Google on Saturday broadened access to its Gboard sign-to-text feature, extending the accessibility tool to additional Android devices and enabling on-device processing for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. The company detailed the update on its accessibility blog.

The feature uses a phone's camera and on-device machine learning to translate signed gestures into typed text within any app that supports the Gboard keyboard. Google introduced the capability earlier this week as part of its broader push to embed accessibility functions directly into everyday Android tools rather than standalone apps.

The expansion increases the number of supported sign languages and improves recognition accuracy in lower-light conditions, according to the company's product documentation. Processing runs locally on compatible devices, which preserves user privacy by keeping camera data off Google's servers.

Disability advocates, including representatives from the National Association of the Deaf, have long pressed technology firms to build sign language support into mainstream consumer products. Accessibility researchers have cautioned that automated sign recognition remains imperfect and should complement, not replace, human interpreters.

The update places Google in closer competition with Apple, which has expanded its own accessibility features across iOS. Google said further language additions and hardware support would follow in subsequent Gboard releases over the coming months.