removals are text-only (no table layout). Each changed line is announced as "Added: [content]" or "Removed: [content]", which is generally more accessible than the web diff table on small screens.
- Navigate to the repository
- Tap Issues → the + button or New Issue
- Fill in the title and body
- Optionally assign labels, assignees, and milestone - each is a tappable field
- Tap Submit
- Pull Requests tab → Created by you or Assigned to you filters
- For issues: Home feed shows recent activity; or navigate to a specific repository → Issues → filter by Assignee, Label, or Author
| Task | Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Triage notifications | Excellent - linear list, swipe actions | Good |
| Quick review / approve a PR | Good | Good |
| Writing long PR descriptions | Fair - small keyboard | Better |
| Reviewing large diffs | Fair - simplified view | Better |
| Filing a simple issue | Good | Good |
| Complex issue templates | Fair | Better |
| Managing labels and milestones | Good | Good |
| Reading code | Fair - no syntax highlighting | Better |
| Running Codespace / editing code | Not supported | Supported |
Best use of GitHub Mobile: notification triage, quick approvals and comments, catching up on activity between sessions. For writing substantial code, descriptions, or reviewing complex diffs, use the web or VS Code.
Long PR descriptions with images, tables, or embedded videos may not read cleanly. Open the PR in Safari instead - tap the … menu → Open in Browser.
The badge count on the Notifications tab updates live but may not be announced. Navigate directly to the Notifications tab to get the current count read aloud.
Usual iOS/Android behavior - scroll up slightly after the keyboard appears, or rotate to landscape mode to gain more visible space.
Scroll down past the text field; buttons are below the keyboard dismiss area. On iOS, tap elsewhere to dismiss the keyboard first, then scroll to Submit.
Force close the app and reopen. If the problem persists, sign out and back in via Profile → Settings → Sign out.
Next: Appendix W: GitHub Pages
Back: Appendix U: Discussions and Gists
Teaching chapter: Chapter 05: Working with Issues