BIG Launcher, BIG Phone and BIG SMS support focus navigation for using an Android phone without precise touchscreen taps. You can move between controls and select them with a keyboard or compatible physical-input setup. For keyboard navigation in BIG Launcher, first turn off Preferences → Screens’ options → Use swipe to navigate screens.
This matters beyond the home screen. Opening the phone app is only the beginning: you also need to select a contact, control the call, open a message and reach Send. Focus navigation was developed and tested across all three applications.
Prepare the home screen for physical controls
- Connect your keyboard or controller and configure its Android input settings. For a switch that uses scanning, follow Android’s Switch Access setup: scanning highlights items so you can select them with your switch.
- In BIG Launcher, open Preferences → Screens’ options and turn off Use swipe to navigate screens. Leaving swipe navigation on makes its buttons inaccessible by keyboard.
- Put the actions you use on the home screen through ⋮ → Set buttons. Keep Phone and Messages easy to reach. The free BIG Launcher edition allows button changes in the right column; editing all buttons requires the full version.
- If you need another screen, create it with Preferences → Customize buttons and screens → Add screen, then assign a Go to screen button. You can select that button instead of swiping between pages.
With a keyboard, use the directional keys to move focus, Enter to select and Back to return. D-pad and controller mappings depend on the connected hardware; use its corresponding selection and Back controls.
Continue into calls and text messages
Install BIG Phone and BIG SMS separately if you want their call and message controls. Set them as Android’s default phone and SMS applications during setup.
The free BIG SMS edition shows the five most recent conversations. After 20 sent SMS, it appends a biglauncher.com link to outgoing messages; the full version removes those limits.
For a call, open BIG Phone, move to the contact and select the call action. During the call, use focus to reach the controls you need, including ending the call.
For an SMS reply, open BIG SMS, choose the conversation and message, select Reply, enter your text and select Send. BIG SMS works with your chosen Android keyboard. If connecting an external device hides an on-screen keyboard that you still need, enable the on-screen keyboard in Android’s physical-keyboard settings.
See BIG Launcher working with Tecla Shield
BIG Launcher’s collaboration with Tecla included support for the Tecla Shield wheelchair interface. The manual describes external switches, sip-and-puff devices and joysticks through that interface.
The video BIG Launcher & Tecla Shield demonstrates this earlier integration with a wheelchair-mounted phone and calling and messaging screens. It dates from 2013; use Tecla’s current information when choosing hardware today.
Focus navigation is supported; on an Android flip phone, separately check whether that model’s D-pad, selection key and text-entry method map correctly.
Check one call and one reply
- Without touching the screen, open BIG Phone from BIG Launcher and select a willing contact.
- Make a short call, reach the call controls and end it deliberately.
- Open BIG SMS, reply to a known contact and select Send using your chosen input method.
- Return Home and repeat after reconnecting the controller. Check that focus remains visible and the keyboard you need is available.
Use the controls that work for you
Start with BIG Launcher’s focusable home-screen buttons, then add BIG Phone and BIG SMS for calls and texts.
