Missing Image Element Label

Meaningful UIImageView and Image elements in iOS apps must have an accessibility label that describes their content or purpose.

WCAG Reference

Maps to: WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content | 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 identifies image elements that are visible on screen and carry meaningful content but have no accessibilityLabel, causing VoiceOver to either skip them or announce the image file name.

Why it matters

VoiceOver users cannot see images. Without a label, they miss the information the image conveys — whether it is a product photo, an avatar, a status icon, or a chart.

Common failure patterns

• product images in a shopping app with no accessibility label
• user avatars or profile pictures with no descriptive text
• status icons (success checkmark, error X) with no label
• chart or graph images with no text alternative

Remediation guidance

• set accessibilityLabel on every meaningful UIImageView to describe what the image shows
• for decorative images, set isAccessibilityElement = false to hide them from VoiceOver
• in SwiftUI, use .accessibilityLabel("description") on Image views
• keep labels descriptive but concise (e.g., "Product photo: Blue running shoes" rather than "image_shoe_blue_v2.png")

Related docs

• iOS Rule Repository
• Accessibility Issue Remediation Guide