Hable One#

The Hable One is a braille input device to operate an iOS or Android mobile device. It has 8 input keys, the standard 1 through 6 dots plus dots 7 and 8. The keys are used not only for typing using braille input, but to control the mobile device as well. It works great with both VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android.

This page contains all the commands common to both platforms as well as commands specific to iOS and Android. Follow the heading structure and read any notes for the section, or jump directly to tables if you already know what you’re looking for.

Hable’s Documentation#

You can access manuals for the Hable One online. And when you’re getting started, it’s a good idea to read through those. The manuals contain descriptions and initializing information not presented here. This reference is taken mostly from the manuals with some notes based on my experiences. I’ve also gone through the playlists from the Hable One YouTube channel and provided some summaries. Some videos have information already presented in the manuals, which I don’t call out. It’s a good idea to go through the play lists at least once when learning the Hable One. I don’t provide any links in here to specific videos. This site is intended to be browsed quickly to look for information you might have forgotten or missed earlier.

Common Commands#

This section contains commands used for both iOS and Android devices. These include commands to configure the Hable One itself (e.g., change the language, switch between Android and iOS), as well as generic commands consistent across both platforms.

Note on Android or iOS#

No, not a which one is better. My goal is to keep all opinions out of braille.codes, though sometimes the temptation is too much. The point I want to make here is Android and iOS are solving similar problems, thus there are ideas consistent across both platforms. This applies to TalkBack and VoiceOver as well. A feature on iOS, e.g., rotor, might have a similar feature on Android. They might have different names and slightly different functionality. At their core though, they solve the same problem thus can be accessed using the same commands.

If you read through both the Android and iOS manuals from Hable, you’ll notice many codes are repeated. Hable has done a great job using the same codes for the same functionality, e.g., navigating around text, going to the home screen. Making it much easier to switch between an Android and iOS device.

Hable Menu: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6#

The following commands are for configuring the Hable One, or checking status. You need to be in the Hable menu before using any of these commands. Hold down all keys 1 through 6 until your device buzzes 4 times, then hold down the desired command, until the buzz. After you enter the command, the Hable exits the menu. If you want to enter another menu command, you must first hold down the 1 through 6 keys again. The Hable menu commands table contains only the keys for the command, not the 1 through 6 to enter the menu. Remember you need to be in the Hable menu for these commands to work.

commands in the Hable Menu#

command

Cells

ABAE settings

1, 3, 6

UEB settings

1, 5

Android settings

1

iOS settings

2

Battery status, 1 buzz low, 3 buzzes full

3, 6

toggle braille dot/key settings (swap dots/keys 1 and 3, and 4 and 6)

1, 3, 4, 6

Long press delay or vibration length. Repeat the action to change the settings. 4 vibrations is the longest duration while 1 vibration is the shortest.

1, 2, 3

Belgium country settings

1, 2

Finnish country settings

1, 4

France country settings

1, 2, 4

Germany country settings

1, 2, 4, 5

Icelandic country settings

1, 2, 3

Netherlands country settings

1, 4, 5

Spanish country settings

2, 3, 4

Android Commands#

Below are the commands used to control an Android based device.

iOS#

Below are commands used to control an iOS based device.

Troubleshooting#

I’m typing single letters but sometimes get complete words or multiple letters#

You are almost certainly in contractions mode. Hold down the keys 1, 2, 4, 5. If you feel a single buzz, you have gone from contracted mode back to single letter (grade 1) mode. If you feel two buzzes, you have gone into contracted mode and I have no idea what the initial problem was.

The commands simply don’t match this reference#

You might have accidently swapped the braille dots/keys. That is, you were in the Hable menu (held down 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) then held down 1,3,4, 6. It seems unlikely to have done that accidently, but when you’re messing around trying to learn, it can happen. The command to swap braille keys/dots is a toggle. Try the above again and see if it’s better.

You can check the braille key/dot settings by pressing the 1 key in a text editing field. If you get an ‘a’, the dots/keys are in standard configuration. If you don’t get an ‘a’, they are probably swapped.