ALT text missing in X for iOS? Cause and fixes

When you open a post with multiple images in the X app for iOS, the app may not show the [ALT] button even when the author added ALT text to the images.

A bug in the X app for iOS causes this issue. The ALT text has not disappeared, and you can still view it in the X app for Android or on the X website.

Has ALT text disappeared from X for iOS?

X changed the media layout for posts with multiple attachments in its Android and iOS apps.

The new layout uses a carousel. It places media in a single horizontal row, and you swipe left or right to view each item.

According to X Head of Product Nikita Bier, X made this change to let users attach five or more media items to a single post.

X has begun testing support for posts with more than five media attachments.

X may let users attach six videos to a post after employee publishes test post

X may let users attach up to six videos to a single post. An X employee published a test post that showed the change.

June 17, 2026

The current version of the X app for iOS contains a bug that hides the [ALT] button from images in the carousel layout.

Posts with one image still show the [ALT] button. Posts with multiple images use the carousel layout and do not show it.

X has not removed ALT text. The new carousel layout appears to contain a bug.

How to view ALT text when X does not show it

When the X app for iOS does not show the [ALT] button on an image that should have ALT text, the text still exists.

You can view the ALT text in the X app for Android or on the X website.

To check a post you found in the iOS app on Android or the web, add it to your X bookmarks in the iOS app. You can then open your bookmarks in the Android app or on the X website.

To open the post on the web, tap the share button in the lower-right corner of the post in the iOS app, then open it in Safari or another browser.

When X sends you to the app instead of opening the website, see the following article.

How to deal with the browser version of X (Twitter) redirecting to the app and not opening

Have you ever tried to open the browser version (web version) of X (Twitter) on your smartphone and been redirected to the app? This article explains how to open the web version of X on a smartphone with the X app installed.

October 17, 2025

Post each image separately when you publish images with ALT text and want readers to see the [ALT] button.

X uses the carousel layout for posts with multiple images. Posts with one image do not use it, so the app continues to show the [ALT] button.

Important: Are you using ALT text for the wrong purpose?

You may be using ALT text for the wrong purpose if the missing [ALT] button causes a problem for you.

ALT stands for “alternative text.” As the name suggests, it provides a text alternative to an image.

People with visual impairments use ALT text to understand images they cannot see. Browsers and apps may also display it in place of an image when a network problem prevents the image from loading.

Do not use ALT text to hide spoilers or to add post text that exceeds the 280-character limit.

People often compare this misuse of ALT text on X to placing an object on tactile paving.

People with visual impairments use screen readers, which read on-screen content aloud.

When you add long text that did not fit in the post, unrelated comments, or spoilers to ALT text, a screen reader reads all of it aloud.

Use ALT text to describe an image so that someone who cannot view it can understand its contents. Do not use it for personal comments or spoilers.

The following article explains ALT text in more detail.

X（Twitter）のALTとは？書き方や見る方法を解説

X（旧Twitter）を利用している際に、「ALT」「ALTテキスト」「代替テキスト」といった言葉を聞いたことがあるかもしれません。この記事では、XのALTとは何か、ALTテキストの設定方法や見る方法について解説します。また、ALTテキストを見られない場合の対処法についても紹介します。

August 31, 2024

Conclusion

A bug in X for iOS prevents the [ALT] button from appearing when the app displays multiple images in a carousel.

X retains the ALT text. Open the same post in the X app for Android or on the X website to view it.