Misplaced Field Label

Form field labels in Android apps must be positioned correctly relative to their associated input so assistive technologies can pair them accurately.

WCAG Reference

Maps to: WCAG 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions | Applies to: WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1, WCAG 2.2 Introduced in: WCAG 2.0 | Level: A | Read the official specification →

What this rule checks

The scanner verifies that labels associated with form fields through labelFor or proximity are positioned in a way that creates a clear visual and programmatic association.

Why it matters

If a label appears far from its field or near the wrong field, TalkBack may announce the wrong label for a control. This causes confusion and can lead users to enter data in the wrong field.

Common failure patterns

• a TextView label placed below the input field instead of above or beside it
• labels that are visually near the correct field but programmatically linked to a different field via labelFor
• dynamic layouts where field reordering breaks label-field proximity

Remediation guidance

• place labels immediately above or to the start of their associated input field
• use android:labelFor on the label TextView pointing to the correct input id
• in Jetpack Compose, use Modifier.semantics { contentDescription = "..." } or explicit label composables
• test with TalkBack to confirm the announced label matches the visual label for each field

Related docs

• Android Rule Repository
• Accessibility Issue Remediation Guide